Minolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha

Takeya Tsukamoto

Masatoshi Itoh

Takashi Iida

Hidenori Fukuoka

Hiroshi Ootsuka

Masataka Hamada

Kenji Ishibashi

Takashi Kondo

Toru Ishii

Daigo Yoshioka

Kazuhiko Kojima

Hiroshi Kiten

Hiroyuki Tsumazawa

Atsushi Kuwada

Nobuo Hasimoto

This zooming device performs auto-zooming by determining the focal length based on the object distance. When the degree of zooming is large, it performs zooming at a speed appropriate to that degree. Further, when a conversion lens is mounted to change the focal length, the device determines focal length while taking into account the degree of change in focal length effected by the conversion lens.

Automatic zooming device

A camera having a zoom lens system and detecting means for detecting photographic conditions such as distance to an object, a photographic magnification and like. Differentiation between a focal length range enabling a power zoom operation and a focal length range not enabling the power zoom operation is provided by the detecting means. The zooming operation is permitted only to a short focal length side in a particular region determined by the distance to the object, the focal length and the like. Further, an auto zooming operation is permitted only in the particular region.

Camera having zoom lens system

A camera comprises a taking lens having a zoom lens system, zoom lens driver for performing a zooming operation by driving the taking lens, first parameter detector for detecting a subject distance from a photographing scene, second parameter detector detecting light source data from the photographing scene, and controlling circuit for controlling the zoom lens driver so that the taking lens has a focal length automatically obtained on the basis of the subject distance and the light source data. The camera gives a photographer in advantage when, for example, a baby is photographed in the whole image plane at a relatively short distance indoors, or a subject such as the whole body of a child on a ground is photographed in the whole image plane at a relatively long distance outdoors.

Camera having a zoom lens system

An automatic white balance adjusting apparatus having a light measuring circuit, a determining circuit, and adjusting circuit and a time-average calculating circuit, in operation, color temperature adjustment data are calculated by using a value obtained by averaging color temperature information of a light source over a predetermined time period.

Automatic white-balance adjusting apparatus with reduced sensitivity to

A focus detection condition display device suitable for use in a camera provided with an electronic viewfinder. The pattern signal corresponding to a focus detection zone on which focus detection is conducted by a focus detecting system is superimposed on the video signal of the object field and said signal is output to an electronic viewfinder. When the focus detection has become impracticable for such reason as lack of contrast of the object field, or focusing has become impracticable because of the object coming too close to the camera, an alarm is issued by the pattern corresponding to a focus detection zone displayed on the electronic viewfinder displaying in a manner different from that ordinarily used.

Focus detection condition display device for camera

The present invention relates to a white balance adjusting device for a color video camera for photographing an object irradiated by light from a blackbody radiation source or a non-blackbody radiation source. When recording operation is being performed, the white balance adjusting device prevents the moving operation of a fluorescent light correction filter and a color temperature conversion filter into an optical path of image pickup means and permits a white balance adjustment operation performed by electrically correcting an output of the image pickup means. When a recording operation is not being performed, the white balance adjusting device permits the moving operation of the fluorescent light correction filter and the color temperature conversion filter into the optical path and permits white balance adjustment operation performed by electrically correcting the output of the image pickup means.

White balance adjusting device for a color video camera

A camera such as a vide camera having an automatic focusing function, a power focusing function and a power zooming function which allows most reasonable change-over between the functions of the camera. The camera comprises manually operable mode change-over means for alternatively changing over the camera between a zooming mode and a focusing mode, and manually operable instructing means for instructing a direction of movement of a zooming lens system or a focusing lens system for zooming or focusing. When the zooming mode is selected, first actuating means actuates the zooming lens system for zooming in a direction instructed by the instructing means, but when the focusing mode is selected, second actuating means actuates the focusing lens system for focusing operation in a direction instructed by the instructing means. Several forms of instructing means are disclosed.

Growing community of inventors

Osaka, Japan

Takeya Tsukamoto