Nikon Corporation

Nippon Kogaku K.k.

Toshiaki Hozumi

Hidehiro Ogawa

Sunao Ishizaka

Hiroshi Wakabayashi

Shinichi Suzuki

Takeshi Okuyama

Akira Katayama

Koichi Daitoku

Shozo Yamano

Masanori Ichikawa

Masaharu Hara

Toshio Dobashi

Nobuhiko Terui

Yoshio Matsuzawa

Masamichi Wada

Yoshio Sekine

Manabu Nakamura

Yukio Hyodo

Hatsuo Sakamoto

Takeo Komai

Tsuyoshi Kudo

Nobuaki Nakanishi

Katsumasa Kurihara

An exposure compensation device for an automatic exposure camera which is able to easily perform exposure compensation setting regardless of an exposure control mode setting. A first setting unit sets the lens aperture. A second setting means sets the shutter speed of the camera. The camera CPU controls the aperture value and the shutter speed to the appropriate photometric values based on photometric values output by a photometric unit. An exposure compensation amount setting unit changes the shutter speed and the aperture value during picture taking according to an exposure compensation operation. The exposure compensation amount setting unit also sets an exposure compensation amount when exposure is to be compensated. It is possible to set the exposure compensation amount using the second setting unit during an automatic exposure mode in which a first setting mode is given priority. It is possible to set the exposure compensation amount using the first setting unit during the automatic exposure mode in which a second setting mode is given priority.

Exposure compensation device for an auto exposure camera

An information setting apparatus of a camera includes an information storage unit, a display unit, a selecting unit, a step altering unit, an information setting unit, and a control unit. The information storage unit stores photographic information values pertaining to photography. The display unit displays the information values stored in the information storage unit. The selecting unit selects an information value by sequentially changing the display on the display unit step by step. The step altering unit alters the display step for the value of the photographic information on the information display unit within a specific range of the information value while the selecting unit is selecting an information value. The information setting unit sets, as the photographic information, the information value selected by the selecting unit and displayed on the display unit. The control unit controls the camera on the basis of the information set by the information setting unit.

Information setting apparatus of camera

An automatic exposure camera having a continuous shooting capability includes a signal generator generating signals in accordance with the operation of an aperture, a measuring unit counting the signals generated by the signal generator for a specified period of time and a storage unit storing the signals generated by the measuring unit. During continuous shooting operations, an initial picture taking operation is controlled in accordance with the signals generated according to the operation of the aperture, and subsequent picture taking operations are controlled in accordance with the signals generated according to the operation of the aperture within a specified period of time during the initial picture taking operation and which are stored in the storage unit. Additionally provided is a method for controlling the aperture operations of an automatic exposure camera having a continuous shooting mode of operation. The method includes, but is not limited to, generating signals in accordance with the operation of an aperture of the camera, counting the signals over a specified period of time and storing the generated signals so that during continuous shooting operations, an initial picture taking operation is controlled by signals generated in accordance with the operation of the aperture, and subsequent picture taking operations are controlled by signals generated according to the operation of the aperture within a specified period of time during the initial picture taking operation and which are stored during the storing step.

Automatic exposure cameras with improved aperture stop signal

An automatic focus camera having a focal point detection unit to detect a focal point status of a photographic lens in relation to the subject, a focal point adjustment unit which drives the photographic lens to an in-focus position based on the detection results of the focal point detection unit, an audio device which generates an audio sound when the photographic lens is in-focus, a primary control unit which repeatedly executes the focal point adjustment operation of focal point adjustment unit until release is executed, and a prohibition unit which, during control by the primary control unit, drives the audio device only when photographic lens is in-focus the first time, and prohibits drive of the audio device when in-focus the second and subsequent times.

Automatic focus camera having an audio device to indicate an in-focus

A camera system having a camera body which is attachable to an accessory, such that the camera body includes a detection unit to detect that the accessory is in the process of being installed on the camera body, the detection unit having a detachment pin which sets a detachment switch ON or OFF. When the detection units detects that the accessory is in the course of installation, a semiconductor switching element (a MOSFET) is set OFF, and the provision of a power supply from a battery to a contact point of a electrical contact point unit of the camera body is stopped. As a result, the power supply is not provided to the accessory and various disadvantages are avoided when the accessory is in the course of installation. In addition, the power supply can be safely provided to the accessory regardless of any communication.

Camera system having a camera body with a power supply and an accessory

An automatic exposure control device for use with a camera having a continuous shooting mode includes, but is not limited to, a photometric unit measuring subject brightness, an exposure control unit controlling the automatic exposure control device according to the operation of the photometric unit, a range finding unit detecting subject distance, a focus control unit focusing a lens of the camera according to the operation of the range finding unit, a mirror raising unit raising a mirror of the camera and a timer timing the time from a start of a shutter release operation of the camera until the completion of a mirror raising operation by the mirror raising unit. The automatic exposure control device controls the range finding and photometry times for photographing a photographic frame during the time from an initial shutter release operation to a next shutter release operation during continuous shooting by adding an amount of time to the total time after the shutter release operation that must elapse before photometry and range finding operations can be carried out. The added amount of time equals the difference between a minimum mirror raising time at which range finding and photometry are possible and a measured mirror raising time.

Automatic exposure control device for use with a camera having a

A camera including an information setting apparatus, that increases or decreases the setting value by discriminating between two different signal phases generated in response to the setting of photographic information. A rotational direction changing setting section, which is a determination unit that determines the direction to change values, is associated with the action of the information setting apparatus, whether in a normal or inverse mode. The camera further includes display units, which display the photographic information to be set in a viewfinder of the camera and on a top portion of a camera body of the camera. In addition, a central processing unit selects whether or not the displays on the display units are indicated through digital signals.

Camera having an information setting apparatus for setting photographic

A custom mode control apparatus by which the user can arbitrarily set the custom mode comprises a first selection device for selecting the custom mode or the ordinary mode, a second selection device for selecting the setting or reproduction of the custom mode, a contents setting device for selecting the set contents indicated on an indicating portion when the setting of the custom mode is selected by the second selection device, thereby arbitrarily setting the contents of the custom mode, a memory device for memorizing the contents of the custom mode set by the contents setting device, and a reproducing device for bringing about a custom mode in which the contents of the custom mode memorized in the memory device are reproduced when the reproduction of the custom mode is selected by the second selection device.

Custom mode control apparatus in a camera

In this camera system capable of imprinting data on film, imprint data setting elements SW11 and 61 select and set imprint data, which may be film specific imprint data and/or frame specific imprint data. Commanding elements SW12 and SW13 command a first imprinting operation in which data so set is imprinted as frame specific imprint data in a predetermined imprinting position for each film frame, and command a second imprinting operation in which data so set is imprinted as film specific imprint data in another position differing from all the imprinting positions for the film frames, for example on the header portion of the film. An imprinting device 62 and 63 performs the first imprinting operation and/or the second imprinting operation according to the commands issued by the commanding elements, and a data changeover signal output device 51, when the second imprinting operation is ordered, outputs a data changeover signal before the second imprinting operation, if frame specific imprint data is set by the setting elements. Accordingly, before performing the second imprinting operation, it is possible to change over this improperly set frame specific imprint data, which has no meaning as film specific imprint data when not associated with any particular film frame, to appropriate film specific imprint data.

Imprinting camera system with data changeover capability

In an interchangeable lens having a mount mountable on a camera incuding an electric circuit associated with exposure control and a displaceable actuating member for correcting the electric circuit so as to be accommodated to the focal length of the interchangeable lens mounted, a signal member is provided projectedly from one end of the mount and engageable with the actuating member so as to cause said displacement when the interchangeable lens is mounted on the camera. The signal member has an engaging end portion engageable with the actuating member. The engaging end portion lies at a position determined relative to the mount for displacing the actuating member by an amount related to the logarithm of the focal length of the interchangeable lens.

Mount device of an interchangeable lens

A film rewind device in a camera in which a rewind coupling is automatically engaged with a cassette shaft in response to rewind operation has a rotatable member having a spiral groove on its peripheral wall portion and said rewind coupling at the end of the shaft thereof, the rotatable member being slidable in axial direction and rotatable by rewind operation, and a meshing member meshing with the spiral groove at the initial stage of the rewind operation to thereby slide the rotatable member in axial direction to cause the coupling to engage the cassette shaft. The mesh engagement between the meshing member and the spiral groove is released in axial direction when the coupling engages the cassette shaft, so that the meshing member comes to support the rotatable member so as to block the return of the rotatable member in axial direction.

Film rewind device in a camera

An auxiliary lens capable of being mounted between an interchangeable lens having on the mount thereof means for generating a minimum F-number signal and a camera having means for detecting said signal on a mount to which the interchangeable lens may be mounted and including a circuit receiving as input the detected signal and an output based on the light passed through the interchangeable lens to effect an exposure operation. The auxiliary lens includes an optical system for changing the focal length of the interchangeable lens. The auxiliary lens is provided with transmitting means capable of being coupled to each of the signal generating means and the detecting means during said mounting and adapted to transmit the signal to the camera by said coupling, and a signal member having information corresponding to a variation in the F-number caused by the change of said focal length and capable of transmitting the information to the camera during said mounting.

Mount device of a focal length changing auxiliary lens

In a film feeding device of a camera including a take-up spool adapted to be rotated by a wind-up operating device to thereby take up on the outer periphery thereof a roll film loaded into a supply chamber, the film having an image recording portion and a leader portion of a smaller width than the recording portion, the image recording portion being taken up in subsequence to the take-up of the leader portion onto the take-up spool, the take-up spool having an outer peripheral surface which is not covered with the leader portion but can be covered only with the image recording portion, there is provided means cooperable with the outer peripheral surface of the take-up spool to detect the take-up of the film, the detecting means including signal means provided on said outer peripheral surface and signal detecting means engageable with the signal means and removed from said outer peripheral surface by the intervention of the image recording portion of the film with respect to said outer peripheral surface, and means for biasing the signal detecting means in the direction of engagement thereof with the signal means.

Film feed detecting device of a camera

A camera film advancing apparatus is disclosed which is improved in respect of reliability of engagement between the pawl of the film advancing sprocket and the perforation of the film to simplify the operation necessary for film charging.

Growing community of inventors

Tokyo, Japan

Toshiaki Hozumi