Nikon Corporation

Tsutomu Narisawa

Toshihiro Sato

Yosuke Kusaka

Shinichi Suzuki

Seiichi Yasukawa

Toru Takayama

Tetsuro Goto

Shigeyuki Uchiyama

Shozo Yamano

Hitoshi Imanari

Masao Owashi

Hiroyuki Iwasaki

Kazuharu Imafuji

Hiroyuki Abe

Masaru Muramatsu

Takatoshi Ashizawa

Hidehiro Ogawa

Toshimi Watanabe

Shigemasa Sato

Fumio Suzuki

Toru Kosaka

Yasuaki Ishiguro

Michihiro Tobe

Kenji Tazaki

Kei Ikeda

Isao Kishikawa

The area in which focus detection is performed is selected from among a plurality of focus detection areas provided on a photography screen. In the pair of photoelectric converters corresponding to the selected focus detection area, charge accumulation is repeatedly performed based on at least one of the image signals from the pair of image signals output from this pair of photoelectric converters. The focus adjustment condition of the photograph optical system is computed based on this pair of image signals. In the pair of photoelectric converters corresponding to the non-selected focus detection areas, charge accumulation is repeatedly performed over a period longer than the period of charge accumulation in the pair of photoelectric converters corresponding to the selected focus detection area based on at least one of the image signals from the pair of image signals output from this pair of photoelectric converters. The structure and method improve the responsiveness of focus detection when the focus detection area is changed without causing the responsiveness of normal focus detection to decline.

Focus detection device and focus detection method

The camera capable of displaying brightness distribution of the present invention is equipped with a photometric sensor which has a plurality of photoelectric conversion sub-elements which perform photometry on a plurality of regions into which the subject is divided, and a display device, having a plurality of display elements, which displays the brightness distribution over the subject as detected by the photometric sensor.

Camera capable of displaying brightness distribution

A camera having a line of sight detecting device, includes a line of sight detection portion for detecting the line of sight position of a photographer, a portion of selection of a line of sight mode for selecting one of a single mode for locking a line of sight position obtained when a plurality of previous detection results of the line of sight detection portion satisfy a predetermined eye-gazing condition and a continuous mode for renewing the line of sight position on the basis of the latest line of sight position from the line of sight detection portion, a control mode setting portion for selecting a control mode for setting a camera phototaking condition, and a phototaking control for setting the camera phototaking condition in accordance with the line of sight position of the photographer when the control mode is selected, wherein when the control mode is selected by the control mode setting portion, the continuous mode is selected by the portion of selection of a line of sight mode, and the camera phototaking condition is set by the phototaking control in accordance with the line of sight position in the continuous mode.

Camera having line of sight detecting device

A camera which can focus on one or more of multiple focus detection areas and which allows a photographer to change the focus to a new focus detection area by voicing a reference code corresponding to the new focus detection area. The camera includes a voice recognition mechanism which recognizes a voice of a photographer, a selection mechanism which selects at least one focus detection area from the multiple focus detection areas in correspondence to a voice recognized by the voice recognition mechanism and a focus mechanism which detects and adjusts respective focus conditions corresponding to the focus detection areas selected by the selection mechanism.

Camera having voice-input device for changing focus detection

A vibration linear motor utilizing a composite vibration of a bending vibration and a longitudinal vibration, provided with a plate-shaped elastic member having a plate-shaped main body portion and a pair of driving force output portions provided on the surface of the main body portion for driving a driven object; and an electromechanical converting element adhered to the elastic member and adapted to generate the composite vibration, wherein the electromechanical converting element is provided on the surface, between the paired driving force output portions, of the main body portion.

Vibration motor

A multiple point focus detection camera capable of acquiring focus detection data on objects within a photographer's field of vision is operable in an automatic or a manual mode, and can be automatically switched to the automatic or manual modes as a default upon the occurrence of certain events in order to reduce the likelihood of errors during photography. Automatic operation can be enabled (i.e., is the default) upon power-up or changing of lenses. Manual operation can be enabled when lens data indicates that a lens used most often by a professional photographer is in use. Either mode (automatic or manual) can be set as a default mode, which can be selected when the camera is placed in a self timer mode. A default mode change feature can be provided to allow a user to select automatic or manual as the default mode.

Multiple point focus detection camera

A flash modulation control apparatus in a camera having a photo-taking lens and a flash device mounted thereon comprises a photographing mode setting device for setting a photographing mode in which optimal exposure is obtained in conformity with an object, a divisional photometry device for dividing the object field into a plurality of areas, metering through the photo-taking lens light emitted from the flash device and reflected by the object, and outputting photometric values, a weighting device for determining an amount of weighting for each of the photometry areas of the divisional photometry device in conformity with the photographing mode set by the photographing mode setting device, and weighting each of the photometric values on the basis of the amount of weighting, and a light modulation control device for stopping the light emission of the flash device when the sum total of the weighted photometric values reaches a predetermined level.

Photo-taking apparatus capable of making a photograph with flash by a

A multi point focal detection camera is switchable between an automatic mode and a manual mode. An automatic focusing system focuses a movable lens system having a lens on a selected one of multiple focus detection areas in accordance with either focus detection data or a focus detection area selection lever. A CPU enables the selected one of the multiple focus detection areas to be changed to another of the multiple focus detection areas without changing the operation mode. Once the lens system is focused on the selected focus detection area, the selected focus detection area can be changed by displacing the focus detection area selection lever within a predetermined period of time. If the selected focus detection area is changed to another of the multiple focus detection areas, the automatic focusing system focuses the lens system on the new focus detection area.

A camera capable of operating in a standard or a panoramic photography mode is provided with an automatic focusing system that focuses on a subject in one of a plurality of areas within a photographic field. In the standard photography mode, the camera automatically selects one of the plurality of areas based on a predetermined algorithm and focuses on the selected area. In the panoramic photography mode, the camera selects one of the plurality of area in response to a user performed operation and focuses upon the selected area. When operating in the panoramic photographic mode, an area can be selected by using a manual selection device, or through use of a visual line position detection device. The visual line position detection device determines which area in the photographic field the photographer's eye is focused upon, and the focused upon area is then selected. The camera may include a display device that indicates which of the plurality of areas has been selected.

Camera having standard and panoramic focusing modes

The target follow-up device of the present invention is adapted quickly and reliably to follow up the position of a target which is moving at high speed. It incorporates an imaging sensor having a number of imaging elements, which performs photometry over the photographic field and which outputs input image data. Based upon this imaging sensor output, input image data for the target to be followed up are stored as reference image data by a memory device. Based upon minimum residue calculation between the input image data and the reference image data, the target follow-up device of the present invention determines the position of the target. In this determination operation, the target follow-up device selects at least one color from a plurality of colors contained in common by the input image data and the reference image data, and calculates the minimum residue for the selected color component.

Target follow-up device and camera comprising the same

A photo taking apparatus capable of making a photograph with flash by a

An automatic focusing apparatus of a camera includes a detecting unit, a lens driving unit, an instruction output unit, and a control unit. The detecting unit forms pieces of information concerning focus conditions of a photographic lens with respect to at least three areas in a field. The lens driving unit drives the photographic lens in order to perform focusing. The instruction output unit outputs an instruction for changing the position of the photographic lens. On the basis of the information from the detecting unit, the control unit controls the lens driving unit such that the photographic lens is focused on one of the areas in response to a release operation and the instruction and then sequentially focused on the remaining areas in accordance with a predetermined sequence.

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Saitama-ken, Japan

Tsutomu Narisawa