Olympus Optical Company, Ltd.

Yasuo Yamazaki

Tatsuya Suzuki

Hiroaki Miyazaki

Shunji Matsutani

Shigeo Hayashi

Azuma Miyazawa

Kazuyuki Iwasa

Koji Mizobuchi

Yuichi Torikoshi

Hitoshi Shirai

Kazuo Yamamoto

Moriya Katagiri

Toshifumi Nakano

Tatsuji Higuchi

Hiroyuki Ando

Kunio Yokoyama

Takashi Inoue

Kazutoshi Shiratori

Hideaki Kume

Fumio Tomikawa

Toyohiko Kimura

Manabu Ikeda

Yasunari Shimazaki

Tetsuhisa Asai

Ikumu Suzuki

A lens barrel permits easier switching of an extending operation between a setup operating region, which begins at a collapsed position where the lens frame of the lens barrel is retracted, and a zooming region, and accordingly provides a simpler mechanism. In the setup operation, a setting gear is driven to extend a setting frame, a float key, and a moving frame so as to extend a first group zoom frame retained on a cam frame and a second lens holding frame from a collapsed position to a photographing standby position. In the zooming operation, a zoom gear is driven to rotationally drive the moving frame so as to adjust the first group zoom frame and the second lens holding frame.

Lens barrel

Binoculars which can adjust the optical axes of optical systems by moving at least one lens groups of objective lens groups and eye piece groups in a plane approximately perpendicular to the optical axes of the lens groups and further independently adjust the optical axes of the optical systems in a linear direction and in the direction approximately perpendicular to the linear direction by moving, one lens groups of the objective lens groups and the eye piece groups on the plane approximately perpendicular to the optical axes of the lens groups approximately in the linear direction and moving the other lens groups of the objective lens groups and the eye piece groups on the plane approximately perpendicular to the optical axes of the lens groups approximately in the linear direction, whereby the optical axis between a pair of the right and left optical systems of the binoculars can be easily adjusted.

Optical axis adjustable binoculars

In a camera of this invention, a lens barrel including a photographing lens built therein and an aperture opening formed in a camera body are coupled to each other by a light-shield unit in a light-tight manner. The light-shield unit comprises a bellows member made of rubber, sheet, cloth or other material capable of shielding light, which is folded to have top and bottom creases in the spiral form, and a spiral skeleton member comprising a linear spring and fitted to the inner side of a portion of the bellows member which defines the top crease. The skeleton member prevents a flexion of the bellows member, thereby preventing the bellows member from interfering with the flux of photographing light coming through the lens.

Camera

A camera capable of changing over the photographing frame size thereof having a photographing frame size changing member disposed in a camera body and capable of moving between a first position at which the photographing frame size changing member partially covers a film exposing opening and a second position at which the changing member does not cover the film exposing opening; and an operation member disposed on a rear cover of the camera for selectively bringing the photographing frame size changing member to the first position or the second position, wherein the changing member and the operation member are non-mechanically connected to each other in a state where the film is interposed between the changing member and the operation member. In another embodiment flexible changing members, being positively driven, are guided from a position behind the film to a position in front of the film exposing opening. Visual and/or audible indicators are provided to alert an operator as to the photographing frame size.

Camera having photographic frame size changing means controlled by an

In a camera of the present invention, an extension amount of a focusing lens is determined from a plural kind of table data for determining the extension amount of the lens from information on the distance to an object and information on the set focal distance. The camera has a storage unit for storing the zooming direction of an optical system during zooming, a selection unit for selecting data from the plural kind of table data on the basis of the contents stored in the storage unit, and an arithmetic unit for computing an extension amount of a focusing lens on the basis of the data selected by the selection unit. The camera also provides correction or backlash due to external forces by driving the photographic optical system for a given interval.

Camera capable of automatic focal distance correction utilizing stored

This invention is directed to a camera in which an ordinary or normal photographing image-plane size, a photographing image-plane size narrower or smaller than the normal photographing image-plane size, for example, a panoramic size, and the like are changeable, the camera comprising a back closure openable and closable with respect to a camera body, an aperture arranged between a film and a photographing lens, for regulating an exposure range corresponding to the normal photographing image-plane size, a light shielding unit arranged between the film and the photographing lens and so arranged as to be movable between a saving position where the light shielding unit is saved (i.e. spaced) from the inside of the aperture so as not to interrupt an exposure luminous flux incident upon the aperture and a projecting position where the light shielding unit projects inwardly of the aperture to interrupt a part or substantially all of the exposure luminous flux, an operating unit for assigning the narrow photographing image-plane size, a detecting unit for detecting at least one camera operating condition including a power source condition of the camera, an opening and closing condition of the back closure, a forcible rewinding condition of the film and an exposure condition to a film surface, and a drive unit for driving the exposure unit, the drive unit driving the light shielding unit to the inward-most projected position or a saved position in spite of assignment of the operating unit in accordance with an output from the detecting unit.

Image-plane-size changeover camera

A picture-format switchable camera having a picture-format setting device for setting a picture format, and a picture-format switching device for switching to the picture format set by the picture-format setting device from another picture format. The picture-format switching device is disposed between the aperture of a camera body and the light-sensitive surface of a film.

Picture-format switchable camera

The picture-format switchable camera of the present invention is fabricated with a photographic optical system which, in this invention, is a photographic lens; a display unit portion having a lamp light source, a reflection mirror, a condenser lens, and a liquid crystal display; and a mechanical portion, for switching the image plane, having a mask for switching the image plane while retaining an objective lens of an image-forming optical system for inscribing data and a total reflection mirror, and a mask B located in the position facing the mask A; wherein a data-inscribing operation can form the image of the inscribing data on a film by moving the data-inscribing optical system such as the objective lens being interlocked with the up-and-down movement of the mask. Accordingly, an image of the inscribing data can be formed in the predetermined position in accordance with the switched picture format.

In a camera according to the present invention, a driving source is driven using a zoom switch to adjust a focal distance value of a zoom optical system. In the meantime, a range finding unit measures a range to a subject. After zooming by means of the zoom switch is completed, an arithmetic logic unit serving as a focal distance determining unit and control computes the range finding value and the focal distance value to obtain a magnification for imaging a subject on film. A picture size selecting unit provides the arithmetic logic unit with a signal indicating that the picture frame is of a full size or a smaller size. Either of two-system processes each determining an imaging magnification is selected according to the signal. Thereby, an imaging magnification consistent with a picture size is specified automatically.

Camera having a zoom optical system

When moving frames are incorporated in a fixed frame and a cam ring, the lens barrel according to this invention is ready for fitting cam followers of the moving frames in the fixed frame or a plurality of moving cain grooves disposed on the cam ring irrespective of the number of moving frames to be incorporated, thus inserting the cam followers in the moving cam grooves by way of a single assembling cam groove. Accordingly, an assembling work of the moving frames in the fixed frame and the cam ring will be greatly facilitated and in an arrangement for which the moving cam grooves are provided on the cam ring, since the cam grooves may be bottomed cam grooves, a high rigidity cam ring will be realized. The lens barrel is further provided with a barrier closing assembly for selectively covering and uncovering an object end of the lens barrel. The barrier closing assembly is closed responsive to movement of a zoom unit to a collapsed position and to movement of focussing lens group to a power off position and automatically uncovers the lens barrel responsive to movement of the zoom unit from the collapsed position toward a wide angle position, the opening force being provided by a biasing spring.

In a camera of the present invention, an extension amount of a focusing lens is determined from a plural kind of table data for determining the extension amount of the lens from information on the distance to an object and information on the set focal distance. The camera has a storage unit for storing the zooming direction of an optical system during zooming, a selection unit for selecting data from the plural kind of table data on the basis of the contents stored in the storage unit, and an arithmetic unit for computing an extension amount of a focusing lens on the basis of the data selected by the selection unit.

A zoom lens-barrel assembly includes a differential cam frame which is moved in an axial direction together with a movable barrel and is rotated around an optical axis. Lens holding frames are cam-linked with the differential cam frame. The positions of the lens holding frames relative to the cam frame are changed by the rotation of the cam frame.

Zoom-lens-barrel assembly

A camera includes a photographic optical system movable along its optical axis, and a cam ring rotatable about the optical axis of the optical system. When it is rotated by a motor, the cam ring moves the optical system to change the focal length thereof. Arranged at the outside of the cam ring are a viewfinder optical system, whose optical axis is parallel to that of the photographic optical system, and a strobe mechanism movable in a direction parallel to the optical axis of the photographic optical system. First and second cam portions are arranged on the cam ring and engage the viewfinder optical system and strobe mechanism, respectively, so as to move them along the optical axis of the photographic optical system, in association with the rotation of the cam ring.

A camera with a built-in zoom lens includes at least first and second lens groups, a zoom frame for moving these lens groups along their optical axis during a zooming operation, a first lens holding frame carrying the first lens group and movable together with the zoom frame, a second lens holding frame carrying the second lens group and movable together with the zoom frame, a rocking arm disposed between the zoom frame and the second lens holding frame, rockingly supported on a camera body and having a first abutment which bears against the zoom frame and a second abutment which bears against the second lens holding frame, and a resilient biasing element for urging the second lens holding frame towards the zoom frame side; in addition to the above biasing element is a lock member for locking the second lens holding frame during a macro operation.

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Hino, Japan

Yasuo Yamazaki