Nippon Kogaku K.k.

Nikon Corporation

Yoshiaki Ohtsubo

Sakuji Watanabe

Kazuyuki Kazami

Tatsuo Amanuma

Ryuzo Motoori

Hiroshi Hasegawa

Kouichi Takahata, Deceased

Hiroshi Wakabayashi

Toru Kosaka

Shigeo Akasaka

Yasunori Kitamura

Hideya Inoue

Daiki Tsukahara

Akira Katayama

Tadashi Otani

Naoki Watanabe

Mikio Takemae

Jun Nagai

Hidenori Miyamoto

Norikazu Yokonuma

Minoru Kato

Noriyasu Kotani

Kiyosada Machida

Kenji Toyoda

Toshio Sosa

Hiroyuki Tsuru

Hiroshi Meguro

Kenji Ishizuki

Hachiro Kanai

Yukikazu Iwane

Tatuo Amanuma

A camera capable of operating in a red-eye prevention mode. The camera has an electronic flash device which is activated by a drive circuit in synchronization with the exposure. The electronic flash device also serve as a pre-light-emission device capable of performing pre-light-emission for the purpose of preventing red-eye effect. When it is judged from the photographing condition that red-eye effect may occur, a controller activates the electronic flash device to effect a pre-light-emission for reducing the size of pupils of eyes of a person to be photographed, before the main flashing which is executed in synchronization with the exposure.

Control device for preventing red-eye effect on camera

An automatic-focus camera has a focus lock system that stores focus adjusting information so that a photo-taking lens may be kept focused on an object during one or more exposures. The camera has a self timer, an automatic exposure system with different program modes, and has continuous as well as single-frame operating modes. The focus lock system, which has different focus lock modes, influences the manner in which various operations of the camera are performed.

Operation control device for a camera

A camera having an electronic flash light apparatus capable of performing a phototaking with an optimal exposure both for an object and its background when a flash light phototaking is performed on the wide angle side of the camera with a backlight is provided with an electronic flash light apparatus for illuminating an object with ignition, driving means for varying the illuminating angles of the electronic flash light apparatus between the direction of the telescopic side and the direction of the wide angle side, driving means for moving a phototaking lens to the telescopic side and to the wide angle side, photometering means for photometering a principal object and the circumference of the main object respectively, luminance comparison means for comparing the luminance of the main object photometered by the photometering means and the luminance of the circumference of the main object, and control means for shifting the illuminating angle to the telescopic side by the electronic flash light apparatus driving means if the luminance comparison means determines the light to be a backlight when the phototaking lens is on the wide angle side.

Camera with an electronic flash light apparatus

A camera with a built-in self-timer, flash and autofocus is disclosed. The camera is switchable between normal and self-timer modes. When in the normal mode, the auto focus device measures distance at the beginning of a photographic cycle. In self-timer mode, the auto focus device measures the distance at the beginning of the photographic cycle, and after the self-timer has counted down from its set time. A decision to use the flash is based on the first distance measurement and the scene brightness in the normal mode, and on the second distance measurement and scene brightness in the self-timer mode. If the decision is yes, a checking apparatus checks whether the flash capacitor has sufficient charge, and if not charges the capacitor.

Camera with built-in self-timer

A distance-measuring apparatus comprises a first detecting device for detecting a distance to a central portion of an object field corresponding to a photographing frame and generating data corresponding to a detected distance, a second detecting device for detecting distances to a plurality of peripheral portions of the object field except for the central portion and generating data corresponding to detected distances, and an operating device for operating the first and second detecting devices. The oeprating device has a first operation step of operating the first detecting device and a second operation step of operating the second detecting device. The first step is executed to determine the detected distance to the central portion. The execution of the second step depends on the determination result and may produce an average peripheral distance output or a shortest peripheral distance output for driving a phototaking lens. Depending upon the determination result, a central distance output may instead by produced.

Distance-measuring apparatus for camera

An electrically operated camera having a release means for effecting a shutter release action for the light exposure of film is capable of determining whether a film is loaded or not in the basis of the film feeding condition. A film feed detection means detects the action of a film being rewound by a film rewind means, and generates a signal upon detection. When a controller receives the signal during the film rewind action, the controller prevents the release means from effecting shutter release after the completion of the rewind action. When no signal is received during the rewind action, the controller permits the release means to effect shutter release after the completion of the rewind action. The action of the film feed condition may alternatively be detected when it is being wound by a film wind means. If it is determined that the camera is loaded with a film, release lock is effected so as to prevent the exposed frame from being subjected to any further exposure by the user. If a film unloaded state of the camera is determined, it can perform the release action, thereby facilitating the checking of its various actions.

Electrically operated camera which selectively inhibits shutter release

An active distance measuring apparatus is equipped with a light projector for projecting modulated light to an object, a photoreceptor for receiving the modulated light reflected from the object and generating an alternating signal corresponding to the distance to the object, and a signal processing circuit for generating distance data from the alternating signal. The signal processing circuit is constituted by high level detecting means for detecting the high level value of the alternating signal, low level detecting means for detecting the low level value of the alternating signal, and an operation means for calculating distance data from the difference of both level values.

Active distance measuring apparatus

An apparatus emitting a radiation, scanning the emitted radiation and driving a photo-taking lens to the in-focus position in accordance with the outputs of a plurality of light-receiving elements for receiving the radiation reflected by the object field includes preparation means for preparing an output signal variable in conformity with the scanning, on the basis of the outputs of the plurality of light-receiving elements, first comparison means for comparing the output signal with a first reference level and producing a first comparison signal, drive means for driving the photo-taking lens, means responsive to the first comparison signal to stop the drive means from driving the photo-taking lens, second comparison means for comparing the output signal with a second reference level different from the first reference level and producing a second comparison signal, and control means for controlling the variation in the output signal conforming to the scanning in response to the second comparison signal.

Auto-focus camera

A flash device for photography includes a DC/DC converter for boosting a DC power source voltage and applying a voltage to a main capacitor for supplying an energy for driving a flashlight tube. The converter has control means operative in response to the trigger operation by a start operating switch to detect any reduction in the charging current of the main capacitor and stop said operation. The flash device is provided with another switch means for enabling the operation of the converter independently of the start operating switch. Said another switch means is operative to operate the converter until the charging voltage of the main capacitor reaches a sufficient value to drive the flashlight tube.

Charge control device in a flash device for a camera

Flash device of a camera

An improved operating device for a camera provided with a flash device which cooperates with the camera for flashlight photographing when the light emitting portion is brought to a position above the camera and suitable for flashlight photographing and with an operation device for bringing the light emitting portion to said position for flashlight photographing. The improved operation device comprises, a detecting circuit which produces an output when the brightness of the object is lower than a predetermined value; operation apparatus for receiving the output from the detecting circuit and bringing the light emitting portion to the position for flashlight photographing; and a detecting system for detecting the output voltage from a power source of the flash device and inhibiting said operation apparatus from operating when said detected source voltage is lower than the value necessary for flashlight photographing.

Pop up flash device control for a camera

In a camera having a capacitor connected between DC power source lines and at least one electrical circuit connected between the power source lines, each of the electrical circuits including a semiconductor switch element in the current route between the power source lines for interrupting the current flowing through the circuit, a device for controlling the power supply to each of the electrical circuits includes main switch means provided between the power source lines for applying a bias current to the semiconductor element.

Power supply control circuit in a camera

In a camera wherein an object field is divided into a plurality of areas and the brightness of the object in each of the areas is measured to thereby obtain a plurality of measurement values, a device for recommending auxiliary illumination of the object includes means for detecting a maximum value and a minimum value from among the plurality of measurement values, first judgment means for comparing the maximum value and the minimum value and putting out a first judgment signal when the difference between the maximum value and the minimum value exceeds a predetermined value, second judgment means for calculating the mean value of the plurality of measurement values and putting out a second judgment signal when the mean value exceeds a reference value, and means responsive to the first and second judgment signals to indicate the recommendation of the auxiliary illumination.

Camera having a flashlight photography recommendation device

A shutter control device for a camera having an automatic exposure time control device provided with a comparator circuit for comparing a time output corresponding to the lapse of time from the opening operation of a shutter with a proper shutter speed output representing a proper shutter speed and for generating a comparison output when the two outputs are in a predetermined relation and a magnet for blocking the closing operation of the shutter by energization, the magnet being adapted to be deenergized in response to the comparison output to close the shutter, and a shutter release lock device provided with voltage detecting means for detecting a power source voltage and for deenergizing and magnet before the opening operation of the shutter when the power source voltage is below a reference value and blocking means for blocking the opening operation of the shutter by the deenergization of the magnet before the opening operation of the shutter includes means for forcibly energizing the magnet until the start of the opening operation of the shutter in response to shutter release operation. The means for forcibly energizing the magnet becomes operative in response to the output of the voltage detecting means when the power source voltage is greater than the reference value.

Growing community of inventors

Kawasaki, Japan

Yoshiaki Ohtsubo