Abstract: A camera operating in a plurality of photographing modes is provided with an image receiver for receiving the optical image of an object, a viewfinder for observing the object therethrough, a display device for displaying the photographing modes in visually recognizable characters so that they can be seen through the viewfinder, detecting means for detecting the direction of the visual axis of the photographer gazing at desired one of the characters, means for causing the photographer to recognize the completion of the selection of the photographing mode, and a controller for setting the camera to the selected photographing mode in conformity with the result of the detection by the detecting means, and controlling the camera in the selected photographing mode.

Abstract: A driving control device includes a driving direction storing part for storing a driving direction of a driven body, a position detecting circuit for detecting a position of the driven body, and an amount-of-driving varying part for, when a direction of the present driving of the driven body differs from a direction of the last driving of the driven body stored in the driving direction storing part, varying an amount of driving of the driven body according to the position of the driven body detected by the position detecting circuit.

Abstract: In a lens barrel of a zoom lens, a luminous flux is divided or its path is switched so that the same luminous flux is directed to both a taking optical system and a finer optical system. Focusing and camera shake compensation are performed before division of the luminous flux or switching of its path so that images observed through a finder are already in focus and compensated for camera shakes. The lens barrel has multiple movable segments to allow the taking optical system and the finder optical system to be moved out simultaneously. To achieve zooming, a holding member for holding both a focusing lens unit and other lens units is moved so that all these lens units are moved simultaneously. Adjustment of the focusing lens unit, necessitated as a result of zooming, is achieved by moving a part of the focusing lens unit within the holding member.

Abstract: A subject image is formed on a focusing screen by a taking lens in a camera. The focusing screen is constituted by a liquid crystal whose light diffusion characteristic is variable. The light diffusion characteristic is varied according to an open aperture value of the taking lens which is attached to the camera.

Abstract: An annotation system for a camera comprising: a memory card having a plurality of activation switches that are electrically coupled to an encoding circuit, the encoding circuit being operatively coupled to the camera; a look up table is configured to receive data from the encoding circuit as an input and to generate annotation data for the camera as an output; and a mechanism for placing annotation data indicia on film within the camera.

Abstract: An auto-focus camera performs a focusing and a photometry when a shutter button is half depressed in an auto-focus mode. In this case, when an MF button is depressed, a result value of the focusing is held as long as the MF button is depressed even if the shutter button is released. When the shutter button is depressed again, only the photometry is performed. On the other hand, when the MF button is depressed in a manual focus mode, an object distance can be set by an UP/DOWN dial which is also used for setting various kinds of photographing items. The MF button is used for maintaining an AF lock, and is used for instructing the setting of the object distance in the manual-focus mode.

Abstract: A focus detection device that is capable of performing focus detection in several focus detection areas within a photographic image plane using, for example, a phase difference method and that uses an auxiliary illumination light with at least one of the areas also includes infrared light cut filters that block the transmission of light above predetermined wavelengths. In particular, the maximum wavelength of the light transmitted by the infrared cut filter for one of the focus detection areas is different than the maximum wavelength of the light transmitted by the infrared cut filter for another one of the focus detection areas.

Abstract: An image stabilizing apparatus is provided with a plurality of gain setting means arranged in a feedback loop system, a gain switching means for, when an oscillation of the feedback loop system is detected based on an output from a deviation amount detection means, switching gains in the gain setting means, a plurality of phase compensation means arranged in the feedback loop system, and a phase compensation switching means for, when an oscillation of the feedback loop system is detected based on an output from the deviation amount detection means, switching the phase compensation means. The oscillation is suppressed by switching the gains in the gain setting means, switching the phase compensation means, or simultaneously switching them.

Abstract: There is provided a liquid crystal unit having an on-chip photodetector.On a transparent substrate are laid down a metallic wiring, an n-type a-Si, an a-SiGe, and a p-type a-Si successively, an insulating film is formed, and then a transparent electrode is formed to have a light detection region.

Abstract: An image recording and reproducing devices are mounted in a camera using an electro-developing recording medium by which an image is electronically developed. A color image and a monochromatic image can be recorded in the electro-developing recording medium. When recording the color image, red, green, and blue images are recorded in three image recording areas. A recognition area and a positioning mark recording area are formed adjacent to each of the image recording areas. A recognition mark indicating that the image recorded in the corresponding image recording area is red, green, or blue, is recorded in the recognition area. The positioning mark is recorded in the positioning mark recording area to indicate the relative position of each of the red, green, and blue images.

Abstract: An eye axis detector for detecting to which position the eye axis of a user is directed in a picture, comprising means for dividing and specifying the picture into a plurality of pictures, and means for extracting the watching point of the user using a plurality of types of eye axis information concerning the eye axis in each area within such divided picture.

Abstract: A finder is designed so that in a camera having three or more kinds of formats, a finder magnification can be changed in association with conversion of format, and for conversions into at least two kinds of formats of the three or more kinds of formats, finder magnifications are changed at the same magnification ratio by the same technique.

Abstract: A focus setting system for a camera in which a photographer can observe a focused subject image in a viewfinder and which corrects the focus prior to exposure such that a photographed picture is in focus. Specifically, the focusing system corrects for errors introduced by varying apertures. The focusing system has a photographic lens which has a memory for storing focus error data which represents focusing adjustment values from an open aperture to a number of predetermined apertures. A focus detection device detects a focused state of the photographic lens using a portion of the incident light rays of the photographic lens. A first drive unit drives the photographic lens by calculating a focus drive amount which achieves focus at open aperture. The focus drive amount is calculated from the focus error data and the focus state detected by the focus detection device.

Abstract: A light-projecting system for illuminating a central portion of a screen and a pair of peripheral portions on either side of the central portion in order to perform focus detection for each of the central portion and the pair of peripheral portions, comprises a first pattern for forming first illumination light for illuminating the central portion of the screen, and a second pattern common to the pair of peripheral portions, for forming second illumination light and third illumination light, different in light intensity distribution from the first illumination light, for illuminating the pair of peripheral portions separately, thereby providing the light-projecting system for automatic focus detection, permitting high-accuracy focus detection by expanding the illumination range.

Abstract: An image vibration reduction device for reducing an image vibration on the imaging surface, includes an elastically supported reduction optical system which constitutes a portion of an imaging optical system, an electromagnetic actuator for moving the reduction optical system, a reduction optical system driver for driving the actuator to move the reduction optical system, a reduction optical system displacement detector for detecting displacements of the reduction optical system, a vibration detector for detecting vibrations generated in the image vibration reduction device, and a digital controller for calculating digital reduction optical system target position information used for appropriately reducing the vibrations on the basis of the output from the vibration detector, calculating digital reduction optical system position information on the basis of the output from reduction optical system displacement detector, and calculating the drive amount to be supplied to the reduction optical system driver on t

Abstract: Multi-dimensional lithographs which impart the illusions of depth and/or motion to a viewer are prepared by constructing and sequencing a plurality of electronic pages, preferably four or more; rasterizing, compressing and converting each page; interlacing the pages in a desired sequence; outputting the interlaced frames to an imaging device; and producing a lithographic separation from the imaging device. In the rasterization of each frame, nonbinary pixels are created that correspond to the resolution of the line count of the lenticular lens that will ultimately be applied to a print of the lithograph times the number of frames in the lithographic separation. The frames are compressed to an amount equal to the reciprocal of the number of frames from which the lithographic separation is prepared. In the converting step, the nonbinary pixels of the compressed frames are converted to individual color plates of binary pixels.

Abstract: Photographing operation of a camera is possible in an automatic program zoom mode in which focal length of a photographing lens is automatically determined based on a prescribed program, and in a manual zoom mode in which focal length of the photographing lens is determined dependent on user's preference. When a switch for starting operation of the camera is turned ON, the automatic program zoom mode is automatically set from the two modes.

Abstract: An automatic focusing device, in which a focus lens is driven for tracking an object-in-motion to obtain an in-focus state, based upon a focus prediction that is executed from repeated distance measurements. Tracking is continued even if the position of the focus lens falls into the predetermined focus allowance, so as to make it possible to take a well-focused photograph at any time.

Abstract: In the disclosed camera, an operation switch for entering information or controlling a function has an information setting button disposed on the camera's upper surface near the shutter release button. An externally directed display behind the information setting button indicates photographic information set by the information setting button.

Abstract: A shutter device of a camera which includes first and second sector mechanisms which constitute a lens shutter and which are independently opened and closed to define an aperture. A photometer, for detecting the luminance of an object to be photographed, and a diaphragm controller for controlling the aperture defined by the second sector mechanism, in accordance with luminance data detected by the photometer, are provided. A shutter opening element is provided which normally closes the first sector mechanism and opens the first sector mechanism when the second sector mechanism is held to define a predetermined aperture determined by the diaphragm controller, and a shutter closing element is provided which closes the second sector mechanisms at a predetermined timing in accordance with the luminance data of the photometer after the first sector mechanism is opened by the shutter opening element.