Abstract: An automatic focusing system has an automatic parallax correction for use with a camera, which is either a motion picture camera or a video camera. The camera includes a variable focus lens and an adjusting mechanism of a lens focus barrel which adjusts the variable focus lens so that an image of a photographic subject is in focus on a focal plane. A pan/tilt head is mounted on a tripod. The automatic focusing system includes a plate, a motorized turntable, a housing and a range finder. The plate is mounted on the pan/tilt head. The camera is mounted on the plate. The motorized turntable is also mounted on the plate. The motorized turntable is servo controlled. The motorized turntable is disposed a fixed and known first distance from the camera and is made to rotate along an axis parallel to the pan-axis of the pan/tilt head. The housing is mounted on the motorized turntable. The range finder is disposed in and mechanically coupled to the housing.

Abstract: A motion picture camera is used with an automatic focusing system. The motion picture camera is mounted on a first tripod and includes a variable focus lens and an adjusting mechanism for adjusting the variable focus lens so that an image of a photographic subject is in focus on the focal plane. The automatic focusing system includes a housing, a range-finding subsystem, an angle-encoding subsystem, a processing subsystem and a driving assembly which is mechanically coupled to the adjusting mechanism. The housing is mounted on a second tripod and is disposed apart from the motion picture camera a first distance and from the photographic subject a second distance. The range-finding subsystem and the angle-encoding subsystem are disposed within and mechanically coupled to the housing.

Abstract: The present invention is a zoom motor control for controlling an electric motor for use in combination with an auto zoom device for a movie camera. The auto zoom device includes a rotating member driven by the electric motor and a zoom-lens tube rotating member. The zoom motor control includes a rectangular housing which an operator of the movie camera may comfortably hold in his hand and a strain gauge sensor which is mechanically coupled to the rectangular housing. The strain gauge sensor is disposed so that the operator may apply with his thumb a varying amount of pressure in either direction. The strain gauge sensor has an output signal which is proportional to the varying amount of pressure. The zoom motor control includes a control circuit for converting the output signal of the strain gauge sensor to a control signal for controlling the electric motor of the auto zoom device.

Abstract: The present invention is an automatic exposure correction system for use in combination with a motion picture camera, which includes a lens barrel, a lens iris-ring and a first toothed pulley which is mechanically coupled to the lens iris-ring, for making automatic exposure corrections in response to continuous changes in camera speed of the motion picture camera. The automatic exposure correction system includes an iris-ring drive mechanism and a camera speed aperture computer. The iris-ring drive mechanism includes a servo motor and a reduction gearhead which has an output shaft and a multi-turn variable resistor which has a rear shaft which a torque limiting clutch mechanically couples to the output shaft of the servo motor and the reduction gearhead. The iris-ring drive mechanism also includes a second toothed pulley which mechanically couples the front shaft of the multi-turn variable resistor to the lens iris-ring through a toothed band and the first toothed pulley.