Abstract: Apparatuses and systems are provided for enabling a user to connect an external flash device to a mobile device, such as a smartphone or tablet. Non-conductive tips may be provided, either as an integrated component of a housing of an external flash device or via an adaptor receiving region and adaptor. The availability of different tips and/or adaptors enables the user to utilize multiple accessories (e.g., a microphone) in combination with the external flash. The non-conductive tips may be 3.5 millimeter audio jacks or Universal Serial Bus (USB) type male connectors or device/manufacturer specific connectors. The non-conductivity of the tip prevents power from being drawn from the mobile device, improving the battery life of the mobile device. Power may be provided to the external flash device from a replaceable or rechargeable battery. An adaptor configured to receive a conductive tip and provide a non-conductive tip is also disclosed.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is an imaging device including: a light emission control section configured to obtain a delay time from issuance to a flash of a light emission trigger indicating light emission start timing of the flash to reaching of a predetermined value by light emission luminance of the flash; an imaging control section configured to control exposure start timing on a basis of the delay time; and a correction amount calculating section configured to calculate, on the basis of the delay time, an amount of correction used when brightness of a taken image taken from the exposure start timing is corrected.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is an imaging device including an imaging element, an imaging controller, first and second shutter members, and a shutter controller. The imaging element carries out photoelectric conversion of subject image light incident through a lens and produces an imaging signal. The imaging controller controls readout of the imaging signal and carries out control of change setting of a frame cycle of imaging. The shutter members are disposed on an optical path of image light incident and can set a state in which incident light on the imaging element is blocked and a state in which incident light on the imaging element is not blocked. The shutter controller sets a timing at which the optical path is blocked by the first shutter member and a timing at which the optical path is blocked by the second shutter member.

Abstract: A relatively rapidly moving object is imaged with a sensor incorporating a rolling electronic shutter, while using flash illumination which is comparable to or dimmer than ambient light. This is achieved by utilizing a physical shutter between the object and sensor which is synchronized to the flash. Preferably, the physical shutter is also operated so as to be open for a time interval which is coextensive with the presence of the flash. Preferably, an optical mechanism is provided between the object and sensor which causes the image to be focused when the light is flashed and blurred otherwise. Preferably, an optical filter is positioned between the object and sensor, and this filter is constructed to transmit to the CMOS sensor light at the wavelength of the flashing light source but to attenuate ambient light.

Abstract: An image pickup device and image pickup method are disclosed, wherein an image is picked up by changing the shutter speed in accordance with the illuminance of an object in the case where the rate at which the object moves in the whole image is smaller than a predetermined value, and an image is picked up without changing the shutter speed regardless of the illuminance of the object in the case where the rate at which the object moves in the whole image is not smaller than the predetermined value.

Abstract: Devices, systems, and methods for controlling a shutter of a still or video camera or cellular telephone, to reduce blurring due to motion of vibrations are disclosed. The control device includes an inertial sensor for measuring acceleration, velocity and/or angular rotation and for providing data therefrom and a controller for calculating an acceleration amplitude and frequency for predicting the time between acceleration maximums. The controller opens and closes the camera shutter at a time corresponding to the predicted time between maximum accelerations as measured from a real-time acceleration maximum, negating the need for post-imaging correction.

Abstract: A camera having a blur notifying function according to one aspect of the present invention has a blur mode setting section which is used to set a blur notification mode in which a blur is detected in the camera and a blur state is notified, a blur detection section which detects a blur state of the camera, a blur calculation section which calculates a generated blur state quantity based on an output from the blur detection section, a blur judgment section which judges a blur state based on the generated blur state quantity, and a blur notification section which performs a notification operation concerning occurrence of a blur state based on a judgment result of the blur judgment section, the blur notification section starting the notification operation when the blur mode setting section sets the blur notification mode.

Abstract: A camera includes: a photographing control device that (1) performs flash photographing accompanied by light emission by an electronic flash unit with a shutter speed fixed when results of field brightness measurement performed by a photometering device which measures field brightness indicate a value equal to or lower than a predetermined first reference brightness, (2) performs flash photographing at a first shutter speed when the results of the field brightness measurement indicate a value equal to or lower than the first reference brightness and higher than a second reference brightness which is lower than the first reference brightness and (3) performs flash photographing at a second shutter speed higher than the first shutter speed when the results of the field brightness measurement indicate a value equal to or lower than the second reference brightness.

Abstract: A camera using an image blur prevention device including exposure time calculating apparatus which calculates a first exposure time from at least photometry data, sensitivity data of a recording medium and brightness of a photographic lens, a strobe lighting designating apparatus to forcibly light a strobe when the first exposure time calculated by the exposure time calculating apparatus is longer than a predetermined value, shutter closing time setting apparatus which forcibly fixes the first exposure time calculated by the exposure time calculating apparatus at a predetermined exposure closing time Tb or Td regardless of a calculated result of the exposure time calculating means when the first exposure time is longer than the second exposure time and changing apparatus which changes a combination of the first exposure time and the second exposure time dependently on whether or not the image blur prevention device is to be used for photographing, whereby the camera is capable of taking a photograph on which

Abstract: An auto-focusing apparatus comprises an image sensing element for photo-electrically converting an image focused by an focal lens into an image signal, an image sensing circuit for processing an image signal, an A/D converter for converting the image signal output from the image pickup circuit into a digital image signal, and an AE processing circuit and an AF processing circuit respectively for performing an automatic exposure process and an auto-focusing process, on the basis of the digital image signal, and determines the brightness of the subject on the basis of AE and AF evaluation values respectively obtained by the AE processing circuit and the AF processing circuit, and performs the auto-focusing process according to a hill-climbing AF method for a bright subject and the auto-focusing process according to the full-scanning AF method for a non-bright subject.

Abstract: An exposure control system for a camera, which is provided with a strobe, includes a photometry system that measures brightness of an object; an exposure parameter determining system that determines exposure parameters in accordance with the brightness detected by the photometry system; a judging system that judges whether a daylight synchro-flash photographing is executed; and an exposure parameter changing system that changes at least one of the exposure parameters determined by the exposure parameter determining system when it is judged that the daylight synchro-flash photographing is executed.

Abstract: A camera including a flashlight device for emitting a flashlight, a shutter, such that the camera has a flash synchro photographing mode in which the flashlight device emits the flashlight in synchronism with the shutter, a vibration detector for detecting a vibration quantity of the camera, a vibration correcting device for correcting an image blur on the basis of a vibration signal output from the vibration detector. The camera also includes a control device for controlling, while performing flash photographing by use of the flashlight device and driving the vibration correcting device, the shutter so that a maximum shutter time in the flash synchro photographing mode is shorter than or equal to a maximum shutter time in a non-emission of the flashlight. As a result, the flashlight device does not emit the flashlight.

Abstract: A reproduced still picture having a comparatively high picture quality is obtained irrespective of the luminance of the subject. In an interval photography mode, photography is performed one time in a plurality of fields at a relatively high shutter speed of 1/250 of a second to obtained a first video signal, and photography is performed at an ordinary shutter speed of 1/60 of a second in other fields to obtain a second video signal. These video signals are amplified at mutually different first and second amplification factors (6 dB and 18.4 dB, respectively) in conformity with the shutter speed, by an AGC. The first and second amplification factors are varied in dependence upon the illumination of the subject in such a manner that the average levels of the first and second video signals are maintained at a fixed level.

Abstract: An illumination measuring device for panoramic picture taking has a first photoelectric illumination intensity receiver which diffusely determines light falling in a first measuring region and illuminating a first panoramic portion, at least one further photoelectric illumination intensity receiver which diffusely determines light falling in a second measuring region and illuminating a further panoramic portion, and an evaluating unit determining a deviation of an illumination intensity determined by the further illumination intensity receiver from an illumination intensity determined by the first illumination intensity receiver.