Abstract: An image pickup apparatus that is capable of positioning and holding a movable part at both a housing position and a projecting position without adding a lock releasing member. The movable part has a latching pin and a slide part. A fixed part holds the movable part slidably between the housing and projecting positions and is fixed to an apparatus body. A first energizing member energizes the movable part in a projecting direction. A lever has an engagement part and a contact part, is energized by a second energizing member, and is held by the fixed part. The movable part is held in the housing position when the latching pin engages with the engagement part. The contact part abuts on the slide part and energizes the movable part in the projecting direction when the movable part is in the projecting position.

Abstract: An image pickup apparatus which is capable of achieving excellent moving image shooting even when strobe popup is not successfully performed during moving image shooting. A camera implementing the image pickup apparatus has a strobe that shifts between a retracted position and a service position. When a motor for operating the camera performs reverse rotation, the strobe is driven to the service position. An MPU instructs the motor to drive the strobe to the service position, and determines, based on a signal from a popup position-detecting switch, whether or not the strobe has been normally driven to the service position. When the strobe has not been normally driven to the service position, the MPU performs error handling. The error handling is carried out differently between a case where moving image shooting is being performed and a case where the moving image shooting is not being performed.

Abstract: A lens-fitted photo film unit provides a daylight photography mode to select no flash emission and the small stop, a daylight synchro photography mode to select normal flash emission and the small stop, and a night view synchro photography mode to select reduced flash emission and the large stop. The small stop is composed of the small stop aperture of f/16 and an ND filter of transmittance of 25% to be attached to cover the small stop aperture. The shutter speed is set at 1/64 sec. in any modes. The photo film preloaded in the lens-fitted photo film unit has ISO sensitivity 3200. The stable photographing is achieved under the wide range of brightness by the changeover of the stop, without the change of the shutter speed. In brightness of EV 9 to 11, the exposure amount becomes proper either in the daylight photography mode and in the night view synchro photography mode.

Abstract: An operation member is moved from a first position to a third position via a second position. When the operation member is rotated from the second position to the third position, a plate portion integrally formed with the operation member pushes and rotates a changeover ring to rotate a stop changing plate and a shutter-speed changing plate. When the operation member is kept in the second position, the plate portion is not interlocked with the changeover ring. Thus, a stop and a shutter speed are not carelessly changed if the operation member is slightly rotated by a finger. Since the stop changing plate starts to rotate at a near portion of a rotational end of the changeover ring, the stop is substantially maintained in a smaller-stop state or in a larger-stop state even if the operation member stops on its way.

Abstract: A shutter device has a shutter drive lever striking a shutter blade to expose an exposure opening, a mooring lever, a cam, and a speed governor. The speed governor includes an escapement wheel with integrally formed two gear wheels, an anchor, and a movable mounting board on which the escapement wheel and anchor are mounted. One of the gear wheels of the escapement wheel is engaged with a claw of the anchor to slow down a rotational speed of the escapement wheel. The other gear wheel is engaged with a shutter speed adjustment gear formed in a periphery of the shutter drive lever. The shutter drive lever rotates at the same rotational speed as the escapement wheel, so that exposure time becomes long. When flash charge is turned off, the mounting board moves to an evacuation position in which the escapement wheel is disengaged with the shutter speed adjustment gear.

Abstract: A lens-fitted photo film unit is provided with a stop blade that is switched over between a small aperture position and a large aperture position depending upon a subject brightness measured through a photometric circuit that is activated when a shutter button is pressed. The film unit has an f-number of not more than f/8.0 when the stop blade is in the large aperture position, or an f-number of not less than f/14 when the stop blade is in the small aperture position. The film unit is also provided with a flash light control circuit in connection to a flash device. The flash light control circuit measures a light amount reflected from a subject while a flash light is projected from the flash device toward the subject, to stop the flash device from projecting the flash light when the measured light amount reaches a predetermined value.

Abstract: A lens-fitted photo film unit includes a flash unit for applying flash light to a photographic object. An exposure amount changer, such as an aperture stop changing mechanism, changes over object light incident on photo film from the object between low and high exposure amounts. For the lens-fitted photo film unit, a photographic mode selection device includes a movable selector, such as a button, for selectively designating a daylight mode, a daylight flash mode and a night flash mode. The movable selector, when the daylight mode is designated, determines the low exposure amount and turns off the flash unit, and when the daylight flash mode is designated, determines the low exposure amount and turns on the flash unit, and when the night flash mode is designated, determines the high exposure amount and turns on the flash unit.

Abstract: A lens-fitted photo film unit includes a main body pre-loaded with unexposed photo film. A front cover covers a front of the main body. An outer cover is secured to a front of the front cover. An auxiliary sheet is sandwiched between the front cover and the outer cover. In a preferred embodiment, a lens-fitted photo film unit is constituted by component part common use of a first lens-fitted photo film unit which includes a first main body, and a first outer cover for partially covering a front of the first main body. The lens-fitted photo film unit comprises a main body constituted by the first main body. An aperture stop changing unit is secured to a front of the main body. An outer cover has a different shape from the first outer cover, and partially covers a front of the main body and the aperture stop changing unit.

Abstract: A lens-fitted photo film unit is provided with a stop blade that is switched over between a small aperture position and a large aperture position depending upon a subject brightness measured through a photometric circuit that is activated when a shutter button is pressed. The film unit has an f-number of not more than f/8.0 when the stop blade is in the large aperture position, or an f-number of not less than f/14 when the stop blade is in the small aperture position. The film unit is also provided with a flash light control circuit in connection to a flash device. The flash light control circuit measures a light amount reflected from a subject while a flash light is projected from the flash device toward the subject, to stop the flash device from projecting the flash light when the measured light amount reaches a predetermined value.

Abstract: A stop lever is rotatable on a light shielding tunnel with an exposure aperture. When the stop lever is at a fast shutter speed position, a support pad is located below a lower metal plate of a synchronization switch of a flash circuit. The support pad holds the lower metal plate to limit rotation of a shutter blade, so that photography is carried out at a fast shutter speed. The synchronization switch is turned on after the exposure aperture is fully open. When the stop lever is at a slow shutter speed position, a support pad is away from the lower metal plate to obtain a slow shutter speed. It is possible to obtain a fast shutter speed by providing a light shielding tunnel with a fixed stopper to limit rotation of the shutter speed, and a slow shutter speed by providing a light shielding tunnel without a stopper.

Abstract: A lens-fitted photo film unit is pre-loaded with photo film. A photometric circuit measures object brightness of a photographic object, and determines which of high brightness or low brightness the object brightness is according to comparison with a predetermined reference brightness level. A mode selector in a button shape sets a selected one of an AE mode and a night scene mode. A combination of stationary and movable aperture stop plates changes over a photographic light path in a selected one of small, middle and large aperture stop states. The movable aperture stop plates set the light path in the small aperture stop state when the AE mode is determined and also upon detection of the high brightness. The light path is set in the middle aperture stop state when the AE mode is determined and also upon detection of the low brightness. The light path is set in the large aperture stop state when the night scene mode is determined.

Abstract: A lens-fitted photo film unit includes a flash unit for applying flash light to a photographic object. An exposure amount changer, such as an aperture stop changing mechanism, changes over object light incident on photo film from the object between low and high exposure amounts. For the lens-fitted photo film unit, a photographic mode selection device includes a movable selector, such as a button, for selectively designating a daylight mode, a daylight flash mode and a night flash mode. The movable selector, when the daylight mode is designated, determines the low exposure amount and turns off the flash unit, and when the daylight flash mode is designated, determines the low exposure amount and turns on the flash unit, and when the night flash mode is designated, determines the high exposure amount and turns on the flash unit.

Abstract: In a first aspect of the present invention, a camera exposure control system is provided. The camera exposure control system has a shutter movable during an exposure period through a path of travel between a first position and a second position and a detector to sense the shutter and to generate a signal when the shutter is at a flash trigger position on the path of travel. A flash circuit is provided and receives the signal generated by the detector causing a flash of light to discharge when the signal is received. A stop is also provided. The stop is selectably movable from a location out of the path of travel of the shutter to a location in the path of travel of the shutter. The location of the stop determines whether the detector can sense the shutter during the exposure.

Abstract: A camera includes a preset open aperture for introducing object light to photo film. A taking lens is disposed in a light path of the object light, and has two lens elements. In the camera, an aperture stop changing device is provided. An aperture changing plate includes a stop-down opening having a small diameter, is disposed close to the taking lens, is movable between a small diameter position and a large diameter position. The stop-down opening, when the aperture changing plate is in the small diameter position, is set in the light path for stopping down the preset open aperture, and when the aperture changing plate is in the large diameter position, is set away from the light path. A spacer is secured to a partial section of a peripheral portion of the taking lens, for defining a passage gap or cutout at a remaining partial section of the peripheral portion of the taking lens. The passage cutout allows passage of the aperture changing plate moving between the small and large diameter positions.

Abstract: A shutter device has a shutter drive lever striking a shutter blade to expose an exposure opening, a mooring lever, a cam, and a speed governor. The speed governor includes an escapement wheel with integrally formed two gear wheels, an anchor, and a movable mounting board on which the escapement wheel and anchor are mounted. One of the gear wheels of the escapement wheel is engaged with a claw of the anchor to slow down a rotational speed of the escapement wheel. The other gear wheel is engaged with a shutter speed adjustment gear formed in a periphery of the shutter drive lever. The shutter drive lever rotates at the same rotational speed as the escapement wheel, so that exposure time becomes long. When flash charge is turned off, the mounting board moves to an evacuation position in which the escapement wheel is disengaged with the shutter speed adjustment gear.

Abstract: A taking lens is held by a lens-holding rib, behind which an opening is formed as an aperture-stop. A stop plate is disposed behind the taking lens and is formed with a stop aperture, which is smaller than the aperture-stop. The lens-holding rib is formed with a cut portion through which an end portion of the stop plate is inserted to position the stop aperture at a photographic optical axis. Upon sliding a switch member upward, a setting segment thereof pushes up an abutting pin integrally formed with the stop plate so that the stop plate is rotated to move toward the outside of the lens-holding rib through the cut portion. Hence, the stop aperture of the stop plate is evacuated from the photographic optical axis.

Abstract: A first stop plate with a small stop opening is disposed behind a taking lens, and a second stop plate with a middle stop opening is disposed between a first and second lens, which comprise the taking lens. Upon moving a changeover knob to an ON position, a flash unit and the second stop plate are actuated such that the middle stop opening is retracted from an photographic light path PL. The small stop opening is retracted from the photographic light path PL when subject luminance is less than a predetermined value. In high-luminance condition, the small stop opening and the middle stop opening are set on the photographic light path PL, and in middle-luminance condition, the small stop opening is retracted. In low-luminance condition, the middle stop opening is retracted by operation of the changeover knob, so only a large stop opening is set on the photographic light path PL.

Abstract: A lens-fitted film unit package, including: a lens-fitted film unit further including: (a) a preloaded photographic film; (b) a camera lens; (c) a shutter; (d) a diaphragm; and (e) an EV value switcher for switching the EV value of the lens-fitted film unit between the first EV value and the second EV value, which is greater than the first EV value; and a packing material; in which the lens-fitted film unit is packaged in the packing material under the condition that the EV value of the lens-fitted unit is switched to the second EV value.

Abstract: A single use camera with a built-in electronic flash includes a main body; a photographic film loaded in the main body previously; an electronic flash unit having an electronic flash light emitting section and an electronic flash circuit; and a photographing unit having a photographic lens and a shutter, wherein the following condition is satisfied, 6≦A≦10 wherein A represents an exposure value, which is determined by an aperture value, a shutter speed and a sensitivity of a film loaded in the single use camera, when photographed in a condition in which the electronic flash unit is used.

Abstract: A first stop plate with a small stop opening is disposed behind a taking lens, and a second stop plate with a middle stop opening is disposed between a first and second lens, which comprise the taking lens. Upon moving a changeover knob to an ON position, a flash unit and the second stop plate are actuated such that the middle stop opening is retracted from an photographic light path PL. The small stop opening is retracted from the photographic light path PL when subject luminance is less than a predetermined value. In high-luminance condition, the small stop opening and the middle stop opening are set on the photographic light path PL, and in middle-luminance condition, the small stop opening is retracted. In low-luminance condition, the middle stop opening is retracted by operation of the changeover knob, so only a large stop opening is set on the photographic light path PL.

Abstract: In a wide range focusing camera, a cooperating engagement members are provided in moveable parts of a focusing mechanism and an aperture opening selecting mechanism so as to force the latter into selecting a smaller one of the aperture opening areas when the focusing mechanism is actuated into moving the lens to the position suitable for a close range shot. At the same time, a strobe light is enabled. Thus, the focal depth can be increased, and a clear picture of a close range object can be taken without regard to the condition under which the object is placed in relation with the surrounding objects. Also, a three-dimensional object having a depth can be photographed at close range with a satisfactory result. Because a number of settings required for such close-up shots are instantaneously set either manually by hand or automatically by an auto-focusing mechanism, it is possible even for an inexperienced photographer to take clear pictures of objects at close range.