Abstract: The lens device and the vibration-proof adapter include a lock mechanism with operational ease because a lock mechanism of a vibration-proof lens has a switch on a joint with a camera main body or a joint with the lens device. The lens device is connected by placing a hook, which is provided on a front end face of a camera main body, to a recess of a back end face. A slide pin is provided in the recess so as to slide, and is pressed inside by the hook. In synchronization with the slide pin pressed inside, a lock pin operates to move away from a holding member of a vibration-proof lens, and the vibration-proof lens is unlocked. The slide pin returns to an original protruding position to lock the vibration-proof lens again when the hook is detached from the recess.

Abstract: A zoom lens has a lens group of negative refractive power at the enlarging end and a lens group of positive refractive power at the reducing end, both of which are fixed during zooming. The lens group of negative refractive power includes two lens components of negative refractive power, and at least one of the lens groups includes a thin plastic lens element with a lens surface bonded to a lens surface of a glass lens element, with the other lens surface of the plastic lens element having an aspheric shape. The lens group of negative refractive power consists of lens elements of negative refractive power. One of the two lens components is at the enlarging end of the zoom lens and includes a meniscus lens element of negative refractive power. The other lens component is adjacent the one lens component and is a biconcave lens component.

Abstract: The lens information display apparatus is provided that allows the cameraman to check required lens information while looking at a viewfinder. A transmissive LCD panel is mounted in front of a screen of the viewfinder, and a control unit for controlling the image displayed on the LCD panel is attached to the bottom surface of the viewfinder. The control unit obtains lens information from a lens apparatus of a television camera system and causes the LCD panel to display images (characters and/or graphics) representing the lens information so that the lens information is displayed as superimposed on the image on the viewfinder.

Abstract: A rotating multi-faceted mirror of an optical scanning apparatus is disclosed having a plurality of planar reflective surfaces that deflect and scan a light beam incident thereon. Edges, formed as a result of the dihedral angle between adjacent planar reflective surfaces, generate eddy currents which, over time, result in dust being deposited in axially centered regions of the planar reflective surfaces that are used to scan an object by rotating the reflective surfaces about an axis. The reflectance of these regions thus deteriorates over time, causing the scanning beam quality to deteriorate over time. In order to prevent the accumulation of dust in these regions, at a part of each edge corresponding to an axially centered region where a light beam is effectively reflected on the reflective surfaces of the rotating multi-faceted mirror, a notch is formed that passes through the adjacent reflective surfaces that form the edge.

Abstract: Metal members for an insertion section, an operation section, and a cable section, respectively, are provided as a sheath for a scope. These metal members are electrically connected together. The metal member in the cable section is connected to a shield box in a connector circuit section via a static-electricity-suppressing part. The shield box is connected to a housing ground for a processor device via a contact piece spring. Furthermore,the metal member in the cable section may be connected to a ground terminal in the connector circuit section via a static-electricity-suppressing part. Thus, static electricity measures can be taken using only a small number of parts, while preventing the static-electricity-suppressing part from affecting the operations and characteristics of electronic circuits in the scope.

Abstract: The present invention is an electronic-endoscope apparatus for compensating for lack of light quantity caused by a delayed response from a light shielding mechanism when an all-pixel reading system is used. In the case of, for example, a moving image, this apparatus reads pixel mix data out from a CCD to reproduce motions faithfully. For a still image, this apparatus reads out all pixels obtained by the CCD during a single exposure period using a light shielding period set by a light shielding plate, and outputs this data to a mixing circuit via memories to form a pixel mix signal. This configuration enables a high-quality still image to be obtained. In this case, however, the light quantity may be insufficient due to a delayed response from the light shielding plate. Thus, during the exposure period for still-image formation, the lamp voltage is increased above a normal amount or the diaphragm aperture is increased in order to compensate for the shortage of light quantity.

Abstract: In the data superimposing device, an aperture is provided in the narrowest position of the space formed between the arc-shaped outer wall surface of a take-up spool chamber and the outer wall surface of a photographic light path shielding cylinder, and an image-forming lens is installed immediately behind the aperture. It is thereby made possible to effectively suppress flare and clearly superimpose data on a film because the space, though it is limited in size, is expected before behind the aperture.

Abstract: In a TV lens system including a TV lens apparatus and a control unit, CPUs of the TV lens apparatus and the control unit monitor intervals between received data in serial communication in a digital control mode. If the data transmission stops for a predetermined time or the received data has an error, the CPUs determine that the communication is abnormal and switch the control modes of the TV lens system from the digital control mode to an analog control mode by operating switching devices. Display units show that the system has been switched to the analog control mode. If the CPUs detect the communication being abnormal, they may display abnormality of the communication on the display units to inform the user of the abnormality of the communication so that the user can switch the control modes by manually operating analog setting switches. Information indicating the abnormality of the communication is stored in an EEPROM, and presented to the user when the TV lens system starts to operate afterward.

Abstract: A movable rear-set lens of a camera has at least one flat peripheral region. A cam follower on the side of the flat peripheral region is located such that a predetermined space is formed on the side outward from the flat peripheral region. The predetermined space is ensured between a front-set lens and the rear-set lens when the rear-set lens takes a position optically closest to the front-set lens. An electrical wiring from a shutter section passes in the vicinity of the flat peripheral region and extends toward a camera main body. An electrical connecting section, at which a certain part of the electrical wiring and a wiring extending from a shutter actuating section associated with the shutter section are connected, is located within the predetermined space.

Abstract: In the distance measuring apparatus, it is determined whether or not a pair of AF data obtained by a pair of employed sensors indicate a first predetermined necessary contrast, and a correlation value calculation is performed only when the contrast is detected. Then, it is determined whether or not the AF data in a pair of window ranges where the highest correlation is obtained in a correlation value calculation indicate a second predetermined necessary contrast. Only when it is determined that there is the contrast, the subsequent process such as a calculation of the distance from a distance measurement object is performed. Thus, an unnecessary correlation value calculation can be possibly omitted at a low contrast level. Furthermore, erroneous measurement of distance can be avoided.

Abstract: An end of a side-looking endoscope is constituted by covering an end body with a cap. The end body has a stand lever accommodation room in which a stand lever is accommodated, and a ridge is provided on a top surface of the stand lever accommodation room. A groove is formed inside the cap, and the groove is engaged with the ridge. The cap is thus prevented from dropping or rotating from the end body.

Abstract: An asymmetric aperture diaphragm placing structure for a projection lens is provided for securing an asymmetric aperture diaphragm to a lens holder. The asymmetric aperture diaphragm includes a positioning part formed asymmetrical about the optical axis. The lens holder has a mating part adapted to engage the positioning part only in a state where the asymmetric aperture diaphragm is in a predetermined direction with respect to the optical axis. The asymmetric aperture diaphragm is secured to the lens holder in a state where the positioning part and the mating part engage each other.

Abstract: A rangefinder apparatus in accordance with the present invention forms an image of light from an object to be subjected to rangefinding onto a pair of line sensors each including a plurality of light-receiving elements, and generates AF data for computing a correlation value according to signals obtained from the light-receiving elements; acquires the AF data from a pair of employed sensor areas used for rangefinding in the pair of line sensors; determines a pair of window areas for selecting the AF data to be used for computing a correlation value within the pair of employed sensor areas, and successively computes correlation values while shifting the pair of window areas; detects a shift amount of the window areas yielding the highest correlation according to the correlation values computed by the correlation value computing means and calculates a distance to the object according to the shift amount yielding the highest correlation; and calculates an index value indicative of a degree of oscillation of the

Abstract: A rangefinder apparatus comprises AF data generating means; AF data acquiring means; interpolated correlation extreme value computing means for detecting at least one correlation extreme value from computed correlation values, and interpolating so as to compute the interpolated correlation extreme value(s); highest correlation value detecting means for detecting a highest correlation value exhibiting the highest correlation according to the interpolated correlation extreme value(s); shift amount computing means for computing the shift amount of a window area yielding the highest correlation value; rangefinding error determining means for determining the validity of thus computed shift amount depending on whether the shift amount computed by the shift amount computing means is outside of a predetermined range or not; and object distance calculating means for calculating the distance to an object according to the shift amount.

Abstract: A rigid tip end section which is connected to an angle section at the fore distal end of an insertion instrument of an ultrasound endoscope is housed in a casing which can be split into a main casing and a separable head block to facilitate maintenance and service of internal component parts of the rigid tip end section. An ultrasound transducer is accommodated in a front side portion of the main casing, while endoscopic observation means including an illumination means and an optical image pickup means are fitted in an inclined wall rising obliquely upward on the rear side of the ultrasound transducer. An outlet opening of a biopsy channel outlet passage is located between the ultrasound transducer and the endoscopic observation means. The main casing is adapted to accommodate the ultrasound transducer and its wiring, while the separable head block is adapted to accommodate at least part of component parts of the endoscopic observation means.

Abstract: A roll film, which is wound up on a feeder spool with emulsion surface facing inward on the roll, is turned inside out and is drawn from the feeder spool to a first guide roller. The photo film is turned inside out again while being fed through a second guide roller and is wound up on a take-up spool with the emulsion surface facing inward on the roll. On an inner wall of a film magazine facing the second guide roller, a press roller presses the photo film to prevent loosening of the photo film in a film feeding path from the periphery of the second guide roller to the take-up spool.

Abstract: A lens supporting structure includes a mounting structure, such as an integral part of a housing, that includes one or more fixing parts that mate with one or more fixing parts of a lens holder. The fixing parts may be posts with screw holes on the housing, as well as screws passing through elongated holes on lens holder flanges. The lens supporting structure further includes securing parts on the mounting structure and on the lens holder, which may be elongated projections on the housing and the lens holder, that engage to prevent movement of the lens holder in a first direction at the same time that engagement of fixing parts, such as posts and the flanges, prevent movement of the lens holder in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction so that the lens holder can be simultaneously accurately positioned in both directions and then fixed in position.

Abstract: An image synthesizing optical apparatus includes displays for modulating first, second, and third color beams according to image signals and outputting the first, second, and third color beams thus modulated. The optical axis of the second color beam coincides with the optical axis of the first color beam. The optical axis of the third color beam crosses a midpoint between the first and second displays on the optical axes of the first and second color beams. The apparatus has a color beam combining unit at the midpoint and combining the color beams from the respective displays, and a support supporting the foregoing components. The support maintains optical path lengths of the respective color beams from the displays to the color beam combining unit equal even with a change in temperature.

Abstract: A coil shaft or tube to be fitted into a flexible sleeve to serve as a flexible rotation transmission shaft, containing a partially coarsely wound coil shaft formed by winding around a core a plural number of unit wires which are arranged in intimately parallel relation with each other in the fashion of a single flat metal strip, and extracting a dummy wire afterwards from a resulting tightly wound coil shaft to form coarsely wound portions where helices of certain adjacent unit wires spaced apart in the axial direction and in certain portions of the coil shaft.

Abstract: A single-focus lens includes from the object side, a first lens with a positive refracting power having at least one aspheric surface, a stop, a second lens with a negative refracting power, and a third lens with a positive refracting power having at least one aspheric surface. This single-focus lens further satisfies the conditional expression of 0.3<f/f2′3<0.8, where f is the focal length of the lens as a whole, and f23 is the composite focal length of the second and third lenses.