Abstract: An electric flash device for photography is controlled of its light radiation of a flash tube by a transistor, which is connected in series with the flash tube and is given its base current through a parallelly connected capacitor and resistor, and when the transistor turns OFF, an electric charge stored in the capacitor is applied across the base and the emitter of the transistor as a reverse bias.

Abstract: Driving of camera lens (5) and driving of exposure mechanism (9) (shutter/aperture blades) are driven by a single motor (7) wherein a main body of exposure mechanism is affixed to the lens barrel, and a drive member (10) of the exposure mechanism (9) is slidably engaged to a sliding guide pin (11); and by selecting friction force between a hollow threaded driving member (1) and the threaded outer face of the lens burrel (4) appropriately, the exposure mechanism (9) can be driven through the friction force.

Abstract: In an automatic focusing apparatus which detects sharpness signals from high-frequency components of brightness signals contained in video signals from video cameras and which stops a focusing lens of the video camera at a position at which its peak value is obtained, the movement of the focusing lens is started by detecting received light signal levels by performing projection-reception operations with a specified amount of infrared light and detecting their variations with a received light signal level detector or with a micro-computer. Furthermore, depending upon the focal depth of the focusing lens, priority is given to processing of distance information based on sharpness signals or distance information determined by the infrared light projection-reception operation in the lens driving controller for performing the focusing operation.

Abstract: An automatic electronic flash measures brightness of a predetermined photographing angle including a photographic object, and using the measured brightness and film sensitivity indicates a stop value to be set in camera when the photographic scenery has rear light, and the automatic electronic flash operation is automatically lowered by the extent of F-stop value (automatic F-stop value) of 1-2 EV than the indicated stop value, thereby satisfactory automatic fill-in photographing with the automatic electronic flash can be made; and the automatic electronic flash further comprises means to warn when the brightness of the photographic scenery changes from the measured value, and besides, the above-mentioned controlling corresponding to the automatic F-stop value is examined taking account of the scenery brightness and film sensitivity and produce another warning when automatic F-stop value is an impractical value.

Abstract: A zoom lens apparatus comprising a moving construction for moving a zoom-ratio adjusting barrel composed of a variator-lens amount and a compensator-lens mount by the rotation along the direction of the optical axis within the fixed barrel; a stepping motor, which is coupled to the moving construction is composed of a rotor having a hollow portion as a light path including the optical axis and a stator to be combined with the rotor, and reversibly rotates in accordance with the pulse signal to be applied; and a circuit means for controlling the operation of the stepping motor with providing advantages and that the reduction gear and clutch mechanism are not required, the outer shape is kept cylindrical, but is not required bigger in size and the price can be made lower.

Abstract: A lens drive mechanism comprising a lens mount, a basic barrel having a compartment defined therein for accommodating the lens mount for movement in a direction parallel to the optical axis, a pin member, and a generally semicircular cross-sectioned cam member mounted so as to cover the basic barrel for rotation about the optical axis and having a cam groove defined therein with the free end of the pin member engaged in the cam groove.

Abstract: In a method of distance measuring and an optical distance measuring apparatus, a pulse-modulated infrared light beam is irradiated to an object to produce a reflected light beam, which is then received by a resonance circuit, and intensity of output of the resonance circuit is measured, wherein the modulation of frequency is sweepingly varied within a predetermined narrow frequency range; thereby, even when the circuit constants of the resonance circuit varies due to temperature change and so on, the distance measurement result is not affected, and stable measurement of a long distance is possible.

Abstract: In an automatic film loading system, a film winding spool (9) is driven at a higher speed by a motor (20) through gears (120, 12, 122, 13), and the film advancing sprocket (4) is driven by a speed to drive the film at a slower speed before catching of the film by a rubber member of the spool, and after the catching, a clutch (121) disconnects the driving of the sprocket (4) from the gears (120, 12).

Abstract: A lower part of a reflection mirror is cut away to admit light flooding downwards in a special photographing situation, for instance, close-up photography, by slidably removing an auxiliary movable mirror part from the cut away part. By sliding the movable mirror part to cover the cut away part of the reflection mirror, a normal light angle is obtainable. Thereby, both close-up flash photographing without any parallax of flash light, as well as, normal flash photographing with a correctly flooded flash light are obtainable.

Abstract: A driving circuit for a stepping motor drives the stepping motor in two-phase operation for most of the time period of driving and switches to a single-phase operation immediately before stopping the stepping motor, thereby achieving compatibility between high speed rotation and stable stopping position.

Abstract: A camera with automatic strobe is provided with an electric motor which rotates only in a predetermined single direction, a motion transmitting apparatus comprising to spring means and an abutting means to transmit the energy of rotation to the strobe part with freedom of manual pushing of the strobe part and the motor is controlled by a motor drive control circuit which is configurated to prohibit a necessary motion of the strobe part and protrude the strobe part only for necessary occasion.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an illuminated finder comprising illuminating windows through which light is entered for looking at an image of an object and a view frame, each window being disposed on an upper and front surface of a camera, and comprising a photographing information indicator being disposed on the upper surface of the camera, and comprising a transmitting window for detecting a distance, and therefore the photographing information and the view frame can be looked at easily from the outside of the camera and through an eye lens and a size of the illuminated finder can be compact.

Abstract: In a distance measuring apparatus in accordance with the present invention, a light beam of a wide solid angle is projected on a photographic object by means of a strobo light source, and reflected rays are received by a photoelectric device array which has a predetermined number of photoelectric devices each with narrow directivity which are comparable to solid angles necessary to see the object from the photoelectric devices disposed with their optical axes at predetermined angular pitches. When the output of a photoelectric device, which is issuing maximum amplitude output, is selected by means of a maximum value detector circuit, and a distance signal is discriminated from background noises such as sun light or electric illumination light by passing through a differentiating circuit, and then being processed by a function circuit and fed to a lens driving system or indicator.

Abstract: Controlling of film winding-up and film rewinding are carried out responding to an insertion of film, open and close of the back lid of the camera and moving of the film; and the motor is stopped when the status of the camera operation is abnormal, such as film is not filled or film is caught or the back lid is not completely closed; and when the film is set and back lid is closed, the film is automatically wound up to the position of the first frame photographing by a half-pushing of a shutter release button, thereby eliminating necessity of the film frame number counter or the like; by quick stopping of the motor at abnormal states, waste of power source current due to motor over current is eliminated.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a camera with a built-in strobo which comprises a small strobo and a lens cover for protecting a photographing lens, the strobo operating when a flashing part is shifted to a predetermined position, and further comprises a member being in association with the lens cover and an operation knob for controlling a movement of the flashing part; and when the lens cover is disposed in front of the photographing lens, pop-out or stowing of the strobo can not be executed by controlling the member through manipulation of the operation knob.

Abstract: In a photographic camera provided with an electronic flash unit comprising a strobo lamp, the strobo lamp part is raised up and down by means of a small electric motor and gear link when the brightness of the object scenery is dark at a pressing of shutter release button to a midway position. The raising up of the strobo lamp part is automatically done by detection of the scenery brightness and switching on of the motor by an electronic circuit. When the strobo lamp part reaches the raised position, a limit switch causes the electronic switch circuit to stop the motor.

Abstract: In a strobo apparatus comprisinga power source part (A) containing a low voltage battery and a DC-DC converter circuit,a flashing part (B) containing a main capacitor and being separably connected with the power source part, and also hasa detecting means for detecting the said separation of the flashing part. By utilizing the output of the detecting means, the operation of the DC-DC converter circuit is compulsorily stopped, accordingly, waste of battery is eliminated and unnecessary high insulation against useless high tension during the separation of two parts can be dispensed with.

Abstract: An ultrasonic wave transmission apparatus built in an image producing apparatus with an auto-focusing apparatus has features that transmission timings are determined by processing a vertical synchronization signal produced in the video camera and that transmission operations are made within blank times of the vertical synchronization signal thereby eliminating noise troubles in image reproduction made in the video camera.

Abstract: A number of piezoelectric discs are stacked with electrodes inbetween for application of DC voltage thereto through a pair of lead wires, forming piezoelectric blocks, and a plurality of the piezoelectric block are stacked to form a moving member, which is inserted in a fixed member, a hollow case of rigid material such as steel; by applying voltages to electrodes of selected piezoelectric blocks, any selected block(s) can be driven either to decrease or increase the diameter and increase or decrease the thickness, thereby fixing selected block(s) to the fixed means or releasing of the fixing can be made freely and individually; and by appropriately combining voltage impressions timings and polarities to individual piezoelectric blocks, motion of the moving member in relation to the fixed member, for instance in a measuring worm-like way, is obtainable.

Abstract: In a strobo flash apparatus comprising a power source part and an exchangeable flashing part, the power source part includes a DC-DC converter circuit for inducing a D.C. high voltage and has a connecting plate with its edge parts are formed as grooves, the exchangeable flashing part includes a flashing discharge tube and has a connecting recess for receiving the connecting plate said recess having protrusions for engaging with the grooves.