Abstract: An automatic exposure camera having a continuous shooting capability includes a signal generator generating signals in accordance with the operation of an aperture, a measuring unit counting the signals generated by the signal generator for a specified period of time and a storage unit storing the signals generated by the measuring unit. During continuous shooting operations, an initial picture taking operation is controlled in accordance with the signals generated according to the operation of the aperture, and subsequent picture taking operations are controlled in accordance with the signals generated according to the operation of the aperture within a specified period of time during the initial picture taking operation and which are stored in the storage unit. Additionally provided is a method for controlling the aperture operations of an automatic exposure camera having a continuous shooting mode of operation.

Abstract: A microceramic electromagnetic light shutter is disclosed including a unitary ceramic body having an internal cavity. A conductive coil is formed in the internal cavity. The unitary ceramic body defines a first and second bearing structure on it's surface. The unitary ceramic body has a light aperture and first and second recesses. The microceramic electromagnetic light shutter further includes a shutter drive mechanism including a shutter blade and a ferromagnetic element inserted into the first recess and operative to the shutter drive mechanism for applying a torque to the shutter drive mechanism which causes the shutter drive mechanism to move so that the shutter blade is in it's light blocking position. The shutter drive mechanism is mounted in the second recess an in an operative relationship to the coil and ferromagnetic element.

Abstract: A camera comprising a mode setting portion in which either mode is set out of a first focusing mode and a second focusing mode. The camera includes: a mode switch, detecting means, focusing means, and focusing mode controlling means for performing such a control. After completion of focusing when the period detected by the detecting means is longer than a predetermined period and the second focusing mode is set or when the first focusing mode is set the mode is switched to the first focusing mode. The present invention provides a camera which permits the user to select either the operation in which the mode change is performed every shot or the operation in which a same mode is continuously maintained, by the period in which the mode switch is kept on.

Abstract: A battery check device for a camera which includes a discharging circuit to which current flows from a battery and a discharging time setting device for setting a discharging time for determining that an internal resistance of the battery has increased due to non-use of the battery so as to temporarily reduce an output voltage of the battery. The discharging time set by the discharging time setting device is longer than a time required to check the residual energy amount of the battery. A determining device determines whether a voltage of the discharging circuit has reached a reference voltage specific to the battery within the discharging time.

Abstract: A camera is provided with an automatic focus adjusting apparatus. The automatic focus adjusting apparatus includes a focus detecting device which detects the focus adjusted state of the photo-taking lens. A monitor device which monitors the movement of the photo-taking lens and an image plane movement speed calculating circuit which calculates an image plane movement speed on the basis of the result of the detection by the focus detecting device and the result of the monitoring by the monitor device. A moving object discrimination circuit discriminates an object as a moving object when the image plane movement speed is equal to or greater than a threshold value. A threshold value setting circuit sets the threshold value used for moving object discrimination in the moving object discriminating circuit. The threshold value setting circuit changes the threshold value when a continuous shooting device is driven.

Abstract: A line of sight detecting device which detects the line of sight of the user. The device includes a determination unit for determining whether the line of sight detection is successful or not. An estimation unit estimates the cause of failure if line of sight detection can not be carried out. A notification unit provides information about the cause of failure of the line of sight detection. The information being estimated by the estimation unit.

Abstract: A focus detection device to improve the level of confidence of focus detection results of an object image by determining the defocus amount based on the filter processing data computed by a filter processing circuit for high frequencies of the subject image is disclosed. Computations may be repeated related to successively lower frequencies until a high level of confidence of the computed defocus amount is achieved.

Abstract: A photometer for a camera that performs multi-area photometry and displays the exposure deviation to the photographer. The photometer includes a light measuring device with a plurality of photometric elements that perform photometry at a plurality of areas within the photographic field. A photometric value determining section calculates an effective photometric value using a weighted addition of each photometric value according to the given photometric mode. A standard value determining section calculates a reference photometric value using a predetermined, specified weighted addition of each photometric value. A deviation determining section calculates the deviation in the logarithmic values of the effective photometric value and the reference photometric value. A display device displays the deviation calculated by the deviation determining section.

Abstract: An exposure control method and apparatus for a camera having a two-area divided brightness measurement system. A central light value is determined based on a central area brightness of a photographic scene, and a peripheral light value is determined based on a peripheral area brightness of the scene. After determining by comparison between the central and peripheral light values whether the scene is back-lighted or front-lighted, a correction coefficient specific to back-lighted scenes or that specific to front-lighted scenes is read from a memory. An exposure value suitable for a main subject is calculated according to the following equation:Es=log.sub.2 {1-(1-.alpha.)2.sup.LVb-LVa }-log.sub.2 .alpha.+LVAwherein Es represents the exposure value and .alpha. represents the correction coefficient.

Abstract: A line-of-sight detecting device includes an area sensor composed of a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements for receiving an image of an eyeball of a viewer. The area sensor is divided into block areas each having some of the plurality of photoelectric conversion elements, each block area outputs a value on the basis of the output of the photoelectric conversion elements constituting that block area. A particular block area satisfying predetermined conditions based on the output values of the block areas is selected from the plurality of block areas. Image processing is performed on those photoelectric conversion elements which are in a predetermined range based on the position of the particular block area to thereby detect the line of sight of the viewer, wherein the number of photoelectric conversion elements constituting each block area is changed in accordance with a predetermined situation.

Abstract: A camera having a automatic focus system for focusing a lens on an object to be photographed which comprises a device for measuring a plurality of distances between the object and the camera. The camera determines an auto focus distance based on a selected one of the predetermined conditions each representing a relationship between each of a plurality of measured distances under a respective circumstance. The camera controls the movement of the lens at least partially based on the auto focus distance.

Abstract: An automatic focus adjustment device includes a photoelectric conversion device, a focus state detection device and a photoelectric conversion timing control device. The photoelectric conversion device has a plurality of areas that receive light signals from a photographic optical system and that convert the light signals into electrical signals by accumulating electric charge over accumulation time intervals. The focus state detection device, which is connected to the photoelectric conversion device, receives and detects a focus adjustment state in accordance with the electrical signals. The photoelectric conversion timing control device controls the photoelectric conversion device to match a first accumulation time interval to a second accumulation time interval. As a result, midpoint times of the accumulation time intervals need not be recorded, and memory capacity can thus be reduced.

Abstract: A focus adjustment device for a camera includes a focus detection system, a controller including a drive amount calculation section that calculates the amount of lens movement required to focus on a photographic object based on a detected defocus amount, a memory section that stores the detected defocus amount, and an adjusted drive amount calculation section that statistically processes a plurality of stored defocus amounts. The adjusted drive amount calculation section calculates the adjusted drive amount required to properly focus the photographic lens on the subject and prevents unstable movements of the photographic lens in the vicinity of the focus position. The controller drives the photographic lens according to the adjusted drive amount after the commencement of a shutter release operation and before film exposure.

Abstract: A mode selecting system of a camera which comprises a first mode group which includes a plurality of photo-taking modes, wherein photographing parameters are automatically set by the camera when each one among the modes of the first mode group is selected, and a second mode group which includes a plurality of photo-taking modes, wherein at least one of photographing parameters is manually settable when one among the modes of the second mode group is selected.

Abstract: A display device for use in a camera includes a display having a plurality of display units for displaying character patterns. A memory stores character patterns for a first display and character patterns for a second display. The character patterns for the second display include matching pairs of half character patterns for display in adjacent display units to form a complete pattern. A control unit controls the operation of the display device and displays the stored character patterns on the display device. Duplicate character patterns and patterns containing numerals and decimals are stored in the memory. The control unit displays the character patterns on the display such that character pattern display appears uniformly spaced to user. In the method for displaying character patterns on the display device, the character patterns for a first display and half patterns for a second display are stored in memory. After a display has been selected the character patterns are displayed on a display device.

Abstract: A camera quickly selecting a focus detection region or a light metering region while seeing a finder picture. A region selection member is provided so that an operating surface of the region selection member is substantially parallel to a finder picture.

Abstract: An optimum focus detection algorithm range is established in the focus detection area corresponding to the subject pattern. The method includes establishing a first region on the photoelectric conversion array; computing the contrast of the subject image in the first region based on the output signal strings of a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements contained in the first region; establishing a portion of the first region as a second region; and computing the contrast of the subject image in the second region based on the output signal strings of a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements contained in the second region. Subsequently, either the first region or the second region must be determined as the focus detection algorithm range based on the contrast of the first region and the contrast of second region. The focus adjustment condition of the shooting lens is computed based on the output signal strings of the first region or the second region, whichever is selected as the algorithm range.

Abstract: A film feeding device of a camera includes a film feeding mechanism which has an initial winding mode to feed film mounted in the camera and wind a first frame to a shooting position, a first frame winding mode to wind the film by one frame subsequent to shooting, a manual rewinding mode to rewind the film into a film cartridge when a rewinding operation member is operated, and an automatic rewinding mode to rewind the film into the cartridge when the film is rewound through the final edge during rewinding of the film by one frame. A frame number counting mechanism counts a number of shootable frames remaining each time one frame is wound, and counts a number of frames remaining to be rewound each time one frame is rewound.

Abstract: A camera display device includes a display unit which is selectively illuminated during camera operation. The display unit displays information to the photographer such as photometry and rangefinding information. A mode selector switch selects a camera operating mode from a plurality of operating modes and a camera instruction unit outputs an illumination instruction to an illumination light to thereby illuminate the display unit. A timer determines a time period for illumination of the display unit while a control unit continues the illumination of the display unit during a predetermined continuation time period in response to the illumination instruction from the camera instruction unit. The control unit also continues the illumination of the display unit until an end of the camera operating mode selected by the mode selector switch.

Abstract: A lens shutter camera has light emitting and receiving sections for obtaining distance information. An optical section for performing photometry in an object field is disposed in a space between the light emitting and receiving sections in an optical axis direction. An electric plate passes the space between the light emitting and receiving sections in the optical axis direction and electrically connects a shutter section provided in a lens barrel and a control section provided outside the lens barrel.