Abstract: Camera apparatus and method with provision for selection of image annotations to be recorded with captured images. Camera user initiated keywords associated with groupings of annotations are inputted to the camera via voice recognition or handwriting recognition to search for related annotations using group codes which may also include hierarchical rank classification codes. Annotations pre-recorded in memory and having codes matching those of the inputted keywords are displayed on a camera display device to allow the camera user to rapidly select a desired annotation for recording of the associated code in connection with the captured image. The code is then utilized in known manner during photofinishing to print the selected annotation on the front or back of the reproduced image print.

Abstract: A photographing unit for a microscope has a photometric detector to measure brightness of light from a sample and includes a changing member which changes a brightness of light toward an observation system and a control unit which controls the light based on a detection output of the photometric detector. In addition, the changing member can be controlled based on the presence of an observer. A shielding member can be provided that automatically shields an optical path of the observation system. An illumination system for an index on a reticle can be provided so that the illumination of the reticle can be performed or extinguished at desired times. Additionally, the color of light with which the index is illuminated may be made distinguishable from the color of light from a sample, and the contrast of the index to the sample can be controlled.

Abstract: A position adjusting device for a camera optical unit includes a casing which is fixed within a camera for accommodating the optical unit therein, first and second supports provided between the casing and the optical unit for vertically and laterally pivotal movement of the optical unit with respect to the casing, a one-piece plate spring member having an integral laterally pressing piece for biasing the optical unit laterally and have an integral vertically pressing piece for biasing the optical unit vertically, and a pair of adjusting threads, threadingly engaged with the casing, for regulating vertical and lateral position of the optical unit against biasing forces of the vertically and laterally pressing pieces.

Abstract: An apparatus adapted to a film cartridge in which a film is contained, comprises an operation device which is operable for arbitrarily rewinding the film into the film cartridge before the film is wholly used, an indication device for causing the film cartridge to provide an indication that the film is partly used upon a film rewinding operation of the operation device and a determination device for determining whether a predetermined transporting action of the film is performed. The indication device causes the film cartridge to provide the indication that the film is wholly used, if the determination device determines that the predetermined transporting action of the film is not performed and the film has been rewound.

Abstract: A camera includes an closure having a frame with a pair of opposed tracks. The frame defines a passage for the cartridge and placements for open and closed active light lock states. The closure has a door with a pair of opposed margins in slideable engagement with the tracks. The door is slideable along the tracks from a closed position, to a locking position, and then to an open position. The closure has a driver having an active light lock key. The driver is movable relative to the frame from a first position in which the key is in a placement for the open state and a second position wherein the key is in a placement for the closed state. The sliding of the door from the closed position to the locking position moves the driver from the first position to the second position. Sliding of the door from the locking position to the open position retains the driver in the second position.

Abstract: A camera including a housing, a dual position flash pivotable between a folded position against the housing and an unfolded position extending from the housing, a taking lens, a shutter blade movable to momentarily uncover the taking lens in order to take a picture, and a shutter actuator manually depressible to initiate movement of the shutter blade, is characterized in that the shutter actuator is located on the flash to be pivoted with the flash and is manually depressible in the folded and unfolded positions of the flash to initiate movement of the shutter blade in each one of the positions.

Abstract: A data recording device 10 for a camera 1 uses a collecting plate 11 formed of a light transmitting resin with a fluorescent substance dispersed therein as a collecting element for collecting external light. The collecting plate 11 includes a vertically elongated flat light receiving portion 21 and a flat light emitting portion 22 protruding at a right angle from the back side of the light receiving portion, the end portion of the light emitting portion 22 constituting a light emitting surface 22a. External light incident on a surface 21a of the light receiving portion 21 enters the light receiving portion and is absorbed by the fluorescent substance, which generates fluorescence. The fluorescence is propagated through the collecting plate as it is reflected by the interface between the ambient air and the collecting plate before it is applied to a liquid crystal panel 12 for data recording from the light emitting surface 22a of the light emitting portion 22.

Abstract: A varifocal mechanical correction mechanism for a lens barrel for a camera, wherein the mechanism drives a lens with a pair of cam rings for carrying out zooming and focusing functions. One of the cam rings is caused to linearly move in and out along an optical axis by a feed screw. The feed screw that has a shank portion outside a normal feed range and on a non-threaded portion of a shaft.

Abstract: A real-image variable magnification finder includes an objective optical system of positive power, a condenser lens located at an image forming surface of the objective optical system, an eyepiece optical system of positive power, and an image erection optical system. The objective optical system of positive power includes a first positive lens group, a second negative lens group, a third positive lens group, and a fourth negative lens group. Upon change of magnification from the low magnification extremity to the high magnification extremity, the second lens group is moved to monotonically increase the distance between the second lens group and the first lens group; and the third lens group is moved to monotonically increase the distance between the third lens group and the fourth lens group while the first and fourth lens groups are kept immovable. The finder satisfies the condition defined by (1) 1.2<m.sub.4 <2, wherein m.sub.4 represents the lateral magnification of the fourth lens group.

Abstract: A lens cover mounted camera with a lens cover movable to selectively assume at least a closing condition that covers a front surface of a photographing lens and an opening condition that exposes the front surface of the photographing lens, and further having a lens cover operating member for conducting the opening and closing operations of the lens cover and further for shifting the lens cover in directions of the optical axis of the photographing lens. When the camera is switched to a using condition or a non-using condition, the lens cover is respectively shifted to an opening position or a closing position through the lens cover operating member. This design minimizes the protruding quantity of the lens cover from a camera body and prevents the lens cover from being easily broken even if a careless external force or shock works on the lens cover during the use of the camera.

Abstract: A camera includes a camera body and a detachable camera back. The camera body includes a guide section arranged in a plane perpendicular to an optical axis defined by a lens associated with the camera body. The camera back includes an imaging device and a biasing member which biases the imaging device such that, when the camera back is attached to the camera body, the imaging device is press contacted against the guide section. In particular, the guide section includes a pair of rails provided next to a photographing aperture of the camera body that defines an image forming plane for the camera. The imaging device may further include a glass plate provided in front of an image receiving surface that functions to shift an image plane along the optical axis of the camera.

Abstract: A camera with a cartridge chamber for accepting a film cartridge with film and a cover for covering the cartridge chamber. The camera has a locking mechanism that locks the cover when the cover is in a closed state and a releasing device for releasing the cover from a closed state. The locking mechanism includes a pivotable member having on one end a locking portion engageable with the cover to lock the cover in the closed state and on the other end a contact portion. A biasing member urges the pivotal member in a locking direction so that the locking portion engages the cover. The releasing member includes a motor is used to open the cover. The motor drives a crank member that is connected to an unlocking member via a link member, which is operable to rotate the pivotal member in a direction opposite to the cover closing direction to open the cover.

Abstract: A camera shutter having a shutter aperture, shutter blades, and a driving device for driving the shutter blades to open and close the shutter aperture. The driving device includes a pair of lever members spaced apart and confronting each other across the shutter aperture, each of the lever members having a first end portion and a second end portion. A piezoelectric element is connected to and between the lever members at the first end portions thereof for undergoing elastic deformation to oscillate the lever members. An elastic member is connected to and between the lever members at the second end portions thereof for undergoing elastic displacement in response to oscillation of the lever members. A transmission member is integrally connected to a central portion of the elastic member for transmitting the displacement of the elastic member to the shutter blades to open and close the shutter aperture.

Abstract: A pan-tilt unit for positioning or aiming a device requiring motion control, such as a videoconferencing or surveillance camera. The pan-tilt unit includes a base, a rotatable pan platform and a rotatable tilt bed for supporting and selectively orienting the device in a desired direction. The pan platform is rotatably supported on the base about a pan axis, and the tilt bed is rotatably supported on the pan platform about a tilt axis that is transverse to the pan axis. A pan motor and a tilt motor drive the pan platform and the tilt bed in response to control signals that may be provided to the unit across a communication network. The motors may be mounted on the unit to remain stationary relative to the base during panning and tilting operations. The motors may be controlled to rotate in opposite directions to maintain the tilt bed at a fixed tilt angle as the pan platform is rotated about the pan axis.

Abstract: A camera which includes a recording unit for recording photographic information in a record area on a magnetic layer of a photographic film for each exposed frame, and a regenerating unit for scanning the magnetic layer to determine the presence or absence of the recorded information. The regenerating unit includes a magnetic head for scanning the magnetic layer and generating a corresponding signal, an amplification circuit for amplifying the signal generated by the magnetic head, a smoothing circuit for obtaining an envelope waveformn, and a magnetic information detecting circuit for determining whether magnetic information is recorded in the magnetic record area for each frame on the photographic film by sampling the voltage level of the signals output from the smoothing circuit a plurality of times, integrating or averaging the sampled voltage levels, and comparing the integrated or averaged sampled voltage levels with a reference voltage.

Abstract: A recording device for recording film information concerning photography made to each of a plurality of exposure areas on respective recordable areas corresponding to the plurality of exposure areas, includes: a film feeder which feeds the film; a recording head which records a film information signal on a corresponding recordable area, the signal having a specified frequency; and a frequency controller which changes the signal frequency during the time when the film information is being recorded on the recordable area. The recording device makes it possible to simplify the construction of a camera, and to record film information with high density and stability.

Abstract: A camera mountable with a film cartridge having a light block lid rotatable about a vertical axis to open and close the film cartridge. The camera includes a cartridge chamber with accommodates the film cartridge, an engaging member which is rotatably provided in the cartridge chamber and engageable with the light blocking lid when the film cartridge is place in the cartridge chamber, and an actuator which actuates the engaging member to open and close the light blocking lid. The actuator includes a motor which generates a driving force, a crank member driven by the motor, and a link member which operatively connects the crank member with the engaging member. A fork is provided in the cartridge chamber which is engageable with a spool provided in the film cartridge, and a film take-up chamber is provided with a take-up spool for taking up the film.

Abstract: A monopod body is constructed such that inside pipes having smaller diameters sequentially are extensibly inserted into an outside pipe in a telescopic fashion and a bracket to which a panhead is attached is fitted into the upper end of the outside pipe. Two auxiliary legs whose lengths are substantially equal to the shortest length of the monopod body when the monopod body is contracted most are pivotally attached to the bracket so that the two auxiliary legs can be rotated with an inclination of a predetermined angle. Therefore, the monopod for supporting a camera or the like can be served also as a tripod.

Abstract: A one-time-use camera including a main body part with a cartridge receiving chamber for a film cartridge and a film roll chamber for an unexposed filmstrip that is prewound from the film cartridge into an unexposed film roll, a cover part for the main body part, a shutter mechanism opened and closed to expose successive sections of the filmstrip, and a film winding motor operable to wind each exposed section of the filmstrip into the film cartridge when the shutter mechanism is closed, is characterized in that the cover part has a temporary motor defeat that prevents operation of the film winding motor when the shutter mechanism is closed, to allow the shutter mechanism to be tested without having to operate the film winding motor, but is removable from the cover part to allow the film winding motor to be operated.

Abstract: When a camera is set in a portable state responsive to a photographing state detection device and a portable state detection device, film is rewound from a take-up spool chamber into a film cartridge and the take-up spool chamber is compressed in the direction of film feed to reduce the size of the camera body in the film feed direction. When the camera is set in a photographing state, the camera body is extended and the film is taken up from the film cartridge into the take-up spool chamber.