Abstract: A camera with a data recording device separates a connecting line of a magnetic recording device and a connecting line of a film frame detection device to reduce the transfer of electrical noise therebetween. The camera includes a magnetic head for transferring photographic information to and from photographic film and the photographic film includes a magnetic recording track which is capable of magnetic recording of photographic data. A pair of photo-reflectors detects a photographic frame in the photographic film, and a central processing unit is equipped with a frame detection terminal to electrically connect the photo-reflectors with a flexible printed circuit. A terminal for magnetic recording and readout electrically connects to a magnetic head with a pattern on a printed board and a connecting line. The terminal for magnetic recording and readout is physically separated from other high electrical noise terminals to reduce the transmission of electrical noise.

Abstract: An apparatus for calibrating a printer of a photofinishing system, comprising:(a) a reference film strip carrying at least one reference image;(b) a reference chart carrying multiple renderings of the reference image representing different printer exposures; and(c) a substrate carrying printer correction factors needed to change a photographic print obtained from the reference image on the reference film strip, to match any desired rendering on the reference chart. A method of producing the above reference chart, and a method of calibrating a printer of a photofinishing system, are also provided.

Abstract: This invention is directed to a method of processing at least one digital image of at least one photographic image and distributing at least one visual print produced from the at least one digital image. The method includes the steps of storing at least one digital image of at least one photographic image on at least one image server at a first location. Selective authorized access to the at least one digital image of the at least one photographic image from a second location is then facilitated. Orders are received for at least one visual print of the at least one photographic image from the second location. Based upon the orders at least one visual image is produced from the stored digital image at the first location in response to the at least one order.

Abstract: A camera having a camera system which is capable of reducing the influence that vibration generated in conjunction with driving of an actuator has on other component members of the camera system. The camera includes a lens barrel having a fixed cylinder, a focusing lens group moving mechanism, an actuator, such as an ultrasonic motor, to supply a driving force to the lens group moving mechanism, a vibration detection device to detect vibration, and a camera vibration compensation mechanism to compensate for the detected vibration. The camera system includes a component member having multiple reinforcing sections and a characteristic frequency which does not overlap with a drive frequency band of the ultrasonic motor or with the vibration frequency band of the vibration generated in conjunction with the driving of the ultrasonic motor. The component member may be a stator retaining member which supports a stator of the ultrasonic motor, or a sensor fixed cylinder which secures the vibration detection device.

Abstract: A reflector includes one closed end, one open end and highly reflecting curving walls. The walls are symmetrical about at least one axis of symmetry. The walls include a first segment and other segments. Briefly described, according to one aspect of the present invention, a camera flash unit for illumination of an associated target area has a light source providing light defined as light rays, a reflector directing the light rays from the light source towards the associated target surface and a refractive lens component. The reflector includes one closed end, one open end and highly reflecting curving walls. The walls are symmetrical about at least one axis of symmetry. The refractive lens component is located at the open end of the reflector. It has two surfaces--a back side surface facing said light source and a front side surface. One of the surfaces has a cylindrical shape, the other of the two surfaces has a toroidal shape.

Abstract: A flash apparatus capable of varying the emission angle according to the present invention is characterized in that a light controller provided in front of a reflector for diffusing or condensing supplied light is configured to comprise a diffusion controlling portion having light diffusive action only with respect to a longitudinal direction of a bar-like light source and a condensation controlling portion having condensing action to omnidirectionally condense supplied light. By this, the flash apparatus capable of varying the emission angle can control and restrict prism action at the light controller by diffusing light emitted from the bar-like light source in respect to the longitudinal direction of the bar-like light source even when the bar-like light source and the light controller are close to each other.

Abstract: An apparatuses for preventing magnetic recording errors in an advanced photo system camera. The apparatus comprises a film transport sensing unit for detecting a perforation in a film and for generating an output signal for each detected perforation. A control unit determines whether noise has occurred in the transport sensing unit output signal while the film is being advanced. When noise occurs in the transport sensing unit output signal, the control unit prevents recording of photographic data on the film for a predetermined period of time. The apparatus also includes a magnetic recording unit for magnetically recording the photographic data on the film according to a control signal output by the control unit.

Abstract: A film exposure status indicator 10,78 for a film cartridge 11 to indicate whether a filmstrip on a spool 18 within the cartridge has been at least partially rewound onto the spool. The indicator relies on rewinding motion of the spool to indicate at least partial exposure of the filmstrip. In the preferred embodiment 78, the status indicator is a self-contained module attachable to a standard 35 mm film cartridge entirely within an external well 66 of one 34 of the cartridge end caps. The module has a central aperture for receiving the protruding end 38 of the film spool and includes a cover disk 26 having first and second status indication windows 40,39. An indicator wheel 52 below the cover disk has first and second exposure indicia visible through the respective windows.

Abstract: A photographing apparatus having an anti-vibration function includes a vibration detecting unit for detecting a vibration of the photographing apparatus, a reference value calculating unit for calculating a reference value of an output of the vibration detecting unit, and a focusing unit for adjusting a focal position of a photographing image. The apparatus also includes a focusing operation stopping unit for stopping an operation of the focusing unit and a reference value calculation stopping unit for stopping the calculation of the reference value by the reference value calculating unit by detecting the operation of the focusing operation stopping unit.

Abstract: When a sensitivity of film used for photographing is less than a predetermined sensitivity, or when an external light brightness measured by a photometry means is more than a predetermined brightness, a strobe exposure is controlled to decrease gradually from 0 EV flash, wherein a standard strobe exposure can be obtained, to -1 EV to -2 EV to -2 EV . . . . On the other hand, when the external light brightness is less than the predetermined brightness, the 0 EV flash is performed compulsively regardless of the film sensitivity, and the ratio of the strobe exposure becomes high, so that the exposure contribution rate of the external light is relatively lowered. As a result, the spectral characteristics of the external light source have small effect on the image surface when the high-sensitivity film is used, and the color fading caused by the spectral characteristics of the external light source can be prevented.

Abstract: A camera having a built in microprocessor for accepting configuration data from an external device. The camera has a serial port, and a slot for receiving standard type II and III PCMCIA cards for data input and output. These features provide the camera with the capability of being programmed by an external device, including downloading configuration data including a particular operating system, custom modules, graphics and textual data, and data base information and operational parameters. The configuration data can also be downloaded from one camera to another.

Abstract: An ink-jet swath printer employing a cartridge with a spring bag primary reservoir and an auxiliary ink reservoir interconnected via a tube to form a closed ink replenishment system. The primary reservoir creates a negative pressure which draws ink from the auxiliary reservoir as ink is expelled from the cartridge printhead during printing operations. The auxiliary reservoir can either be mounted on the cartridge carriage or on the printer body. The auxiliary reservoir is a large capacity collapsible bag mounted below the level of the printhead to establish an ink pressure head at the primary reservoir connection which is not so large as to destroy or diminish the negative pressure and allow ink to drool from the printhead, yet is sufficient to permit replenishment of the primary reservoir to avoid printhead ink starvation.

Abstract: An exposure apparatus for transferring a pattern on a mask onto a photosensitized substrate by exposure, having an illumination optical system, a mask stage for moving the mask and a substrate stage for moving the substrate. An attenuator is disposed between the light source and the photosensitized substrate for attenuating the illumination beam with a variable attenuator rate. A controller controls the output power of the light source and attenuator of the illumination beam such that the exposure energy approaches a predetermined desired value. A stage controller controls the velocities at which the mask stage and the substrate stage are moved for scanning according to the difference between the exposure energy measured by the sensing system and the predetermined desired value.

Abstract: A lens barrel includes an external operation member for manual operation, a driving source, a movable lens supported movably along an optical axis, a lens moving mechanism arranged to receive a movement of the external operation member and move the movable lens at least along the optical axis and to receive a motion of the driving source and move the movable lens at least along the optical axis, and a switching mechanism for varying a ratio of the amount of the movement received from the external operation member to the amount of movement of the movable lens.

Abstract: Positional discrepancies of images of segmental areas, which are caused by stretching of a substrate in the Y direction, are corrected by changing magnifications of respective projection optical systems and inclinations of parallel plane glass pieces with respect optical axes. After that, positional discrepancies of the images after the correction are accurately detected by using a calibration system for the projection optical systems. Thus it is possible to confirm whether or not the positional discrepancies are accurately corrected. If the correction is insufficient as a result of the confirmation, at least one of correction of the magnifications of the respective projection optical systems and shift of the images projected through the respective projection optical systems onto the substrate is executed again so that amounts of the positional discrepancies are sufficiently small.

Abstract: A camera including a flashlight device for emitting a flashlight, a shutter, such that the camera has a flash synchro photographing mode in which the flashlight device emits the flashlight in synchronism with the shutter, a vibration detector for detecting a vibration quantity of the camera, a vibration correcting device for correcting an image blur on the basis of a vibration signal output from the vibration detector. The camera also includes a control device for controlling, while performing flash photographing by use of the flashlight device and driving the vibration correcting device, the shutter so that a maximum shutter time in the flash synchro photographing mode is shorter than or equal to a maximum shutter time in a non-emission of the flashlight. As a result, the flashlight device does not emit the flashlight.

Abstract: The present invention provides a camera having strobe unit, comprising a strobe flashing unit for emitting illumination light toward an object, a switch for switching states of flashlight emanating from the strobe flashing unit by selecting normal flashlight or flashlight that is effective in alleviating a red-eye phenomenon and that contains less red light than normal flashlight, an information recorder for recording photographic information on film, and a recording control unit for allowing the information recorder to record flashlight selected by the switch.

Abstract: A camera has a control device (MCU) for controlling magnetic recording of photographing data in units of photographing frames stored upon photographing onto the corresponding photographing frames on the film upon film rewinding. The camera has a photographable frame number detection device for detecting the number of photographable frames of the film from an information device provided to a film cartridge, and a film counter device for incrementing the count number every time one frame is photographed. Also, the camera has a film end detection device for detecting the film end, and a comparison device for comparing the number of photographable frames detected by the photographable frame number detection device with the count number of the film counter device when the film end detection device detects the film end. Furthermore, the camera has an alarm display device (DSP) for producing an alarm indicating errors in magnetic recording when the comparison device detects a non-coincidence between the two values.

Abstract: A camera comprises a photographing optical system, and a cover for covering the photographing optical system, and the cover is supported turnably about a rotating axis which is neither parallel nor perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of a camera body, and is operative to selectively open and close by turning about the rotating axis. Part of the cover is positioned by coming into abutment with part of a front exterior portion of the camera, so that the cover is held in a predetermined opened state. The cover is provided with a flash device, and when the cover is in an opened state, the flash device is moved away from the photographing optical system so that a red-eye phenomenon is prevented from easily occurring.

Abstract: A non-photographic strip includes a base layer similar in properties and characteristics to a base layer of a known photographic filmstrip and a magnetic recording layer over the base layer. A cartridge is sized and shaped to be received in a cartridge receiving chamber of a photographic camera. The cartridge contains the non-photographic strip which is sized and shaped to be moved within the camera from the cartridge. Preferably, the magnetic recording layer is opaque. The magnetic recording layer is used to transfer information to and/or from the camera.