Abstract: A camera having a photographic optical system contained in a lens barrel including a zoom cam tube and a collapsible mount cam tube. The zoom cam tube is movable in a focal length adjustment region between a Tele position and a Wide position, while the collapsible mount cam tube is movable in a collapsible mount movement region between the Wide position and a fully collapsed position. During focal length adjustment action, a gear which transmits a drive force of a motor is in engagement with a first rack on the zoom cam tube, and only the zoom cam tube rotates. Due to this rotation, a cam portion is rotated via other gears meshed with the first rack, and a pair of viewfinder lenses and a light generating unit, are made movable. During collapsible mount action, the gear is in engagement with a second rack, only the collapsible mount cam tube is rotated, and the drive force of the motor is not transmitted to the cam portion.

Abstract: In a camera, a take-up spool clutch assembly (34) is provided with delayed engagement by disposing a clutch spring (32) between a take-up spool (10) and a drive gear (30). The clutch spring (32) engages a lug (46) on a hub portion (40) of the take-up spool (10) with a second end (64) to drive the take-up spool (10) in the take-up direction (36) when the drive gear (30) engages a first end (60) of the clutch spring (32). Before the take-up spool (10) can rotate in the take-up direction (36) after being rotated in the rewind direction (37), the drive gear (30) must complete substantially one revolution to re-engage the second end (64) of the clutch spring (32) into driving engagement with the lug (46). The time interval consumed by the single revolution of the drive gear spool (30) is sufficient to allow a planetary clutch (90) to disengage a rewind gear (97) and engage a thrust gear (96) with a supply spool (79).

Abstract: A pop-up internal strobe unit of a camera is enabled when a hot shoe cover is inserted into a hot shoe, or if the hot shoe is empty, and is disabled when an external strobe is mounted in the hot shoe. The enabling and disabling of the pop-up internal strobe unit is controlled by operation of a switch extending into the hot shoe region. The switch is not actuated, thus enabling operation of the pop-up internal strobe unit, when a matched recess provided in the hot shoe cover is inserted into the hot shoe. The switch is actuated, thus disabling operation of the pop-up internal strobe unit operation, when an external strobe is mounted in the shoe.

Abstract: A camera is provided with a cartridge chamber for loading a film cartridge, a cartridge chamber lid for closing or opening said cartridge chamber, and switching means for switching a state of an operation portion formed on a surface of said film cartridge, said switching means interlocking with an operation of said cartridge chamber lid to switch the state of said operation portion of said film cartridge.

Abstract: A motion picture film composition method can be provided in which when a first motion picture film on which a first picture is imaged and a second motion picture on which a second picture is imaged are combined, the first motion picture film is converted into a video signal and processed in accordance with predetermined video signal processing to form an intermediate film and a mask film necessary for film composition, and a latent image obtained by superposing the intermediate film and the mask film and another latent image obtained by superposing the second picture film and the mask film are imaged for double exposure to combine the first motion picture film and the second motion picture film with high accuracy so that a combined motion picture film in which the second picture is superposed on the first picture can be made easily.

Abstract: A driving force transmission mechanism for a camera has a motor capable of rotational driving and axial driving. One of a plurality of driven gears is selected by axial movement of an output shaft of the motor, and a driving force is transmitted to the selected driven gear by rotational driving of the output shaft. In one embodiment, two pinions fixed to upper and lower ends of the output shaft are moved upward or downward so that one of the pinions is brought into engagement with one of the plurality of driven gears to drive a driven system. This driving force transmission mechanism has a simple construction but can selectively drive a plurality of drive systems without using a complicated changeover mechanism.

Abstract: A photographic camera has a manual film drive which interconnects drivers for driving internal wind and rewind film spools in the same direction. A direction slide engages a toothed wheel in the film drive to prevent reverse rewind rotation when in a film advance position and prevent film advance motion when in a film rewind position. A film cassette actuated sensing slide includes a latch element engageable by a cooperating latch element on the direction slide when a film cassette is in place. When the direction slide is thereafter moved to the film rewind position, the latch elements latch the direction slide in the rewind position until the film is rewound and the cassette is removed from the camera.

Abstract: To set a distance between a lens mounting surface of a lens mount and a image pickup element for a back-focus of a interchangeable lens, the video camera comprises two guide pins fixed inside a front panel of a camera body parallel to an optical axis of a lens, said front panel which the lens mount is fixed in, a carrier supported by the two guide pins to move parallel to the optical axis, said carrier to which the image pickup element is fixed, a spring provided between the carrier and the front panel of the camera body to bias the carrier in such a direction that the carrier separates from the lens mount, a screw shaft rotatably assembled on the camera body by a holder to move parallel to the optical axis of the lens, said screw shaft having one end connected with the carrier and the other end on which an adjusting ring is screwed, and an opening formed in the camera body.

Abstract: A differential gear mechanism for loading, advancing, rewinding and unloading photographic film, and in particular, film in a thrust film cartridge, for a photographic system. The differential gear includes a sun gear, which is rotatable, a planetary gear, which is rotatable by the sun gear, a drive spindle which is rotatable by the planetary gear to advance and rewind photographic film, a carrier plate, which is rotatable by the planetary gear, a drive gear, which is rotatable by the carrier plate for positioning the door of a film cartridge in either the open or closed position, and a torque control lever, for selectively locking or releasing one or both of the drive spindle and/or carrier plate so the planetary gear can selectively rotate one or both of the drive spindle or the carrier plate.

Abstract: A recyclable single-use camera in which a front casing portion is separable from a main body portion to replace a taking lens during recycling of said camera, is characterized in that the taking lens has a front lens element and a rear lens element. The rear lens element is secured to the main body portion in order to prevent removal of the rear lens element. The front casing portion holds the front lens element in optical alignment with the rear lens element, and permits removal of the front lens element to allow it to be replaced whenever the front casing portion is separated from the main body portion during recycling of the camera.

Abstract: A camera having vibration detecting sensors and a vibration correction function, with improved positioning of the vibration detecting sensors to reduce noise resulting from vibration components in the roll direction of the camera. The camera includes a retaining member which supports the image storage material at the photographic image plane exposure aperture and a vibration detecting sensor arranged to the rear of the camera in relation to the retaining member and located approximately at a center position along the width of the camera.

Abstract: The present invention is applicable to a camera capable of reading in film specific information recorded by means of a bar code. This film specific information is inscribed upon a display portion which rotates together with the forwarding of a film stored within a cartridge. The camera includes: a photointerruptor which optically reads the bar code on the bar code display portion as the bar code display portion rotates together with the forwarding of the film, and which outputs as an electrical signal of the result thus read; a comparator which compares the output signal from the photointerruptor with a threshold level; a calculation device for calculating a standard value for setting the threshold level based upon the output signal from the photointerruptor; a reference value control device which controls the threshold level according to the standard value; and a determination device which determines the film specific information based upon the output of the comparator.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a camera having a spool drive mechanism for pushing film loaded in a film cassette out of the cassette by rotating a spool. Herein, after a film cassette is mounted, when film is to be pushed out of the film cassette, a drive motor is rotated counterclockwise. A one-way clutch then couples a first pulley gear with a spool drive shaft, thus allowing the spool drive shaft to eject film. For rewinding film into the film cassette, the drive motor is rotated clockwise. This causes a pair of clutch elements to couple a helical gear with the spool drive shaft via the first pulley gear. Film is then rewound.

Abstract: A camera system creates special effect images in the out-of-focus highlights of a photographic image by inserting a transparent image cell between the objective lens and focal plane of the camera. The image cell can be a transparency bearing the desired special effect image. Alternatively, the image cell can be a transparent liquid crystal display (LCD) to provide either still or animated special effect images. The special effect image appears in any out-of-focus highlights (e.g., background street lights or headlights) in the photographic image, but does not otherwise affect the appearance of the photograph. The image cell is held by a tubular housing having connectors at each end to removably engage the standard connectors on the camera body and objective lens. The image cell can be held in a fixed optical position within the housing, for example, by means of a slide or a gate with spring clips.

Abstract: A view finder of a camera, in which images of indication marks are observed through an eyepiece lens in a peripheral light intercepting portion of a field frame of a finder optical system. The view finder includes indicating members provided outside the field frame of the finder optical system. The indicating members have indication marks formed thereon for projection of the images of indication marks. The view finder further includes prisms which are located closer to the eyepiece of the view finder than the indicating members. The prisms have apexes protruding towards an optical axis of the finder optical system, such that light emitted from the indicating members is transmitted through the apexes of the prisms in order to shift the images of the indication marks closer towards the optical axis of the finder optical system.

Abstract: An optical adapter having at least one optical element which is attachable to a camera having a taking lens. The adapter is movable to selectively move the optical element(s) over or away from the taking lens after the adapter has been attached to the camera. According to the invention, the adapter can include a diffuser which covers a flash unit of the camera while the optical element covers the taking lens. Preferably, the adapter is entirely made from a single material.

Abstract: An electronic flash assemblage comprising a circuit board having an exposed electrically conductive patch, and an electrically conductive flash reflector adapted to be attached to the circuit board, is characterized in that the flash reflector has a resilient electrically conductive extension which protrudes from the flash reflector to cause it to be deformed against the conductive patch when the flash reflector is attached to the circuit board, whereby the resilient extension will be inherently biased against the conductive patch to make an electrical connection between the conductive patch and the flash reflector.

Abstract: An illumination device for illuminating an object to be observed, by a machine vision camera of the like for example, with a continuous diffuse wide angle light which is supplied both along the viewing axis of the machine vision camera and off axis. The diffuser of the present invention is tilted with respect to the observation axis so that the diffuser is not viewable by the object to be observed. This provides better uniformity of the light which illuminates the object. A second diffuser may be utilized to provide illumination of the object with light of reduced intensity.

Abstract: A rotary shutter for controlling an optical path and including a rotating disk having an opening. A sensor monitor is representative of disk rotation, while a blocking element is selectively positioned within and without the optical path dependent upon the angular position of the disk and the desire to expose the light sensitive medium.

Abstract: The improved method and apparatus for recording a stereoscopic image read a plurality of original images photoelectrically, split each original image into linear images of a desired pitch, perform any necessary image processing operations such as arranging the linear images in the recording order, and record the linear images by scan exposure on a lenticular light-sensitive material having a lenticular sheet and a recording layer. The method and apparatus permit the lenticular light-sensitive material to be scan exposed from the rear side and they also enable the linear images to be recorded with increased line width and a stereoscopic image to be formed with satisfactory registration between the principal objects of the original images. The improved lenticular light-sensitive material has an anti-halation layer provided between the lenticular sheet and the recording layer, thus permitting scan exposure to be effected from the rear side.