Abstract: A lens barrel having a cylindrical cam which is made out of molded resin and provided with a spiral cam slot for moving a photographing lens system in focus mode or in zooming mode. The spiral cam slot is comprised of plural cam areas and each of the cam areas has a cam surface and a surface opposite to the cam surface. The spiral cam slots are inclined with respect to the cam surface such that there are multiple inclined surfaces of the cam groove.

Abstract: A display device for a camera including a multiple section display that displays data arranged in a specified direction. A control unit controls the multiple section display to display date data or a count of the frames of film. The count of the frames of film is displayed in the center of the multiple section display so that it is easy to see.

Abstract: A camera according to the present invention is provided wherein a pair of electric energy storage devices spaced from each other in the direction of the thickness of the camera so as to extend in the direction perpendicular to the film winding direction, and a circuit board having a plurality of electric parts mounted thereon is disposed along the pair of electric energy storage devices so that the electric parts are located between the pair of electric energy storage devices.

Abstract: A variable focal length lens barrel is constructed so that a complex lead thread and a cam groove can be provided in overlap on one barrel, and a crest of a helicoid thread meshing with the complex lead thread does not come off a root of the complex lead thread. For this construction, according to the present invention, an inner surface of a second driving barrel is formed with six streaks of complex lead threads and three streaks of cam grooves in overlap. In the complex lead threads, a root of a first lead thread having a first lead is connected via a bending portion to a root of a second lead thread having a second lead. The complex lead thread and the cam groove are disposed so at not to intersect each other at the bending portion.

Abstract: A camera magnetic reader including a magnetic head body for contacting a film, which is being fed in a camera, through a magnetic touch surface, and a shield member for covering the magnetic head body from the front side of the camera. The magnetic head body has protruding surfaces that are exposed through the shield member so as to face the front side of the camera. The head touch surface is formed by grinding with reference to the protruding surfaces. The magnetic body is mounted in the camera with the protruding surfaces serving as contact surfaces for positioning the magnetic head body. The camera magnetic reader allows accurate positioning of the magnetic head.

Abstract: A camera lens barrel includes a multiple thread screw mechanism that rotates a drive tube. Drive tube moves along an optical axis while rotating with respect to a fixed unit. Due to an action of a first cam during the rotation of the drive tube, a cam tube moves along the optical axis with respect to the drive tube. A first lens unit is integrated with the cam tube and rotates with respect to the cam tube. During rotation of the first lens unit, a second lens unit moves along the optical axis with respect to the cam tube due to an action of a second cam. The multiple thread screw mechanism inhibits movement of the drive tube along the optical axis until the drive tube is rotated to a predetermined angle of rotation.

Abstract: A camera records magnetic data on magnetically recordable film and reduces the effect of magnetic flux emitted from a drive motor of the camera. The drive motor leaks magnetic flux and is located inside a camera windup spool. The magnetic flux is generated from a brush side of the drive motor. A readout head reads out magnetic data from the photographic film and is located between a cartridge compartment and a picture frame of the camera. Accordingly, the readout head is located in a position apart from the brush side of the drive motor thereby suppressing the mixing of magnetic flux generated by the drive motor with magnetic data which has been read out by the magnetic head.

Abstract: A camera having a slide cover is disclosed. The camera is provided with the lens cover moving to a covering position where a photographing lens is covered, and to an opening position where the lens cover is opened from the front face of the photographing lens, and a guide member which guides the lens cover, the guide member having a step in an optical axis direction of the photographing lens between the covering position and the opening position.

Abstract: A lens barrel having a resin cylindrical cam with spiral cam slots extending over an area range as wide as possible, and preferably more than 90.degree., which enables improvement of the formability of the spiral cam slots on the cylindrical cam, The cylindrical cam with spiral cam slots moves a photographing lens system forward and backward in a direction along the optical axis. The spiral cam slot includes a plural number of areas divided around the axis of the cylindrical cam, and in each of the cam areas the spiral cam slot has a cam surface and a surface opposite to the cam surface. The cain surface is formed at one side of a section of the spiral cam slot taken along a plane containing a normal line to the axis of the cylindrical cam and orthogonal to the locus along the cam slot.

Abstract: A camera for use with interchangeable lens barrels that can be attached to and detached from the camera body has a drive mechanism that provides the generating source for the drive power of drive elements inside each lens barrel built into the camera body. The connecting structure that provides a connection between the camera body and lens barrels varies according to the type of lens barrel, for example, whether the lens barrel contains a fixed focal length lens or a variable focal length lens. So, the functions realized by the drive of the drive elements from the drive mechanism vary according to the type of lens barrel.

Abstract: An optical transmission element according to the present invention, includes a light transmitting portion that has a plurality of optical elements that are arranged so as to be separated by air gaps, and the air gaps. And, light that is incident upon the light transmitting portion along a predetermined direction is transmitted through the light transmitting portion while reflecting on reflecting surfaces constituted by boundary surfaces that are defined between the optical elements and the air gaps.

Abstract: A zoom lens barrel includes at least two lens groups, a linear movement guide tube for guiding a linear movement of the lens groups along the optical axis and a cam tube for reciprocating the lens groups along the optical axis. The guide tube has a guiding portion formed on a film side end portion of the guide tube and extends in parallel with a film surface.

Abstract: A camera has a data imprinting device having an optical system focussing light from an LED array on a photographic film at first and second positions corresponding to full-size and panorama-size picture formats. In a first embodiment the optical system has two lens elements, at differing distances from the LED array, each aligned to imprint data at one of the two positions. In a second embodiment the optical system has a single lens element which moves from a first lens position to a second lens position at differing distances from the LED array. Amounts of light emitted by the LED array are modulated by a control system to produce correctly exposed imprinted data at both position. The control system compensates for differing numerical apertures of associated with the first and second positions. The control system also compensates for film speed. One embodiment of the invention modulates the amount of emitted light by adjusting a current level driving the LED array.

Abstract: A camera having a slide cover is disclosed. The camera is provided with the lens cover moving to a covering position where a photographing lens is covered, and to an opening position where the lens cover is opened from the front face of the photographing lens, and a guide member which guides the lens cover, the guide member having a step in an optical axis direction of the photographing lens between the covering position and the opening position.

Abstract: A self-timer camera equipped with a red-eye reducing function is provided with a photographing device that performs photographing, a light emitting device that performs light emission to illuminate the photographic subject in synchronization with the operation of the photographing device when the condition for flash photographing is present and which also performs pre-light emission for red-eye reduction prior to the light emission for illuminating the photographic subject if a red-eye reducing mode is being set when the condition for flash photographing is present, a photographing control device, which causes the photographing device to operate after a specific length of self-timer time has elapsed from the time point at which a photographing start instruction was output when a self-timer mode is set, and a mode setting device, which sets the self-timer mode in response to a specific operation and which also sets the red-eye reducing mode as the self-timer mode is set.

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: A camera having multiple display functions and/or a date imprinting function wherein the display can alternately switch between displaying the date and the film frame number. The frame number is displayed when winding blank film and the date is displayed at other times. The display also has an indicator which lights up or flashes to indicate the status of the camera power source. The display also shows the date and this date can be imprinted on film when a photograph is taken. The date can be imprinted whether or not the camera is in a date correction mode when the photograph is taken. A multiple function button is used to change photographic information shown on the display, wherein different functions correspond to different camera modes. Adequate safeguards are therefore provided by this camera to prevent accidental changing of information.

Abstract: An image deflection preventing device for a camera, such as a still camera which is used to drive a deflection preventing optical system in accordance with readings from angular velocity sensors and other circuitry. Moreover, an exposure mode selection device is included to select strobe photography according to the focusing distance from a distance measuring unit maintained in the camera to a subject to be photographed. The selection device can select strobe photography when the focusing distance is closer than a predetermined distance or when photographic magnification from a focal length detection unit to a subject to be photographed is greater than a predetermined value. The selection of strobe photography is done using results from a photometric unit in conjunction with the determination of a brightness level. In particular, if a given brightness level is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, strobe photography is selected, otherwise, exterior light photography is selected.

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: A magnetic recording/reproducing apparatus of a camera, includes; a magnetic head having a single coil; a recording circuit that causes the magnetic head to record magnetic information on a film; a reproducing circuit that causes the magnetic head to reproduce magnetic information recorded on the film; and a disconnecting circuit that disconnects the recording circuit from the magnetic head during magnetic reproduction by the reproducing circuit.