Abstract: To provide an optical apparatus which controls an interface state to change a focal length by using an optical element having a container sealing first liquid that is conductive or polarized and second liquid that does not mutually mix with the first liquid with their interface in a predetermined form and electrodes provided in the container and of which optical characteristics change according to change of interface form due to application of voltage to the electrodes, and in particular an optical apparatus that controls a duty ratio of alternating current voltage applied to said electrodes for changing said interface form.

Abstract: An optical device capable of controlling its optical transmittance. The optical device has a first liquid conductive or having a polarity and a second liquid. The first and second liquids are substantially equal in refractive index but differ in transmittance. The first and second liquids do not mix with each other. The first and second liquids are sealingly contained in a container in such state that the boundary therebetween has a predetermined shape. When a voltage is applied between these liquids through electrodes formed in such a place or condition as to avoid interference with passage of a bundle of rays incident upon the optical element, the output of the applied voltage is selected under control to change the shape of the boundary, thereby changing the quantity of transmitted light in the bundle of rays traveling through the optical device.

Abstract: A production process of a light amount adjustment member, by which a light amount adjustment member that can sufficiently satisfy optical properties can be economically produced at low production cost and high yield by a simple operation is provided. In addition, a wide variety of light amount adjustment devices and photographing apparatus equipped with a light amount adjustment member are cheaply provided while achieving satisfactory optical properties. The production process of the light amount adjustment member comprises the step of applying a coloring liquid containing a coloring material to a transparent base material using a liquid jet recording process to form a light amount adjustment region having a particular optical density.

Abstract: A production process of a light amount adjustment member, by which a cheap light amount adjustment member hating excellent optical properties can be simply produced is provided. A light amount adjustment device and a photographing apparatus which are cheap, have excellent optical properties and are equipped with the light amount adjustment member are provided by providing the simple production process of the light amount adjustment member. The production process comprises the step of relatively scanning an ink-jet head, from which an ink is ejected on a transparent base material, on the surface of which an ink-receiving layer has been formed, to the transparent base material to apply the ink to the ink-receiving layer, thereby forming a light amount adjustment region, wherein in the step of forming the light amount adjustment region, the ink is ejected from the ink-jet head in such a manner that the ink is applied to the whole light amount adjustment region.

Abstract: There is disclosed a light amount adjustment apparatus for adjusting a state of a flux passed through an aperture having a predetermined aperture diameter, the apparatus comprising: a light amount adjustment member in which a first region having a predetermined transmittance to the flux and a second region for blocking the flux are disposed on the same base material. In the light amount adjustment apparatus, although an optical filter is integrally constituted with a diaphragm blade, there is little positional shift of an ND filter, a shape of the ND filter has a degree of freedom, deterioration of resolution of an image is improved for use in optical apparatuses such as a photographing apparatus, optical properties are superior, the whole apparatus can be miniaturized, and cost reduction of a product can be achieved.

Abstract: A display element has a plurality of pixels and is constructed to display image information by modulating light passing through each pixel. The display element has the following for each of the pixels: a mask having a shield portion in part; and a first fluid and an electroconductive or polar, second fluid being immiscible with each other. An amount of the light passing through the mask is regulated in such a way that a voltage applied to the second fluid of each pixel is varied to alter the shape of an interface between the first fluid and the second fluid, so as to increase or decrease light incident to the shield portion of the mask.

Abstract: An image recording/reproducing system which includes an image recording apparatus for recording an image on a recording medium and an image reproducing apparatus for reproducing the image by using the image recording medium having the image recorded by the image recording apparatus. The image recording apparatus is provided with a photo-taking mode selecting part for selecting a photo-taking mode, a photo-taking condition setting part for setting a predetermined photo-taking condition in accordance with the photo-taking mode set by the photo-taking mode selecting part, and a photo-taking mode recording part for recording, on the recording medium, information of the selected photo-taking mode. The image reproducing apparatus is provided with an image processing part for performing processing to vary the image on the basis of the photo-taking mode information recorded on the recording medium.

Abstract: To provide an optical apparatus which controls an interface state to change a focal length by using an optical element having a container sealing first liquid that is conductive or polarized and second liquid that does not mutually mix with the first liquid with their interface in a predetermined form and electrodes provided in the container and of which optical characteristics change according to change of interface form due to application of voltage to the electrodes, and in particular an optical apparatus that controls a duty ratio of alternating current voltage applied to said electrodes for changing said interface form.

Abstract: An optical element has a first fluid and an electroconductive or polar, second fluid immiscible with each other, which are confined in a sealed space created between a first support and a second support. The first fluid and the second fluid have respective light transmittances different from each other. By varying a voltage applied to the second fluid, the shape of an interface between the first fluid and the second fluid is altered, so as to change an amount of light passing through the optical element.

Abstract: An image sensing apparatus, which performs pixel shifting operation for shifting an image formation position of an image on an image sensing device using a lens capable shifting a light path and senses images at respective image formation positions, has a vibration sensor for detecting vibration. The lens is moved so as to cancel the vibration detected by the vibration sensor when performing pixel shifting operation. Since the shifting characteristics of the lens slightly changes depending upon states of zooming and focusing lenses, the lens is moved by a shift amount which is adjusted in accordance with the states of the zooming and focusing lens.

Abstract: An image sensing apparatus, which performs pixel shifting operation for shifting an image formation position of an image on an image sensing device using a lens capable shifting a light path and senses images at respective image formation positions, has a vibration sensor for detecting vibration. The lens is moved so as to cancel the vibration detected by the vibration sensor when performing pixel shifting operation. Since the shifting characteristics of the lens slightly changes depending upon states of zooming and focusing lenses, the lens is moved by a shift amount which is adjusted in accordance with the states of the zooming and focusing lens.

Abstract: Image blur prevention apparatus matching signal characteristics of a lens and a camera includes a vibration detecting sensor disposed in the camera for detecting vibration of the camera and providing a vibration signal corresponding thereto. An image blur prevention control circuit is disposed in the lens and controls an image blur prevention operation in accordance with the vibration signal output from the vibration detecting sensor. A determination device determines the relationship between the signal characteristic of the vibration signal and a control characteristic of the image blur prevention control circuit. For example, if the camera contains either an acceleration sensor or a velocity sensor, the output signal will be appropriately converted so that the image blur prevention control circuit can control the image blur prevention operation appropriately.

Abstract: A camera includes a focus-detection module 130 inserted into or withdrawn from an optical path between an image-sensing optical system (152-155) and a CCD image-sensing device (111). An image pick-up signal from the CCD image sensing device (111) is used as ordinary image data for recording when the module (130) is withdrawn from the optical path and as image data for rangefinding when the module (130) is inserted into the optical path. The focus-detection module (130) is internally provided with first through fourth mirrors (131, 132, 133, 134), a field lens (135) provided between the second and third mirrors and secondary image forming lenses (137) provided between the third and fourth mirrors, whereby two secondary images are formed on the CCD image sensing device (111). The two secondary images are used for rangefinding or focusing.

Abstract: Disclosed is a camera having a focus detection module 130 inserted into or withdrawn from an optical path between an image sensing optical system (152-155) and a CCD image sensing device (111). An image pick-up signal from the CCD image sensing device (111) is used as ordinary image data for recording when the module (130) is withdrawn from the optical path and as image data for rangefinding when the module (130) is inserted into the optical path. The focus detection module (130) is internally provided with first through fourth mirrors (131, 132, 133, 134), a field lens (135) provided between the second and third mirrors and secondary image forming lenses (137) provided between the third and fourth mirrors, whereby two secondary images are formed on the CCD image sensing device (111). The two secondary images are used for rangefinding or focusing.

Abstract: An image recording/reproducing system includes an image recording apparatus for recording an image on a recording medium and an image reproducing apparatus for reproducing the image by using the image recording medium having the image recorded by the image recording apparatus. The image recording apparatus is provided with a photo-taking mode selecting part for selecting a photo-taking mode, a photo-taking condition setting part for setting a predetermined photo-taking condition in accordance with the photo-taking mode set by the photo-taking mode selecting part, and a photo-taking mode recording part for recording, on the recording medium, information of the selected photo-taking mode. The image reproducing apparatus is provided with an image processing part for performing processing to vary the image on the basis of the photo-taking mode information recorded on the recording medium.

Abstract: An optical device capable of controlling its optical transmittance. The optical device has a first liquid conductive or having a polarity and a second liquid. The first and second liquids are substantially equal in refractive index but differ in transmittance. The first and second liquids do not mix with each other. The first and second liquids are sealingly contained in a container in such state that the boundary therebetween has a predetermined shape. When a voltage is applied between these liquids through electrodes formed in such a place or condition as to avoid interference with passage of a bundle of rays incident upon the optical element, the output of the applied voltage is selected under control to change the shape of the boundary, thereby changing the quantity of transmitted light in the bundle of rays traveling through the optical device.

Abstract: Apparatus for preventing an image blur prevention device from changing states during an image recording operation includes control circuitry for changing a state of the image blur prevention device between an operative state and an inoperative state in accordance with a received signal. Operation structure is provided for preventing, during an image recording operation, an abrupt image blur caused by the control circuitry changing the state of the image blur prevention device between the operative state and the inoperative state.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to accurately perform focusing adjustment so as to take a picture that is free of an image blur. A prohibition CCPU is provided for prohibiting a change operation of an image blur correction coefficient change means ICPU and a light amount adjustment operation of light amount adjustment means SNS, SDR, and STR from being performed at the same time. Thus, an operation for selectively changing an image blur correction coefficient stored in storage corresponding to movement of a zooming optical member and (or) a focusing adjustment optical member disposed in a focusing optical system is not performed while a photoelectric converting device or a photosensitive material disposed in the vicinity of a focusing plane of the focusing optical system is being performed.In addition, since the image blur correction coefficient is continuously changed, an image blur error is prevented even if the coefficient is changed.

Abstract: A control apparatus for an image blur prevention apparatus adapted to an optical apparatus having an optical device, light receiving structure for receiving light from the optical device, and image processing structure for processing light received from the light receiving structure in accordance with an image processing condition to form a photographic image includes a variable portion that changes an image blur prevention characteristic of the image blur prevention apparatus in accordance with a change in an image processing condition of light received by the light receiving structure.

Abstract: An image stabilizing means includes a limiting means for determining an upper limit value of a driving deviation of a correction optical mechanism according to the position of a zooming optical group or a focusing group, and limiting the deviation of the correction optical mechanism based on the upper limit value.