Abstract: An image capturing apparatus includes an optical unit for forming an image of a subject, a first light extinction unit present on an optical axis of the optical unit and configured to adjust an amount of light by changing a dimension of a aperture stop thereof, a second light extinction unit to be present on said optical axis of the optical unit and configured to adjust an amount of light passing therethrough by changing a transmittance of the light, and a controller for controlling operations of said first and second light extinction units so as to make an exposure optimum at a time of photographing. The controller has precedence on the adjustment of the light amount with the first light extinction unit until a predetermined aperture stop diameter and has precedence on the adjustment of the light amount with the second light extinction unit in a state that the light is to be reduced beyond a state in the predetermined aperture stop diameter, thereby attaining optimization of the exposure.

Abstract: A digital camera and a mobile information terminal apparatus including a lens barrel which includes a first lens group (11) and a second lens group (12) disposed on an optical axis and configured to be relative to operations on changing magnification, a third lens group (13) disposed on the optical axis and configured to be related to operations on changing magnification and to be retracted from the optical axis in a collapsed state, a first driving device configured to drive the first lens group (11) and the second lens group (12), a second driving device configured to drive the third lens group (13), a CCD (16) disposed on the optical axis and configured for photographing a subject, a distance determining device configured to determine a distance to the subject, and a floating control device configured to drive at least one of the first driving device and the second driving device based on distance information obtained from the distance determining device to change an interval between the first lens group (

Abstract: A contact structure having a spring with electro conductivity. The spring is fixed at one inner end side of a battery housing by engaging a plurality of inflection parts of the spring to one end side of the battery housing. The spring urges the battery to the other end side of a battery housing. An end portion on movable side end of the spring is extended toward an opening on a lateral face of the battery housing. The end portion is formed on a contact side end of the spring that is contacted with the battery, and is connected to one end side of a bypassing lead wire. An end portion on the fixed side end of the spring is connected to the other end side of the bypassing lead wire. The end portion of the fixed side end of the spring is connected to a power source lead wire. A free end of the contact movable side end can be bent away from the battery to provide a solder connection to the bypass wire.

Abstract: A protective structure for a display unit including the display unit for displaying an image, and a plate-like protective member disposed at a side of a surface of the display unit on which the image is displayed for protecting the display surface of the display unit, wherein the protective member is directly fixed to the display unit.

Abstract: System controller (10) seeks a focus adjusting evaluating value which is indicative of focus adjusting state as a criterion from object image information, and searches a focus adjusted position where focus adjusting evaluating value becomes the most appropriate and drives the focus operating means to the focus adjusted position to perform a focus adjusting by a focus adjusting scan to obtain a plurality of focus adjusting evaluating value by operating the focus adjusting evaluating value detecting means while driving focusing lens (1a) in at lease one way of continuous way or intermittent way which varies focus adjusting state of the object image. System controller (10) shifts a scan starting point from an initial locating position Po of the focusing lens (1a) in a first predetermined amount of distance in a predetermined direction then initiate scan from the initial locating position toward an opposite direction to the predetermined direction.

Abstract: A lens barrel, including, a moving frame (2) to hold a lens (8), a direct-advance ring (4) provided on an outer periphery of the moving frame and movable relative to the moving frame in an optical direction, a resilient member (6) provided between the moving frame and the direct-advance ring, and a control part (10) provided on the moving frame to control an amount of movement of the direct-advance ring in the optical direction.

Abstract: A contact structure having a spring with electro conductivity. The spring is fixed at one inner end side of a battery housing by engaging a plurality of inflection parts of the spring to one end side of the battery housing. The spring urges the battery to the other end side of a battery housing. An end portion on movable side end of the spring is extended toward an opening on a lateral face of the battery housing. The end portion is formed on a contact side end of the spring that is contacted with the battery, and is connected to one end side of a bypassing lead wire. An end portion on the fixed side end of the spring is connected to the other end side of the bypassing lead wire. The end portion of the fixed side end of the spring is connected to a power source lead wire.

Abstract: An image capture device includes a focusing unit, a focus driving unit and an autofocus control unit; the focusing unit is provided to focus on a subject. The focus driving unit is provided for driving the focusing unit to driving-target position. The autofocus control unit is provided to control driving of the focus driving unit according to a determination of executing or omitting a one-way-driving-control. One-way driving control controls driving direction of the focus driving unit into a predetermined direction at a peripheral range before driving-disactivation of the focus driving means, determined based on a shooting-condition.

Abstract: An AF controlling unit (83) starts an outside light AF operation controlled by an outside AF unit (81) by a half-pressing of a shutter release button (61), and a change over between the outside AF operation and a CCDAF operation controlled by a CCDAF unit (82) is controlled corresponding to an elapsed time t (timer 84) from a starting of the operation of the outside light AF operation and a pressing condition (a detection of the half-pressing by a half-pressed detecting unit (62), the detection of a full-pressing by a full-pressed detecting unit (63) or a press-in releasing) of a shutter release button (61) after the starting of the outside light AF operation controlled by the outside AF unit (81) by the half-pressing of the shutter release button (61).

Abstract: A digital camera 100 includes a photographic optical system (21) for projecting an image of a subject; a CCD (24) for converting the projected image into an image signal and outputting it; a focus driving system (25) which changes a focusing condition of the image projected to the CCD (24) by relatively moving at least one of the photographic optical system (21) and the CCD (24) to the other; a CCDAF portion (82) which sequentially evaluates the image signal obtained in each focusing condition while subsequently changes the focusing condition by controlling the focus driving system (25), and which obtains a predetermined focusing condition based on the evaluation; an AF controlling portion (83) for controlling an operation of the CCDAF portion (82); and a ranging sensor (31) for measuring a subject distance. In addition, the AF controlling portion (83) controls the operation of the CCDAF portion (82) according to the subject distance to prioritize either a focusing accuracy or a focusing speed.

Abstract: An image capturing apparatus or digital camera in which an image of a subject formed by lenses (L1 and L2), and a low pass filter (F), in a photographic optical system is inputted by an imaging device unit (IS), an A/D converter (11, 111 or 211) and an image processing unit (12, 112 or 212), in an imaging device, comprises the a blur detecting part (16) and a blur detecting unit (17) in a blur-detecting device (SD), a compensating unit (BU) and a blur-compensation driving unit (20, 120 or 220) in a blur compensating device, a blur-compensation controlling device or system controller (15) for computing a displaced amount for compensation in a blur compensating device from an output of the blur detecting device and driving the blur compensating device, a device or the system controller (15) and a memory group (19) for calibrating a conversion coefficient for converting the output of the blur detecting device into the displaced amount, and a device for executing a calibrating operation, or the system controller

Abstract: An auto focusing apparatus comprises a contrast AF (auto focusing) means (10), an outside light AF means (20), a release button (30), a focusing accurate priority button (40) and control means (50). The control means controls the contrast AF (10) and outside light AF (20) to select a contrast AF operation when the focusing accurate priority button (40) is pressed before the release button (40) is pressed and to select an outside light AF operation when focusing accurate priority button (40) is not pressed before the release button (40) is pressed.

Abstract: System controller (10) seeks a focus adjusting evaluating value which is indicative of focus adjusting state as a criterion from object image information, and searches a focus adjusted position where focus adjusting evaluating value becomes the most appropriate and drives the focus operating means to the focus adjusted position to perform a focus adjusting by a focus adjusting scan to obtain a plurality of focus adjusting evaluating value by operating the focus adjusting evaluating value detecting means while driving focusing lens (1a) in at lease one way of continuous way or intermittent way which varies focus adjusting state of the object image.

Abstract: A photographing object image adjusting apparatus including a plurality of adjusting operation devices corresponding to a plurality of object image adjusting modes, respectively, and an object image adjusting device. Each of the plurality of adjusting operation devices is configured such that an adjusting operation giving an instruction of object image adjusting is performed by being manipulated. The object image adjusting device is configured to adjust an image of an object imaged on an imaging surface of a photographing element in an object image adjusting mode of the plurality of object image adjusting modes corresponding to an adjusting operation device of the plurality of adjusting operation devices in which the adjusting operation giving the instruction of object image adjusting has been performed.

Abstract: The image input unit comprises a pixel shift evaluation value and reliability calculating section that calculates a pixel shift evaluation value based on image data for a plurality of images photographed before and after an image sensing device is displaced for a predetermined amount. Moreover, a system controller judges whether pixel shift photography has been normally performed or not based on the pixel shift evaluation value, and displays the judgment result on a display.

Abstract: A camera which imprints alphanumeric messages on the film. The camera allows a user to view, in the order of most frequently used, the messages which can be imprinted. In order to reduce the cost of the camera, there is a dot matrix LCD display which can only display a limited number of characters which is less than the total number of characters of the largest message. After a user takes a picture, the dot matrix display scrolls through the message which has been imprinted on the film so that the user can confirm that the correct message has been imprinted. The speed at which the characters are scrolled or displayed is determined based on the total number of characters of the message. As an alternative to scrolling, the characters can be displayed one or two at a time. As an alternative, instead of displaying the alpha-numerical characters of the message, a graphical indication is given that some type of information has been imprinted on the film.

Abstract: A camera having a blurring movement correction mechanism comprising: an optical element disposed in an optical path of a photo-taking optical system so as to correct shift of an image formed on a film surface caused by movement of hands holding a camera body.

Abstract: A focus state detection device comprising: a first optical conversional system for forming an optical flux in one of two symmetric regions with respect to an optical axis of an optical flux from a subject to be photographed; a second optical conversional system for forming an optical flux in the other of the two symmetric regions; and a third optical conversional system for forming an optical flux in a region including the optical axis. The device further comprises a first and a second photoelectric converters for generating electric signals in response to optical intensity distribution data of the fluxes formed by the first and second systems, respedtively; a third photoelectric converter for generating an electric signal in response to optical intensity distribution data of the flux formed by the third system; and a calculation unit for detecting a focus state of the subject on the basis of correlation between three electric signals output from the first, second and third converter means.

Abstract: A trimming information recordable camera which is usable in cooperation with a labo-system in which a film is printed according to the trimming information written in the film when loaded in the camera. The camera comprises: a photographing lens raving a plurality of focal lengths and capable of selecting one of the focal lengths; a zoom finder through which a view field angle can be changed; and a system for writing a trimming data in the film. The film is printed in accordance with the trimming data which is obtained from a data of the view field angle of the zoom finder and a data of a view field angle of the photographing lens.

Abstract: A camera having blurring movement correction mechanism comprising: an optical element arranged to correct shift of an image formed on a film surface caused by movement of hands holding a camera body; an actuator for moving the optical element in a necessary direction for correcting the image shift; a detection unit for obtaining a blurring movement detection data by converting the movement of the camera body to an electric signal; a first memory unit for temporarily registering the detection data output from the detection unit; a calculation unit for calculating blurring movement correction data for correcting the image shift caused by movement of the camera body by actuating the optical element by the actuator; and a second memory unit for temporarily registering data of calculation.