Abstract: A camera system includes a plurality of interchangeable lenses, each of which has an optical image stabilization unit for correcting image blurring, and a camera body. The camera body provides a shooting mode in which a set exposure time period is divided into a plurality of short exposure periods and images captured during the short exposure periods are combined while an image positional shift among the images is corrected. The short exposure period depends on the interchangeable lens mounted on the camera body.

Abstract: An image-pickup apparatus which improves the S/N ratio of an image-pickup system, prevents image blur and saturation of signals from an image-pickup device, and enables taking an excellent image, is disclosed. The camera of the invention which takes images through an image-taking optical system having a shake correction unit which drives a part of an image-taking optical system to correct image blur caused by camera shake and includes an image-pickup device which photoelectrically converts an object image formed by the image-taking optical system and a control circuit which controls operations of the camera, wherein the control circuit changes the sensitivity and the exposure time of the image-pickup device whether the shake correction unit is in operation or not.

Abstract: An optical apparatus is disclosed, which includes a vibration detection unit which detects vibrations, a signal processing unit which performs signal processing for the vibration detection signal output from the vibration detection unit, a vibration correction unit which corrects an image movement caused by the vibration, on the basis of the drive signal output from the signal processing unit, and a controller which controls the drive of the vibration correction unit. The controller corrects the drive signal from the signal processing unit by using a predetermined correction value corresponding to the driven state of the vibration correction unit, and controls drive of the vibration correction unit by using the corrected drive signal.

Abstract: A device for use in a camera system including a camera, an optical characteristics modifying converter, and an optical assembly having an image stabilizing unit for stabilizing an image in response to the output of a vibration sensor for detecting a shake in an apparatus includes activating means for activating the stabilization operation by the image stabilizing unit in response to a predetermined operation in a predetermined operation portion of the camera, a determining means for determining whether an optical characteristics modifying converter without image stabilization function is incorporated in the camera system, and decision means for deciding whether to perform an activating operation by the activating means based on a determination by the determining means. The operation of a image stabilizing unit is determined by the incorporation of the converter.

Abstract: A vibration preventing apparatus and an image pickup apparatus such as a camera which have a vibration correction lens driven on the basis of the output of vibration detecting means for detecting the vibration of the camera and for correcting the vibration, and a plurality of resilient members for positioning the vibration correction lens at the correction center, and changes the correction center in conformity with the exposure time and/or the focal length of the camera to thereby mitigate the resonance with the frequency of the vibration.

Abstract: An optical apparatus is disclosed, which includes a vibration detection unit which detects vibrations, a signal processing unit which performs signal processing for the vibration detection signal output from the vibration detection unit, a vibration correction unit which corrects an image movement caused by the vibration, on the basis of the drive signal output from the signal processing unit, and a controller which controls the drive of the vibration correction unit. The controller corrects the drive signal from the signal processing unit by using a predetermined correction value corresponding to the driven state of the vibration correction unit, and controls drive of the vibration correction unit by using the corrected drive signal.

Abstract: A control device for an image blur correction which is applied to an image blur correction device that conducts image blur correcting operation in response to a signal corresponding to an output of a vibration detection sensor, includes a support state judging device for judging whether the device is in a predetermined support state or not, in accordance with the signal corresponding to the output of the vibration detection sensor, an operation state control device for changing the operating state of the image blur correction device in response to the judgment result by the support state judging means so as to set the operating state to a first state in which the image blur correction device does not conduct the given image blur correcting operation when the support state judging device judges that the device is in the predetermined support state, and to set the operating state to a second state in which the image blur correction device conducts the given image blur correcting operation in response to a judge

Abstract: A vibration preventing apparatus and an image pickup apparatus such as a camera which have a vibration correction lens driven on the basis of the output of vibration detecting means for detecting the vibration of the camera and for correcting the vibration, and a plurality of resilient members for positioning the vibration correction lens at the correction center, and changes the correction center in conformity with the exposure time and/or the focal length of the camera to thereby mitigate the resonance with the frequency of the vibration.

Abstract: An image blur preventing device comprises a movable lens movable in a first direction and in a second direction different from the first direction for image blur prevention, a driving device for driving the movable portion according to a vibration signal varying in response to the detection output of a vibration sensor for detecting the vibration state of the device, and a regulating portion for regulating the movable range of the movable portion to a predetermined range by regulating the drive of the driving device in response to the vibration signal, thereby achieving regulation of the movable range in such a manner as to set a first range in the first direction and to set a second range, different from the first range, in the second direction, thereby enabling image blur prevention in all the directions.

Abstract: A lens barrel having an image stabilizing function includes a vibration detecting part for detecting a vibration, a lens unit for correcting an image shake by changing an optical path according to a detection signal produced by the vibration detecting part, a driving circuit for driving the lens unit, the driving circuit having a plurality of driving control modes, a setting switch for setting one of the driving control modes, and an operation member for causing the driving circuit to start and stop driving the lens unit, wherein the setting switch and the operation member are arranged separately from each other and are slidable in an optical axis direction.

Abstract: For image blur prevention, the present invention discloses an apparatus comprising an operation device which performs an initial setting for the image blur prevention (by determining a DC offset in the high-pass filter calculation on an output signal of an image blur detection sensor, from the output signal of the image blur detection sensor); and a determination device which determines a state of a signal (whether it is larger than a predetermined value) influencing the initial setting (the above-mentioned output signal of the image blur detection sensor) at a time when the operation device performs the initial setting operation, thereby enabling appropriate initial setting and thus achieving appropriate image blur prevention. If the output signal is determined as larger than the predetermined value, the initial setting is performed for example in a state where the direction of the optical apparatus is being altered. In such case the initial setting is determined as improper and is performed again.

Abstract: When appropriate information related to an image blur is not input in accordance with the movement state of a moving member, e.g., when the lens length becomes larger to cause an area sensor for detecting the image blur to be partially in the shade of a lens, and a light beam as the image blur information is not incident on a portion of the area sensor, a portion of the information is invalidated, e.g., information from the portion of the area sensor, which is in the shade of the lens, is not used for image blur detection, so that inappropriate information is not used for image blur prevention, thereby preventing an inappropriate image blur prevention operation.

Abstract: An image blur prevention apparatus having a movable member (correction lens) which moves for preventing an image blur, or an apparatus applied to the image blur prevention apparatus includes the movable member, and an operation device which fluctuates at least one of the movable member and a contact member (a support member for movably supporting the correction lens) contacting the movable member against the other member within a fluctuation range in which the fluctuation does not appear as an image blur (with a fluctuation having an amplitude and frequency, in which the fluctuation does not appear as the image blur). With this arrangement, the frictional force between the movable member and the contact member is reduced (such that a dynamic frictional state is generated by a fluidizing effect), so that a proper operation of the movable member and a proper image blur prevention operation are enabled (smooth movement of the movable member is prevented from being impeded to generate a delay in response).

Abstract: An undesired signal contained in a signal related to blur suppression, e.g., an error output signal contained in a blur detection signal and obtained upon generation of a shock, is stored. When the state represented by the signal is determined without using the signal, and an undesired state is determined, e.g., when a state in which an error output signal is contained in a blur detection signal is predetermined from the state of a structure for generating a shock or impact, the signal related to blur suppression is accordingly synthesized with the stored undesired signal, e.g., the error output signal is subtracted from the blur detection signal, thereby forming a corrected signal for blur suppression, to perform a blur suppression operation in accordance with the corrected signal.