Abstract: In a main body of a camera, a recording unit is disposed which is capable of recording specific information of a photographing lens or an accessory. When the specific information of the presently attached photographing lens or accessory has been already registered in the recording unit, the main body of the camera does not acquire all the specific information from the attached photographing lens or accessory by data communication. In a case where the specific information of the attached photographing lens or accessory has been registered in the recording unit, the only identification information of the interchangeable lens or accessory can be enough, even if the data communication is necessary. In consequence, a communication time with respect to the interchangeable lenses or various types of accessories can be reduced as a whole.

Abstract: In an automatic focusing device generating a luminance signal by scanning a picked-up digital image signal, evaluating the contrast of the luminance signal, and driving its focusing based on the evaluation; the scanning includes at least a part where scan is performed in a zigzag-like manner. With this configuration, focusing is facilitated for an object having no high frequency components in the horizontal direction. This invention can be understood as an invention of a method.

Abstract: A focus evaluation value representing a focusing state of a taking lens is repeatedly calculated on the basis of an image signal output from an imaging section of a digital camera, a change in the focus evaluation value generated by the movement of the taking lens is detected, when a predetermined change in the focus evaluation value is detected in manual focusing, at least one of a first mode for continuing manual focusing and a second mode for making the transition to auto-focusing, in which the taking lens is automatically moved, is selected, when the predetermined change in the focus evaluation value is detected in the case in which the second mode is selected, the focusing operation is automatically switched to auto-focusing, whereby the taking lens is automatically moved such that the focus evaluation value is the peak value.

Abstract: There is provided an electronic camera comprising an imaging element which photo-electrically converts an object field light, a timing generator including an internal register in which timing of a drive signal used to operate the imaging element can be programmed, a power supply control portion which supplies a second voltage to the imaging element when a predetermined time has elapsed after supply of a first voltage to the timing generator, and a control portion which starts at least program setting in the internal register of the timing generator after elapse of a time that the timing generator requires to operate stably at the first voltage and before elapse of a time that the imaging element requires to operate stably at the second voltage.

Abstract: In a main body of a camera, a recording unit is disposed which is capable of recording specific information of a photographing lens or an accessory. When the specific information of the presently attached photographing lens or accessory has been already registered in the recording unit, the main body of the camera does not acquire all the specific information from the attached photographing lens or accessory by data communication. In a case where the specific information of the attached photographing lens or accessory has been registered in the recording unit, the only identification information of the interchangeable lens or accessory can be enough, even if the data communication is necessary. In consequence, a communication time with respect to the interchangeable lenses or various types of accessories can be reduced as a whole.

Abstract: An electronic pickup camera including an electronic pickup element which photoelectrically converts an object image to form an image signal, an image conversion unit which converts the image signal formed by the electronic pickup element to image data of a predetermined format, a storage unit which stores the image data converted by the image conversion unit, a transmission unit which enables transmission of the image data stored in the storage unit to an external device, and a control unit which makes a decision as to whether an external device to which the transmission unit transmits the image data is a predetermined external device, and selects an accompanying process for the transmission, on the basis of a result of the decision. One embodiment of the invention relates to the deletion of the transmitted image data.

Abstract: In an automatic focusing device generating a luminance signal by scanning a picked-up digital image signal, evaluating the contrast of the luminance signal, and driving its focusing based on the evaluation; the scanning includes at least a part where scan is performed in a zigzag-like manner. With this configuration, focusing is facilitated for an object having no high frequency components in the horizontal direction. This invention can be understood as an invention of a method.

Abstract: There is provided an electronic camera comprising an imaging element which photo-electrically converts an object field light, a timing generator including an internal register in which timing of a drive signal used to operate the imaging element can be programmed, a power supply control portion which supplies a second voltage to the imaging element when a predetermined time has elapsed after supply of a first voltage to the timing generator, and a control portion which starts at least program setting in the internal register of the timing generator after elapse of a time that the timing generator requires to operate stably at the first voltage and before elapse of a time that the imaging element requires to operate stably at the second voltage.

Abstract: In an auto focusing system of the present invention, a light from an object is guided by an optical section to a light receiving section constituted of an imager such as a photoelectric transducer, and the object is imaged as a digital image at the light receiving section. A movable split image prism is arranged between a position immediately before a light receiving surface of the light receiving section in an optical path of the optical section and a position outside the optical path. Then, a deviation amount of a vide signal based on light rays passed through the split image prism is detected by a control section, and focusing of the optical section is carried out based on the deviation amount.

Abstract: In an auto focusing system of the present invention, a light from an object is guided by an optical section to a light receiving section constituted of an imager such as a photoelectric transducer, and the object is imaged as a digital image at the light receiving section. A movable split image prism is arranged between a position immediately before a light receiving surface of the light receiving section in an optical path of the optical section and a position outside the optical path. Then, a deviation amount of a vide signal based on light rays passed through the split image prism is detected by a control section, and focusing of the optical section is carried out based on the deviation amount.

Abstract: To provide a distance-measuring sensor which does not impair the universality, suppresses the requirement of a large memory capacity for storage and an increase of data transmission time, a new distance-measuring sensor is provided. The sensor has an arithmetic part for calculating the intermediate data of a distance calculation, and an output part for outputting the intermediate data.

Abstract: There is disclosed a distance measurement apparatus of a camera which obtains subject distance information (phase difference of a subject luminance signal) of each distance measurement area by a photoelectric conversion element with a plurality of distance measurement areas including a peripheral region outside a region to be photographed arranged therein, divides the distance measurement areas having numeric values in a predetermined range and being adjacent to one another into groups from the obtained subject distance information, excludes the group extending into the region to be photographed, performs distance measurement operation processing of a major subject by a distance measurement result of the group existing only in the region to be photographed, selects a result indicating a closest distance from distance measurement results, and obtains a final distance measurement output.

Abstract: A camera is provided which includes an exposure mechanism adapted to expose an image of an object onto film, and an image pickup element adapted to capture a digital image of the object. A memory stores digital image data captured by the image pickup element, and a mode setting switch enables setting of either a digital photographic mode which executes only operations to capture digital images, or a hybrid photographic mode which executes both operations to capture digital images and operations to expose object images onto the film. A CPU controls use of the memory so that in the digital photographic mode, old digital image data stored in the memory is overwritten with new digital image data when there is insufficient free space in the memory.

Abstract: A distance measuring apparatus has: an AF optical system for dividing object light beams into a pair thereof and forming images and; an AFIC for photoelectrically converting received object optical images in pixels, accumulating charges, and outputting object distance information on the basis of the object image signal. A CPU discriminates whether or not the object is based on a night view or a view in which the night view is the background on the basis of the output of the AFIC or an operation of a night view photographing mode switch, and corrects the object distance to a second predetermined distance shorter than a first predetermined distance when the object is based on the night view or the like and the object distance is longer than the first predetermined distance.

Abstract: An electronic pickup camera including an electronic pickup element which photoelectrically converts an object image to form an image signal, an image conversion unit which converts the image signal formed by the electronic pickup element to image data of a predetermined format, a storage unit which stores the image data converted by the image conversion unit, a transmission unit which enables transmission of the image data stored in the storage unit to an external device, and a control unit which makes a decision as to whether an external device to which the transmission unit transmits the image data is a predetermined external device, and selects an accompanying process for the transmission, on the basis of a result of the decision. One embodiment of the invention relates to the deletion of the transmitted image data.

Abstract: The present invention is a camera distance measuring device having an integral light receiving element for receiving light from a photographic object and outputting light received signals, and a fixed light elimination circuit for eliminating the fixed light component from the output signals of this integral light receiving element. This camera distance measuring device functions as an active distance measuring device by making the fixed light elimination circuit operative and functions as a passive distance measuring device by making the fixed light elimination circuit inoperative. When functioning as an active distance measuring device, this camera distance measuring device alternatively employs either a first illumination device such as a strobe light for illuminating a wide range including the photography range or a second illumination device such as an infrared LED for illuminating a spot-like range within the photography range.

Abstract: This invention is an inexpensive distance measuring device having short lag time, configured so as to have a pair of light receiving regions at positions of focal points of a pair of image forming optical systems, comprising functions for dividing the light receiving regions and for monitoring the integration control for each divided light receiving region, also comprising an AF area sensor capable of performing pre-integration operations while causing strobe light to be emitted, and a microcomputer that, according to object field luminance distributions obtained from pre-integration results of the AF area sensor and to the focal length value of the photographic lens, divides the light receiving regions of the AF area sensor into respective pluralities, causes final integration operations to be performed while monitoring the integration control in each of the divided light receiving regions, and performs ranging computations based on data obtained for each light receiving region, capable of performing appropr

Abstract: Briefly, a camera for film photography and electronic photography in accordance with the present invention comprising film photography mechanism for exposing a subject image on a film; a digital photography mechanism for picking up the subject image with a CCD and converting it into a digital image signal; a photometry element for measuring the brightness of the subject; a photometry unit for obtaining the subject brightness based on the image signal obtained by the digital photography mechanism; first setting means for setting the exposure conditions of the film based on the photometry results of the photometry element; second setting means for setting the image-pickup pickup conditions of the digital photography mechanism based on the photometry results of the photometry unit; control means for controlling the film photography mechanism based on the exposure conditions and controlling the digital photography mechanism based on the image-pickup conditions during a release operation; and initial conditions se

Abstract: The present invention comprises a first distance-measuring mode in which a subject distance is measured on the basis of a subject image signal produced by at least a pair of light-receiving elements receiving the light from subjects, a second distance-measuring mode in which the subject distance is measured on the basis of an image signal from which a steady-state light removing section has removed the steady-state light component from the subject image signal, while a projecting source is projecting light onto the subjects, and a CPU which causes the second distance-measuring mode to operate for a specific time and, according to the image signal obtained, selects a subject whose distance is to be measured, and which enables the setting camera operation modes. The distance-measuring device inhibits the subject from being selected according to a specific camera operation mode.

Abstract: A pair of integration-type light-receiving sensors receive the light from subjects via a taking optical system and produce a subject image signal. A light projecting section projects light onto the subjects. A steady-state light removing section obtains an image signal by removing the steady-state light component from the subject image signal the pair of integration-type light-receiving sensors produces, while the light projecting section is projecting light onto the subjects. A first distance-measuring section measures a subject distance on the basis of the image signal obtained by causing the steady-state light removing section to remove the steady-state light component from the subject image signal. A subject select section causes the first distance-measuring section to make distance measurements for a specific time, performs operation on the resulting image signal using a specific correction function, and thereby selects a subject whose distance is to be measured.