Abstract: A camera system comprising means for converting an object image into an image signal, recording means for recording the image signal on a recording medium, reproduction means for reproducing the image signal recorded on the recording medium, finder means for displaying the object image and display means for selectively displaying an image corresponding to the image signal to be recorded or an image corresponding to the reproduced image signal. A display portion of the finder means is smaller than that of the display means and the display portion of the display means has a flat plate which can be exposed to an outside of the camera system.

Abstract: A camera operating in a plurality of photographing modes is provided with an image receiver for receiving the optical image of an object, a viewfinder for observing the object therethrough, a display device for displaying the photographing modes in visually recognizable characters so that they can be seen through the viewfinder, detecting means for detecting the direction of the visual axis of the photographer gazing at desired one of the characters, means for causing the photographer to recognize the completion of the selection of the photographing mode, and a controller for setting the camera to the selected photographing mode in conformity with the result of the detection by the detecting means, and controlling the camera in the selected photographing mode.

Abstract: An illumination device includes a light source and an optical member, and is arranged to project a light beam emitted from the light source, via the optical member as illuminating light. The optical member includes a plurality of light guides each having an entrance surface opposed to the light source means, reflecting surfaces for reflecting the light beam which enters the optical member through the entrance surface, and an exit surface opposed to the entrance surface and having an area larger than the entrance surface. The plurality of light guides are adjacently disposed in such a manner that each of air layers is formed in at least part of each area at which the plurality of light guides are adjacent to each other.

Abstract: A camera comprising: finder means for inspecting an object, illumination means for illuminating an operator's eye by which the operator looks in at the finder means, a condensing optical system for condensing a reflected light from the operator's eye, photoelectric converter means for receiving the condensed reflected light, calculation means for calculating a direction of a visual axis of the operator's eye on the basis of an output of the photoelectric converter means, and condition setting means operable in response to the result of the calculation of the calculation means, for setting taking conditions of the camera.

Abstract: An image pickup device which includes a device for picking up an image of an object and photoelectrically converting the image into an image signal, a photograph indicating device, for indicating a photographing of the object, an exposure amount setting device, for setting an amount of exposure for effecting photoelectric conversion by the image pickup device and an exposure amount control device, for controlling the exposure amount setting device.

Abstract: A gazing point detecting device is provided with means for receiving light reflected by an observer's eye and providing an electrical signal, first means for forming gazing axis information regarding the direction of the observer's gazing axis on the basis of the electrical signal, and second means for selecting on the basis of the gazing axis information the direction of the gazing axis which has been pointed to for the longest time of a predetermined unit time or the direction of the gazing axis which is highest in frequency, and forming a signal indicative of the observer's gazing point.

Abstract: A camera includes a finder for inspecting an object, a illuminator for illuminating an operator's eye by which the operator looks in at the finder means, a condensing optical system for condensing a reflected light from the operator's eye, a photoelectric converter for receiving the condensed reflected light, calculator for calculating a direction of a visual axis of the operator's eye on the basis of an output of the photoelectric converter, and a condition setter operable in response to the result of the calculation of the calculator for setting photographing conditions of the camera.

Abstract: A camera comprising a gazing line detection device for obtaining the gazing point by detecting the movement of the gazing line of a user so that a proper photometry range is automatically set by selecting a specific method from a plurality of photometry methods in accordance with the distribution of the gazing points thus obtained.

Abstract: An optical apparatus which detects a visual axis using plural reflected images of a light source includes an observation device with which an observer observes an object. An image sensor is provided for generating a signal and response to an image. Optical structure is provided for forming a plurality of reflected light source images on the image sensor by reflection of light from the eye of the observer. The optical structure includes (1) an illumination assembly for projecting a light beam from at least one light source to the eye of the observer, and (2) a convergence component having at least one convergent lens for converging the light beam reflected from the eye of the observer, to produce the plurality of reflected light source images. The optical structure includes at least two light sources and/or two convergent lenses.

Abstract: An image recording system in which an object image is caused to be formed on a solid state image transducer such as CCD each time a release is actuated, and the image signal stored on said image transducer is recorded as a video signal, thus a single frame image being recorded for each release. By controlling the storing operation of the image signal and the like, the exposure level for the image signal is adjusted to make it possible to record and reproduce the image always with regard to an optimum exposure state.

Abstract: In an apparatus for detecting the relative positional relation between light intensity distributions relating to an object image and detecting the focus-adjusted state of an objective lens, a pair of stop openings for limiting an off-axis light flux forming light intensity distributions entering a pair of secondary imaging lenses are provided so as to be symmetrical with respect to a meridian centered at the optic axis of the objective lens so that the influence of the residual aberrations of the objective lens becomes uniform.

Abstract: A focus adjusting control device for adjusting the focal point of an optical system for an object captured at a sighting part of a picture plane specified by the optical system is provided with a selecting circuit for selecting the position of the sighting part on the picture plane, and a focus adjustment part arranged to begin, in response to a selecting action of the selecting circuit, a focus adjusting action corresponding to the position of the sighting part selected by the selecting circuit.

Abstract: A visual line detecting device is arranged to detect the Purkinje image position of an illuminated eye of an observer through light reflected by the eye and to detect the direction of the visual line of the observer from the Purkinje image position and the position of the pupil center of the eye. The device estimates the pupil diameter of the eye from the luminance of external light and determines the position of the center of the pupil by determining the position of a boundary between the pupil and the iris of the eye on the basis of the pupil diameter estimated.

Abstract: A video camera or the like has a solid-state image sensing device such as a CCD provides optical exposure both in the single photography mode and the continuous photography mode. Even after a picture is taken, power supply to a recording device is held until the image signals are completely recorded by the recording device. Power supply to the recording device before taking a picture is not required.

Abstract: There is a film image information reading apparatus called a film scanner. This apparatus comprises: a lighting optical system to illuminate a film document; a photoelectric conversion element, such as a CCD to convert the image information of the film document into the electric signal; and an adjusting circuit to adjust the output of the photoelectrical conversion element such that a predetermined density of the film document is output as an output of almost the saturation level of that element. The predetermined density is the color density of the base color of a negative film. The adjusting circuit may control the charge storage period, gain, or output level of the photoelectric conversion element. With this apparatus, the positive image can be easily derived by reversing the negative image without considering the base color of the negative film and the image signal of a high quality can be obtained.

Abstract: An image data reading apparatus includes a photoelectric conversion device for converting image data on an original into electric signals, a light source for illuminating the original, a detector for detecting the shading correction values for the light source and the photoelectric conversion device, and an image processor for effecting shading correction on the video data output from the photoelectric conversion device with the shading correction value detected by the correction value detector.

Abstract: An image recording system in which an object image is caused to be formed on a solid state image transducer such as CCD each time a release is actuated, and the image signal stored on said image transducer is recorded as a video signal, thus a single frame image being recorded for each release. By controlling the storing operatin of the image signal and the like, the exposure level for the image signal is adjusted to make it possible to record and reproduce the image always with regard to an optimum exposure state.

Abstract: A photographic device typically employing a CCD element as a shutter is arranged to have an improved display system. The display system displays the picture number per unit time and the image information storage time by using different display conditions so as to avoid confusion as to what is being displayed. The device enables the photographing picture number per unit time to be taken as a multiple series of 2, such as 60, 30, 15, 8, 4, 2 1 . . . , pictures/second in order to make the numerical series of the photographing picture number common with that for the storage time of the image information so that the image information storage time and the photographing picture number per unit time can be displayed with a common display means.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus is capable of reading an original image with an arbitrary image magnification, by projecting an original image onto a linear image sensor through an optical system of a variable image magnification, and moving the original image with respect to the image sensor with a speed corresponding to the selected image magnification of the optical system.

Abstract: An image recording system in which an object image is caused to be formed on a solid state image transducer such as CCD each time a release is actuated, and the image signal stored on said image transducer is recorded as a video signal, thus a single frame image being recorded for each release. By controlling the storing operation of the image signal and the like, the exposure level for the image signal is adjusted to make it possible to record and reproduce the image always with regard to an optimum exposure state.