Abstract: A camera body to which an interchangeable lens can be mounted, the interchangeable lens having at least one electrical component and a lens controller which controls operations of the interchangeable lens, includes a power supply for supplying power to the interchangeable lens, and a body controller which can communicate with the lens controller. The body controller transmits specific information to the lens controller to cause at least one of the lens controller and the at least one electrical component to operate with low power when the body controller drives an electrical component provided in the camera body which requires a large drive current.

Abstract: In an image-tremble-correcting system for an optical instrument, having an optical focussing system for producing a focussed image, to correct a tremble of the focussed image caused by an oscillation of the optical instrument, a movable optical tremble-correction system is assembled in the focussing system of the optical instrument. An X-Y rectangular coordinate system which is defined on a plane perpendicular to the optical axis of the focussing system, the origin of the coordinate system coinciding with the optical axis of the focussing system, the X- and Y-axes thereof defining an angle of 45° with a horizontal axis and a vertical axis defined on the plane when the optical instrument is positioned at a usual attitude. The movable optical tremble-correction system being movable along the X-axis and the Y-axis of the X-Y rectangular coordinate system to the same extent.

Abstract: When a focused image tremble is within a correctable range of a correction lens which is included in a photographing optical system, the correction lens is driven following the focused image tremble. While the focused image tremble is out of the correctable range, the correction lens is driven to approach to a standard position, at which an optical axis of the correction lens is coaxial with an optical axis of other optical systems included in the photographing optical system, by a predetermined time constant. When a direction of the focused image tremble is reversed after the focused image tremble becomes beyond the correctable range, the focused image tremble is supposed to be displaced at a position corresponding to a position at which the correction lens would be situated at that time, and the driving of the correction lens is restarted.

Abstract: A capacitor is connected to an angular speed sensor through a first switch. A first resistance is connected to the sensor through a second switch and a second resistance is connected to the sensor through a third switch. The first switch; the first resistance and the second switch; and the second resistance and the third switch are connected in parallel. The capacitor is also connected to a non-inversion-input-terminal of a buffer amplifier. An output-terminal of the buffer amplifier is connected to a non-inversion-input-terminal of a difference amplifier. The sensor is connected to an inversion-input-terminal of the difference amplifier. An output-terminal of the difference amplifier is connected to an A/D conversion port of a CPU of a camera. Immediately after an electric power is supplied to the camera, the first switch is closed, and the second and third switches are opened.

Abstract: A camera system having a camera body and a photographing lens, which can be mounted to and dismounted from the camera body, includes a determining device which determines a type of the photographing lens in accordance with data received from the photographing lens; and a body controller which has a function to send body data and individual function data to the photographing lens, wherein each of the individual function data is required for a corresponding function that the photographing lens possesses. The body controller sends all the body data to the photographing lens regardless of the type of the photographing lens, and sends a portion of the individual function data which is associated with the type of the photographing lens to the photographing lens.

Abstract: An interchangeable lens camera system having a camera body, a photographing lens, and a rear converter, the camera body and photographing lens communicating with each other via a first group of contacts and a second group of contacts, respectively, includes a group of relay channels via which the first group of contacts are electrically connected with the second group of contacts, in a state where the rear converter is mounted between the camera body and the photographing lens; a memory in which rear converter data is stored; and a controller which reads the rear converter data from the memory. The memory and the controller have a function to send the rear converter data to the camera body while the camera body and the photographing lens communicate with each other via the first group of contacts, the second group of contacts, and the group of relay channels.

Abstract: A camera system includes a photographing lens having a lens memory and/or a lens controller, and a camera body including a body controller which can communicate with the lens memory and/or the lens controller; a first power and a second power which can be supplied to the photographing lens. The lens memory and the lens controller operate with the first power and the second power, respectively, when the photographing lens is mounted to the camera body. The body controller supplies the first power to the photographing lens to drive the lens memory to read data from the lens memory, and subsequently disables the lens memory and supplies the second power to the lens controller so that the body controller and the lens controller communicate with each other if the body controller determines, from the lens data, that the photographing lens includes the lens controller.

Abstract: A camera body to which an interchangeable lens can be mounted, the interchangeable lens having at least one electrical component and a lens controller which controls operations of the interchangeable lens, includes a power supply for supplying power to the interchangeable lens, and a body controller which can communicate with the lens controller. The body controller transmits specific information to the lens controller to cause at least one of the lens controller and the at least one electrical component to operate with low power when the body controller drives an electrical component provided in the camera body which requires a large drive current.

Abstract: An image stabilizer includes a movable member which supports an image-stabilizing optical system; a base which supports the movable member to be movable in a plane perpendicular to an optical axis of the image-stabilizing optical system; and at least three tilt prevention mechanisms, arranged on a circle centered on the optical axis, for preventing the image-stabilizing optical system from tilting when the image stabilizing optical system reaches a movable limit. Each tilt prevention mechanism includes a conically-tapered annular convex surface and a conically-tapered annular concave surface, the conically-tapered annular convex surface and the conically-tapered annular concave surface being correspondingly formed on one and the other of the movable member and the base, respectively, so that the conically-tapered annular convex surface contacts the conically-tapered annular concave surface when the movable member reaches the movable limit.

Abstract: A previous displacement of the optical axis along a horizontal axis (or a vertical axis) detected at a previous performance of the frequency judging routine and a present displacement of the optical axis detected at a present performance are compared. It is judged whether a focused image tremble successively faces toward one direction or the direction of the tremble is reversed, based on combination of the result of the comparison and a previous direction of the focused image tremble. If the direction is reversed, and the focused image tremble is not caused by a hand tremble, the correction of the focused image tremble is stopped. It is judged that the focused image tremble is not caused by the hand tremble, when an elapsed time from a previous reverse of the focused image tremble to a present reverse of the focused image tremble is less than 25 milliseconds, and the amplitude of the focused image tremble is larger than a threshold value.

Abstract: A movement of an optical axis of a photographing optical system due to a focused image tremble is detected as a displacement on a focal plane. An object image is formed on the focal plane by the photographing optical system, and when an optical axis of a correction lens is coaxial with an optical axis of other optical systems included in the photographing optical system, the optical axis of the photographing optical system pierces through a center of the focal plane. On the focal plane, a correctable range of the correction lens is defined based on a structure of a correction device. An original point of the correctable range is the center of the focal plane. If a focused image tremble occurs out of the correctable range, an intersection of a boundary of the correctable range and a straight line connecting a position of the optical axis of the photographing optical system and the original point is calculated.

Abstract: A wiring structure of an image stabilizer includes a movable member which supports an image-stabilizing optical system, a cylindrical base which supports the movable member, a first drive device which drives the movable member in a first direction, a second drive device which drives the movable member in a second direction, first and second electrical elements associated with the first and drive devices, respectively, and a flexible printed wiring board which has one end positioned inside the cylindrical base and is provided with first and second wiring strips which firstly extend in opposite directions away from each other along the circumferential direction about the optical axis, and subsequently fold back inwardly towards each folded portion of each respective second and first wiring strips, to be connected with first and second electrical elements, respectively, after intersecting each other as viewed along the optical axis.

Abstract: In an image-tremble-correcting system for an optical instrument, having an optical focussing system for producing a focussed image, to correct a tremble of the focussed image caused by an oscillation of the optical instrument, a movable optical tremble-correction system is assembled in the focussing system of the optical instrument. An X-Y rectangular coordinate system which is defined on a plane perpendicular to the optical axis of the focussing system, the origin of the coordinate system coinciding with the optical axis of the focussing system, the X- and Y-axes thereof defining an angle of 45° with a horizontal axis and a vertical axis defined on the plane when the optical instrument is positioned at a usual attitude. The movable optical tremble-correction system being movable along the X-axis and the Y-axis of the X-Y rectangular coordinate system to the same extent.

Abstract: An automatic focusing device, in which a focus lens is driven for tracking an object-in-motion to obtain an in-focus state, based upon a focus prediction that is executed from repeated distance measurements. The focus lens is additionally driven during a release-time-lag by an amount corresponding to the amount of movement of an image of the photographing object formed by the focus lens during a time from a reference time after completion of the lens drive to a time of occurrence of a release interruption, when a release interruption occurs.

Abstract: An automatic focusing device, in which a focus lens is driven for tracking an object-in-motion to obtain an in-focus state, based upon focus prediction executed from repeated distance measurements. An in-focus indication is made when it is determined that the in-focus state will be obtained after an elapse of a predetermined time.

Abstract: An automatic focusing device, in which a focus lens is driven by tracking an object-in-motion to obtain an in-focus state, based upon a focus prediction that is executed from repeated distance measurements. The amount of the lens drive for tracking is computed by taking the time required for integrating the distance measurements into account.

Abstract: An automatic focusing device, in which a focus lens is driven for tracking an object-in-motion to obtain an in-focus state, based upon a focus prediction that is executed from repeated distance measurements. Tracking is executed only when it is determined a predetermined number of consecutive times that the object-in-motion is moving at a speed that is larger than a predetermined value.

Abstract: An automatic focusing device, in which a focus lens is driven for tracking an object-in-motion so as to obtain an in-focus state, based upon a focus prediction that is executed from repeated distance measurements. Tracking is executed with different algorithms according to a moving direction of the object-in-motion. One algorithm is a catch-up tracking, wherein the focus lens is driven to a position where it is predicted that the in-focus state should be obtained at the time of completion of the lens drive. Another algorithm is a preemptive tracking, wherein the focus lens is driven to a position where it is predicted that the in-focus condition should be obtained at the time an exposure is actually executed after a completion of the lens drive.

Abstract: An automatic focusing device, in which a focus lens is driven for tracking an object-in-motion to obtain an in-focus state, based upon a focus prediction that is executed from repeated distance measurements. Tracking is continued even if the position of the focus lens falls into the predetermined focus allowance, so as to make it possible to take a well-focused photograph at any time.

Abstract: An automatic focusing device, in which a focus lens is driven for tracking an object-in-motion to obtain an in-focus state, based upon a focus prediction that is executed from repeated distance measurements. Tracking is continued even if the position of the focus lens falls into the predetermined focus allowance, so as to make it possible to take a well-focused photograph at any time.