Abstract: A driving mechanism is provided, including a movable portion, a fixed portion and a driving assembly. The movable portion is movable relative to the fixed portion. The driving assembly drives the movable portion to move relative to the fixed portion. The driving assembly includes a biasing element generating a driving force, and a first electrical connection portion electrically connected to the biasing element. The biasing element is clamped at a first position of the first electrical connection portion by a first clamping force, and the biasing element is clamped at a second position of the first electrical connection portion by a second clamping force The first clamping force is different from the second clamping force.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for automatically adjusting an aperture of a camera. The methods may include obtaining at least two parameters out of three parameters of the camera, the three parameters including a luminance parameter, an exposure parameter, and a focal length parameter; determining a step length of the aperture based on the at least two parameters; and automatically adjusting the aperture of the camera based on the step length.

Abstract: There is provided an information processing device including a storage control unit that causes shooting parameters to be stored, a change instruction unit that transmits an instruction to change the shooting parameters, and a change processing unit that, in response to the instruction from the change instruction unit, changes the shooting parameters without relying on a surrounding environment. The instruction from the change instruction unit does not indicate content of the change in the shooting parameters, but instructs execution of the change.

Abstract: An imaging apparatus includes an imaging unit operable to capture a subject image to generate image data, a controller operable to calculate a target exposure value based on the image data and control exposure based on a first shooting parameter set by a user to obtain the target exposure value, and a display unit operable to provide a display. The controller calculates a first suitable range which is a range of the first shooting parameter for obtaining the target exposure value, and calculates a second shooting parameter based on the target exposure value and the first shooting parameter set by the user. The display unit displays exposure guide information including the first shooting parameter set by the user, information representing the first suitable range, and the calculated second shooting parameter.

Abstract: A method of controlling an image photographing apparatus includes checking a photographing mode of the image photographing apparatus, displaying a characteristic curve indicating a relationship between photographing conditions and a recommended region if the checked photographing mode is a manual mode to manually adjust the photographing conditions, and changing the photographing conditions if a user specifies any point of the characteristic curve or the periphery of the characteristic curve. Accordingly, it may be possible to implement the user interface which is conveniently and easily controlled.

Abstract: An evaluation on image information is indicated before operating a shutter operating section. For example, a method of evaluating image information includes: (a) a step of converting an optical image of an object to be photographed into electrical image information; (b) a step of evaluating the image information that has not yet been stored in a non-volatile memory, wherein the image information is evaluated in a state in which a shutter operating section, on which a predetermined operation is performed when storing the image information in the non-volatile memory, is not being subjected to the predetermined operation; and (c) a step of outputting an evaluation result.

Abstract: A camera device is provided which has an optical system including a focus lens, focus control for focusing the optical system on a subject by driving the focus lens, and display control for causing a display to display numerals indicating a first distance of a close end and a second distance of a remote end of a subject distance range in which the focus control can focus the optical system.

Abstract: A scaling device projects a known optical pattern into the field of view of a camera, which can be employed as a reference scale in a resulting photograph of a remote object, for example. The device comprises an optical beam projector that projects two or more spaced, parallel optical beams onto a surface of a remotely located object to be photographed. The resulting beam spots or lines on the object are spaced from one another by a known, predetermined distance. As a result, the size of other objects or features in the photograph can be determined through comparison of their size to the known distance between the beam spots. Preferably, the device is a small, battery-powered device that can be attached to a camera and employs one or more laser light sources and associated optics to generate the parallel light beams. In a first embodiment of the invention, a single laser light source is employed, but multiple parallel beams are generated thereby through use of beam splitting optics.

Abstract: A camera body of an instant camera is provided with four light sources LED1 to LED4 for a display. The four light sources LED1 to LED4 flash on and off in mutually different display modes in accordance with the state of progress of a series of processing of an exposure operation, a developing operation and a delivery operation which is carried out in accordance with one time photographic operation. This feature makes it possible to exactly inform a user of the state of progress of a series of processing.

Abstract: A movable power switch member mounted on the front face of a camera body is provided with a luminous display unit comprising any number (preferably a plurality) of illuminants, and light emission is so controlled as to realize different forms of displaying according to the operating state of the camera. For instance, the lighting, either continuous or intermittent, of the illuminants is controlled according to the remaining charge or the progress of charging of the battery. There are available a mode in which the luminous display unit is also used as a battery indicator, another mode in which the state of light is altered according to the initial mode (at the time of turning on power supply), still another mode in which the illuminants are used as a substitute for a tally lamp at the time of self-timed shooting and yet others, resulting in the achievement of an illumination effect in addition to the displaying of the operating state.

Abstract: A camera includes a focus detecting device having a plurality of focus detecting points and capable of selecting a particular focus detecting point from among the plurality of focus detecting points, and a light measuring device having a plurality of light measuring areas. When performing a plurality of times of light measuring operations, the light measuring device converts, into a particular measured light value by using a preset calculating operation, a plurality of measured light values each of which is obtained at each time of light measuring operation in a light measuring area set correspondingly with selection of a focus detecting point in the focus detecting device.

Abstract: A camera is provided with a photographing device for setting various photographing conditions which determine a state of a subject image to be obtained as a picture, the photography device including an exposure device having a Plurality of selectively settable exposure modes for automatically setting at least one exposure value based on brightness of a subject, a mode selector for selecting one of the plurality of exposure modes, a calculation unit for calculating an amount indicative of the state of the subject image in accordance with the photographing conditions set by the photography device, an estimation unit for estimating visual effects which the subject image provides based on the calculated state amount, and a display device for displaying the visual effect corresponding to the exposure mode selected by the mode selection means in accordance with the estimated visual effects.

Abstract: An apparatus for controlling a camera to achieve sharp, clear pictures includes a sensor for determining the distance of the camera from a subject and a controller for calculating the camera's depth-of-field, determining whether the subject is within the depth-of-field, and generating various signals which are provided to control operation of the camera or convey pertinent information to the photographer.

Abstract: A camera with a condition indication facility allows a photographer to be informed of a camera shake condition through the use of a relatively simple construction. A plurality of shake level indicators are provided in the rear cover of the camera. The indicators are placed in the rear cover so that, when the rear cover is closed, they are positioned near the viewfinder window so as to allow the photographer to confirm the operating conditions of the camera while looking through the viewfinder window.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for assembling a hub for magnetically chucking an optical disc on a disc table of a recording/reproducing apparatus under a force of magnetic attraction includes an assembly guide member having a first guide portion movable in a direction perpendicular to one major surface of the disc substrate so as to be engaged in a center opening in the disc substrate, and a second guide portion formed integrally with the first guide portion so that its center axis is aligned with the distal end of the first guide portion. The second guide portion is fitted in a spindle shaft opening in the hub. The assembly guide member its first guide portion fitted in the center opening for positioning the disc substrate and the second guide portion being engaged in this state in the spindle shaft opening for centering the disc substrate with respect to the hub.

Abstract: A display device for a camera to accurately display distance information and depth of field information. The camera includes a focusing control device to drive a photographic optical system to an in-focus position in relation to a photographic subject. A distance region identification device identifies a distance region to which the photographic subject belongs from among a plurality of predetermined distance regions into which the photographic distance range which can be achieved by photographic optical systems has been divided, according to information derived by a focus control operation by the focusing control device. A distance information display modifies the display conditions of one part of a display having multiple display segments to indicate one part of the photographic distance range which can be achieved by the photographic optical systems.

Abstract: A photometer for a camera that performs multi-area photometry and displays the exposure deviation to the photographer. The photometer includes a light measuring device with a plurality of photometric elements that perform photometry at a plurality of areas within the photographic field. A photometric value determining section calculates an effective photometric value using a weighted addition of each photometric value according to the given photometric mode. A standard value determining section calculates a reference photometric value using a predetermined, specified weighted addition of each photometric value. A deviation determining section calculates the deviation in the logarithmic values of the effective photometric value and the reference photometric value. A display device displays the deviation calculated by the deviation determining section.

Abstract: A camera comprises a lens optical system including a zooming lens, a photographic mode setting circuit capable of selectively setting a plurality of kinds of photographic modes, exposure conditions being individually set for the respective photographic modes, a driving circuit for causing the zooming lens to move, a focus adjusting circuit for performing focus adjustment of the lens optical system, and a controlling circuit for controlling the driving circuit in accordance with a particular photographic mode set by the photographic mode setting circuit and forcedly moving the zooming lens to a position corresponding to a predetermined focal length, the controlling circuit moving the zooming lens before an operation of the focus adjusting circuit.

Abstract: A portrait photograph camera incorporates a taking lens assembly having a predetermined focal length, and photographs a human head on instant film. A pair of indicia are displayed within a field frame of a viewfinder. According to the indicia, the human head is framed or targeted. The framed human head is photographed, so as to create an image having a predetermined size range on the film. In a preferred embodiment, a telephoto converter lens is selectively mountable on the taking lens. Combined with the telephoto converter, the taking lens has a longer focal length. A second pair of indicia are displayed within the finder field frame. The human head as framed by the second indicia is photographed at the longer focal length so as to create on the film an image in the former predetermined size range. A rangefinding device measures the subject distance.

Abstract: In representing a depth of field in a camera, the depth of field is displayed on the basis of the magnitude of a field depth feeling Df which corresponds to human feeling. The field depth feeling Df is obtained by processing at least one of a depth of field on calculation, an object distance, a lens hypen-focal length, a diameter of permissible circle of confusion, a lens aperture value and a lens focal length.