Abstract: A lens cap device, comprising a base configured as inner ring; an outer ring configured to be rotatable relative to the base; and a plurality of curved blades rotatably connected to the base and slidably connected to the outer ring, wherein the plurality of curved blades is configured to function as an iris; and wherein when the outer ring is rotated, each blade in the plurality of curved blades travels from an outer position that defines an opening to an inward position that defines a closure.

Abstract: A light amount adjusting apparatus includes a base member, light amount adjusting blades configured to form an aperture through which light passes, a blade driving member configured to rotate relative to the base member to drive the light amount adjusting blades, a cam member including a cam attached to the base member and configured to rotate the light amount adjusting blades driven by a rotation of the blade driving member so as to change a size of the aperture, and an adjuster configured to change a mount phase of the cam member relative to the base member in a rotational direction of the blade drive member.

Abstract: A blade driving device includes an opening forming member, and a plurality of groups of blades that are pivotably disposed in a ring form around an opening portion of the opening forming member. The plurality of groups of blades include a first group of blades and a second group of blades, in a process of changing from a first circular light passage opening formed by the first group to a second circular light passage opening formed by the second group, the first group that is adjacent to the second group and has finished forming the first circular light passage opening remains in the opening portion, thereby acting to substantially suppressing warp, in an optical axis direction, of the second group that forms the second circular light passage opening on an inner side thereof.

Abstract: A optical projection device that projects an image with excellent image quality while achieving miniaturization is provided. The optical projection device includes a first lens frame holding a first lens group L1 and including a cam pin, a guide barrel including a straight movement groove, a cam barrel including a cam groove, and an urging portion that urges the first lens frame in a direction intersecting with the direction along an optical axis. The cam pin is formed at a position spaced apart from a center of gravity including the first lens frame and members attached to the first lens frame in the direction along the optical axis Ax and the urging portion urges the first lens frame at a position closer than the cam pin with respect to the center of gravity in the direction along the optical axis.

Abstract: A camera is provided which is adapted to receive a photographic lens having a diaphragm. The camera includes a detection unit configured to execute electric charge accumulation for detecting a defocus amount when the diaphragm is in a state having a first aperture value, and a controller configured to, when causing the diaphragm to perform an aperture reducing operation from the first aperture value to a second aperture value, cause the diaphragm to start the aperture reducing operation without waiting for completion of the electric charge accumulation for detecting the defocus amount by the detection unit.

Abstract: A camera is provided which is adapted to receive a photographic lens having a diaphragm. The camera includes a detection unit configured to execute electric charge accumulation for detecting a defocus amount when the diaphragm is in a state having a first aperture value, and a controller configured to, when causing the diaphragm to perform an aperture reducing operation from the first aperture value to a second aperture value, cause the diaphragm to start the aperture reducing operation without waiting for completion of the electric charge accumulation for detecting the defocus amount by the detection unit.

Abstract: An image sensing apparatus to which a detachable lens unit (102) is attached, is provided with an image sensor (106) that converts light beams entering through the attached lens unit into electrical signals, and a display unit (107), including an electronic viewfinder mode to continuously display on the display unit images based on the electrical signals obtained by the image sensor. The image sensing apparatus has a control unit (135) that causes an aperture unit (104) included in the attached lens unit to stop down, when there is an instruction to display on the display unit an image other than the image based on the electrical signals obtained by the image sensor while in the electronic viewfinder mode.

Abstract: To provide an aperture mechanism and an optical apparatus which are reduced in size. The aperture mechanism comprising: a driving member to be driven in accordance with an aperture operation; an aperture member having an aperture to be driven by the driving member; a first engagement section connected to one of the driving member and the aperture member; a second engagement section connected to another one of the driving member and the aperture member and engaged with the first engagement section; and a biasing member connected to at least one of the driving member and the aperture member to provide a bias in a direction in which the first engagement section and the second engagement section are facing to each other.

Abstract: An image sensing apparatus is provided with an aperture unit (104), an image sensor (106) that converts light beams entering through a photographing lens (103) and the aperture unit into electrical signals, and a display unit (107), including an electronic viewfinder mode to continuously display on the display unit images based on the electrical signals obtained by the image sensor. The image sensing apparatus has a control unit (135) that causes the aperture unit to stop down, when there is an instruction to display on the display unit an image other than the image based on the electrical signals obtained by the image sensor while in the electronic viewfinder mode.

Abstract: An optical diaphragm for adjusting a light quantity of an incident light beam includes: a plurality of light-shielding vanes attached to a circumferential portion of an aperture of a base plate in a manner rotatable along a plane orthogonal to an optical axis of the light beam. The light-shielding vanes may be rotated to change an aperture area of the aperture of the base plate for transmitting the light beam. The plurality of light-shielding vanes each include a vane plate for intercepting the incident light beam; and a bearing integrally provided to the vane plate, the bearing each allowing a rotary shaft to be inserted therein so as to be supported by the rotary shaft. The vane plate is perpendicularly attached to the bearing. The plurality of light-shielding vanes move parallel to each other in an opening and closing direction thereof without crossing with each other.

Abstract: An image-capturing device includes a lens barrel having therein an optical image-capturing system; a light control blade which opens and closes an optical path of the optical image-capturing system so as to control the amount of light entering the system; and a base body having a transmission hole through which the optical path extends and supporting the light control blade in a movable manner. The light control blade includes a multilayer laminate including a base material composed of a film and serving as a substrate, and at least a metallic layer disposed on the base material; and a light-blocking layer disposed on a first section of the multilayer laminate. A second section of the multilayer laminate not having the light-blocking layer disposed thereon defines a light adjustment filter for adjusting the amount of incident light. The first section having the light-blocking layer defines a light-blocking portion for blocking incident light.

Abstract: An image capture apparatus, such as a digital camera or a digital still camera, is capable of easily capturing an optimal image by determining a state of a subject via image processing during capturing, and executing re-capturing or giving a warning to prompt re-capturing according to a result of the determination.

Abstract: A camera system includes a camera body including a photometering device and an external operating device, and a photographing lens which is detachably attached to the camera body, the photographing lens including an aperture setting device for selecting an auto aperture setting and at least one fixed aperture setting. A full-aperture photometering operation is performed when the aperture setting device is positioned at the auto aperture setting, and a stop-down photometering operation is performed in response to an operation of the external operating device when the aperture setting device is positioned at the fixed aperture setting.

Abstract: A lens shutter mechanism includes, between front and rear support frames having photographing apertures, shutter sectors which open and close the photographing apertures; a shutter drive ring which is rotatable about the optical axis to drive the shutter sectors; diaphragm sectors which change an aperture diameter of the photographing apertures independently of the shutter sectors; and a diaphragm drive ring which is rotatable about the optical axis to drive the diaphragm sectors. The shutter drive ring and the diaphragm drive ring are located at different radial positions and at the same optical axis position. One and the other of the shutter drive ring and the diaphragm drive ring is provided with an inner flange and an outer flange respectively, which radically project toward each other so as to overlap in the axial direction, and engage so as to be relatively slidable in the circumferential direction.

Abstract: A camera for use with a flash device capable of performing a test light emitting action and a lens device having a diaphragm includes a lens diaphragm control instructing part for giving an instruction for an aperture controlling action of the diaphragm of the lens device, and a test light emission control part for causing, in response to a predetermined operation (for example, an operation on a stop-down switch provided on the camera), both the aperture controlling action by the lens diaphragm control instructing part and the test light emitting action of the flash device to be performed, so that, in response to the predetermined operation, the test light emission can be performed in a state of having the aperture of the lens diaphragm stopped down. Accordingly, shades and shadows of the object of shooting to be obtained under flash light emission can be simply recognized through the test light emission prior to execution of flash photography without recourse to any complex operation.

Abstract: A method for controlling a preview apparatus which is actuated by a preview switch which can be actuated externally, in an AF single lens reflex camera, wherein when the preview switch is turned ON, the AF operation is carried out before a stop-down operation to move a diaphragm from a full-open position to a set diaphragm position begins.

Abstract: An automatic diaphragm apparatus in a lens in which an aperture diameter is varied in accordance with a set diaphragm value, set by a diaphragm set ring in a first section from the maximum aperture to a predetermined intermediate aperture. The aperture diameter is kept constant regardless of the set diaphragm value of the diaphragm set ring in a second section, from the predetermined intermediate aperture to the minimum aperture. The apparatus includes a diaphragm data transmission member in the form of an arc shape lever having one end which pivots on the diaphragm set ring at an offset position from the optical axis. On the other end, a diaphragm data transmission projection is provided. The apparatus also includes a cam mechanism which is provided between the diaphragm data transmission lever and an immovable portion of the lens. The cam mechanism is for holding the position of the diaphragm data transmission projection in a constant position when the diaphragm set ring is rotated in the first section.

Abstract: A preview apparatus in a single lens reflex camera is provided in which a mirror drive mechanism, a diaphragm drive mechanism, and a shutter are driven in association with the rotation of a single-revolution cam gear which is driven by a motor. When the release switch is turned ON, the one-turn cam gear is rotated by single-revolution in the forward direction, and when an external preview switch is turned ON, the preview operation is carried out by the reverse rotation of the single-revolution cam gear within a predetermined angle range in which the stop-down operation takes place without causing an upward movement of the mirror.

Abstract: A method for controlling a single lens reflex camera having a preview function is provided in which a mirror drive mechanism, a diaphragm drive mechanism, and a shutter are driven in association with the rotation of a single-revolution cam gear which is driven by a motor. When the release switch is turned ON, the single-revolution cam gear is rotated by a single revolution in the forward direction, and when an external preview switch is turned ON, the preview operation is carried out by the reverse rotation of the single-revolution cam gear within a predetermined angle range in which the stop-down operation takes place without causing an upward movement of the mirror. When the release switch is turned ON during the preview operation, the motor is rotated in the forward direction until the single revolution cam gear is returned to the initial position, so that the photometering operation is carried out at the full-open aperture position.

Abstract: A focus setting system for a camera in which a photographer can observe a focused subject image in a viewfinder and which corrects the focus prior to exposure such that a photographed picture is in focus. Specifically, the focusing system corrects for errors introduced by varying apertures. The focusing system has a photographic lens which has a memory for storing focus error data which represents focusing adjustment values from an open aperture to a number of predetermined apertures. A focus detection device detects a focused state of the photographic lens using a portion of the incident light rays of the photographic lens. A first drive unit drives the photographic lens by calculating a focus drive amount which achieves focus at open aperture. The focus drive amount is calculated from the focus error data and the focus state detected by the focus detection device.