Abstract: A compact camera including a plurality of components and one mounting board having an upper surface and a lower surface and disposed inside the compact camera, near a top portion of the compact camera. The compact camera further includes a control circuit, mounted on the upper surface of the one mounting board, to control an operation of the plurality of components, a land portion disposed underneath at least one input device and mounted on the upper surface of the one mounting board, an IC element mounted on the lower surface of the one mounting board, a low power device disposed near the at least one input device and mounted on the lower surface of the one mounting board, and an inhibiting circuit mounted on the upper surface of the one mounting device, to inhibit an operation of the low power device when the at least one input device receives an operation input signal.

Abstract: A lens inspection device has an objective lens composed by front and rear lenses, a two-dimensional image sensor and an image forming lens for forming a point image of light passing through the objective lens. A lens to be inspected is disposed between a light source and an object focal point of the objective lens. The light source projects a light beam through the lens to be inspected parallel to the optical axis of the objective lens, and the front lens of the objective lens is moved along the optical axis so as to shift the object focal point of the objective lens stepwise into a plurality of positions within a predetermined range including a normal focal point of the lens to be inspected. Brightness data of a point image formed on the two-dimensional image sensor is detected for each shifted position of the objective lens, and is used for judgment as to whether an actual focal point of the lens to be inspected is within a proper range.

Abstract: In a camera of the kind arranged to obtain an object image through a photo-taking lens at an arbitrary image plane size on a photosensitive surface by using an image plane size varying member, either the nearest shootable distance of the photo-taking lens is arranged to become shorter than the normally nearest shootable distance or the magnification varying range of the power varying part of the photo-taking lens is arranged to be expanded on the wide-angle side, as the diagonal length of the image plane size becomes shorter.

Abstract: A light projecting device used to project light onto an object has a light source and a projection lens system. The light emitted by the light source is refracted by the projection lens system to form an image pattern consisting of alternate bright and dark areas. The image pattern is used to illuminate an object whose distance is to be measured using a passive distance measuring system. The projection system consists of only converging lenses.

Abstract: A camera includes an enclosure having a front surface for supporting an optical section relative to an optical axis intersecting an image receiver supported relative to a back surface, and a lens positioned in the optical axis on the front surface of the camera and projecting a field of view forwardly of the camera. A plurality of thin elements are arrayed on the front surface of the camera around the lens in general correspondence with the field of view. Framing accuracy is improved for self portraits and the like by canting each element outwardly from the optical axis at such an angle that an inside surface of every element is visible to a subject positioned within the field of view of the lens.