Bracketing exposure control camera

• US 4,734,727 A
• Filed: 12/13/1985
• Issued: 03/29/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/1984
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nippon Kogaku K. K. (Nikon Corporation)
• Inventors: Takemae, Mikio
• Primary Examiner(s): Perkey, W. B.
• Application Number:
  US06/808,732
• Time in Patent Office: 837 Days
• Field of Search: 354/410, 354/412, 354/442, 354/458, 354/217, 354/218, 354/441, 354/443, 354/173.1, 354/173.11, 352/175, 352/170-172
• US Class Current: 396/222
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 1/66 Counting number of exposures
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/425 motor drive cameras
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 7/091 Digital circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 7/097 for control of both exposure time and aperture

Abstract

A bracketing exposure control camera is structured in such a manner that a preset number of frames for bracketing photography is compared with the actual number of frames exposed so far in bracketing photography and exposure control operation is forcibly stopped upon detecting that the preset number of frames has been exposed. The bracketing exposure control camera can perform bracketing photography of a plurality of frames with a motor drive device, and will not waste film when the operator continues to depress the shutter release button after bracketing photography has been completed.

Claims

1. A bracketing exposure control camera having exposure means for controlling an exposure operation of each of a plurality of film frames and exposure correction means for causing said exposure means to perform exposure operations of respective frames at different exposure values, comprising:

driving means for winding said film after said exposure means is operated and for operating said exposure means after a winding operation, thereby alternately performing an exposure operation and a winding operation;

frame number setting means for setting a given number of exposure frames;

control means for operating said exposure correction means and controlling said driving means so that said exposure means performs exposure operations corresponding to said given number of exposure frames set by said frame number setting means;

means for producing a frame signal indicative of a number of unexposed film frames; and

detection means responsive to said frame signal for detecting that the number of exposure frames set by said frame number setting means is larger than the number of unexposed frames and for producing a detection signal.

2. A camera according to claim 1, further comprising warning means responsive to said detection signal for producing a warning signal.

3. A camera according to claim 2, wherein said warning means includes means for displaying that the number of exposure frames set by said frame number setting means is larger than the number of unexposed frames and for producing said warning signal.

4. A camera according to claim 1, further comprising correction amount setting means for setting an exposure correction amount, wherein said exposure means changes the exposure values of the exposure operations in accordance with said exposure correction amount.

5. A camera according to claim 1, further comprising means for displaying the number of frames in said given number of exposure frames which have not been exposed.

6. A camera according to claim 1, which further comprises first correction means for setting a first exposure correction amount for underexposure with respect to a predetermined exposure value and second correction means for setting a second exposure correction amount for overexposure with respect to said predetermined exposure value, wherein said exposure means performs an exposure operation to provide said predetermined exposure value and also exposure operations according to said first and second exposure correction amounts.

7. A camera according to calim 6, which further comprises means for displaying said first exposure correction amount and said second exposure correction amount.

8. A motor driving camera having exposure means for controlling an exposure operation of each of a plurality of film frames comprising:

driving means for winding said film after said exposure means is operated and for operating said exposure means after a winding operation, thereby alternately performing an exposure operation and a winding operation;

frame number setting means for setting a given number of exposure frames;

control means for controlling said driving means so that said exposure means performs exposure operations corresponding to said given number of exposure frames set by said frame number setting means;

means for producing a frame signal indicative of the number of unexposed frames of said film; and

detection means responsive to said frame signal for deteting that the number of exposure frames set by said frame number setting means is larger than the number of unexposed frames and for producing a detection signal.