Interchangeable film back or still video back still camera system

• US 4,953,029 A
• Filed: 11/25/1987
• Issued: 08/28/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/1986
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Minolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha Osaka Kokusai Building A Corporation
• Original Assignee: Minolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Saito, Mitsuru, Morimoto, Yasuhiro, Yoshida, Tadahiro, Taniguchi, Nobuyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Groody, James J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Application Number:
  US07/125,390
• Time in Patent Office: 1,007 Days
• Field of Search: 358/209, 358/227, 358/229, 358/909, 354/21, 354/69, 354/75, 354/76, 354/104, 354/159, 354/161, 354/210, 354/145.1
• US Class Current: 348/64
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 19/02 Still-picture cameras
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 29/00 Combinations of cameras, projectors or photographic printing apparatus with non-photographic non-optical apparatus, e.g. clocks or weapons; Cameras having the shape of other objects combinations with flash apparatus G03B15/03
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/00 Cameras or camera modules comprising electronic image sensors; Control thereof

Abstract

A still carmera system is capable of being loaded with a film back or a still video back selectably or of changing focal length information of an objective lens in use so as to correspond to the image size of the still video back, whereby when loaded with the still video back, the operational condition of a focal length dependent portion is set in accordance with changed focal length information.

Claims

1. A still camera system comprising a camera body capable of being loaded with a film back or a still video back selectably, focal length dependent means an operational condition of which is set in accordance with focal length information of an objective lens in use, and means for changing the focal length information so as to correspond to the image size of the still video back when said camera body is loaded with the still video back, whereby when loaded with the still video back, the operational condition of said focal length dependent means is set in accordance with changed focal length information.

2. A still camera system according to claim 1 wherein said still camera system includes an electronic flash device capable of changing flashlight emission coverage thereof, and said focal length dependent means is for setting the flashlight emission coverage in accordance with the focal length information.

3. A still camera system according to claim 1 wherein said camera body is operable in a programmed automatic exposure control mode having a plurality of program lines and said focal length dependent means is for selecting one of the program lines in accordance with the focal length information.

4. A still camera system according to claim 1 wherein said camera body includes detection means for detecting whether a shutter speed value to be controlled is slower than a reference shutter speed value likely to cause camera shake and means for warning of camera shake in accordance with the result of said detection means, and said focal length dependent means is for changing the reference shutter speed value in accordance with the focal length information.

5. A still camera system according to claim 1 wherein said still camera system includes an electronic flash device and said camera body includes a focal plane shutter and means for generating a shutter speed value suitable for flashlight photography when said flash device is ready for flashlight emission, and said focal length dependent means is for selecting the shutter speed for flashlight photography in accordance with the focal length information.

6. A camera system comprising:

an objective lens;

focal length dependent means, an operational condition of which is set in accordance with focal length information of said objective lens;

an image receiving device on which an image of an object is projected by said objective lens; and

means for changing the focal length information so as to correspond to coverage of image reception to be received on said image receiving device.

7. A camera system according to claim 6, wherein said camera system includes a camera body capable of being loaded with a film back or a still video back selectably and said means for changing changes the focal length information so as to correspond to the image size of said still video back when loaded with said still video back.