Camera with strobe and lens for use therewith

• US 5,086,315 A
• Filed: 09/25/1989
• Issued: 02/04/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/1987
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Asahi Kogaku Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Asahi Kogaku Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Satoh, Osamu, Nishida, Takao
• Primary Examiner(s): ADAMS JR, RUSSELL E
• Application Number:
  US07/412,556
• Time in Patent Office: 862 Days
• Field of Search: 354/413, 354/471, 354/473, 354/127.1, 354/127.11, 354/127.12, 354/127.13, 354/149.1, 354/149.11, 354/286
• US Class Current: 396/177
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 15/05 Combinations of cameras with electronic flash apparatus; Electronic flash units
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/14 interchangeably
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/18 Signals indicating condition of a camera member or suitability of light indicating depth of field G03B13/30
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 2215/0503 Built-in units

Abstract

A camera having a camera body with a strobe built therein and at least one photographic lens that is detachably mounted on the camera body. The camera has a strobe use-warning device for warning of the unsuitability of the use of the strobe in the case where the photographic lens mounted on the camera body reduces a quantity of light emitted from the strobe to a value less than a correct quantity of light for irradiating an object, or where a spreading zone of the light from the strobe is narrower than a field of view of the photographic lens. This prevents photographing under inappropriate photographing conditions and the superfluous use of film.

Claims

1. A photographic lens that is detachably mountable on a single-lens reflex camera, said photographic lens comprising a photographic lens system and a memory for storing in said photographic lens information that warns a photographer of an unsuitability of using a strobe when said photographic lens mounted on said camera body reduces a quantity of light emitted from said strobe to a value less than a quantity of light incident to an object to be photographed.

2. A photographic lens as set forth in claim 1, wherein said memory means comprises a ROM located in said lens.

3. A camera as set forth in claim 1, wherein said strobe is integrally connected to said camera body.

4. A camera as set forth in claim 1, wherein said strobe is built into said camera body.

5. A camera and strobe, comprising:

a camera body;

a strobe that is usable with said camera body;

a photographic lens that is detachably mounted to said camera body; and

a strobe-use warning means for warning of an unsuitability of the use of said strobe when said lens mounted on said camera reduces a quantity of light emitted from said strobe to a value less than a quantity of light for illuminating an object to be photographed.

6. The camera of claim 5, further comprising a strobe use-propriety display unit for displaying a warning of the unsuitability of the use of said strobe and for displaying the completion of charging of said strobe.

7. A camera as set forth in claim 6, wherein said strobe use-propriety display unit comprises a first indication means for warning of the unsuitability of the use of said strobe and a second indication means for the charge indicating the completion of said charging of said strobe.

8. A camera as set forth in claim 7, wherein said strobe use-warning means is operative to prohibit the use of said strobe when said second indication means indicates the completion of said charging of said strobe while said first indication means warns of the unsuitability of the use of said strobe.

9. The camera of claim 5, wherein said strobe use-warning means prohibits the use of said strobe when said strobe use-warning means warns of the unsuitability of the use of said strobe.

10. The camera of claim 5, wherein said strobe use-warning means comprises:

a strobe use-propriety display unit;

a memory located in said photographic lens, said memory storing information pertaining to said photographic lens for warning of the unsuitability of the use of said strobe;

a central controller for receiving said information from said memory;

a means for generating a signal indicating the intention of using said strobe; and

a display controller that causes said strobe use-propriety display unit to display a warning based on said information received from said central controller when said means generates said signal indicating the intention of using said strobe.

11. The camera of claim 10, wherein said strobe use-propriety display unit comprises:

a light emitting diode and transistor circuit; and

a warning signal that is periodically supplied to said transistor from said display controller in response to said information received by said central controller to cause said light emitting diode to alternately flash on and off so as to display the unsuitability of using said strobe.

12. The camera of claim 10, wherein said warning display is activated when said display controller has determined that said strobe is charged and said information received by said central controller determines it is unsuitable to use said strobe.

13. The camera of claim 11, wherein said warning display is activated when said display controller has determined that said strobe is charged and said information received by said central controller determined it is unsuitable to use said strobe.

14. The camera of claim 10, wherein said means for generating said signal indicating the intention of using said strobe is activated by moving said strobe to an open position.

15. The camera of claim 10, wherein said strobe comprises a retractable strobe, said means for generating said signal indicating the intention of using said retractable strobe generates said signal when said retractable strobe is popped up out of said camera body.

16. The camera of claim 15, wherein said means for generating said signal comprises a switch.

17. The camera of claim 5, wherein said strobe is integrally connected to said camera body.

18. The camera of claim 5, wherein said strobe is built into said camera body.