Photographic camera with flash unit

• US 5,202,720 A
• Filed: 01/31/1990
• Issued: 04/13/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Minolta Corporation Limited (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Minolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Fujii, Hidehiko, Tsuji, Sadafusa, Taniguchi, Nobuyuki, Tsuji, Kenji, Fujino, Akihiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Gellner, Michael L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gray, David M.
• Application Number:
  US07/747,713
• Time in Patent Office: 1,168 Days
• Field of Search: 354/415, 354/418, 354/419, 354/471-475, 354/127.11, 354/127.12, 354/127.13, 354/149.11, 354/145.1
• US Class Current: 396/158
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 15/05 Combinations of cameras with electronic flash apparatus; Electronic flash units
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 2215/0503 Built-in units
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 2215/0514 Separate unit
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 2215/0571 With second light source
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 7/17 Selection of modes in flash units by exposure control arrangements

Abstract

A photographic camera which comprises an electronic flash unit for firing a flash light for illuminating a target object to be photographed when an image of the target object is desired to be exposed on a light senistive film, a preliminarily flash unit activated prior to the flash light fired by the electronic flash unit to emit a preliminary flash light necessary to cause the pupils of the target object to close, a manipulating unit for selecting a mode in which the preliminarily flash unit is activated, a determining circuit for determining the necessity of the preliminary flash light under a predetermined condition; and a display device for providing, on the basis of a result of determination made by the determining circuit, an indication that the preliminary flash light is necessary.

Claims

1. A photographic camera which comprises:

flash firing means for firing a flash light for illuminating a target object to be photographed when an image of the target object is desired to be exposed on a light sensitive film;

preliminarily flash firing means activated prior to the flash light fired by the flash firing means to emit a preliminary flash light necessary to cause the pupils of the target object to constrict;

mode selecting means for selecting a mode by a manual operation, between a first mode in which the preliminarily flash firing means is enabled and a second mode in which the preliminarily flash firing means is disabled;

determining means for determining the necessity of the preliminary flash light under a predetermined condition; and

display means for providing, on the basis of a result of the determination made by the determining means, an indication that the preliminary flash light is necessary under the second mode.

2. The camera as claimed in claim 1, further comprising second display means for providing an indication that the preliminary flash firing is carried out in response to a manipulation of the mode selecting means prior to the activation of the preliminarily flash firing means.

3. The camera as claimed in claim 1, wherein

said determining means includes measuring means for measuring a brightness of the target object and operable to determine that the preliminarily flash firing means should be activated to emit the preliminary flash light when the brightness of the target object measured by said measuring means is lower than a predetermined value.

4. The camera as claimed in claim 3, wherein said determining means further includes magnification detecting means for detecting the magnification at which the target object is photographed and is operable to determine that the preliminarily flash firing means should be activated to emit the preliminary flash light when the magnification detected by said magnification detecting means is higher than a predetermined value.

5. The camera as claimed in claim 4, wherein said magnification detecting means includes a distance measuring means for measuring a distance to the target object and a focal length detecting means for detecting the focal length of a photo-taking lens assembly mounted on the camera and is operable to determine the magnification in reference to the measured distance and the detected focal length.

6. The camera as claimed in claim 3, wherein said determining means further includes distance measuring means for measuring a distance to the target object and is operable to determine that the preliminarily flash firing means should be activated to emit the preliminary flash light when the distance measured by said distance measuring means is greater than a predetermined value.

7. The camera as claimed in claim 6, wherein said determining means further includes output means for outputting a flash available distance range operatively associated with the flash firing means and is operable to determine that the preliminarily flash firing means should not be activated to emit the preliminary flash light when the the distance to the target object is out of the flash available distance range.

8. A photographic camera which comprises:

flash firing means for firing a flash light for illuminating a target object to be photographed when a light sensitive film is to be exposed;

preliminarily flash firing means activated prior to the flash light fired by the flash firing means to emit a preliminary flash light necessary to cause the pupils of the target object to constrict;

continuous photo-taking means for effecting a continuous photo-taking operation;

flash firing control means for controlling the flash firing means to cause the latter to be activated to emit the flash light each time each one of a plurality of frames of the light sensitive film is exposed during the continuous photo-taking operation; and

preliminary flash firing control means for activating the preliminarily flash firing means only at the first exposure during the continuous photo-taking operation.

9. A photographic camera which comprises:

flash firing means for firing a flash light for illuminating a target object to be photographed when a light sensitive film is to be exposed;

preliminarily flash firing means activated prior to the flash light fired by the flash firing means to emit a preliminary flash light necessary to cause the pupils of the target object to constrict;

magnification detecting means for detecting the magnification at which the target object is to be photographed; and

control means for controlling the amount of the preliminary flash light, emitted by the preliminarily flash firing means, in dependence on the magnification detected by said magnification detecting means.

10. A photographic camera which comprises:

flash firing means, comprising a flash light emitter, for firing a flash light for illuminating a target object to be photographed when a light sensitive film is to be exposed;

preliminarily flash firing means activated prior to the flash light fired by the flash firing means to emit a preliminary flash light necessary to cause the pupils of the target object to constrict;

charge accumulating means for accumulating an electric charge necessary to cause the flash firing means and the preliminarily flash firing means to emit the flash light and the preliminary flash light, respectively; and

control means operable to cause the charge accumulating means to accumulate the electric charge until photo-taking is initiated subsequent to the emission of the preliminary flash light from the preliminarily flash firing means.

11. A photographic camera for use with an electronic flash device detachably attached to the camera for illuminating a target object to be photographed when a light sensitive film is to be exposed, which comprises:

flash firing means for ordering said flash device to fire a flash light;

preliminarily flash firing means activated prior to the flash light fired by the flash firing means to emit a preliminary flash light necessary to cause pupils of the target object to constrict and, receiving means for receiving information from said flash device related with the preliminary flash firing which depend on a condition of the attached flash device; and

determining means for determining the necessity of the preliminary flash light in dependence on said information.

12. A flash device for use on a photographic camera for emitting a flash light necessary to illuminate a target object to be photographed when a light sensitive film is to be exposed to the target object while the flash lighting device is detachably mounted on the camera, which device comprises:

preliminarily flash firing means activated prior to the exposure to emit a preliminary flash light necessary to cause the pupils of the target object to constrict; and

indicating means for indicating the unnecessity of the preliminary flash firing performed by the camera.

13. A photographic camera which comprises:

flash firing means for firing a flash light for illuminating a target object to be photographed when a light sensitive film is to be exposed;

preliminarily flash firing means activated prior to the flash light fired by the flash firing means to emit a preliminary flash light necessary to cause the pupils of the target object to constrict;

automatic focus adjusting means;

detecting means for detecting whether or not the target object to be photographed is under motion;

determining means for determining the necessity of the preliminary flash firing, performed by the preliminarily flash firing means; and

means for inhibiting the preliminary flash firing when the target object is under motion independent of a result of the determination by the determining means.

14. A photographic camera system which comprises:

a camera body;

a flash device adapted to be detachably mounted on the camera body for firing a flash light for illuminating a target object to be photographed when a light sensitive film is to be exposed; and

preliminarily flash firing means activated prior to the exposure to emit a preliminary flash light necessary to cause the pupils of the target object to constrict;

said flash device including detecting means for detecting whether or not the flash device is directly mounted on the camera body;

detecting means for detecting whether or not the preliminary flash firing is necessary;

determining means operable, when said detecting means detects that the flash device is not directly mounted on the camera body, to determine that the emission of the preliminary flash light by the preliminarily flash firing means is not necessary independent of a result of a detection by said detecting means; and

means for inhibiting the emission of the preliminary flash light by the preliminarily flash firing means when said determining means determines that the emission is not necessary.

15. A flash device for use on a photographic camera;

flash firing means having a flash firing window for emitting a flash light necessary to illuminate a target object to be photographed when a light sensitive film is to be exposed to the target object while the flash lighting device is detachably mounted on the camera;

preliminarily flash firing means activated prior to the exposure to emit a preliminary flash light necessary to cause the pupils of the target object to constrict;

support means for supporting the flash firing window for adjustment between a first position, in which the flash firing window is oriented substantially parallel to an optical axis of a photo-taking lens assembly, and a second position in which the flash firing window is oriented in a direction deviating from the optical axis of the photo-taking lens assembly;

determining means for determining whether or not the preliminary flash firing is necessary;

detecting means for detecting that the flash firing window is not held in the first position; and

means for inhibiting the emission of the preliminary flash light by the preliminarily flash firing means when the flash firing window is not held in the first position, independent of a determination of the determining means.

16. A flash photography system which comprises:

a camera body;

a flash device adapted to be detachably mounted on the camera body for firing a flash light for illuminating a target object to be photographed when a light sensitive film is to be exposed; and

preliminarily flash firing means activated prior to the flash light fired by the flash firing means to emit a preliminary flash light necessary to cause the pupils of the target object to constrict;

wherein said flash device includes a transmitting means for transmitting to the camera body information indicative of the provision of the preliminarily flash firing means when the flash device is mounted on the camera body, and said camera body is capable of performing a photo-taking on the basis of the information transmitted thereto from the transmitting means.

17. A flash photography system which comprises:

a camera body including a main flash firing means for firing a flash light for illuminating a target object to be photographed when a light sensitive film is to be exposed, and a preliminarily flash firing means activated prior to the flash light fired by the flash firing means to emit a preliminary flash light necessary to cause the pupils of the target object to constrict; and

an extra flash device adapted to be detachably mounted on the camera body and including extra flash firing means for firing an extra flash light for illuminating the target object when the light sensitive film is to be exposed;

wherein both of said preliminarily flash firing means and said extra flash firing means are activated to illuminate the target object during a photo-taking when the extra flash device is mounted on the camera body.

18. A photographic camera which comprises:

flash firing means for firing a flash light for illuminating a target object to be photographed when a light sensitive film is to be exposed;

preliminarily flash firing means activated prior to the flash light fired by the flash firing means to emit a preliminary flash light necessary to cause the pupils of the target object to constrict;

setting means for setting that the preliminarily flash firing means should be activated to emit the preliminary flash light; and

manipulating means installed in a camera body at a location rearwardly and upwardly of said camera body for setting said setting means.

19. A photographic camera which comprises:

flash firing means for firing a flash light for illuminating a target object to be photographed when an image of the target object is desired to be exposed on a light sensitive film;

preliminarily flash firing means activated prior to the flash light fired by the flash firing means to emit a preliminary flash light necessary to cause the pupils of the target object to close;

determining means for determining the necessity of the preliminary flash light; and

control means for controlling in dependence on a result of determination performed by said determining means for activating said preliminarily flash firing means;

said determining means including distance measuring means for measuring a distance to the target object and output means for outputting a flash available distance range operatively associated with the flash firing means and being operable to determine that the preliminarily flash firing means should not be activated to emit the preliminary flash light when the distance to the target object is out of the flash available distance range.

20. A flash photography system which comprises:

a camera body including a main flash firing means for firing a flash light for illuminating a target object to be photographed when a light sensitive film is to be exposed, and a preliminarily flash firing means activated prior to the flash light fired by the flash firing means to emit a preliminary flash light necessary to cause the pupils of the target object to constrict; and

an extra flash device adapted to be detachably mounted on the camera body and including extra flash firing means for firing an extra flash light for illuminating the target object when the light sensitive film is to be exposed;

wherein only the extra flash firing means is activated to illuminate the target object when the extra flash device is mounted on the camera body.