Camera having a strobe unit

• US 5,991,549 A
• Filed: 05/22/1995
• Issued: 11/23/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Olympus Optical Company Ltd. (Olympus Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Olympus Optical Company Ltd. (Olympus Corporation)
• Inventors: Tsuchida, Keiichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Metjahic, Safet
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dalakis, Michael
• Application Number:
  US08/445,875
• Time in Patent Office: 1,646 Days
• Field of Search: 354/413-419, 354/106, 354/126, 354/145.1, 362/18, 362/4, 362/16, 348/371, 348/370, 396/158, 396/157, 396/164-165, 396/319, 396/155, 396/198, 396/275-276, 315/241 P
• US Class Current: 396/158
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/24 with means for separately producing marks on the film, e.g. title, time of exposure
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 7/17 Selection of modes in flash units by exposure control arrangements

Abstract

The present invention provides a camera having strobe unit, comprising a strobe flashing unit for emitting illumination light toward an object, a switch for switching states of flashlight emanating from the strobe flashing unit by selecting normal flashlight or flashlight that is effective in alleviating a red-eye phenomenon and that contains less red light than normal flashlight, an information recorder for recording photographic information on film, and a recording control unit for allowing the information recorder to record flashlight selected by the switch.

Claims

1. A camera having a strobe unit, comprising:

a strobe flashing means for emitting illumination light toward an object;

a switching means for switching states of flashlight emanating from said strobe flashing means by selecting one of a normal flashlight and a flashlight that is effective for alleviating a red-eye phenomenon and that contains less red light than normal flashlight does;

an information recording means for recording photographic information on a film, and

a recording control means for allowing said information recording means to record a flashlight selected by said switching means.

2. A camera according to claim 1, wherein said switching means selects said flashlight effective for alleviating a red-eye phenomenon by reducing red light by an amount more than other light components of light emanating from a flash lamp in said strobe flashing means.

3. A camera according to claim 1, wherein said switching means selects said flashlight effective for alleviating a red-eye phenomenon by reducing a total amount of light emanating from said strobe flashing means, and said recording control means controls said information recording means to record information representing an intensification instruction for instructing an insertion of an amount of light reduced from said total amount, said insertion being provided during an operation for producing a print of an image on said film that was photographed using said reduced amount of total light.

4. A camera having a strobe unit, comprising:

a strobe flashing means for emitting illumination light toward an object;

a strobe flashlight changing means for changing a spectrum of visible light emitted by said strobe flashing means for purpose of red-eye reduction;

a magnetic recording means for recording given photographic information in a magnetic recording medium on a film;

a strobe flashlight checking means for check that strobe flashlight emanating from said strobe flashing means has been changed by said strobe flashlight changing means; and

a recording control means that, when said strobe flashing means flashes, causes said magnetic recording means to record on said magnetic recording medium information concerning correction of a print of an image associated with said information according to a result of checking made by said strobe flashlight checking means to compensate for a change in a spectrum of visible light.

5. A camera having a strobe unit, comprising:

a strobe flashing means for emitting illumination light toward an object;

a strobe flashlight changing means for changing a spectrum of visible light emitted by said strobe flashing means for purpose of red-eye reduction;

a magnetic recording means for recording given photographic information in a magnetic recording medium on a film;

a strobe flashlight checking means for check that strobe flashlight emanating from said strobe flashing means has been changed by said strobe flashlight changing means; and

a recording control means that, when said strobe flashing means flashes, causes said magnetic recording means to record on said magnetic recording medium information concerning correction of a print of an image associated with said information according to a result of checking made by said strobe flashlight checking means to compensate for a change in a spectrum of visible light, said information concerning correction of a print representing an amount of cyan light contained in strobe flashlight checked by said strobe flashlight determining means.

6. A camera having a strobe unit, comprising:

a light source for emitting illumination light toward an object;

a flashlight spectrum changing means for selectively reducing red light in a visible range contained in illumination light emanating from said light source for preventing red-eye phenomenon;

a red-eye phenomenon determining means for determining whether an image to be photographed is prone to a red-eye phenomenon; and

a control means that when said red-eye phenomenon determining means determines that a red-eye phenomenon may occur, activates said flashlight spectrum changing means.

7. A camera according to claim 6, wherein said determining means determines whether a red-eye phenomenon occurs by means for evaluating a distance to an object, brightness of an object, and a power of a taking lens.

8. A camera according to claim 6, wherein said flashlight spectrum changing means includes an optical filter means and an actuator for moving the optical filter means between a position at which light emanating from said light source is not affected by the filter means and a position at which said light is affected by the filter means.

9. A camera according to claim 8 where said actuator comprises a motor.

10. A strobe unit, comprising:

a plurality of light sources for emitting flashlights said sources having different spectra;

a red-eye phenomenon determining means for determining whether an image to be photographed is prone to a red-eye phenomenon; and

a flashlight control means that when said red-eye phenomenon determining means determines that a red-eye phenomenon will not occur, allows said plurality of light sources to flash at a given ratio of amounts of light so that a combination of the spectra of light emanating from said plurality of light sources resemble a spectrum of sunlight, and that when said red-eye phenomenon determining means determines that a red-eye phenomenon may occur, controls flashing of said plurality of light sources so that flashlight emanating from said plurality of light sources will contain less red light than a flashlight emitted at said given ratio of amounts of light.

11. A strobe unit, comprising:

a strobe flashing means for emitting illumination light toward an object;

a flashlight spectrum changing mens for changing a spectrum of flashlight emanating from said strobe flashing means; and

a control means that when an image to be photographed is prone to a red-eye phenomenon, activates said flashlight spectrum changing means.

12. A camera according to claim 11, wherein said flashlight spectrum changing means is an optical filter for selectively reducing red light in the visible range contained in light emanating from a light source.

13. A strobe unit, comprising:

a strobe flashing means for emitting illumination light toward an object;

a flashlight spectrum changing means for changing a spectrum of flashlight emanating from said strobe flashing means; and

a control means that when an image to be photographed is prone to a red-eye phenomenon, activates said light spectrum changing means, said flashlight spectrum changing means including a plurality of flashing units for flashing light of different colors, and said flashlight spectrum changing means changes a ratio of contributions to flashing of said plurality of flashing units.

14. A strobe unit, comprising:

a strobe flashing means for emitting illumination light toward an object;

a flashlight spectrum changing means for changing a spectrum of flashlight emanating from said strobe flashing means;

a determining means for determining whether a red-eye phenomenon is prone to occur;

a flashing control means that, when said determining means determines that a red-eye phenomenon may occur, controls said strobe flashing means so that an amount of flashlight emanating from said strobe flashing means will not reach a level at which an amount of light entering a retinae is discerned as a red-eye phenomenon, said determining means determining that a red-eye phenomenon may occur, said flashing control means reduces red light more than other light components of light emanating from a flash lamp is said strobe flashing means.

15. A camera according to claim 14, wherein said strobe unit is mounted in said camera, and said determining means including means which makes a determination on the basis of a brightness of an object and a distance thereto.

16. A camera according to claim 14, wherein when said determining means determines that a red-eye phenomenon may occur, said flashing control means reduces red light more than other light components of light emanating from a flash lamp is said strobe flashing means.

17. A camera according to claim 14, wherein when said determining means determines that a red-eye phenomenon may occur, said flashing control means reduces an amount of flashlight emanating from said strobe flashing means as a whole.

18. A strobe unit, comprising:

a strobe flashing means for emitting illumination light toward an object;

a flashlight spectrum changing means for changing a spectrum of flashlight emanating from said strobe flashing means;

a deter mining means for determining whether a red-eye phenomenon is prone to occur;

a flashing control means that, when said determining means determines that a red-eye phenomenon may occur, controls said strobe flashing means so that an amount of flashlight emanating from said strobe flashing means will not reach a level at which an amount of light entering a retinae is discerned as a red-eye phenomenon; and

an information recording means that, when said flashing control means performs flashing in such a manner as to alleviate a red-eye phenomenon, records that flashing in performed in such manner.

19. A camera having a strobe unit, comprising:

a strobe flashing means for emitting illumination light toward an object;

a strobe flashlight changing means for reducing the amount of visible light emanating from said strobe flashing means for the purpose of red-eye reduction;

a magnetic recording means for recording given photographic information in a magnetic recording medium on a film;

a strobe flashlight checking means for checking that strobe flashlight emanating from said strobe flashing means has been changed by said strobe flashlight changing means; and

a recording control means that, when said strobe flashing means flashes, causes said magnetic recording means to record on said magnetic recording medium information concerning correction of a print of an image associated with said information according to a result of checking made by said strobe flashlight checking means to compensate for the reduction of visible light.

20. A camera having a strobe unit, comprising:

a strobe flashing means for emitting illumination light toward an object;

a strobe flashlight changing means for reducing the amount of light emanating from said strobe flashing means for the purpose of red-eye reduction;

a magnetic recording means for recording given photographic information in a magnetic recording medium on a film;

a strobe flashlight checking means for checking that strobe flashlight emanating from said strobe flashing means has been changed by said strobe flashlight changing means; and

a recording control means that, when said strobe flashing means flashes, causes said magnetic recording means to record on said magnetic recording medium information concerning correction of a print of an image associated with said information according to a result of checking made by said strobe flashlight checking means, said information concerning correction of a print representing an amount of cyan light contained in strobe flashlight checked by said strobe flashlight determining means.