Photography – Pseudo zoom
Reexamination Certificate
1999-12-03
2002-07-23
Adams, Russell (Department: 2851)
Photography
Pseudo zoom
C396S299000, C396S319000, C396S543000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06424806
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a camera of the type which is adapted to record information regarding print formats designated for exposed frames on a film which is read and used to make prints in the designated print formats from the negative film in a printing system.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, as one of printing systems of this type, Advanced Photo System (APS) has become popular in the photographic field. Cameras suitably adapted to APS on the market, which has always made exposures of a film loaded therein in a standard format through a standard exposure aperture frame, can selectively designate available print formats, such as conventional, high-vision and panoramic, for exposed frames of the film and record optical or magnetic information of the designated print formats which are used to make prints of the exposed frame in the designated print format. In APS the conventional print format, which is referred to as a “C” print format, has a print size of 15.6×22.3 mm, the high-vision print format, which is referred to as an “H” print format, has a print size of 15.6×27.4 mm, and the panoramic print format, which is referred to as a “P” print format, has a print size of 9.6×27.4 mm. After development of a film exposed by such a camera, a printer automatically reads the information for each exposed frame on the film and make a print of a central portion of the exposed frame according to the designated print format. Because the camera adapted to APS is not necessary to change the format of exposure aperture, mechanically or physically, even while the camera can be miniaturized and is provided at low costs, it is quick and easy to designate a desired print format for each exposed frame.
In addition to the feature of print format designation, what is called “electronic zooming” has been proposed as a pseudo-zooming function in APS. In a camera equipped with the feature of electronic zooming, when entering a demand for electronic zooming, information regarding an entry of an electronic zooming demand or an entry of a zooming ratio is recorded on an information recording area of each exposed frame on a film, optically or magnetically. The information is read and used to make a print of a central portion of the exposed frame at a print magnification according to the designated zooming ratio. Cameras which are equipped with a zoom lens and have an electronic zooming feature can provide a print with an image with a resultant zooming effect greater than a greatest optical zooming (zooming by a zoom lens) effect obtainable by the zooming lens. A device that has been contrived in connection with such a camera is a rocking optical zooming switch such as described in, for example, Japanese Utility Model No. 2550828, which is designed and adapted to cause the zoom lens to shift toward the telephoto end while pushed at one of its opposite ends and toward the wide-angle end while pushed at another end and further to effect an entry of an electronic zooming demand when pushed at its center portion between the opposite ends. While this rocking optical zooming switch is convenient in light of that both optical zooming and electronic zooming are effected through a single operating member, it difficult to distinguish part of the zooming switch for electronic zooming from parts for optical zooming, visually and feelingly, as a result of which it is worried about that the optical zooming switch is accidentally operated at the center portion while operated to effect optical zooming.
There have not yet been brought up realistic problems of incorporating the electronic zooming feature into the feature of print format designation nor any solution for the problems. In APS, the print magnification depends upon print formats designated during taking a photograph. Specifically, when letting a print magnification for the “H” print format be ×1, the print magnification is ×1 for the “C” print format and ×1.7 for the “P” print format. This causes the potential problem that, while image quality of prints made in these print formats is satisfied, prints made in the “P” print format, strictly speaking, are inferior in image quality to prints made from the “H” or the “C” print format. In the APS print process into which the electronic zooming feature is involved, when letting a zooming ratio be ×1.7 which is the print magnification for the “P” print format, the resultant print magnification are ×1.7, ×1.7 and ×2.9 for “H”, “C” and “P” print format, respectively. The print magnification ×2.9 is too great, so as thereby to cause further aggravation of image quality for the “P” format prints which is unacceptable. While it is possible to provide high image quality of prints even made in the “P” print format by using films with improved granularity and sharpness, however, there possibly occurs aggravation of image quality of prints made in various print formats in APS process although latent images on a film is not affected in quality by the electronic zooming and/or the designation of print formats. This is because both print format designation and electronic zooming are primarily carried out as a preliminary operation, mechanically and physically or optically, and manifested as an pseudo effect during making prints. The propriety of combinations of various print formats and electronic zooming ratios depends on properties and formats of photographic films for use with the camera, print formats that are regularly employed, etc. and, therefore, improper combinations have to be prohibited from being affected. For example, when the “P” print format is designated, an entry of an electronic zooming demand must be prevented. If trusting an elimination of such an unacceptable combination of a print format and a zooming ratio to photographers, the camera conveys an impression of inconvenient operation because the photographer has to make exposures in consideration of unacceptable combinations of print formats and electronic zooming ratios. Moreover when trusting the elimination of the unacceptable combinations of print formats and zooming ratios possibly, it is difficult to protect the photographer from selecting an unacceptable combination.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a camera which can designate print formats and zooming ratios selectively in combination
It is therefore another object of the present invention to provide a camera which can indicate a selection of an unacceptable combination of zooming ratios and print formats.
It is therefore still another object of the present invention to provide a camera which enables photographers to effect both an entry of electronic zooming demand and designation of print format safely, easily and securely.
In order to achieve the foregoing object of the present invention, the camera equipped with a power-driven zoom lens installed thereto which comprises:
an information recording device operative to record information on a film loaded in the camera;
an optical zooming member capable of rocking in opposite directions about a pivot axis perpendicular to an optical axis of the zoom lens to drive the zoom lens in opposite directions along the optical axis between the telephoto end and a wide-angle end; and
an electronic zooming demand entry member installed into a center portion of the optical zooming member and movable in the optical axis relatively to the optical zooming member, the electronic zooming demand entry member, when moved, effects an entry of an electronic zooming demand for an exposed frame of the film by causing the information recording device to record information regarding the entry of an electronic zooming demand on the film.
In the camera, the optical zooming member and the electronic zooming demand entry member are independently operated to effect optical zooming and entering an electronic zooming demand, respectively. It is easy to distinguish between operating me
Ohmura Hiroshi
Tanaka Tsutom
Ushiro Seimei
Adams Russell
Fuji Photo Film Co. , Ltd.
Smith Arthur A
Young & Thompson
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