Photography – Exposure control circuit – Bracketing
Reexamination Certificate
2001-05-14
2002-07-30
Perkey, W. B. (Department: 2851)
Photography
Exposure control circuit
Bracketing
C396S223000, C396S281000, C396S299000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06427052
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an operation member for a camera, which is adapted to set an exposure compensation value (Xv) and an automatic exposure bracketing (AEB) mode.
2. Description of the Related Art
There is known a camera having an exposure compensating function to vary the correct exposure value estimated by the camera in accordance with photographing conditions and an automatic exposure bracketing (AEB) function to take continuous shots at automatically compensated exposure levels above or below the correct exposure value.
However, in the prior art, separate operation devices for compensating the exposure value and for setting the AEB mode are necessary, or the compensated exposure value and the set AEB mode are indicated at distant positions, or it is difficult for a user to understand the correlation between the compensated exposure vale and the AEB mode. In particular, upon taking shots at the AEB mode and at a compensated exposure value, it is difficult for a user to intuitively recognize the range of the exposure compensation at the AEB mode.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide an operation member for a camera, in which the correlation between the compensated exposure value and the photographic range at the AEB mode can be easily understood, and the range of the exposure compensation can be easily and visually confirmed.
In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, an exposure-condition setting device for a camera is provided, including an Xv dial for setting an exposure compensation value, having a plurality of exposure compensation value indicia in the circumferential direction thereof, the exposure compensation value indicia representing exposure compensation values, one of which being set in accordance with one of a plurality of stop positions of the Xv dial; and an AEB dial provided coaxial to the Xv dial and relatively rotatable thereto, for setting an automatic exposure bracketing mode having at least one pair of range marks in the circumferential direction thereof, the pair of range marks representing an exposure compensation range in the automatic exposure bracketing mode when the automatic exposure bracketing mode is set by the AEB dial. An interval of the pair of range marks in the circumferential direction is determined so that the pair of range marks registers with a pair of exposure compensation value indicia on the Xv dial so as to indicate the exposure compensation range for the automatic exposure mode.
With this arrangement, upon taking photographic shots at the automatic exposure bracketing mode, the exposure compensation range set at the automatic exposure bracketing mode can be easily recognized even if the exposure has been compensated.
Preferably, the AEB dial is provided with a plurality of AEB mode indicia to set different exposure compensation ranges, wherein each of the pair of range marks corresponds to each of the AEB mode indicia.
In an embodiment, the pair of range marks include an overexposure range mark which represents the exposure compensation value indicia corresponding to an overexposure compensation value of the automatic exposure bracketing mode, and an underexposure range mark which represents the exposure compensation value indicia corresponding to an underexposure compensation value of the automatic exposure bracketing mode.
In an embodiment, the overexposure range marks and the underexposure range marks are spaced in opposite circumferential directions at a predetermined angular distance away from the AEB mode indicia.
One of the Xv dial and the AEB dial is provided with a circular operation portion and the other of Xv dial and the AEB dial is provided with an annular operation portion which surrounds the circular operation portion.
In an embodiment, the exposure-condition setting device further includes a stationary mark provided in the vicinity of the: Xv dial and the AEB dial; and a control device which sets the exposure compensation value corresponding to the exposure compensation value indicia which is registered with the stationary mark at one of the stop positions of the Xv dial, and sets the automatic exposure bracketing modes corresponding to the automatic exposure bracketing mode indicia which is registered with the stationary mark at one of the stop positions of the AEB dial.
Preferably, the exposure-condition setting device further includes a first click-stop mechanism which is adapted to stop the xv dial at one of the stop positions thereof corresponding to the exposure compensation value indicia, and a second click-stop mechanism which is adapted to stop the AEB dial at one of the stop positions thereof corresponding to the automatic exposure bracketing modes.
According to another aspect of the present invention, an operation member for a camera is provided, including a first rotary operation member, adapted to set an exposure compensation value, including a plurality of exposure compensation value indicia which represent exposure compensation values set in accordance with first stop positions of the first rotary operation member; and a second rotary operation member, adapted to set an automatic exposure bracketing mode, including a plurality of range marks which represent the exposure compensation ranges at the automatic exposure bracketing mode set in accordance with second stop positions of the second rotary operation member. The first and second rotary operation members are provided on the camera and relatively rotate about a common axis. The plurality of exposure compensation value indicia and the plurality of range marks are provided on the first rotary operation member and the second rotary operation member, respectively, at predetermined intervals in the circumferential direction, so that a circumferential position of the range marks corresponds to a circumferential position of the exposure compensation value indicia when the first rotary operation member and the second rotary operation member are stopped at the respective stop positions thereof.
The present disclosure relates to subject matter contained in Japanese Patent Application No.2000-142001 (filed on May 15, 2000) which is expressly incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
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patent: 4067033 (1978-01-01), Urano et al.
patent: 4974012 (1990-11-01), Ohsawa
patent: 5099267 (1992-03-01), Satou et al.
patent: 6122451 (2000-09-01), Ohsawa et al.
patent: 403235928 (1991-10-01), None
patent: 407168238 (1995-07-01), None
Haga Masa-aki
Ogi Mikio
Asahi Kogaku Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
Greenblum & Bernstein P.L.C.
Perkey W. B.
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