Photography – Camera combined with or convertible to diverse art device
Reexamination Certificate
2000-05-31
2002-06-11
Gray, David M. (Department: 2851)
Photography
Camera combined with or convertible to diverse art device
C348S064000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06404992
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a hybrid camera, and more particularly to a hybrid camera in which a first optical system that forms a subject image on a photographic film and a second optical system that forms a subject image on a receiving surface of an imaging device are incorporated as one.
2. Description of Related Art
A camera for both silver halide and electronic still photographs has already been proposed (Japanese Patent Provisional Publication No. 9-269545, and Japanese Patent Provisional Publication No. 9-311378). The camera has a first optical system that forms a subject image on a silver halide film through a taking lens and a second optical system that images the subject with an imaging device such as a CCD and captures the optical image by converting it into electronic image data.
The camera is able to display a still image, equal to the subject image formed on the film, on a liquid crystal display (LCD) by recording image signals, transmitted from the CCD at the shutter release, in a memory.
In such a hybrid camera, it is preferable to capture the same image by equalizing shutter speeds, diaphragms and so on and synchronizing the recordings in a recording device for film photographing and a recording device for electronic imaging. However, the sensitivity of the photographic film is different from that of the CCD, and the areas of the receiving surfaces, the lenses and the diaphragms are different. Therefore, it is difficult to record the images under the same conditions.
Especially, when a shooting is performed with an electronic flash where there is much light, the film image is within a permissible range, whereas the CCD image becomes white since the latitude of the film is different from that of the CCD.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a hybrid camera in which a film recording system and an electronic image recording system can easily record almost the same images.
To achieve the above-described object, the present invention is directed to a hybrid camera comprising: an optical image recording device that records an optical image on a photographic film; an imaging device that converts an optical image into electric signals; an electronic image recording device that records image data, obtained by processing the electric signals outputted from the imaging device, in a recording medium; a signal generating device that outputs image switching signals that regulates timing for image-capturing of the imaging device; a shooting start commanding device that generates a shooting start command signal that makes the optical image recording device and the electronic image recording device start shootings in accordance with an operation by a user; and a controlling device that controls the optical image recording device and the electronic image recording device according to the shooting start command signal and receives the image switching signals from the signal generating device, the controlling device controlling the optical image recording device and the electronic image recording device in such a way that there is a time lag for a predetermined number of image switching signals between the reception of the shooting start command signal and the image-recordings of the optical image recording device and the electronic image recording device.
According to this invention, the controlling device receives the image switching signals that regulates the switching timing of the images (frames) captured by the imaging device. There is the time lag for the predetermined number of image switching signals between the reception of the shooting start command signal (release signal) and the image-recordings of the optical image recording device and the electronic image recording device. By synchronizing the image-recordings of the recording devices while using the image switching signals, almost the same images can be recorded by the recording devices.
To achieve the above-described object, the present invention is directed to a hybrid camera comprising: an optical image recording device that records an optical image on a photographic film; an imaging device that converts an optical image into electric signals; an electronic image recording device that records image data, obtained by processing the electric signals outputted from the imaging device, in a recording medium; a flashing device that radiate auxiliary light to a subject; a luminance measuring device that measures outside luminance; a shooting start commanding device that generates a shooting start command signal that makes the optical image recording device and the electronic image recording device start shootings in accordance with an operation by a user; and a controlling device that controls the optical image recording device and the electronic image recording device according to the shooting start command signal, the controlling device controlling the optical image recording device and the electronic image recording device in such a way that there is a relative time lag between the image-capturing of the optical image recording device and the image-capturing of the electronic image recording device when the luminance measured by the luminance measuring device is higher than a predetermined reference value and the flashing device is to be used.
According to this invention, for example, the optical image recording device can record the image at the appropriate exposure with the flashing device, and the electronic image recording device can record the image at the appropriate exposure without the flashing device. The time lag is for only one image switching signal, and thus almost the same images can be recorded by the recording devices. The order of the image-capturings of the recording devices can be changed.
To achieve the above-described object, the present invention is directed to a hybrid camera comprising: a first recording device that has an optical system that records a subject image on a photographic film; a first controlling device that controls image-recording of the first recording device; a second recording device that has an imaging device converting an optical image into electric signals and an optical system forming a subject image on a light-receiving surface of the imaging device, the second recording device recording image data, obtained by processing the electric signals outputted from the imaging device, in a recording medium; and a second controlling device that controls image-recording of the second recording device; wherein the first controlling device receives image switching signals generated by the second recording device and the second controlling device at regular intervals and controls the first recording device and the second recording device in such a way that there is a time lag for a predetermined number of image switching signals between the reception of the shooting start command signal and the image-recordings of the first recording device and the second recording device.
According to this invention, the first controlling device receives the image switching signals that regulates the switching timing of the images (frames) captured by the imaging device. There is the time lag for the predetermined number of image switching signals between the reception of the shooting start command signal (release signal) and the image-recordings of the first recording device and the second recording device. By synchronizing the image-recordings of the recording devices while using the image switching signals, almost the same images can be easily recorded by the recording devices.
To achieve the above-described object, the present invention is directed to a hybrid camera comprising: a first recording device that has an optical system that records a subject image on a photographic film; a second recording device that has an imaging device converting an optical image into electric signals and an optical system forming a subject image on a light-receiving surface of the imaging dev
Iwai Fumio
Nishitani Yasuhiro
Saito Tatsuo
Fuji Photo Film Co. , Ltd.
Gray David M.
Young & Thompson
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