Photography – Flash system responsive to focal length or distance – Illumination angle responds to focal length or distance
Reexamination Certificate
2001-07-19
2001-12-25
Perkey, W. B. (Department: 2851)
Photography
Flash system responsive to focal length or distance
Illumination angle responds to focal length or distance
C396S175000, C396S311000, C396S321000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06334028
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a photo printing system, wherein an image of a field angle different from the field angle of an image, which has been recorded on photographic film with a photographing operation, is capable of being printed. This invention also relates to a photo printing system, wherein a photograph, which has been taken under incorrect conditions of light distribution characteristics and/or a light throw distance of a strobe, is capable of being printed as if it were taken with a correct exposure. This invention further relates to a camera for use in the photo printing system. This invention still further relates to a zoom finder constituted such that the field angle of a displayed image can be altered continuously.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Photo printing systems, wherein an enlargement magnification ratio in a printing process is adjusted, and an image of a field angle different from the field angle of an image, which has been recorded on photographic film with a photographing operation, is thereby printed, have heretofore been proposed. One example of such photo printing systems is disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 5(1993)-82921. It is necessary for cameras corresponding to such photo printing systems to be formed such that the field angle of a printed photograph can be specified, such that the photographer can confirm the specified field angle, and such that the printing process in a processing laboratory, or the like, can be notified of the specified field angle.
One example of a pseudo zoom camera formed in the manner described above is disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 5(1993)-82921. The disclosed pseudo zoom camera has a structure such that a zoom ring of a zoom taking lens can be moved to a region beyond a tele-side limit or a wide-angle side limit of the lens itself, such that part of the visual field within a finder may be limited by a masking unit and a printing range is thereby displayed when the zoom ring has been moved to such a region, and such that information, which represents what masking state was set when the photograph was taken, may be optically recorded in an area outside of an image recording region on the film.
With the pseudo zoom camera having the structure described above, in the pseudo zoom region, the size of the image displayed in the finder is invariable. Therefore, in cases where the pseudo zoom camera having the structure described above is used, the problems are encountered in that it is difficult for the photographer to intuitively ascertain an image of a print obtained from pseudo zoom functions.
For example, in the pseudo zoom region on the tele-side, as the zoom magnification ratio is set to be high, the masking range becomes broad and the visual field in the finder becomes narrow. However, a photographer, or the like, who is inexperienced in pseudo zoom cameras, cannot easily imagine that a print, in which such a narrow range has been enlarged to a predetermined size, is obtained, and he will intuitively feel that a print, in which a peripheral blank area is broad and an image-recording range is limited to a narrow area, is obtained.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The primary object of the present invention is to provide a pseudo zoom camera, which is capable of indicating an image reproduction range on a print obtained from pseudo zoom functions such that a photographer can easily ascertain the image reproduction range.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a photo printing system, wherein a photoprint of the same field angle as that indicated by a finder of the pseudo zoom camera is capable of being obtained from a film cartridge, which has been used in the pseudo zoom camera.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a pseudo zoom camera, wherein magnification ratios, which are required of a taking zoom lens and a tele-conversion lens such that a zoom magnification ratio of a print obtained from pseudo zoom functions may be kept high, are kept to be comparatively low, and the camera is thereby kept small in size and cheap in cost.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide a photo printing system, wherein a photographic image having been recorded on photographic film with the pseudo zoom camera, in which the magnification ratios required of the taking zoom lens and the tele-conversion lens are kept to be comparatively low, is printed as an image of a field angle different from the field angle of the photographic image, which has been recorded on the photographic film.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a photo printing system, wherein a photograph, which has been taken under incorrect conditions of light distribution characteristics and/or a light throw distance of a strobe, is capable of being printed as if it were taken with a correct exposure.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a camera, with which a photographer is capable of taking a photograph by arbitrarily altering the light distribution characteristics and/or the light throw distance of the strobe on the assumption that an incorrect exposure will be compensated for by the photo printing system.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide a zoom finder wherein, even if a zoom ratio is set to be high, various aberrations are capable of being kept to be low, and wherein the overall length of the finder is capable of being kept to be comparatively short.
The present invention provides a first pseudo zoom camera, which utilizes a film cartridge provided with an information storing means, the pseudo zoom camera comprising:
i) a taking lens optical system for projecting an object image onto a portion of photographic film, which portion has been pulled out of the film cartridge,
ii) a finder optical system capable of displaying an image of a field angle, which is different from the field angle of the object image formed by the taking lens optical system, in a predetermined region representing an image-recording range, and
iii) a writing means for writing information representing an image range ratio of the image, which is displayed in the predetermined region by the finder optical system, to the object image, the information being written on the information storing means of the film cartridge.
In the first pseudo zoom camera in accordance with the present invention, by way of example, the finder optical system may comprise:
a) a fundamental optical system for displaying an image of a field angle, which approximately coincides with the field angle of the object image formed by the taking lens optical system, in the predetermined region, and
b) at least one conversion lens, which is releasably combined with the fundamental optical system, and which alters the field angle of the displayed image in the predetermined region when it is combined with the fundamental optical system, and
the writing means may write information, which is defined by relationship between a magnification ratio of the fundamental optical system and a magnification ratio of the taking lens optical system and by a magnification ratio of the conversion lens, which is combined with the fundamental optical system.
Also, the fundamental optical system of the finder optical system and the taking lens optical system should preferably be zoom optical systems, which are interlocked with each other at least in a partial region.
In cases where the zoom optical systems interlocked with each other are employed, the pseudo zoom camera should preferably further comprise a lens driving means, which combines a predetermined conversion lens with the fundamental optical system of the finder optical system when a zooming position of the taking lens optical system has been set at a predetermined position.
In cases where the lens driving means described above is provided and a conversion lens is automatically combined with the fundamental optical system of the finder optical system, the pseudo zoom camera should preferably further comprise mea
Cho Michio
Goto Shigenori
Iwasaki Yoichi
Kobayashi Hideo
K{overscore (o)}da Takao
Fuji Photo Optical Co., Ltd.
Perkey W. B.
Young & Thompson
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