GB2235055A

GB2235055A - Indicating apparatus in finder of camera

Info

Publication number: GB2235055A
Application number: GB9015394A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Isao Soshi; Kazuo Goto
Original assignee: Asahi Kogaku Kogyo Co Ltd
Current assignee: Pentax Corp
Priority date: 1989-07-17
Filing date: 1990-07-13
Publication date: 1991-02-20
Also published as: GB9015394D0; JPH0324639U; DE4022536A1; FR2649806A1

Abstract

An indicating apparatus in a finder of a camera in which an incorporated strobe and an external strobe which is detachably attached to the camera can be simultaneously used, including a first indicator 24 which indicates information of the incorporated strobe and a second indicator 25 which indicates information of the external strobe. <IMAGE>

Description

INDICATING APPARATUS IN FINDER OF CAMERA

BACKGROUND OF 111E INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to an indicating apparatus in a finder of a camera having a strobe incorporated therein and a mounting portion (hot shoe) to which an external strobe can be detachably mounted.

2. Description of the Related Art

In a finder of a known single-lens reflex camera or a known compact lo camera which has an incorporated strobe and a hot shoe to which an external strobe can be detachably mounted, a charging completion lamp or an automatic luminance adjustment completion lamp is lightened. However, the indicated information is only for the incorporated strobe. Namely, no information on the external strobe is indicated in the finder. Therefore, when the external strobe is used, a photographer must move his or her eyes from the finder to look at an indication lamp or the like provided on the external strobe in order to learn the state of the external strobe.

SMIARY OF THE INVENTION The primary object of the present invention is to provide an indicating apparatus in a finder of a camera, in which information on not only an incorporated strobe but also an external strobe can be indicated.

To achieve the object mentioned above, according to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided an indicating apparatus comprising a first indicator which indicates information of an incorporated strobe and a second indicator which indicates information of an external strobe which is detachably mounted to a mounting portion of the camera, wherein the indication of the first indicator is different from the indication of the second indicator.

With this arrangement, since there are independent indicators for the incorporated strobe and the external strobe and since the indications of tile indicators are different from each other, a photographer can see information of the incorporated strobe and the external strobe in the finder at one time.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of an example of information 10 indicated in a finder, according to an aspect of the present invention; Fig. 2 is a block diagram of a control system of an indicator; and.

Fig. 3 is a front elevational view of a camera having an incorporated strobe and a hot shoe to which an external strobe can be mounted.

DESCRIPTION OF UE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Figure 3 shows a single-lens reflex camera 13 which has a strobe 11 incorporated therein and a hot shoe 12 which forms a mounting portion to which an external strobe 14 is detachably attached. An image of an object which is transmitted through a photographing lens 15 can be viewed in a finder 20 (Fig. 1) through a finder optical system per se known.

The incorporated strobe 11 is connected to a strobe control circuit 16, so that a strobe signal to determine whether or not the charging of the incorporated strobe is completed is supplied thereto. The hot shoe 12 is also connected to the strobe control circuit 16. The hot shoe 12 has terminals which receive and transmit signals from and to the external strobe 14, so that a strobe signal to determine whether or not the charging of the external strobe 14 is completed is supplied to the strobe control circuit 16 through one of the terminals. To the strobe control circuit 16 are connected a photometer circuit 17 which detects the luminance signal of an object to be taken, an auto/manual switching means 18 and a light emission selecting means I- -3 19 which comprises a switch for selecting a first mode in which light is emitted from only one of the incorporated strobe 11 and the external strobe 14 and a second mode in which lights are simultaneously emitted from both the incorporated strobe 11 and the external strobe 14.

In the finder 20 of the single-lens reflex camera 13, there are various indications of manual photographing mode 21, program mode 22, auto-focus information 23, as well as indications 24 and 25 of completion of charging of the incorporated strobe 11 and the external strobe 14. In the illustrated embodiment, the indication 24 of the completion of charging of the incorporated strobe 11 is represented by a single (crank-shaped) arrow of LED, and the indication 25 of the completion of charging of the external strobe 14 is represented by two (crank-shaped) arrows of LED's, taking into consideration the quantity of light (guide number) of the external strobe 14 which is usually larger than that of the incorporated strobe 11.

is The incorporated strobe charging completion indication 24 and the external strobe charging completion indication 25 are connected to the strobe control circuit 16 through respective drivers 26 and Z7.

In the arrangement mentioned above, when no external strobe 14 is mounted to the hot shoe 12, only the incorporated strobe 11 can operate.

Accordingly, if the light emission of the strobe is required in accordance with the automatic light emission or the manual light emission selected by the auto/manual switching means 18 and the object luminance signal detected by the photometer circuit 17, the state of charging of the incorporated strobe 11 is indicated by the incorporated strobe charging completion indication 24 through the strobe control circuit 16 and the driver 26. The incorporated strobe charging completion indication 24 is made ON (lightened) when the charging thereof is completed.

When the external strobe 14 is mounted to the hot shoe 12 of the camera 13, only one of or both of the incorporated strobe 11 and the external strobe 30 14 emits or emit light, in accordance with the selection of the light -4emission selecting means 19. If the light emission of the incorporated strobe 11 is selected, the operations are same as those mentioned above when no external strobe 14 is mounted to the hot shoe 12.

On the other hand, if only the light emission of the external strobe 14 is selected, the state of charging of the external strobe 14 is indicated by the external strobe charging completion indication 25 through the strobe control circuit 16 and the driver 27. The external strobe charging completion indication 25 is made ON (lightened) when the charging thereof is completed.

If the simultaneous light emission of both of the incorporated strobe 11 and the external strobe 14 is selected, the states of charging of the incorporated strobe 11 and the external strobe 14 are indicated by the incorporated strobe charging completion indication 24 and the external strobe charging completion indication 25, respectively.

Thus, a photographer can learn information of the incorporated strobe 1.5 11 and the external strobe 14 at one time, viewing the finder 20. Namely, a photographer can learn whether the charging of the incorporated strobe 11 or the external strobe 14 is completed, or whether the incorporated strobe 11 or the external strobe 14 or the both emits or emit light, without moving his or her eyes from the finder 20.

In addition to the indication of the completion of the charging of the incorporated strobe 11 and the external strobe 14, it is also possible to warn that the incorporated strobe 11 and/or the external strobe 14 should be used in accordance with the object luminance signal detected by the photometer circuit 17 or to confirm that the luminance is automatically adjusted, etc., in the indication in the finder. The warning of use of the external strobe 14 is practically effected for example in accordance with the object distance data which is input to the strobe control circuit 16, so that the external strobe 14 which has a larger guide number than the incorporated strobe 11 is warned to be used. Alternatively, it is also possible to warn the simultaneous use of both the incorporated strobe 11 and the external strobe 4 14. The warning can be effected for example by flickering an indication in the finder 20, such as the incorporated strobe charging completion indication 24 and the external strobe charging completion indication 25.

Note that the trigger signal for light emission is supplied to the incorporated strobe 11 and the external strobe 14 by the release signal of the shutter 28 through the strobe control circuit 16. This control is well known, and accordingly, no detailed explanation is given herein.

As can be seen from the foregoing, according to the present invention, not only the state of the incorporated strobe but also the state of the lo external strobe are indicated in the finder. Therefore, more information in the strobe photographing can be given to a photographer. This is useful and advantageous to a photographer and results in less miss of shutter chance.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1 kl 1. In an indicating apparatus in a finder of a camera in which an incorporated strobe and an external strobe which is detachably attached to 5 the camera can be simultaneously used, the improvement comprising:

a first indicator which indicates information of said incorporated strobe; and jLo strobe.

2. An indicating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said indicators have different indications.

3. An indicating apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the quantity of light emitted by the incorporated strobe is different from that emitted by the external strobe, and wherein one of the indicators for the strobe having a larger quantity of light indicates with a larger quantity of light than the other indicator for the other strobe.

4. An indicating apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a strobe control circuit to which the signals of information of the incorporated strobe and the external strobe are input to operate the first and second indicators.

5. An indicating apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the strobe control circuit comprises a light emission selecting means for selecting the light emission by only one of or both of the incorporated strobe and the external strobe.

6. An indicating apparatus in a finder of a camera comprising: an incorporated strobe provided in said camera; an external strobe which is detachably attached to said camera and can be simultaneously used with said incorporated strobe; and a second indicator which indicates information of said external a light emission selecting means for selecting the light emission by only one of or both of said incorporated strobe and said external strobe.

7. An indicating apparatus in a finder of a camera comprising: a first strobe; a second strobe which can be simultaneously used with said first strobe; and indicators which indicate the states of said first and second strobes in the finder.

is Published 1991 at Ibe Patent OMec. state House. 66/71 High Holborn. London WCIR 47P. Further copies Tnay be obtained frorn Sales Branch, Unit 6, Nirt Mile Point Civnifelinfach, Cross Keys. Newport. NPI 7HZ. Printed by Multiplex techniques ltd. St Mary Cray. Kent.