JPH04212134A - Camera provided with exposure interval zooming device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To offer a camera which can photograph a main object with prescribed size and obtain a photograph that the main object is focused in a camera having exposure interval zooming and flash light emitting functions. CONSTITUTION:When a shutter mechanism is opened by an exposure control part 106, and a counted time is matched with an exposing time by an exposing time determining means 107, flash light emission is carried out by a stroboscopic control means 117. This camera has a characteristic that, a zoom lens control means 110 allows a zoom lens to carry out a prescribed action and, after the zooming action is completed, the closed state of the above-mentioned shutter mechanism is obtained by the above-mentioned exposure control part 106.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a camera having an during-exposure zooming mechanism for driving a zoom lens during film exposure.

0002

2. Description of the Related Art Hitherto, in order to obtain special photographic effects, inter-exposure zoom photography has been known, in which a zoom lens is attached to a camera and zooming is performed during film exposure. However, since zooming during exposure requires skill, it is an advanced photographic technique for ordinary photographers. Therefore, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 61-228426 discloses a technique for performing zoom photography during exposure by electrically zooming a zoom lens.

[0003] Also, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 63-318531,
When shooting with the main subject against a dark background, the magnification of the main subject is fixed at the time the strobe fires. , a technique for obtaining appropriate exposure is disclosed.

0004

By the way, when inter-exposure zooming and strobe photography are combined and zooming is performed after exposure for a certain period of time, the timing of strobe light emission should be as close to the end of exposure as possible. This is because when the main subject is a person, the photographer assumes that photography has ended when the strobe light is emitted, and moves even though the exposure is still in progress, resulting in an unpleasant photograph. Although the rear-curtain synchronized photographing method disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 63-318531 is effective in solving this problem, it still has the following problems.

[0005] That is, depending on the timing of starting zooming and the timing of strobe light emission, the main subject may not have the desired size. Specifically, the above-mentioned JP-A-63-3
According to No. 18531, when rear-curtain synchronization photography and inter-exposure zooming are combined, the strobe emits light during zooming, so the magnification of the main subject is not known until the photograph is completed.

[0006] Furthermore, if the zoom lens causes a zooming focus shift, the main subject will be photographed out of focus. That is, if zooming is started with the main subject in focus and the strobe emits light during zooming, the main subject captured by the flash will be out of focus due to the movement of the zooming focus of the lens.

The focusing device of the present invention has been developed in view of these problems, and its purpose is to start zooming during exposure after exposure for a certain period of time, and to focus on the main subject using strobe light. In a camera that performs zooming during exposure to obtain appropriate exposure, the camera has a zooming function during exposure that allows the main subject to be photographed at a desired size and the main subject to be in focus. It is about providing.

[0008]

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to solve the above problems, a camera having an during-exposure zooming device of the present invention includes an during-exposure zooming device that performs during-exposure zooming using an electric zoom lens, and a strobe light emitting means. The during-exposure zooming device and strobe light emitting means include an exposure time determining means for determining the exposure time, an exposure control section for opening and closing the shutter mechanism, and a control section for controlling the exposure time after the shutter mechanism is in the "open" state. a clock means for measuring time; a zoom lens control means for causing the zoom lens to perform a zooming operation;
a strobe control means for controlling light emission of a strobe; the exposure control section sets the shutter mechanism in an "open" state, and the time measured by the time measurement means coincides with the exposure time determined by the exposure time determination means. At times, the strobe control means causes the strobe to emit light, and then the zoom lens control means causes the electric zoom lens to perform a predetermined zooming operation, and after the end of this zooming operation, the exposure control section causes the shutter mechanism to emit light. This is to put it in a "closed" state.

[0009]

[Function] According to the present invention, the exposure control unit that opens and closes the shutter mechanism brings the shutter mechanism into the "open" state, and the time measuring means measures the time after the shutter mechanism becomes the "open" state. A zoom lens that causes a strobe to emit light by a strobe control means that controls light emission of the strobe when the time coincides with an exposure time determined by an exposure time determining means that determines the exposure time, and then causes the zoom lens to perform a zooming operation. The control means causes the zoom lens to perform a predetermined zooming operation, and after the zooming operation is completed, the exposure control section controls the shutter mechanism.
This is to put it in a "closed" state.

0010

[Embodiments] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be explained with reference to the drawings.

First, as a first embodiment of the present invention, a specific example of the during-exposure zooming device used in a camera having the during-exposure zooming device according to the present invention will be described. FIG. 1 is a block diagram schematically showing such an during-exposure zooming device.

In the figure, 101 is a photometry means, 102 is a calculation means for calculating the amount of light from the output of the photometry means 101, and 1
03 is an aperture, 104 is an aperture control means that controls the aperture 103 based on the calculation result of the calculation means 102, 105 is an exposure timer that measures the exposure time, 106 is a shutter control means that controls opening and closing of the shutter, and 107 is an exposure time 108 is a zoom timer that measures the zooming time; 109 is a zoom lens; 11
0 is a zoom lens driving means for driving the zoom lens 109, 111 is a zoom lens position detecting means for detecting the position of the zoom lens 109, and 112 is for storing data for determining the direction of zooming when performing zooming during exposure. 113 is a zooming direction indicating means for instructing the direction of zooming; 115 is a first stage switch of the release button (hereinafter referred to as first release); and 116 is a zoom lens storing means for storing the output of the zooming direction indicating means. 110 or storage means 112
This is a selector switch that selects whether to input. Furthermore, 117 is a strobe control means for controlling the light emission of the strobe, and 118 is a strobe mode setting means for specifying the light emission mode of the strobe.

In this configuration, when the first release 115 is turned on, the changeover switch 116 is activated, and the output of the zooming direction indicating means 113 is transferred to the storage means 1.
12 and stored in this storage means 112. This stored data is used to indicate the direction of zooming during exposure. Whether or not during-exposure zooming can be performed is determined by the exposure time comparing means 107 when a preset exposure time has elapsed. Here, when it is determined that zooming during exposure can be performed, the zoom lens driving means 110 moves the zoom lens 10.
9 is performed, and when it is determined that zooming during exposure cannot be performed, the shutter is closed by the shutter control means 106. Note that zooming ends when the end of the zoom lens is detected by the zoom lens position detection means 111 or when the zoom timer 108 finishes counting a predetermined time. Next, as a second embodiment of the present invention, a specific example of a camera having an during-exposure zooming device according to the present invention will be described. 2 and 3 are block diagrams showing the system outline of a camera having the during-exposure zooming device of this embodiment.

As shown in the figure, the camera having the during-exposure zooming device of this embodiment is roughly divided into a main CPU 200, an interface IC 210, a power supply unit 220, a strobe unit 230, a mirror/shutter unit 240, and a winding unit. 250, lens unit 260, finder unit 270, display unit 280, and AF unit 290. Each block will be explained in detail below.

The main CPU 200 is for controlling the entire camera, and via a serial communication line 201, it controls an interface IC 210, which will be described later, and an LCD.
IC283, AFIC292 and E2 PROM20
9 and exchange data. Main CPU200
There is another serial communication line 205 between the shoe contact 202 and the shoe contact 202, which is used for communication with an accessory such as an external strobe. Further, a dedicated data line 208 is provided between the main CPU 200 and the interface IC 210, and the data line 208 is connected to the power supply voltage, the analog signal of the photometry output, the signal after waveform shaping of the photointerrupter, etc.
It exchanges information that cannot be sent through serial communication. The analog signal is input to the A/D conversion port of the main CPU 200 and converted to digital within the main CPU 200. Similarly, the strobe charging voltage divided by a voltage dividing circuit 237, which will be described later, is also
It is input to D port. Also, this main CPU2
00 has four interrupt ports, each of which is connected to a PW switch 217 and a BK switch 21, which will be described later.
8, PUP switch 216, connected to KEYINT. Other input/output ports are normal input/output ports, including a DX switch that reads the DX information of the cartridge, a MU switch that detects the raised position of the mirror, an SC switch that detects whether or not charging of the shutter is completed, and a shutter switch that reads the DX information of the cartridge. Sequence switches such as the
It is loading with . Further, the output port is used for controlling the date module, emitting light from the TELE/WIDE strobe, signals for dimming, etc.

As the interface IC 210, a digital/analog mixed Bi-CMOSIC was used. This interface IC 210 is an analog processing unit for driving the motors (mirror shutter motor 242, winding motor 251, zoom motor 265, AF motor 261) and aperture magnet 263, photometry, battery check, photointerrupter waveform shaping, etc. and a digital section for performing switch input, serial communication, and data latching.

The digital section has an 8-bit serial communication shift register and three 8-bit latch circuits for latching data, and by rewriting the data in this latch circuit, the analog section can be controlled. Let's do it. The key switch group 213 includes a first release switch, a second release switch, a ZOOM/TELE switch, and a ZOOM/WI among the 17 mode switches.
DE switch, SHIFT/UP switch, SHIFT
- Consists of eight switches: DOWN switch, SELF switch, and SPOT switch, and is read into the main CPU 200 via serial communication. In addition, this key switch group 213 includes a 5-bit zoom encoder and an SB switch for detecting the collapsing position, which are read into the main CPU 200 through serial communication as described above.

The outputs of the photometry circuit and battery check circuit of the analog section are sent to the main CPU 20 as analog voltages.
0 and undergoes A/D conversion. Furthermore, the film detection photointerrupter 252, the AF photointerrupter 262, and the diaphragm photointerrupter 264 each require an LED drive circuit and a circuit for waveform shaping of the received light signal, which are connected to the interface I.
It is provided in the CPU 210, and the shaped output is sent to the main CPU 200 via a dedicated data line. In addition, the motor (
Mirror shutter motor 242, winding motor 251
, zoom motor 265, AF motor 261) drive circuit, magnets (shutter magnets 241a, 241b)
, the drive circuit for the aperture magnet 263), the charge signal output to the strobe booster circuit 231, and the DC/D
On signal output to C converter 222, output signal to dummy load 211, AF auxiliary light LED 21
2, a drive signal for the backlight LED 272 for the LCD 271 for display in the viewfinder, etc. Here, since a large current is required to drive the motor, a motor driver 214 is also provided externally.

The power supply unit 220 supplies two systems of power. One is the power supply used for drivers of things that require power, such as motors and magnets, and is always supplied with battery voltage, and the other is the DC/DC converter 22.
2, and is controlled by the interface IC 210. DC/DC
When the converter 222 is not activated, the main CPU
Since power is not supplied to both 200 and interface IC 210, PW switch 217 and BK switch 2
When any one of 18 is turned on, battery voltage is supplied through the diode.

The strobe unit 230 includes a main capacitor 232, a strobe booster circuit 231 for charging the main capacitor 232, a voltage dividing circuit 237 for dividing the voltage of the main capacitor and having the main CPU 200 monitor it, and a TELE The side Xe tube 233, the TELE light emitting circuit 234 for making this TELE side Xe tube 233 emit light, the WIDE side Xe tube 235, and this WI
WIDE light emitting circuit 23 for emitting light from the DE side Xe tube
6. Strobe booster circuit 231
is controlled by signals from interface IC 210. In addition, the main CPU 200 has a voltage dividing circuit 23.
The output of 7 instructs the interface IC 210 to execute or stop charging. In addition, as a light emitting part of the strobe unit 230, the TELE side X, which has a narrow light distribution angle,
An e tube 233 and a WIDE side Xe tube 235 having a wide light distribution angle are provided. Here, the TELE side Xe tube 233 is
Full light emission is performed by the TX ON signal from the main CPU 200. In addition, the WIDE side Xe tube 235 starts emitting light in response to the WX ON signal from the main CPU 200, and
Light emission is stopped with the X・OFF signal. In addition, WIDE side
The e-tube 235 is also used for pre-emission for so-called red-eye prevention.

The mirror/shutter unit 240 includes a mirror/shutter motor 242 that rotates forward to raise and lower the mirror and charge the shutter, and two shutter magnets 241a and 241b that control the movement of the front and rear curtains of the shutter. It consists of Three sequence switches (not shown) are directly input from the mirror/shutter unit 240 to the main CPU 200. This sequence switch is a switch for monitoring the position of the mirror and shutter, the MU switch detects the raised position of the mirror, the SC switch detects the completion of charging the shutter, and the main CPU 200 is used to stop the motor. It's a switch. The X switch is a switch that notifies the focal plane shutter when it is fully open, and is used to set the strobe light emission timing. The reverse rotation of the mirror/shutter motor 242 is sent to the cartridge chamber by a gear train and is used for rewinding.

The hoisting unit 250 includes a hoisting motor 2
51 and a photointerrupter 252 for film detection. As described above, the output of the film detection photointerrupter 252 is waveform-shaped by the interface IC 210 and becomes a feedback pulse that informs the main CPU 200 of the winding amount. Winding of the film is performed by normal rotation of the winding motor 251. On the other hand, the reverse rotation of the winding motor 251 is used to release the gear when taking out the film halfway. Here, the film detection photointerrupter 252 detects the amount of movement of the film by detecting the amount of movement of the perforations of the film. Each time the film is wound one frame, the film detection photointerrupter 252 generates 24 pulses. The film detection photointerrupter 252 is also used as a monitor during rewinding. That is, while the pulse is being output, it means that rewinding is in progress, and when the pulse stops, it means that rewinding has ended. When it is determined that rewinding has finished, the main CP
U200 stops the mirror shutter motor 242.

The lens unit 260 includes an AF motor 261 used for focusing and an AF photo interrupter 26 that generates feedback pulses.
2, an aperture magnet 263 that stops the aperture,
Aperture photo interrupter 264 that detects the amount of aperture
It has a zoom motor 265 that performs zooming, a 5-bit zoom encoder 266 that detects the absolute position of the zoom lens, and an SB switch 267 that detects the retracted position of the zoom lens, and controls the aperture of the lens. ing. The AF motor 261 is driven by an amount corresponding to the amount of defocus measured by the AFIC 292. Also, AF
The amount of drive of the motor 261 is determined by the amount of drive of the AF photo interrupter 2.
62 feedback pulses are detected. moreover,
The absolute distance to the subject required for controlling the G number of the strobe and determining the aperture value can be obtained by integrating the number of pulses of the AF photo interrupter 262 after the lens is reset to infinity. The zoom motor 265 is a motor for zooming a lens (not shown) and collapsing the lens when not in use, and the zoom encoder 26
6 and the SB switch 267 to control the absolute position. The zoom encoder 266 limits the photographable area to 32 (
= 5 bits), and the interface IC21
The absolute position is notified to the main CPU 200 via 0. The SB switch 267 is provided at the collapsible end of the lens, and detects the completion of collapsing the lens. To release the collapsible position,
It also serves as the WIDE end of the zoom encoder 266. The diaphragm (not shown) mechanically narrows down the aperture using a spring at the same time as the mirror is raised, and when the set aperture value is reached, the aperture magnet 263 is released from adsorption to stop the diaphragm midway. It has become. The amount of aperture is detected by using the aperture photointerrupter 264 to detect the rotation of a gear that is linked to the aperture blades being apertured. In other words, the aperture photo interrupter 264
The number of pulses output by is proportional to the amount of aperture.

The finder unit 270 is an optical system for guiding a subject image reflected by a reflex mirror (not shown) and formed on a Fresnel lens to the eyepiece.
There are no moving parts. The electrical equipment placed here includes an LCD 271 for displaying the viewfinder, a backlight LED 272 that illuminates the LCD 271 for displaying the viewfinder, and a two-part photodiode 273 for photometry.
It is. The two-split photodiode 273 for photometry is divided into a Japanese flag shape or a concentric circle shape, and is capable of center-weighted photometry and peripheral photometry. The photocurrent generated by the two-split photodiode 273 for photometry is sent as is to the interface IC 210, where it is converted into current/voltage inside.
The signal is sent to the A/D port of the main CPU 200. The finder display LCD 271 uses a transmissive liquid crystal. The display contents of this finder display LCD 271 are as follows:
There are many things in common with the LCD panel 281 of the display unit 280. When displaying on the finder display LCD 271, the backlight LED 272 is turned on. If the backlight LED 272 is off,
Even if the display is displayed on the viewfinder display LCD 271, the photographer cannot recognize it. Therefore, the display on the LCD panel 281 is performed, and the LC for display in the finder
When not displaying D271, backlight L
All you have to do is turn off the ED272.

The display unit 280 is located inside the back cover of the camera, and includes a large LCD panel 281, a key switch group 282 provided on the back cover, and drives the LCD panel 281 and reads the key switch group 282. LCD
An IC 283 and a date module 284 for imprinting the year, month, date, etc. on the film are arranged. The LCD panel 281 uses a single panel to display both the LCD IC 283 and the date module, and has a special structure because each drive method is different. Further, unlike the LCD 271 for displaying in the finder, this LCD panel 281 uses a reflective liquid crystal, and therefore does not require a backlight, but is provided with a reflective plate (not shown) on the back surface. The key switch group 282 includes a MODE switch, +/- switch, PF
Switch, Z/MEMO switch, MACRO switch, REWIND switch, DRIVE switch, SUB
Nine JECT switches and FLASH switches are connected. These switches can be turned on/off using the LCDI
It is read into the main CPU 200 via the C283. The date module 284 is directly controlled by the main CPU 200 and uses a battery 221 as a common power source with other components of the camera. therefore,
Since the date is reset when the battery 221 is removed, a large backup capacitor (not shown) is provided to prevent the date from being reset even if the battery is inserted or removed for a short period of time.

The AF unit 290 includes an AF sensor 291
and AFIC formed integrally with this AF sensor 291.
292. The AFIC 292 sends the integration result of the AF sensor 291 to the main CPU 200 using a serial communication line.
calculates the amount of defocus. E2 PROM2
09 is the pixel variation of the AF sensor 291, dark current,
AF unit 2 to store position correction data, etc.
90, but after the camera is completed, the main CP
It is also used as a means for storing data stored in the RAM in the U200 that you want to keep even after the power is turned off.

Next, a method of interrupting the main CPU 200 for turning the power on/off, returning from the power saving mode, etc. will be explained. The main CPU 200 has four interrupt ports that can be interrupted at the falling edge, and each has a PW switch 217 and a BK switch 218.
, PUP switch 216, interface IC 210
and KEYINT, which is the NOR signal of the interrupt request signal from the LCDIC 283, are connected. This interrupt port can be set to enable or disable interrupts. The interrupt port is normally in a disabled state, but when transitioning to power saving mode, it is reset to an interrupt enabled state. Here, power saving mode means PW switch 2
17 or BK switch 218 is left on for a long time, the main C
This refers to a state in which the PU 200 automatically stops functioning.

The PW switch 217 is a power switch for the camera, and when turned on, the voltage of the battery 221 is switched to the main CP.
It is supplied to the stabilized power supply that is the power supply of U200, and the main C
A power-on reset is applied to the PU 200, the program starts operating from the beginning, and preparations for photographing are made. B
The K switch 218 is a switch that is linked to the back cover.
Similar to W switch 217, when the back cover is opened, the main C
Power is supplied to PU200. However, this is so that when the back cover is closed, the film will be loaded even if the PW switch 217 is off.
Preparation for photographing is not performed even if only the BK switch 218 is turned on. When the main CPU 200 starts operating, the DC/DC converter 222 is activated via the interface IC 210, and power continues to be supplied to the main CPU 200 even if the PW switch 217 and the BK switch 218 are turned off. At this time, the main CPU 200 performs processing that must be performed before power-off (collapse,
2. After saving data to the PROM 209, etc.), the DC/DC converter 222 is stopped. The PUP switch 216 is a switch that detects the pop-up of the strobe and allows the strobe to charge and emit light, and is normally read periodically by the main CPU 200, so there is no need for an interrupt. KEYINT is a signal when any switch in the first key switch group 282 input to the LCD IC 283 is pressed and the interface IC 21
Although this is the output signal of the NOR gate 215 with the output signal of 0, it is ignored because all the key switches are read periodically while the main CPU 200 is operating. K
The interrupt function of EYINT is only required when entering power saving mode. In power saving mode, main CPU 200, interface IC 210, DC/D
All functions such as the C converter 222 are stopped, and if the PW switch 217 and BK switch 218 are turned off in this state, the camera will stop without power down processing or film loading. To prevent this, the main CPU 200 allows interrupts before entering the power saving mode, and when the PW switch 217 and BK switch 218 are turned off, the DC/DC converter 222
It is designed to operate and secure its own power supply. That is, the filter capacitor included in the DC/DC converter 222 compensates for the period from turning off the switch to starting the DC/DC converter 222. The PUP switch 216 and KEYINT are designed to generate an interrupt to exit the power saving mode when the camera is operated. Next, the operation of the camera having the during-exposure zooming device shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 will be described. 4 and 5 are flowcharts (main routines) schematically showing the operation of the main CPU 200.

The photographer uses the PW switch 217 to take pictures.
When you turn on the BK switch 218 or open the back cover to load film, the BK switch 218 turns on and the main CPU
200 starts up. When the main CPU 200 starts,
The program is executed according to the flowcharts shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. A002 is a process of setting the stack and disabling interrupts.

A004 is initial processing at power-on. As this initial processing, the interface IC 21
0 activation, activation of DC/DC converter 222 through communication to interface IC 210, E2 PRO
Reading data from M209, main CPU200
These include initialization of random access memory (RAM) within the main CPU 200 and initialization of the I/O port of the main CPU 200.

A006 is a mode switch input subroutine. This mode switch input subroutine consists of the LCDIC 283 and interface IC 210.
A total of 16 switches (key switch group 21
3,282) status to the main CPU 20 via serial communication.
0 and compares it with the previous data to detect edges, count switches that are turned on, and count switches that turn from off to on. However, the purpose here is to input the initial state of the switch immediately after power-on. A008 is a process for resetting data such as the charging status of the built-in strobe and external strobe.

A010 is a checker communication subroutine. The checker communication subroutine is a subroutine that communicates with the outside of the camera through the shoe contact.
Read/write RAM data, etc. using an external checker.

A012 is for determining whether or not rewind was being executed when the PW switch 217 was last turned off, based on the data stored in the E2 PROM 209. The rewind is performed when it is determined that the program is being executed. This means that when the PW switch 217 is turned off during rewinding, the PW switch 217
E2 PRO was found to be rewinding when 7 was off.
It is stored in M209 and restarts the rewind when the PW switch 217 is turned on again. A016
is the initialization of the camera mechanism in preparation for exposure operation.

A018 is for determining whether film winding was in progress when the PW switch 217 was last turned off, based on the data stored in the E2 PROM 209;
When it is determined that film winding is in progress, winding is performed. . As in the case of rewind described above (A012, A014), when the PW switch 217 is turned off during film winding, the fact that film winding was in progress when the PW switch 217 was turned off is stored in the E2 PROM 209. When the PW switch 217 is turned on again, film winding is restarted. At this time, even if, for example, the battery comes off during winding after exposure, the film is wound, so it is possible to prevent the inconvenience of being exposed overlapping the exposed film. A034 is a photometry subroutine. Here, input the initial value of the photometric value.

At A036, the counter of the display timer is reset. This counter is main CPU2
Each time the 100msec timer of 00 overflows, it is decremented. When a borrow appears on the counter, main CPU 200 shifts to power saving mode.

A038 is for resetting the request code. When a branch from the main routine is required based on various information, a request code corresponding to the branch is set. This request code is 1 byte of data, 0
When it is 0H, the main loop is repeated without branching.

The following is a portion corresponding to the main loop. There are two main loops in the main loop. 1st
The loop consists of A040 and A070 to A152, and is always executed. Furthermore, 100
When the msec timer overflows, A040~
A second loop consisting of A152 is executed. Each process of this main loop will be explained below. A040 is a process for refreshing the I/O port of the main CPU 200.

A042 is for checking whether the 100 msec timer has overflowed. If there is an overflow, 100m according to A044.
sec timer starts again.

[0039] In A046, PW switch 217, BK
The main CPU 2 checks the status of the switch 218 and the POP switch 216 that detects the usage/storage status of the built-in flash.
00 and compare it with the previous data to turn it off → on/
Detects on->off edge. A048 is the above-mentioned A
This is the same mode switch input subroutine as 006.

A050 is a mode/request code setting subroutine, which sets a branch request command from the main routine, and sets/changes the camera operating mode and data, depending on the status of each switch input in A046 and A048. .

At A052, the absolute distance to the subject is calculated from the amount of extension of the focusing lens from the infinity position. Note that the absolute distance to the subject is used for calculating the G number during strobe photography and for calculating the zoom position during auto zoom. Here, the amount of lens extension is obtained by integrating the number of pulses of the AF photo interrupter 262 from the infinite position of the lens.

A054 is a process for managing the charging time of the built-in strobe. If charging does not end after 20 seconds, charging is stopped and no further recharging is performed. Additionally, once charging is complete, the capacitor voltage is monitored every 20 seconds and any leakage is replenished. A05
In step 6, charging of the strobe is stopped.

A058 is a photometry subroutine. When a command is sent to the interface IC 210, a voltage proportional to the logarithmic value of the photocurrent of the photodiode due to the reflected light from the subject entering through the lens is output. This is A/D converted by the main CPU 200 to calculate the brightness (BV value) of the subject. The two-split photodiode 273 for photometry is divided into a Japanese flag shape or a concentric circle shape, and the outputs thereof are weighted and averaged depending on the mode. Furthermore, spot photometry is substituted by an AF sensor 291, and the spot BV value is calculated from the integration time of this AF sensor 291.

A060 is a charging control subroutine that controls charging of the built-in strobe. Main CPU2
When 00 detects that the strobe pop-up button 216 is turned on, it sends a command to start the strobe booster circuit 231 to the interface IC 210, and the strobe booster circuit 231 starts charging. The voltage of the capacitor is transferred from the voltage dividing circuit 237 to the A/D of the main CPU 200.
input to the conversion port. When the voltage of this capacitor reaches a predetermined voltage, the main CPU 200 sets a charging completion flag, and thereby the strobe booster circuit 231
stops charging.

A062 is an external strobe data input subroutine, which receives data from an external strobe. Note that this subroutine is executed only when an external flash is attached. Data input from the external strobe includes charging status, maximum G number, strobe mode, etc.

A064 is an APEX calculation subroutine. This subroutine uses the subject brightness data calculated in A058 above, the data set in A050 above, and the data of the built-in strobe and external strobe.
Calculates F number, shutter speed, strobe G number, etc.

A068 decodes display data such as mode and photometric data and sends it to LCDIC 282 via serial communication line 201.
Update the display of C282. In addition, as a display means,
LCD panel 281, LCD 27 for display in finder
1. There is a backlight LED 272 for LCD lighting and an auxiliary light LED 212 when the self-timer is activated, all of which are processed with A068. As mentioned above, the LCD panel 281 and the viewfinder display LCD 271 are
It is driven by DIC283. LCDIC283 is 4
It has 1 COMMON terminal and 22 SEGMENT terminals, and can display 88 items at 1/4 duty. The main CPU 200 selects a display to be lit from each mode and data, and transfers 88 pieces of data to the LCD IC 283 via serial communication 201. LCDIC
283 uses these 88 pieces of data to display the LCD panel 2.
81 and the LCD 271 for display in the finder are selectively driven. This display is updated every 100msec, but the flashing warning display is displayed only while A068 is executed three times, and turns off the next two times, so that the 2Hz
, a duty ratio of 3:2 is realized. Backlight LE
D272 and auxiliary light LED 212 are controlled by serial communication to interface IC 210. The backlight LED 272 displays when the first release switch or SPOT switch is operated and photometry starts.
Light. Also, while the self-timer is operating or during exposure,
The lights are off. The auxiliary light LED 212 is originally intended to assist autofocus in low brightness, but when the self-timer is operating, the auxiliary light LED 212 is used to notify you of this.
Flashes at Hz. As mentioned above, the LCD panel 281 and the viewfinder display LCD 271 have a duty of 3:
However, since the auxiliary light LED 212 has high brightness, it is blinked at a duty ratio of 1:4 so as not to cause discomfort to the photographer.

The above is the second loop. This second loop is executed every 100 msec. Since the basic operation of the camera is performed in this second loop every 100 msec, the mode settings, photometry, display, etc. are updated every 100 msec. continue,
The first loop process that is always executed regardless of the 100 msec timer will be described. A070 is
This is a charging control subroutine, and similarly to A060 above, it controls charging of the built-in strobe. A072 is a checker communication subroutine that performs the same processing as A010 above. A074 is the first stage of the release switch (
Input the status of the first release switch) and second stage (second release switch). A076 is an exposure determination/exposure subroutine, which, as will be described later, is a subroutine that determines whether to branch to an exposure sequence and performs exposure.

At A078, it is determined whether or not exposure was performed at A076. If exposure has been executed, jump to A044 above; if not, jump to A080
Perform the following processing. In A080 to A148, the above A
Various processes are executed according to the branch request code determined in step 050.

First, at A080, it is determined whether or not a power down request was made at A050. If it is determined that a power down request has been made, power down processing is performed at A082.

[0051] Here, the power down process will be explained. When powering down, first the main CPU 200
Prohibits interruptions. Next, the interface IC
210 to turn off all camera motors (mirror shutter motor 242, winding motor 251, zoom motor 265, AF motor 261), LED, etc. Furthermore, the necessary data is stored in E2 PROM209.
and store it. Here, the data to be stored includes the camera operating state (whether rewinding was in progress when the PW switch 217 was turned off, and
Whether or not the film was being wound up when 17 was turned off),
There is operation mode, F number, shutter speed, exposure compensation data, etc. In particular, the values set in each exposure mode are stored as the F number and shutter speed. Finally, retract the focusing lens to the infinity position and retract it. When the above processing is completed, the DC/DC converter 222 is stopped by bringing down the interface IC 210 as a system. After that, the backup capacitor loses its charge and the main C
Until the PU 200 stops, only the initialization of the I/O port and the monitoring of the PW switch 217 and the BK switch 218 are repeated. If the PW switch 217 or the BK switch 218 is turned on at this point, the process jumps to A002 and the execution of the program is restarted.

If it is determined at A080 that a power down request has not been made, processing at A084 is executed. At A084, it is determined whether or not a standby request was made at A050. If it is determined that a standby request has been made, standby processing is performed in A086. During standby, first, LCDIC28
Send the display turn off data to 2 and turn off all the displays. Next, set an interrupt to release from standby. As mentioned above, the main CPU 200 has four interrupt ports, each with a PW switch 217 and a BK
Switch 218, POP switch 216, KEYINT
connected to the signal. Here, KEYINT is LC
DIC282 interrupt signal and interface IC2
It is the logical sum of 10 interrupt signals, and the key switch group 213 or L connected to the interface IC 210
If any of the 17 switches in the key switch group 282 connected to the CDIC 282 is turned on, an interrupt signal is generated. Here, PW switch 217, BK
Switch 218, POP switch 216, KEYINT
If any signal interrupt occurs, A024~
A032 is executed. In A024, initial settings are performed. At this time, interrupts are prohibited. Next, A02
In step 6, initial processing at power-on similar to A004 above is performed. However, since the data in the RAM is retained even during standby, initial settings of the RAM are not performed here. In addition, in standby mode, to save power,
The operations of the interface IC 210, LCDIC 282, etc. are stopped, and the clock is also stopped. Next, A028
At A006, the mode switch input subroutine is executed as in A006 above. At A030, data such as the charging status of the built-in strobe and external strobe are reset in the same manner as at A008 above. At A032, the checker communication subroutine is executed in the same manner as at A010 above. . After that, the above A0
Execute steps 34 onwards.

If it is determined at A084 that no standby request has been made, processing at A088 is executed. At A088, it is determined whether or not an autoload request was made at A050. If it is determined that an initial load request has been made, initial load processing is performed at A090. What is initial load?
This is the action of winding the film to a position where it can be photographed when the photographer newly loads the film. When performing initial loading, the winding motor 251 is controlled based on the output pulses of the film detection photointerrupter 252. The winding motor 251 and the film detection photointerrupter 252 are selected by sending a command to the interface IC 210. When the film is fed to a predetermined position, the request command is reset and the process jumps to A138, which will be described later.

If it is determined at A088 that an initial load request has not been made, the process at A092 is executed. At A092, it is determined whether or not a rewind request was made at A050. If it is determined that a rewind request has been made, the rewind operation is executed at A094. Rewinding is the action of rewinding a film that has been shot (or has been partially shot) back into the cartridge. This rewinding is performed by reversing the mirror shutter motor 242, which is used for raising and lowering the mirror and charging the aperture shutter, while monitoring the output of the film detection photointerrupter 252. Mirror shutter motor 242
Control of the film detection photointerrupter 252 is executed through communication with the interface IC 210. During rewind, PW switch 217 and
The K switch 218 is monitored, and the process ends when the PW switch 217 is turned off, the BK switch 218 is turned on, or when the rewind is completed. Thereafter, the request command is reset at A138, and the process jumps to A044 described above. Here, PW switch 2
17 is turned off, data representing the camera operating state is set to "rewinding" in order to restart rewinding at A014 the next time the PW switch 217 is turned on.

If it is determined at A092 that an initial load request has not been made, the process at A096 is executed. At A096, it is determined whether or not a request for gear disengagement was made at A050. If it is determined that a request for gear disengagement has been made, the gear disengagement operation is executed at A094. Gear release is the action of freeing the take-up spool so that the wound film can be pulled out. When this gear disengagement is completed, the request command is reset at A138, and the process jumps to A044 described above.

If it is determined at A096 that a request for gear disengagement has not been made, processing at A100 is executed. At A100, it is determined whether or not a request for one-frame winding was made at A050. If it is determined that a request for one-frame winding has been made, the one-frame winding operation is executed at A102. One-frame winding refers to the operation of winding the film for one frame without performing an exposure operation. At this time, the hoisting motor 251
The film detection photointerrupter 252 is controlled through the interface IC 210.

If it is determined at A100 that a request for one-frame winding has not been made, processing at A104 is executed. At A104, it is determined whether or not a request to retract the lens was made at A050. If it is determined that a request to retract the lens has been made, the lens is retracted in step A106, making it impossible to take pictures.

At A108, the state of the PW switch 217 is monitored. When the PW switch 217 is off, the processing from A110 onwards is unnecessary, so the above A036
Jump to.

A110 and A112 move the lens from the collapsible area to the WID when the PW switch 217 is on.
This is a process of feeding out to the E end. Note that once A112 is executed, the lens initial set flag of the main CPU 200 is set, so this process will not be executed from the second order onwards.

At A114, it is determined whether or not a power zoom request was made at A050. If it is determined that a power zoom request has been made, power zoom is performed in A116. What is power zoom?
- Monitors the TELE switch and ZOOM/WIDE switch, rotates the zoom motor 265 in the direction of the switch being operated, and stops the zoom motor 265 when the ZOOM/TELE switch or ZOOM/WIDE switch is turned off. be. Further, while power zooming is being performed, the main CPU 200 inputs the values of the first release switch and the zoom encoder 266 via communication via the interface IC 210. Here, when the first release switch is turned on or the zoom lens reaches the TELE end or WIDE end, the zoom motor 265 is stopped, and then the request code is cleared at A138, and the above A0
Jump to 44. The reason why the zoom motor 265 is stopped when the first release switch is turned on is to give priority to the photo opportunity over the zoom state. When the first release switch is turned on, preparations for release continue.

If it is determined at A114 that a power zoom request has not been made, the process at A118 is executed. At A118, it is determined whether or not a macro zoom request was made at A050. If it is determined that a macro zoom request has been made, the macro zoom operation is executed at A120. Macro zooming means moving the zoom lens to a focal length position that allows macro photography. Here, there are two focal lengths at which macro photography is possible, which are called TELE macro and WIDE macro, respectively. The selection of whether the macro zoom is to be a TELE macro or a WIDE macro is made by setting a flag for instructing this selection at A050. Zooming is controlled by comparing the encoder value of a pre-stored macro position with the current encoder value, controlling the direction and speed of zooming, and stopping at the target position. Thereafter, the request code is cleared in A138, and the process jumps to A044.

If it is determined at A118 that a macro zoom request has not been made, the process at A122 is executed. At A122, it is determined whether or not a preset zoom request was made at A050. If it is determined that a preset zoom request has been made, the preset zoom operation is executed at A124. Preset zoom is a process of instantaneously zooming to an arbitrary focal length previously stored in the E2 PROM 209, and is the same as the macro zoom control described above except that the target value is stored in the E2 PROM 209. . After that, clear the request code in A138, and then clear the request code in A04 above.
Jump to 4.

If it is determined at A122 that no preset zoom request has been made, the process at A126 is executed. At A126, it is determined whether or not a request for magnification change was made at A050. If it is determined that a request for magnification change has been made, the magnification change operation is executed at A128. Here, the magnification is the auto zoom magnification. In other words, magnification = lens focal length / subject distance

[0064] Several points of magnification are predetermined, and the focal length is determined based on the data of the object distance determined in A052 and the selected magnification. In A128, zooming is performed to a position corresponding to the determined focal length. Here, zooming control is performed by changing the value of the zoom encoder 266 to the main CPU 20.
0 through communication via the interface IC 210. Thereafter, the request code is cleared in A138, and the process jumps to A044.

If it is determined at A126 that no request for magnification change has been made, the process at A130 is executed. A
At step 130, it is determined whether or not a macro removal request was made at A050. If it is determined that a macro removal request has been made, the macro removal operation is executed at A132. In A132, when the focusing lens is in the macro photographing area, the AF motor 261 is used to focus to the normal close-up end while monitoring the absolute distance counter by the AF photo interrupter 262. Thereafter, the request code is cleared in A138, and the process jumps to A044. If it is determined at A130 that no macro removal request has been made, the process at A134 is executed. A
At step 134, it is determined whether or not a lens WIDE end setting request was made at A050. If it is determined that a lens WIDE end setting request has been made, A13
6, the lens WIDE end setting operation is executed. At A132, the target value of the zoom encoder 266 is set to the lens WIDE end, and the same processing as A120 and A124 described above is performed. Thereafter, the request code is cleared in A138, and the process jumps to A044.

If it is determined at A134 that a lens WIDE end setting request has not been made, processing at A140 is executed. At A140, it is determined whether or not the request for winding one frame and setting the lens WIDE end was made at A050. If it is determined that a 1-frame winding & WIDE end setting request has been made, 1 frame is set by A142.
Executes frame winding & WIDE end setting operations. 1
Frame winding & WIDE end setting is to perform both one frame winding and WIDE end setting, and A14
At step 2, the process of setting the lens WIDE end similar to A136 above is performed, and then the process jumps to A102, where the process of winding up one frame is performed.

[0067] One frame winding & lens WID with A140
If it is determined that the E-end set request has not been made,
Execute the process of A148. In A148, the above A05
0, it is determined whether a power focus request has been made. If it is determined that a power focus request has been made, a power focus operation is executed at A150. Power focus is ZOOM/TEL
The E switch and ZOOM/WIDE switch are monitored, and when the ZOOM/TELE switch is turned on, the AF motor 261 is driven so that the lens is driven toward infinity, and when the ZOOM/WIDE switch is turned on, the lens is driven toward infinity. This is to drive the AF motor 261 so as to drive it toward the closest position. The AF motor 261 is driven by ZO
It is stopped by turning off the OM/TELE switch and the ZOOM/WIDE switch. by this,
The photographer can manually adjust the focus as desired. Further, while the lens is being driven, the values of the first release switch and the absolute distance counter are monitored, and when the first release switch is turned on, driving of the lens is stopped in preparation for exposure. Further, when the lens reaches the infinity end or the close end, the driving of the lens is similarly stopped. Note that even when the focal length is the same, the close end is set at different positions in the macro mode and in the non-macro mode.

If it is determined at A148 that a power focus request has not been made, the process at A152 is executed. A152 is an AF control subroutine. In this AF control subroutine, first, integration of the AF sensor for distance measurement is started, and AF distance measurement calculation is performed. Next, if the autofocus mode is selected by the PF switch and the first release switch is turned on, the lens is driven for focusing. Subsequently, a focus flag is set when the camera is in focus, and a focus failure flag is set when the camera is unable to focus. These flags are used to determine whether or not to start exposure, and to
In-focus/out-of-focus is displayed at 068. next,
Exposure judgment shown in A076 of the main routine (Figure 4)/
The exposure subroutine will be explained using FIGS. 6 to 9. In this subroutine, as described above, the decision to branch to the exposure sequence and the exposure are performed.

First, at E002, the on/off status of the PW switch 217 is checked. Here, PW switch 21
If 7 is off, the exposure flag 1 is cleared at E038 and the process returns to the main routine. Exposure flag 1 is a flag for determination when returning to the main routine, and is used at A078 in FIG. 4. Note that this flag is set to "1" when exposure is performed, and becomes "0" when exposure is not performed.

If the PW switch 217 is on, E0
At step 04, it is determined whether the exposure request code is set. Judgments regarding other request codes are processed within the main routine, but this exposure request code is processed here. The exposure request code is set approximately 12 seconds after the timer starts in self-timer mode. When this exposure request code is set, the process jumps to E044.

If the exposure request code is not set, it is determined at E006 whether or not the self-timer is in operation. If the self-timer is operating, E038
Jump to. On the other hand, when the self-timer is stopped, E008 turns on/off the first release switch.
It is checked whether the first release switch is off, and furthermore, if the first release switch is turned on, the on/off state of the second release switch is checked at E010. Here, when either the first release switch or the second release switch is off, the process jumps to E038, and when both are on, E014 is executed.

In E014, it is determined whether the focus mode is power focus mode (PF mode), and if it is power focus mode, there is no need to determine whether or not focusing is possible, so jump to E021. . On the other hand, if you are not in power focus mode,
At E016, it is determined whether the mode is portrait mode. If the mode is portrait mode, it is determined at E018 whether or not the auto zoom process has ended, and if the auto zoom process has not ended, the process jumps to E038.

[0073] If the auto zoom process has finished,
At E020, it is determined whether or not focus is achieved. When it is determined that focus is not achieved, the process jumps to E038. On the other hand, if it is determined that focus is achieved, it is determined at E022 whether or not the self-timer mode is set. If in self-timer mode, press E
At 024, only the self-timer operating flag is set, and no exposure is performed. This flag starts the self-timer. At this time, A of the main routine (Figure 4)
At 068, the display LCD 271 in the finder is turned off to notify the photographer that the self-timer has started. Thereafter, E038 is executed and the subroutine ends.

On the other hand, if the self-timer mode is not set at E022, it is determined at F034 whether the drive mode is single mode or continuous shooting mode. When in single mode, the state of exposure flag 2 is checked at E036. Exposure flag 2 is set at E072, which will be described later, when exposure is performed, and is not cleared until the first release switch is turned off. Therefore, once a photograph is taken in single mode, the next photograph cannot be taken unless the release switch is released. On the other hand, when it is determined at E034 that the continuous shooting mode is selected, steps from E044 onwards are executed. E044 and subsequent steps are exposure processing.

At E044, first, an imprint flag is set. However, this imprinting flag is cleared at E048 when it is determined at E046 that this is the second shooting in the double exposure shooting mode. Using this imprint flag, the date is imprinted in E056 (exposure subroutine), which will be described later.

Next, at E050, the focus flag is set to F0.
At step 52, the out-of-focus flag is cleared, and at E05
In step 4, a battery check subroutine is executed. Here, the battery check is to determine the voltage level of the battery 221, and in the camera of this embodiment, four levels are set. The voltage of this battery 221 is
The measurement is performed by operating the dummy load 211 connected to the interface IC 210. When a battery voltage output selection command is sent with the dummy load 211 operating, the voltage level of the battery 221 is sent to the port connected to the A/D conversion port of the main CPU 200 among the output ports of the interface IC 210. The converted voltage is output. The main CPU 200 performs A/D conversion on this signal and determines the level. The first level is close to that of a new battery, and there is no particular problem. Second
When the level is reached, the duty of the zoom motor that is being driven by the duty is increased to perform zooming at high speed. This is to keep the zoom drive speed almost constant regardless of the voltage of the battery 221. If it is at the third level, the remaining battery power is low and a warning to replace it is necessary. This warning is given by blinking the battery mark on the LCD panel 281. Fourth
The level is such that the operation of the camera cannot be guaranteed. In this case, in the battery subroutine, after displaying the battery mark (all other lights are off), press the PW switch 21.
All camera operations other than 7 are prohibited. Therefore, only when the PW switch 217 turns from on to off, the same power down as in A082 of the main sequence (FIG. 5) is performed. If the battery level is between the first level and the third level, E056
Then, execute the exposure subroutine and perform exposure. After exposure, set/reset each flag (E058 to E07).
2). Return to main routine. Next, the exposure subroutine indicated by E056 will be explained. Figures 8 and 9 are
3 is a flowchart showing this exposure subroutine. First, at F002, charging of the strobe is stopped.

Next, in F004, strobe pre-light emission is performed to prevent red-eye, if necessary. As shown in FIG. 3, the strobe includes a TELE side Xe tube 233 and a WID side Xe tube 233.
There is an E-side Xe tube 235. Of these, W is used for pre-flash.
The IDE side Xe tube 235 is used, and the TELE side Xe tube 233 and the WIDE side Xe tube 2 are used for the main flash for shooting.
35. Use external strobes alone or in combination.

In F006, the state of the imprint flag is determined. As mentioned above, this imprinting flag is a flag for setting whether or not to imprint the date. When this imprint flag is set,
At F008, an imprint trigger signal is output from the main CPU 200 to the date module 284. The date imprint can be changed depending on the sensitivity of the film being used, but this is done using A050 in the main routine (Figure 4).
This is set when entering the film speed in . F010
Now, mirror up and narrow down.

At F012, it is determined whether the photographing mode is the bulb mode or not. Bulb photography is a photography mode in which exposure continues while the release switch is pressed, and in this case, the exposure timer is not started. Exposure processing is performed from F016 onwards. First, with F016,
Start the first act. Thereafter, exposure continues while the loop from F018 to F034 is repeatedly executed. The end of exposure basically depends on the end of the timer F018.

[0080] With F020, the shutter speed is 1/1
00 seconds or less, and if it is 1/100 seconds or less, jump to F018. In other words, when the shutter speed is 1/100 second or less, F
Exposure is terminated only by the expiration of the 018 timer.

At F022, it is determined by the X switch whether or not the first curtain has ended. When it is determined that the first curtain has not ended, the process jumps to F018. That is, if the first curtain has not ended, exposure is ended only when the timer F018 ends. On the other hand, when the first curtain has ended, it is determined at F024 whether or not the first curtain synchronization mode is set, and if the first curtain synchronization mode is set, F0
At step 26, the built-in strobe and external strobe are emitted.

Next, at F028, the shutter speed is set to 1.
1/ Determine whether the exposure is longer than 8 seconds.
If it is less than 8 seconds, jump to F018. on the other hand,
If it is longer than 1/8 second, press PW switch 21 with F030.
7 is checked, and if the PW switch 217 is off, jump to F036. That is,
In the case of long exposure where the shutter speed is longer than 1/8 second, the exposure is also ended when the PW switch 217 is turned off.

Next, in F032, it is determined whether or not bulb photography is being performed. If it is not bulb photography, jump to F018. On the other hand, in the case of bulb photography,
Check whether the first release switch is on or off, and if it is on, jump to F018, and if it is off, end the exposure. That is, in the case of bulb photography, exposure is also ended by turning off the first release switch.

[0084] When the exposure is finished, check again whether the shutter speed is longer than 1/100 second and set it to 1/100 seconds.
If it is less than 100 seconds, it is checked whether the second curtain synchronization mode is set. Here, in the rear curtain synchronization mode, light emission control of the built-in strobe and external strobe is performed in F040.

Furthermore, if the shutter speed is 1/3 second or longer in night view mode (F042) and zooming during exposure is selected (F044),
This inter-exposure zooming is performed in F046. During-exposure zooming is literally a photographing method in which zooming is performed during exposure to continuously change the focal length of the lens. In the camera of this embodiment, the ZO
Zooming is performed in the direction specified by the OM/WIDE switch or ZOOM/TELE switch for a time equal to the exposure time or until the lens touches the edge. When the above processing is completed, the rear curtain is run at F048 to finish the exposure, and then the mirror is lowered at F050.
Prepare for the next exposure by opening the aperture, etc.

F052 to F056 are film winding operations after exposure. Here, at the end of the first shooting in the double exposure mode, the flag is simply set and winding is not performed.

[0087] The night view mode will be explained below. In this embodiment, the features of the night scene mode are as follows: (1) When photographing a dark scene such as a night view, the program exposure is negatively compensated before photographing to reproduce the scene as seen with the naked eye. (2)
The types of synchronized shooting include long flash flash synchronization and rear-curtain synchronized shooting, (3) The strobe G number can be corrected to match dark backgrounds, and (4) Easy. (5) It is possible to perform infinity photography for distant subjects that cannot be AFed due to low brightness. In this example, by selecting the night view mode and shooting,
You can obtain photos that take advantage of these features.

The night view mode is provided in the subject mode and can be set by pressing the SUBJECT switch several times. When the night view mode is set, data for displaying a night view mark with a moon and star design on the LCD panel 281 is transmitted to the LCD IC 283. In night view mode, the photometric value is corrected by one step and the program is shifted. Normally, the exposure of a camera is adjusted based on a gray subject, so if you shoot a dark scene as it is, the photo will end up being brighter than the scene seen with the naked eye. To overcome this shortcoming, the program has been shifted to bring the photo closer to the scene seen with the naked eye. The light intensity of the strobe is also corrected to 0.5 stops. This makes it possible to obtain natural-looking photos without over-emphasizing people in white against dark backgrounds.

There are two types of strobe photography: front-curtain synchronization and rear-curtain synchronization. Generally, in long-exposure synchronized shooting,
Using rear-curtain synchronization produces more natural-looking photos. The light emission timing of the front curtain synchronization and the rear curtain synchronization has been explained with reference to FIG. Since the focal point of the lens in this example moves during zooming, regarding rear curtain synchronization,
By emitting light before driving the lens, out-of-focus photos are prevented. In addition, A of the camera of this embodiment
F is the subject light that enters through the taking lens.
Since it uses a so-called phase difference method that divides the optical path and compares them, distance measurement may not be possible for low-luminance objects. For this reason, the AF auxiliary light (auxiliary light LED 212) is used to measure the distance of a low-luminance subject, but when the subject is far away, such as in a night scene, the effect of the AF auxiliary light cannot be expected. Therefore, in night scene mode, when the distance cannot be measured even with the AF assist light in low brightness, it is determined that the subject is far away, and the focus flag is forcibly set with the focusing lens at the infinity position. Allow exposure.

Next, zooming during exposure will be explained. During-exposure zooming is literally a photography method in which zooming is performed during exposure. Typical inter-exposure zooming involves using a strobe to capture the main subject, then zooming in to take a picture that appears to flow around the subject. However, there may be situations where the main subject is far away beyond the reach of the strobe light, or where you do not want to use a strobe light. In such a case, if you do not use a strobe to capture the main subject, there is a high possibility that the photo will not have a clear nucleus.

This camera performs effective during-exposure zooming without using a strobe. As explained with reference to FIG. 9, zooming during exposure is enabled when the exposure time is longer than 1/3 second. In the during-exposure zooming of this embodiment, zooming is performed after normal photography, including strobe light emission. Here, the difference from the conventional method is that the predetermined exposure is completed before starting zooming, and in the sequence of F036 to F048 in Fig. 9, when the strobe rear curtain synchronization is performed, the shutter is not closed immediately after the strobe fires. This is the point where the shutter is closed after zooming. Zooming is controlled by the exposure time and the output of the zoom encoder, and the zoom lens is driven for a time equivalent to the exposure time or until it hits the edge. With this method,
Regardless of whether or not you use a strobe, you can take a zoomed photo that clearly shows the main subject.

[0092] Judging the execution of zooming during exposure and instructing the direction of zooming are performed using the ZOOM/TELE switch or Z.
This is done using the OOM/WIDE switch. The operating procedure is
When you press the first step of the release switch and the camera is in focus,
While holding down the release switch, use the ZOOM/TELE switch or ZOOM/WIDE switch to determine the zooming direction. The state of the ZOOM/TELE switch or ZOOM/WIDE switch at this time is stored in the RAM of the main CPU 200. If you press the release switch further from this state, exposure will start.
Memorized ZOOM/TELE switch or ZOOM
-Zooming is automatically performed in the direction of the WIDE switch. Therefore, after starting exposure, ZOOM/TELE
It is okay to turn off the switch and the ZOOM/WIDE switch. Although not shown, when the power focus mode is selected, by switching the zoom lens to the focusing lens and the zoom motor to the AF motor, it is possible to switch to inter-exposure defocusing photography using exactly the same operation as inter-exposure zooming. It is also easy.

FIG. 10 is a timing chart for explaining zooming during exposure. When the first release switch (first release switch) is turned on, normal zooming is prohibited and the zoom direction switch (Z
The states of the OOM/TELE switch and ZOOM/WIDE switch are stored in the RAM of the main CPU 200. This data is approximately 100ms until the release starts.
ec is updated once, so the zooming direction can be switched until the release starts. Next, when the second stage of the release switch (second release switch) is turned on, the release starts. When the release is started, mirror-up and aperture are first performed. Mirror up is an MU that turns on when mirror up is completed.
This is done by rotating the mirror shutter motor in the normal direction while monitoring the switch with the main CPU 200. On the other hand, the aperture is controlled by the aperture photo interrupter 264.
This is done by monitoring the output of the aperture, and once the target F number has been narrowed down, the attraction of the aperture magnet is released. The MU switch is turned on, the motor is stopped, and after waiting for the time the mirror is bouncing, the shutter magnet 241 (F) is released and the front curtain of the shutter is started. At the same time, main C
Start the exposure timer of PU200. When the first curtain has finished running, the X switch is turned on, so the main CPU
200 outputs a strobe front curtain synchronized light emission signal in synchronization with this. Thereafter, the main CPU 200 monitors the exposure timer and outputs a strobe trailing curtain synchronized light emission signal when the exposure time has elapsed. If zooming during exposure is not to be performed, the shutter magnet 241(S) is released and the rear curtain of the shutter is started, but if zooming is to be performed during exposure, the exposure timer is started again. Thereafter, the exposure timer is used as a zooming timer. At the same time as the timer starts, the zoom motor starts rotating to zoom in the previously memorized direction. Zooming continues until the timer overflows or it is determined from the output of the zoom encoder that the zoom lens has reached the TELE end or WIDE end. When zooming is finished, the second curtain is started and the exposure is finished. After exposure, lower the mirror and then wind the film up one frame.

By performing inter-exposure zooming in this manner, it is possible to take an inter-exposure zoom photograph in which the main subject is clearly captured, regardless of whether or not a strobe is used.

[0095]

[Effects of the Invention] As explained in detail above, according to the camera having the during-exposure zooming device of the present invention, when using a strobe, it is possible to easily and appropriately take photographs by using the during-exposure zooming. can do.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram schematically showing an during-exposure zooming device according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a part of a block diagram showing a system overview of a camera having an during-exposure zooming device according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a part of a block diagram showing a system overview of a camera having an during-exposure zooming device according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

4 is a part of a flowchart schematically showing the operation of the main CPU shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. FIG.

5 is a part of a flowchart schematically showing the operation of the main CPU shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. FIG.

FIG. 6 is a part of a flowchart for explaining the exposure judgment/exposure subroutine shown in FIG. 4;

7 is a part of a flowchart for explaining the exposure judgment/exposure subroutine shown in FIG. 4. FIG.

8 is a part of a flowchart for explaining the exposure subroutine shown in FIG. 7. FIG.

9 is a part of a flowchart for explaining the exposure subroutine shown in FIG. 7. FIG.

FIG. 10 is a timing chart for explaining zooming during exposure.

[Explanation of symbols]

101...Photometering means, 102...Calculating means, 103...Aperture,
104...Aperture control means, 105...Exposure timer, 106
...Shutter control means, 107...Exposure time comparison means, 10
8...zooming timer, 109...zoom lens, 11
0... Zoom lens driving means, 111... Zoom lens position detection means, 112... Recording means, 113... Zooming direction indicating means, 115... First stage switch of release button (first release), 116... Changeover switch, 1
17... Strobe control means, 118... Strobe mode setting means, 200... Main CPU, 210... Interface IC, 220... Power supply unit, 230... Strobe unit, 240... Mirror/shutter unit, 250... Winding unit, 260... Lens unit, 270...finder unit, 280...display unit, 290...A
F unit.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A camera comprising an during-exposure zooming device and a strobe light emitting means that performs during-exposure zooming using an electric zoom lens, wherein the during-exposure zooming device and the strobe light emitting means determine the exposure time. a determining means, an exposure control section that opens and closes the shutter mechanism, a timer that measures the time since the shutter mechanism is in the "open" state, and a zoom lens control means that causes the zoom lens to perform a zooming operation; a strobe control means for controlling light emission of a strobe; the exposure control section sets the shutter mechanism in an "open" state, and the time measured by the time measurement means coincides with the exposure time determined by the exposure time determination means. At times, the strobe control means causes the strobe to emit light, and then the zoom lens control means causes the electric zoom lens to perform a predetermined zooming operation, and after the end of this zooming operation, the exposure control section causes the shutter mechanism to emit light. A camera characterized by being in a "closed" state.