JPH0455841A - Camera with remote controller - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To allow the easy selection of a delay release and immediate release by outputting an immediate release signal from a timer when a remote control photographing mode signal is inputted of the remote control photographing mode signal from a signal receiving section and before the lapse of set time. CONSTITUTION:The timer starts the time measuring operation after the 1st remote control photographing mode signal is inputted. The above-mentioned remove control photographing mode signal is inputted again from the signal receiving section 9 to the timer when the remove control photographing mode signal is inputted again from a remote controller 6 to the signal receiving section 9 before the lapse of the set time. The immediate release signal is outputted from the timer simultaneously therewith. A photographer can make delayed release photographing if he operates once the switch 7 of the remote controller 6. The photographer can make immediate release photographing if he repeats the same operation twice.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] [Industrial application field]

The present invention relates to a camera equipped with a remote control device.

[Conventional technology]

2. Description of the Related Art Cameras that are capable of remote control photography, so-called remote control photography, are known, and cameras that can set a delay time to delay the release timing by several seconds during remote control photography are known. With a camera that allows for a delayed release like this, when you or you want to take a picture of yourself as a subject, you have to use the remote control to strike the pose you want in the few seconds between sending the release signal and the timing of the release. be able to. By the way, as an application of the above-mentioned remote control photography, it is extremely useful to perform this remote control photography to prevent camera shake when photographing a night scene, for example. In that case, the delayed release is rather unnecessary, and there is a risk that a photo opportunity may be missed due to the delayed release.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

For cameras such as those mentioned above that can be used for remote control shooting with a delayed release mode, it is important to know whether it is desirable to be able to switch between delayed release mode and instant release mode when shooting with a remote control, which increases the number of operations required for the photographer. This would go against the grain of simplifying photographic operations. Also, could it be possible to have the remote control transmitter output two types of signals to use immediate release and delayed release, but that would complicate the configurations of both the transmitter and receiver. Become. The present invention has been devised to effectively solve the above-mentioned conventional technical problems. After all, the purpose is
To provide a camera with a remote control device that allows switching between delayed release mode and immediate release mode when performing remote control photography, and allows the selection to be made using one type of output signal. .

[Means for Solving the Problems] A camera with a remote control device according to the present invention is configured as follows in order to achieve the above-mentioned object. That is, there is a remote control device that is separate from the camera body and outputs a remote control shooting activation signal, and a remote control device that is provided on the camera body side and receives the remote control shooting activation signal from the remote control device and outputs a remote control shooting mode signal. In a camera equipped with a remote control device, the camera includes a receiving section and a timer that receives a remote control shooting mode signal from the receiving section, starts a time measurement operation, and outputs a release signal after a set time elapses, the timer is configured as described above. After the remote control photographing mode signal from the receiving section is input and the time measurement operation is started, and the remote control photographing mode signal is input again before the set time elapses, the release signal is immediately output.

[Action/effect]

When shooting with a remote control, the first remote control shooting activation signal is output from the remote control device, and if no signal from the remote control device is input to the receiver until the release is completed, the signal will be processed according to the delay time set in the timer. Normal delayed release shooting is performed. Then, after the first remote control shooting activation signal is input, the timer starts time measurement operation, and if the remote control shooting activation signal is inputted again from the remote control device to the receiving unit before the set time elapses, the receiving unit Then, the remote control photographing mode signal is inputted again to the timer, and at the same time, an immediate release signal is outputted from the timer. Therefore, the photographer can perform delayed release photography by operating the switch on the remote control device once, and instant release photography by repeating the same operation twice. That is, there is no need to perform an operation to switch between the delayed release shooting mode and the immediate release shooting mode, and the shooting mode can be selected depending on whether the operation is performed only once or the same operation is repeated only twice. Therefore, only one type of photographing operation signal is required.

【Example】

Below, one embodiment of the present invention will be described in FIGS. 1 to 10.
This will be explained with reference to the figures. Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a camera with a remote control device according to the present invention, Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the camera with the remote control device removed, and Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing the back side of the remote control device. be. In FIG. 1, the release button 1 disposed at the top of the camera's grip 16 is configured so that photometry starts when the button is pressed in the first step, and a release operation (photographing operation) is performed when the button is pressed in the second step. There is. Reference numeral 2 denotes a self-timer display section disposed diagonally above the photographic lens to display that self-timer photography is in progress. At the upper end of the camera body, there is a distance measuring/light receiving section 3°, a light metering sensor 4. A flash light emitting unit 5 is provided respectively. A remote control 6, which is formed to have the same height and thickness as the camera body, is detachably attached to the left end (right end in the figure) of the camera when viewed from the photographer's side. A release button 7 for remote shooting is provided on the outer surface of the remote control 6, and by pressing this button 7 during remote shooting, a release signal is received by the receiver 9 provided on the front of the camera. I can do it. Further, a timer photography mode switching button 15 for switching between a normal photography mode and a self-timer photography mode is provided on the top surface of the camera body. As shown in FIG. 2, on the remote control mounting surface of the camera body, there is a shooting distance fixing switch 10. A remote control attachment/detachment detection switch 14 as a remote photographing mode changeover switch and a connector 11 for electrical connection with the remote control 6 are provided. By pressing the shooting distance fixing switch 10 during remote operation, the distance measurement data at the time of the operation is held until the time of release. Further, the remote control attachment/detachment detection switch 14 is for detecting whether or not the remote control 6 is attached to the body. FIG. 3 shows the back side of the remote control 6, that is, the side that is attached to the camera. 13 is a connector for electrically connecting the camera and the remote control 6 when the remote control 6 is attached to the camera body, and is connected to the connector 11 on the body side.
They form a pair. In addition, this mounting surface is equipped with 12 solar cells,
When the remote control 6 is removed from the camera body, a power source provided inside the remote control 6 is charged. Also, 2
7 is a stand display setting member. This is configured to be operable to move between two positions, an on position and an off position, and to maintain that position after operation. If a delay release is performed while the stand display setting member 27 is in the on position, a display indicating that the delay time is in progress is made with sound. Next, the control relationship of the camera with a remote control device according to the present invention will be explained using the circuit block diagram shown in FIG. In the figure, MC represents a microcomputer (hereinafter referred to as microcomputer). The switches shown on the left side of this microcomputer MC are SL or photometry switch, S2 or release switch,
5slf or self-timer shooting switch, 5afl or A
, F lock (fixed shooting distance) switch, and S rem function. The photometry switch S1 is turned on in response to the first press of the release button 1 in FIG. 1, and the release switch S2 is similarly turned on in response to the second press of the release button 1. The self-timer photographing switch S slf is turned on when the timer photographing mode switching button 15 shown in FIG. 1 is pressed in, and turned off when released. The AF lock switch 5afl is turned on when the shooting distance fixing switch 10 shown in FIG. 1 is pushed in, and turned off when it is released. The remote control switch Srem is turned on when the remote control 6 is attached to the camera body, and turned off when it is removed, by the remote control attachment/detachment detection switch 14 shown in FIG. The camera is controlled by the microcomputer MC in response to turning on and off these switches. The AFE shown on the top of the microcomputer MC is the photometry/distance measurement IC.
It performs photometry and distance measurement according to instructions from the microcomputer MC, and also performs photometry and distance measurement according to the instructions from the microcomputer MC.
Send it back to C. Further, IFI to IF5 shown on the right side of the microcomputer MC each represent an interface. IFI is
This is an interface between the microcomputer MC and the film winding motor M1, and is connected to the microcomputer MC through terminals MCI and MC2. This motor Ml is set to ``W'', ``high level'' rHJ, and ``low level'' depending on the signal status of each terminal MCI and MC2.
It is controlled to each state of forward rotation, reverse rotation, and stop 7/Iodine by adjusting the threads. IF5 is an interface between the microcomputer MC and the lens feeding stepping motor M2, and each terminal MC
3. Connected to microcomputer MC through MC4 and MC5. This motor M2 is controlled to start and stop energization through a terminal MC3, and its rotational direction is controlled by the signal state of each terminal MC4, MC5. IF3 is an interface between the microcomputer MC and the shutter driving tll stepping motor M3;
The same control as that performed in motor M2 through terminals MC3, MC4, and MC5 is performed through terminals MC6, MC7, and MC8. IF4 is an interface between the microcomputer MC and the flash FL, and the flash FL controls the start and stop of charging through the terminal FC, the emission of the flash through the terminal TRG, and the charging state of the flash capacitor through the terminal RDY. Ru. IF5 is an interface between the microcomputer A, IC and a phototransistor PTR for receiving a signal from the remote control 6. S phototransistor PTR
When receiving a signal from the remote control 6 during remote control shooting, the interface rF5 connects the terminal IN to the microcomputer MC.
Sends the signal "LJ" through REM. 1F6 is an interface between the microcomputer MC and the timer display member LED2 that constitutes the self-timer display member 2 in FIG. 1. When the signal "L" is sent to the LED2 through the terminal 5ELF, It lights up and goes out when rHJ is sent. REMOTE shown below the microcomputer MC indicates a circuit within the remote control device, to which the remote control release switch S, reL sound display switch Ssp, release signal transmitter LEDI, Taiyo GBA, and small speaker SP are connected. It also has a built-in secondary battery. The remote control release switch 5rel turns ON when the release button 7 in Fig. 1 is pressed, and at that time,
The release signal transmitter LEDI emits pulse light. It is configured to emit light once each time the release button 7 is pressed. Furthermore, the circuit is configured so that when 5rel is turned on, the SP emits three short sounds every second. The solar cell BA generates electricity when it is irradiated with light, and charges the secondary battery that is the power source of the remote control 6. When the remote control 6 is attached to the camera body, the output terminal 0UTREL of the remote control 6 is connected to the input terminal rNREL of the microcomputer MC. This input terminal rNREL is normally kept in the rHJ state inside the microcomputer MC, but becomes the rLJ state when the remote control release switch 5rel is turned on. Further, the sound display switch Ssp is turned on when the sound display setting member 27 is in the on position, and turned off when it is in the off position. Next, the operation of the camera with the remote control device during photographing will be explained step by step according to the flowcharts shown in FIGS. 5 to 8. In the initial state of deafness, the microcomputer MC is in a state of waiting for a signal to be input to one of the input ports, as shown in step 00I (indicated by 5001 in the drawing, hereinafter). When the photographer operates any switch and a change occurs in the input boat, first the remote control switch S rem
The state of is determined (step 002). Therefore, if the remote control switch S rem is on, that is, if it is attached to the camera body, the remote control flag F rem is reset to O in step 003, and the process proceeds to step 0.
The process proceeds to step 04, but if the remote control switch S rem is off, that is, if it is removed from the body, F rem is set to 1 in step 011. This remote control flag F rem is a flag for determining whether or not the camera is currently in remote shooting mode, and is 1 during remote shooting and O during normal shooting. In step 004, it is determined whether the photometry switch S1 is in a state. If this switch S1 is on, the process proceeds to each step of "photometry and distance measurement" which will be explained later with reference to FIG. On the other hand, if the switch S1 is off, it is determined whether the input terminal I N RE L of the microcomputer MC is in the state (step 005). As mentioned above, if the signal state of the terminal INREL or the remote control release switch S rel is turned on [1, J, the release flag Frel is set to 1 in step 006, and then each step of "photometering and distance measurement" Proceed to. When the release flag Frel is 1, the release is performed after photometry and distance measurement are completed, regardless of the state of the release switch S2. Step 005
If the signal state of the terminal INREL is VH, then
In step 007, the state of the self-timer switch Ss is determined. If it is determined that the switch 5slf is on, it is determined in step 008 whether the self-timer flag F_sir is present. The self-timer flag F sIf is a flag for the microcomputer MC to remember whether or not it is in the self-timer shooting mode.
When , it is processed as self-timer shooting mode, and when it is 0, it is processed as normal shooting mode. At this time, the flag F s
If ir or O, it means that the timer photographing mode switching button 15 was pressed in the normal photographing mode, and in this case, in step 009, the flag Fslf is set to 1, and the photographing mode is changed. Also,
If it is determined that the flag F slf is 1 at the step knob 008, it means that the timer shooting mode switching button 15 was pressed during the self-timer shooting mode, and in that case, the flag F slf is set at step 010. It is reset to slf or O and self-timer shooting mode is canceled. After switching these modes, or when it is determined that the self-timer switch S slf is off in step 007, the process returns to step 0.
It returns to 01 and enters the state of waiting for input to the input boat. As mentioned above, after it is determined in step 002 that the remote control has been removed from the body, steps O1 and F are performed.
When rem is set to 1, that is, remote photographing mode, the self-timer flag Fslf is reset to O in step 012. This is because when the release is performed using a remote control, it is not necessary to use the self-timer shooting mode. Then, the state of the photometry switch S1 is determined (Step 013)
. If the switch S1 is on, the remote control flag is reset to F rem or O in step 018, and then proceeds to step 01 of "photometering and distance measurement."If the release button 1 is pressed, the remote control flag This is because it is determined that the camera is not in remote shooting mode even if it is removed from the hotty.On the other hand, if switch S1 is off, step 0
14, the signal state of the terminal INREM is determined. If this signal state is rLJ, that is, phototransistor P
When the TR receives a signal from the remote controller 6, the release flag Frel is set to 1 in step 015, and then the process proceeds to each step of "photometry and distance measurement". If the signal state of INREM is "HJ", it is determined in step 016 whether the AF lock switch 5afl is in the state.When this switch 5afl is on, the A
After the F lock flag Fafl is set to 1, the process proceeds to each step of "photometering and distance measurement". If this flag Fafl is 1, the microcomputer MC is the AF port. The distance measurement data is stored until the camera is released. Furthermore, when the AF lock switch 5afl is off, the process returns to step 001 and enters a state of waiting for input to each input port. Next, the sequence of photometry and distance measurement J will be explained using the flowchart shown in FIG. First, in steps 1.01 and 102, the photometric distance measurement IC
(AFE in FIG. 4) performs photometry and distance measurement on the subject, and the data is stored in the memory of the microcomputer. Then, in step 103, "rAF/AE calculation" (which will be explained in detail later with reference to FIG. 7) is performed (this calculation determines the lens extension amount, aperture value, shutter speed, etc.). Then step 10
4, the state of the release switch S2 is determined. If this switch S2 is on, the process proceeds to step 110, and if it is off, it is determined in step 105 whether it is the release flag Frel. If this flag Fret is O, further step 10
6, it is determined whether the terminal rNREM is in the state or not, and if ft, J, that is, the photo I Lancistor PTR or the remote control signal M is received, the delay switch S del
It is determined whether the state is There's a delay here. When it is determined that the switch S del is on, the switch 71
Proceed to each step of "Release Delay" below 12. On the other hand, if it is determined that the delay switch S del is off, step 112 is skipped and the process immediately proceeds to step 113 and subsequent photographing operations. If it is determined that F rel is 1 in step +05, step 109
The remote control flag F rem is determined at F r
If em is O, the process proceeds to step 110; if em is 1, the process proceeds to step 112. Further, in step 1.06, if the terminal INREM is rHJ, that is, if the remote control signal is not being received, the state of the AF lock flag Farl is determined, and if it is 1, that is, the AF is locked, the process returns to step 104. 0, that is, if the AF lock is not activated, the process advances to step 108. Here, the state of the photometry switch S1 is determined, and if it is on, step 1
04, and when off, the initial state shown in Figure 5-KEY
− to shampoo. In other words, when the remote control 6 performs the release and the delayed release is performed, step I
The process proceeds to each step/knob of ``Release Day Delay J'' described in 1.2 and below, and then the photographing operation after step/knob 113 is performed.Also, if a normal release is to be performed, the process proceeds to step 110. As shown in steps 107 and 108, when the AP lock button is pressed and the AF lock flag Fafl is set to 1, even if the photometry switch S1 is turned off, it will not return to rKEYJ, so the measurement will not return to rKEYJ until the camera is released. Distance data is held.In step 110 described above, the self-timer flag F
By determining slf, it is determined whether the camera is currently in self-timer photography mode or normal photography mode. and self-timer shooting mode, i.e. flag Fsl
When f is 1, the shooting operation from step 113 onwards is performed directly after passing through each step of "Self J" from the step knob 111, or directly when the normal shooting mode, that is, the flag Fslf is O. In step 113, the lens is extended according to the results of the FA and F/AE calculations J, and the subject is brought into focus.In step 114, the lens is extended and focused on the subject. After that, the lens is reset to the initial state in step 115, and the film is advanced by one frame in step 116.Then, in steps 117, 118, 11.9, the release flag F rel and the self-timer flag Fs are set.
The lfAF lock flags Fafl are each reset to O, returning to the initial state, that is, rKEYJ, and waiting for input from the input port. Next, using the flowchart shown in FIG.
/AE operation J will be explained. First, in step 201, the remote control flag Fre
When it is determined that Frem is 1, that is, the remote photographing mode is selected, the distance measurement data is checked (step 202). In this case, distance measurement data or 8
If it is greater than or equal to m, the process goes to step 203, where the 111 distance data is forcibly set to 8m, and if the measured distance data is less than 8m, the process directly proceeds to step 204. Here, the distance measurement data is used to calculate the lens extension amount for focusing, and the value is stored in the memory. Then, in step 205, the shutter speed and aperture value are determined based on the photometric data. On the other hand, in step 201, the remote control flag Fre
If it is determined that the mode is O, that is, the normal shooting mode, the lens extension amount, shutter speed, and aperture value are determined in steps 206 and 207. Note that when determining the shutter speed and aperture value, step 205 during remote shooting is based on the program line H shown in FIG. 9, and step 207 during normal shooting is the same (determined based on program line L). As shown in Figure 9, when shooting remotely, the aperture value and speed are determined by stopping down as much as possible to deepen the depth of field, and when shooting normally, the / speed is determined in comparison. The aperture value and/or Yatter's beat are determined in such a manner that the aperture value and the Yatter's beat become faster.Next, step 111 "Self" and step 112 "Release delay" in FIG. 6 will be explained using the flowchart shown in FIG. First, in the case of self-timer photography, 20 is set as data in C0UNT, which is a memory in the microcomputer MC (step 302).Next, it is determined whether the numerical value set in C0UNT is an even number or an odd number. (Step 303).If this is an even number, the self-timer display LED lights up in step 304.
If the number is odd, this LED will turn on from step 3051. Furthermore, in step 306, the timer is set to t=0.5s and started, and in step 307, the timer underflow is checked. If the timer is not underflow, step 31 is executed.
Go to 0 and check TNREM. Here INR
If EM-"H'', return to step 307 and repeat the above operation. Upon receiving the remote control signal, INREM-"
When it becomes ``pi'', the process proceeds to step 311, the LED is turned off, and the process proceeds to END. Also, when the timer underflows, in step 308 COUNT=COUNT 1
It is set so that Step 309 is C0U
It is checked whether NT is set to 0, and if it is O, proceed to ENDJ and end the operation.If it is other than 0, repeat the above operation until O. Sometimes L for self-timer display
The ED flashes 10 times at 1 second intervals, and then the camera is released. On the other hand, in "Release Delay-J", 6 is set in the memory C0UNT in step 301. After that, the operation is exactly the same as in "Self", and the release is performed after the self-timer display LED flashes three times at 1-second intervals. It happens. Note that this is not shown in the flowchart, or as mentioned above, when the sound display switch Ssp is on, the small speaker equipped on the remote control 6 emits 3 sounds every 1 second in synchronization with the flashing of the LED during release delay. Round sounds occur. As explained above, according to the above configuration, during normal shooting, the shooting distance fixing switch, remote shooting mode switching switch, etc. that are operated during remote shooting are covered by the remote control, so the photographer cannot operate these buttons. No more erroneous operations. Since the shooting distance is always set to less than 8m, if the subject is out of the viewfinder's distance measurement area, as shown in Figure 10, it will often be in the background (infinity).
Even if the subject is out of focus, you can still take relatively in-focus photos. This means that 2
Among the set program lines, during remote shooting, the aperture value, shutter speed, and shutter speed are determined according to the program line with narrowed-down settings, allowing you to obtain a synergistic effect. You can further increase the effect by doing this. Furthermore, when the camera is released using the remote control, the timing of the delayed release is indicated by sound and light, which effectively prevents a lag in the timing of photographing. Furthermore, there is no need to refill or replace batteries in the remote control, and since the solar battery is normally housed inside the camera, damage to it can be prevented. Also, if the remote control signal is received again during the release delay, the delay operation will be cut off and the release will proceed immediately.
The release delay also eliminates the problem of missing a photo opportunity. According to this embodiment, it is also possible to solve the problem that the photographer is forced to wear an unreasonable outfit when taking a picture, which tends to occur with conventional general cameras. In detail, this problem can be solved in detail because, like the camera according to the present invention, conventional general cameras are also placed on the opposite side of the camera grip (upper right corner of the camera body when viewed from the lens side); When holding the camera up to take a picture, it was necessary to hold the camera with the grip side down due to the shadow from the flash, and in this case, the right hand was cramped and it was extremely difficult to take pictures. On the other hand, according to the camera according to this embodiment, during normal shooting in which the remote control is attached to the camera body, shooting can also be performed by operating the remote control release button located on the left side of the camera. In other words, since the release button can be operated with either left or right hand, the photographer is not forced into a cramped position.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a camera equipped with a remote control device according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a perspective view with the remote control device removed, FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the back side of the remote control device, and FIG. The figure is a circuit block diagram of a camera equipped with a remote control device according to the present invention, FIGS. 5 to 8 are flowcharts thereof, and FIG. 9 is for determining the aperture value and shutter speed in remote shooting mode or normal shooting mode. The program diagram, FIG. 10, is a schematic diagram showing the inside of the finder. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1...Release button, 2...Self-timer display section, 3...Distance measurement/light receiving section, 4...Photometering sensor, 5...Flash, 6.Remote control device, 7...・Lead hook for remote control, 8 photographing lens, 9 receiver,
10... Shooting distance fixing switch, 11. Connector, 12. Solar battery, 13. Connector, 14 Remote control attachment/detachment detection switch as a remote photography mode changeover switch, 15... Timer photography mode changeover button, 16
...Guritz, MC--Microcomputer patent applicant Minolta Camera Co., Ltd. Agent
Person Patent attorney Maeda Ao (1 other person) Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 9: /kf'Sotersshiichido (#) Figure 10, Figure 7

Claims (1)

[Claims] (1) a remote control device (6) that is separated from the camera body and outputs a remote control shooting activation signal; and a remote control device (6) provided on the camera body side that receives the remote control shooting activation signal from the remote control device (6) and controls A receiving section (9) that outputs a shooting mode signal, and a timer (MC) that receives the remote control shooting mode signal from the receiving section (9), starts a time measurement operation, and outputs a release signal after a set time elapses. In the camera with a remote control device, the timer (MC) is configured to switch to the remote control shooting mode again after the remote control shooting mode signal from the receiving section (9) is input and the time measurement operation starts, and before the set time elapses. A camera with a remote control device that outputs an immediate release signal when a signal is input.