JPH05323426A - Camera - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent the forgetness of the changeover of an red-eye effect reducer and unnecessary energy consumption by providing a control means and making the red-eye effect reducer operative or inoperative, according to a selected mode. CONSTITUTION:A CPU 7 executes control so as to operate the red-eye effect reducer 6 only when a 'P' (standard program AE) mode most frequently used, in exposure modes, and a 'P1' mode suitable for portrait photographing, are selected. In other words, when an AE mode is the 'P' or the 'P1', and an observation is less than a reference value, it is judged that red-eye effect development occurs by stroboscope photographing, the red-eye effect reducer 6 is operated, and simultaneously, the displays of shutter speed, a diaphragm value, and other required information, at that time, displayed on a display device in a finder 9, are made to flicker at 2Hz, to inform that the red-eye effect reducer 6 is under the operation, to a photographer. On the other hand, except when the AE mode is the 'P' or the 'P1', the operation of the red-eye effect reducer 6 is inhibited by the CPU 7, at the time of setting the AE mode.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an improvement in a camera equipped with a red-eye reducing device for reducing the red-eye phenomenon during flash photography.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Recently, as a tendency of a camera having a built-in strobe device, it has been standardized to provide a device for alleviating a red-eye phenomenon that occurs during stroboscopic photography.
There are the following methods as to whether or not this type of red-eye reducing device is used during flash photography.

1) A device having a switching means for activating or deactivating the red-eye reducing device so that a photographer can arbitrarily select whether to activate or deactivate the red-eye reducing device.

2) One-to-one correspondence with the flash condition of the built-in flash, and the red-eye reduction device always operates before the flash discharge under the condition that flash emission is required.

[0005]

However, the above conventional example has the following problems.

In the above method 1), the fact that it can be selected means that the operator may forget to switch to the operating state when red-eye reduction is necessary, and it is unknown at what time the red-eye phenomenon occurs. For beginners, there was a problem that they did not understand the selection criteria for activation and deactivation, resulting in a red-eye photograph. That is, the red-eye reducing device is not properly used, and the so-called treasure will endure.

In the above-mentioned method 2), the red-eye reducing device operates even under the condition of backlighting or no person because the device always operates under the condition that the strobe emits light (low brightness, backlight). In that case, the energy is wasted. That is, there is an inconvenience that it operates even in a situation unrelated to the red eye phenomenon.

Next, another problem will be described.

The structure of the above red-eye reducing device can be roughly classified into two types. One is a method of pre-flashing the strobe on the subject before the main flash emission, and the other has a lamp etc. separately from the strobe, and the lamp etc. emits light prior to the strobe emission. It is a method of letting. In either method, the effect of alleviating the red-eye effect varies depending on the distance to the subject, the brightness, and the individual difference of the subject.

On the other hand, as one conventional example, there is one in which the operating time of the red-eye reducing device is set to a fixed time so that the red-eye reducing effect can be obtained to some extent, and the release is not accepted until the operation is completed. However, this method causes an important shutter chance to be missed, and becomes a more serious problem than the occurrence of the red-eye phenomenon.

As another example, there is a so-called release priority method in which the red-eye reduction phenomenon is activated until the shutter is released.
In this case, the shutter chance is not missed, but the red-eye reduction device releases without noticing that the red-eye reduction device is operating, resulting in a problem that the red-eye reduction effect cannot be obtained.

Further, Japanese Patent Application No. 3-175402 proposes to display a warning that the red-eye reducing device is in operation by also using a part of the exposure correction display, but the red-eye reducing device operates. Normally, the photographer is looking into the viewfinder and is concentrating on the subject, so the warning is meaningless if there is no display that can be visually recognized in the viewfinder.

A first object of the present invention is to provide a camera that does not forget to switch the operation of the red-eye reduction device between operation and non-operation, and does not waste energy.

A second object of the present invention is to provide a camera capable of surely recognizing that the red-eye reducing device is in operation even if the user looks into the viewfinder and concentrates on photographing.

[0015]

According to the present invention, when a predetermined exposure mode is selected by the exposure mode selection means, a control means for activating the red-eye reduction device in flash photography is provided, and the control means operates in accordance with the selected exposure mode. The red-eye reduction device is activated or deactivated.

Further, when the red-eye reducing device is in operation, a display control means for displaying a message to that effect is provided in the viewfinder display device, and when the red-eye reducing device is in operation, a sound control means for operating the sound generating device is provided. It is provided so that the operation of the red-eye reduction device can be notified by a display or sound.

[0017]

1 to 7 are views relating to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 1 is a front view showing the external appearance of a camera. 1 is a camera body, 2 is a taking lens, 3 is a release button, and 4 is a release button.
Is an exposure mode tire, 5 is a strobe device, and 6 is a red-eye reduction device.

FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram of the camera shown in FIG. 1. The same parts as those in FIG. 1 have the same reference numerals.

In FIG. 2, reference numeral 7 denotes a CPU which controls the entire camera, and includes a photometric sensor such as an SPC, a publicly known photometric device 8 including an optical lens, an LCD, an LED and a superimpose. In-finder display device 9,
A red-eye reduction device 6 including a lamp, a strobe device 5 built into the camera, an exposure device 1 using a shutter and an aperture.
0, which controls each operation.

S1 is a switch that is turned on by the first stroke of the release button 3, and S2 is O by the second stroke.
These ON / OFF signals are input to the CPU 7.

A symbol indicating a plurality of exposure modes is attached to the upper surface of the exposure mode dial 4, and the photographer can freely select the exposure mode. The selected result is the CP.
Input to U7.

Here, a plurality of exposure modes (7 types in the embodiment) attached to the exposure mode dial 4 will be described.

“M” is a manual exposure mode in which the shutter speed and aperture value can be arbitrarily set by the photographer, and “Av” is a shutter for the camera so that the exposure is appropriate for the arbitrarily set aperture value. Aperture-priority AE mode that calculates and automatically sets the shutter speed, and "Tv" is the shutter-priority AE mode that automatically calculates the aperture value and automatically sets the aperture value so that the exposure is appropriate for the arbitrarily set shutter time Is. These “M”, “Av”, and “Tv” three exposure modes are modes in which the photographer's intention of photographing and drawing is easily reflected, and are suitable for photographers of a relatively intermediate or higher level.

"P", "P ₁ ", "P ₂ ", and "P ₃ " will be described with reference to FIG.

“P” to “P ₃ ” are set by the camera according to the situation of the subject so that the photographer can take an appropriate photograph even if the photographer does not have knowledge of shutter speed or aperture value. The so-called program AE mode in which the combination is set in advance is suitable for beginners and is effective in terms of convenience and speed even for photographers of intermediate level or higher.

"P" is a standard program AE mode suitable for general subjects, and the program AE characteristic chart is shown in FIG.
It shows in (a). “P ₁ ” is a program AE mode in which the aperture effect that makes the depth of field relatively shallow has priority, and the program AE characteristic diagram is shown in FIG. 3B, which is suitable for portrait photography of people and the like. Are suitable. “P ₂ ” is a program AE mode in which the aperture effect that gives a relatively deep depth of field is prioritized.
It is shown in (c), which is suitable for photographing landscapes and the like. “P ₃ ” is the program AE mode that gives priority to the high-speed shutter speed side, and the program AE characteristic chart is shown in FIG.
It is shown in (c), which is suitable for shooting fast-moving objects such as sports.

[0028] Of the more than seven exposure modes, and the most frequently and feel free to be used under all circumstances "P" (standard program AE) mode, suitable for the shooting of the person "P _1"
Only when the mode is selected, the CPU 7 controls so that the red-eye reducing device 6 can be operated.

4 and 5 show the display state in the viewfinder, and the display device 9 in the viewfinder is arranged below the field of view.

In FIG. 4, the AE mode "P" is selected, the photometry calculation value by turning on the switch S1 is "1/250" for the shutter speed, "5.6" for the aperture value, and the strobe is fully charged. The status is displayed. FIG. 5 shows a blinking state in the operation flow described later.

Next, the operation of the camera having the above configuration will be described with reference to the flowcharts of FIGS.

First, the operation when the AE mode is "P" or "P ₁ " will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

When the first stroke of the release button 3 is made and the switch S1 is turned on (step 102), the photometric device 8 is operated to perform the photometric operation (step 10).
3). The photometric value obtained here is compared with a preset reference value (step 104). If the photometric value is equal to or greater than the reference value, the shutter speed, aperture value, etc. based on the photometric value at that time are displayed on the in-viewfinder display device 9. Necessary information is lit and displayed (step 105). An example of this state is shown in FIG. On the other hand, when the photometric value is less than the reference value, it is determined that the red-eye phenomenon will occur due to stroboscopic photography, the red-eye reduction device 6 is activated, and the shutter time at that time displayed on the viewfinder display device 9 is displayed. , Aperture value and other necessary information are displayed in a blinking manner at 2 Hz (step 106) to inform the photographer that the red-eye reducing device 6 is operating and to recognize the necessity of red-eye reduction. This state is shown in FIG.

After that, the photographer determines that the red-eye reducing device 6 has operated for a necessary time while considering the surroundings such as the distance to the subject and the brightness, and the second stroke of the release button 3 is made. When the switch S2 is turned on (step 107), the strobe device 5 is driven to emit strobe light, and at the same time, the exposure device 10 performs an exposure operation (step 108).

Next, when the AE mode is "Tv", "Av",
The operation when the _{"P 2""P3"} , will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

In this case, the CPU 7 prohibits the operation of the red-eye reducing device 9 when the AE mode is set. Therefore, from FIG. 6, step 104 and step 1
Since the flow of 06 is the same as the deleted flow chart, the description of the flow is omitted.

(Second Embodiment) FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing the main structure of a camera according to the second embodiment of the present invention.
The difference from the first embodiment is that the in-viewfinder display device 9 is changed to a sound generation device 11.

Next, the operation when the AE mode is "P" or "P ₁ " will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

When the first stroke of the release button 3 is made and the switch S1 is turned on (step 122), the photometric device 8 is operated to perform the photometric operation (step 12).
3). The photometric value obtained here is compared with a preset reference value (step 124). If the photometric value is less than the reference value,
We determined that red-eye effect would occur with flash photography,
The red-eye reduction device 6 is activated, and the sound generation device 11 is activated to emit a buzzer sound (for example, 2 Hz) (step 125) to inform the photographer that the red-eye reduction device 6 is operating, and Recognize the need.

After that, the photographer determines that the red-eye reducing device 6 has operated for a necessary time while considering the surroundings such as the distance to the subject and the brightness, and the second stroke of the release button 3 is made. When the switch S2 is turned on (step 126), the strobe device 5 is driven to emit strobe light, and at the same time, the exposure device 10 performs an exposure operation (step 127).

Further, when the AE mode is "Tv", "Av",
The operation at the time of “P ₂ ” and “P ₃ ” is the same as that in which the flow of steps 124 and 125 is deleted from FIG. 9, so the flow and its description are omitted here.

(Third Embodiment) FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing a main configuration of a camera showing a third embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the red-eye reducing device 6 is in operation. As means for notifying the photographer of the above, both the in-viewfinder display device 9 and the sound generation device 11 are provided.

Next, the operation when the AE mode is "P" or "P ₁ " will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

When the first stroke of the release button 3 is made and the switch S1 is turned on (step 132), the photometric device 8 is operated to perform the photometric operation (step 13).
3). The photometric value obtained here is compared with a preset reference value (step 134). If the photometric value is equal to or greater than the reference value, the shutter speed, aperture value, etc. based on the photometric value at that time are displayed on the in-viewfinder display device 9. The necessary information is lit and displayed (step 135). On the other hand, when the photometric value is less than the reference value, it is determined that the red-eye phenomenon will occur due to stroboscopic photography, the red-eye reduction device 6 is activated, and the shutter time at that time displayed on the viewfinder display device 9 is displayed. , Aperture value and other necessary information are displayed by blinking at 2Hz.
In addition, the sound generation device 11 is activated to emit a buzzer sound (step 136) to notify the photographer that the red-eye reduction device 6 is operating and to recognize the necessity of red-eye reduction.

After that, the photographer determines that the red-eye reducing device 6 has operated for a necessary time while considering the surroundings such as the distance to the subject and the brightness, and the second stroke of the release button 3 is made. When the switch S2 is turned on (step 137), the strobe device 5 is driven to emit strobe light, and at the same time, the exposure device 13 performs an exposure operation (step 138).

Further, the AE mode is "Tv", "Av",
The operation at the time of “P ₂ ” and “P ₃ ” is the same as that in which the flow of step 134 and step 136 is deleted from FIG. 11, and therefore the flow and its description are omitted here.

The above, according to the embodiments, and the most frequently and casually used under all circumstances "P" (standard program AE) mode, suitable for imaging of the person "P _1" mode is selected Only in this case, the red-eye reducing device 6 can be automatically activated, so that the red-eye reducing device 6 is in a state in which the image-taking target and the purpose are matched in many cases. Moreover, waste of energy can be minimized, and the utility value of the red-eye reduction device can be sufficiently enhanced.

Further, while the red-eye reducing device 6 is operating, all the information displayed in the viewfinder blinks at the same time, and at the same time, a buzzer sound is emitted, so that the red-eye reducing device is operating. Therefore, it is possible to make the photographer fully recognize the necessity of red-eye reduction, and it is possible to perform the release when the release is desired and to delay the release when it is desired to prevent the red-eye phenomenon.

Further, since the blinking period of the display in the finder and the generation period of the buzzer sound are set to 2 Hz, the operating time of the red-eye reducing device can be measured and used as a standard for predicting the degree of the red-eye reducing effect. be able to.

[0050]

As described above, according to the present invention,
When a predetermined exposure mode is selected by the exposure mode selection means, a control means for activating the red-eye reduction device in flash photography is provided, and the red-eye reduction device is activated or deactivated according to the selected exposure mode. ing.

Therefore, it is possible to avoid forgetting to switch the operation of the red-eye reducing device to the inactive state or to waste energy.

Further, when the red-eye reducing device is in operation, a display control means is provided on the in-viewfinder display device, and when the red-eye reducing device is in operation, a sound control means for operating the sound generating device is provided. It is provided so that the operation of the red-eye reduction device can be notified by a display or sound.

Therefore, even if the user looks into the viewfinder and concentrates on photographing, it is possible to surely recognize that the red-eye reduction device is operating.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view showing the outer appearance of a camera according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a main configuration of the camera of FIG.

FIG. 3 is an AE characteristic diagram of a selectable program mode in the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining display in a finder in the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a display state in addition to the display of FIG. 4, informing that the red-eye reduction device is operating.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing an operation when “P” or “P ₁ ” is selected as the AE mode in the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is an AE other than FIG. 6 in the first embodiment of the present invention.
9 is a flowchart showing an operation when a mode is selected.

FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing a main configuration of a camera according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing an operation when “P” or “P ₁ ” is selected as the AE mode in the second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing a main configuration of a camera according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing an operation when “P” or “P ₁ ” is selected as the AE mode in the third embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 4 Exposure mode dial 5 Strobe device 6 Red-eye reduction device 7 CPU 9 Viewfinder display device 11 Sound generator

Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. A camera provided with a red-eye reduction device for reducing a red-eye phenomenon during flash photography, and an exposure mode selection means for selecting one of a plurality of exposure modes. When the exposure mode is selected, the camera is provided with control means for activating the red-eye reduction device in flash photography. 2. The control means, when an exposure mode suitable for photographing a person is selected from a plurality of exposure modes,
The camera according to claim 1, which is a means for operating a red-eye reducing device. 3. The camera according to claim 1, wherein the control means is means for operating the red-eye reduction device when the standard program exposure mode is selected from the plurality of exposure modes. 4. A camera provided with a red-eye reducing device for reducing a red-eye phenomenon during flash photography, and an in-viewfinder display device for displaying various information in the viewfinder, wherein the red-eye reducing device operates while the red-eye reducing device is operating. A camera characterized in that the display device is provided with display control means for displaying such a fact. 5. The camera according to claim 4, wherein the display control means is means for displaying all information display portions displayed on the in-viewfinder display device in a form different from a normal form. 6. A camera provided with a red-eye reducing device for reducing a red-eye phenomenon at the time of stroboscopic photography, and a sound generating device externally informing that the red-eye reducing device is operating.
A camera comprising sound control means for operating the sound generation device while the red-eye reduction device is operating. 7. An exposure mode selection means for selecting one of a plurality of exposure modes, and a red-eye reduction device for flash photography when a predetermined exposure mode is selected by the exposure mode selection means. The camera according to claim 4, 5 or 6, further comprising a control means.