JPH0675268A - Flash photographing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a flash photographing device for preventing preliminary light emission for reducing a red-eye effect from being performed with a rear blind synchro. CONSTITUTION:The device is provided with a preliminary light emission commanding means 102 for commanding the preliminary light emission for reducing the red-eye effect, a preliminary light emission control means 103 for preliminarily emitting a flashing means 101 prior to shutter releasing when the preliminary light emission is commanded, a rear synchro commanding means 104 for commanding the rear synchro, a normal light emission control means 105 for normally emitting the flashing means 101 by a 1st timing in accordance with the shutter releasing when the rear synchro is commanded, and for normally emitting the flashing means 101 by a 2nd timing earlier than the 1st timing when the rear synchro is not commanded, and also, the device is provided with an inhibiting means 106 for inhibiting the normal light emission which is performed by the 1st timing succeeding to the preliminary light emission even in the case that the preliminary light emission and also the rear synchro are commanded.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a flash photography device capable of performing preliminary light emission for red-eye reduction and rear sync photography.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there is known a camera which performs a preliminary light emission for red-eye reduction prior to photographing in order to prevent a so-called red-eye phenomenon, in which a subject's eyes appear red during flash photographing.
In this camera, when the release button is operated in the state where the preliminary light emission is instructed, the electronic flash device first makes the preliminary light emission, and the electronic flash device makes the main light emission with the subsequent shutter release. According to this, the pupil of the person who is the subject is reduced by the preliminary light emission, and flash photography is performed in this state, so that the red eye becomes inconspicuous in the finished photograph.

On the other hand, there is known, for example, a single-lens reflex camera capable of performing rear curtain synchronization (rear synchronization) photography. The second-curtain synchronization shooting is to cause the electronic flash device to emit light immediately before the rear curtain of the focal plane shutter starts traveling (normal front-curtain synchronization emits light immediately after traveling of the first curtain). It is possible to obtain a natural image effect in which afterimages are continuous on the subject in the traveling direction.

[0004]

However, if flash photography is performed by simultaneously setting the above-mentioned preliminary light emission for red-eye reduction and the rear curtain synchronization, there are the following problems. In general, the rear curtain synchronized shooting is often performed at a slow shutter speed to obtain a more remarkable effect. Therefore, the interval from the preliminary light emission to the main light emission becomes long, and flash photography is performed when the pupil of the subject once closed by the preliminary light emission is reopened due to dark adaptation, and a satisfactory red-eye reduction effect may not be obtained. is there. Further, since the light emission interval is long, there is a possibility that the subject (person) who has seen the preliminary light emission misunderstands that the photographing has been completed before the main light emission, and the pose is broken before the photographing.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a flash photographing apparatus in which both the preliminary light emission for red-eye reduction and the rear curtain synchronization are not performed.

[0006]

The present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 1, which is a diagram corresponding to a claim. The present invention provides a flashing means 101 capable of preliminary light emission for red-eye reduction and main light emission for illuminating a subject.
A preliminary light emission command means 102 for instructing preliminary light emission, a preliminary light emission control means 103 for preliminarily emitting light from the flashing means 101 prior to shutter release when the preliminary light emission is instructed, and a rear synchro command for rear synchro. When the means 104 and the rear synchronization are instructed,
When the shutter release is performed, the flashing means 101 is caused to perform main light emission at the first timing, and when the rear synchro is not commanded, the flash release means 101 is caused to perform main emission at the second timing earlier than the first timing due to the shutter release. Even when both the main flash control means 105 for controlling and the preliminary flash control and the rear synchronization are instructed, the main flash control means 10 follows the preliminary flash control by the preliminary flash control means 103.
And the prohibition means 106 for prohibiting the main light emission at the first timing of No. 5 described above, thereby solving the above problems. Particularly, in claim 2, when the preliminary light emission and the rear synchronization are simultaneously instructed, the main light emission control means 105 prohibits the main light emission at the first timing. According to the third aspect of the present invention, when the preliminary light emission and the rear synchronization are instructed at the same time, the preliminary light emission control means 103 prohibits the preliminary light emission. Further, in claim 4, when the preliminary flash is commanded, the main flash is prohibited by the main flash control means 105 at the first timing even if the rear sync is commanded, and when the rear sync is commanded, Even if the preliminary light emission is instructed, the preliminary light emission control means 103 prohibits the preliminary light emission. Further, in claim 5, when the rear synchro is instructed when the preliminary light emission is instructed, the preliminary light emission by the preliminary light emission control means 103 is prohibited, and the preliminary light emission is performed when the rear synchro is instructed. When instructed, the main light emission control unit 105 prohibits the main light emission at the first timing.

[0007]

The inhibiting means 106 inhibits the main light emission at the first timing subsequent to the preliminary light emission even when both the preliminary light emission and the rear curtain synchronization are instructed. That is, the trailing curtain sync photography is not performed subsequent to the preliminary light emission. In particular, in claim 2, preliminary light emission is prioritized, and in claim 3, rear synchronization is prioritized. In claim 4, the commanded first has priority, and in claim 5, the commanded later has priority.

[0008]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS First to third embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. First, a configuration common to each embodiment will be described. FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a flash photographing apparatus according to the present invention, in which 10 is a camera body and 20 is an external electronic flash apparatus mounted on the camera body 10. In the camera body 10, the red-eye reduction preliminary light emission command circuit 11 sets the presence / absence of red-eye reduction preliminary light emission in accordance with, for example, the operation of an operation member (not shown), and inputs the fact to the camera microcomputer 12. In addition to the operation of the operation member, the command circuit 11 is configured to automatically set the preliminary light emission in the program mode, for example, or to automatically set the preliminary light emission when a situation in which a red eye is likely to occur is detected. You may.

The synchro signal generation circuit 13 generates a synchro signal for controlling the light emission timing in response to a command from the camera microcomputer 12. This synchro signal is output when the front curtain of the focal plane shutter is fully opened (second timing) when the rear curtain synchro command circuit 25, which will be described later, does not command the rear curtain synchro, that is, when the front curtain synchro is commanded. Is output at the time of the trailing curtain synchronization command (at the first timing).

The camera communication unit 14 transmits the synchronizing signal and the activation signal for the red-eye reduction preliminary light emission from the camera microcomputer 12 to the electronic flash device 20 side, and between the electronic flash device 20 and the camera microcomputer 12. It is equipped with a serial interface for sending and receiving flags and data, and for transmitting the presence or absence of preliminary flashing and setting of the rear curtain synchronization. 15
Is a release switch for instructing the start of shooting.

On the other hand, in the electronic flash device 20, the flash device communication unit 21 is an interface for communicating with the camera communication unit 14 described above, and inputs information from the camera side to the flash device microcomputer 22 and the light emission control circuit 23. To do. The light emission control circuit 23 outputs a trigger signal to the Xe discharge tube in the light emitting unit 24 to emit light in response to the synchronizing signal or the preliminary light emission activation signal, and also performs a dimming operation. The rear curtain synchronization command circuit 25 commands the rear curtain synchronization in response to the operation of an operating member (not shown), and the presence or absence of the setting command is transmitted to the camera side via the flash device microcomputer 22 and the flash device communication unit 21. Transmitted.

-First Embodiment- The operation of the first embodiment will be described with reference to the flow chart of FIG. When the release switch 15 is turned on, the program of FIG. 3 is started in the camera microcomputer 12, and first, in step # 101, the preliminary light emission flag RED_EYE is set to "1".
Or not. The flag RED_EYE is set to "1" when the preliminary light emission command circuit 11 instructs the preliminary light emission, and is set to "0" when the preliminary light emission is not instructed. In the following description, when the flag is "1", it is called flag-on, and when the flag is "0", it is called flag-off.

When the flag RED_EYE is on, the process proceeds to step # 102 to perform preliminary light emission. Various methods of preliminary light emission have been proposed, but here, the method is as follows. The camera microcomputer 12 generates a preliminary light emission start signal three times at intervals of 300 ms, and sends the start signal to the light emission control circuit 23 via the communication units 14 and 21 of the camera and the electronic flash device 20. The light emission control circuit 23 causes the Xe discharge tube of the light emitting unit 24 to emit light with a predetermined light amount in response to the activation signal. That is, the preliminary light emission is performed three times at 300 ms intervals. Due to this preliminary light emission, the pupil of the subject (person) is reduced, and red eyes are less likely to occur.

Next, at step # 103, a front curtain release sequence is performed. That is, the camera microcomputer 12
The shutter release is performed via an exposure control circuit (not shown), and a command signal is output to the synchro signal generation circuit 13 at the time when the traveling of the shutter front curtain is completed to output the synchro signal. This synchro signal is transmitted to each communication section 14, 2
1 is input to the light emission control circuit 23 of the electronic flash device 20, and in response to this, the light emission control circuit 23 causes the light emission unit 24
The main emission of the Xe discharge tube is started. When the predetermined light emission amount is reached, the light emission control circuit 23 stops the light emission of the discharge tube. Further, the camera microcomputer 12 starts the trailing curtain when the set shutter speed elapses.

On the other hand, in step # 101, the flag RED_
If it is determined that EYE is off, the process proceeds to step # 104,
It is determined whether the rear curtain synchronization flag REAR is on.
This flag REAR is used for the rear curtain synchronization command circuit 25.
Is turned on when the rear curtain synchronization is instructed by, and is turned off when the rear curtain synchronization is not instructed. The on / off state of the flag REAR is determined by the flash device microcomputer 22,
It is transmitted to the camera microcomputer 12 via the communication units 14 and 21.

If step # 104 is denied, the routine proceeds to step # 103, where the above-described front curtain release sequence is performed, and if affirmative, the rear curtain release sequence is performed at step # 105. That is, the camera microcomputer 12 performs shutter release in the same manner as described above, and outputs a command signal to the synchro signal generation circuit 13 immediately after the shutter front curtain travels and immediately before the rear curtain travels, thereby outputting the synchro signal. As a result, the light emitting unit 2 is transmitted via the light emission control circuit 23
The main emission of the Xe discharge tube of No. 4 starts, and when the predetermined amount of light emission is reached, the emission stops. After steps # 103 and # 105, the process returns to a predetermined basic routine.

According to the above procedure, when the preliminary light emission and the rear curtain synchronization are simultaneously instructed, the preliminary light emission is performed in response to the release operation, and then the normal front curtain synchronization photographing is performed. That is, the second-curtain sync photography is
Despite the order, it is banned. As a result, the interval from the preliminary light emission to the main light emission does not become long, a satisfactory red-eye reduction effect is obtained, and the person who is the subject does not misunderstand that the shooting has ended before the main light emission.

In the configuration of the above embodiment, the light emission control circuit 23 and the light emitting unit 24 are the flash means 101, the red-eye reduction preliminary light emission command circuit 11 is the preliminary light emission command means 102, and the rear curtain synchronization command circuit 25 is the rear synchronization command. Means 104
The camera microcomputer 12 constitutes the preliminary light emission control means 103, the main light emission control means 105, and the prohibition means 106, respectively.

Further, FIG. 4 shows the same operation and effect as described above by the processing on the electronic flash device side. The process of FIG. 4 is a flowchart that is periodically executed in the flash device microcomputer 22, and first in step # 201, the flag RED_EYE is determined. This flag RED_EYE
This state is input from the camera microcomputer 12 to the flash device microcomputer 22 via the communication units 14 and 21. If the flag RED_EYE is determined to be on in step # 201, the flag REAR is forcibly turned off in step # 202, and if the flag RED_EYE is off, step # 2.
Go to 03. In step # 203, it is determined whether the rear curtain synchronization command circuit 25 has instructed the rear curtain synchronization,
If affirmative, the flag REAR is turned on in step # 204, and if negative, the routine proceeds to step # 202. The control on the camera microcomputer side in this embodiment may be the same as that in the previous embodiment, or may be as shown in FIG.

As described above, when the preliminary light emission and the rear curtain synchronization are instructed at the same time, the preliminary light emission is performed, but the second curtain synchronization photography is prohibited, and the same effect as the above is obtained. In this embodiment, the camera microcomputer 12 and the flash device microcomputer 21 constitute the prohibition means 106.

In the above, the example in which the preliminary light emission is prioritized when the preliminary light emission and the rear curtain synchronization are simultaneously instructed has been shown, but the rear curtain synchronization may be prioritized.

-Second Embodiment- Next, a second embodiment will be described. In the above embodiment, when both the preliminary light emission and the rear curtain synchronization are instructed, the preliminary light emission is prioritized or the rear curtain synchronization is prioritized. An example of giving priority to the set one will be shown. The process of FIG. 6 shows the control which is periodically executed in the camera microcomputer 12 when the release switch 15 is off. When the flag REAR is determined to be on in step # 301, the flag RED_EYE is turned off in step # 302. To do. If the flag REAR is off, it is determined in step # 303 whether or not the preliminary light emission is instructed. If affirmative, the flag RED_EYE is turned on in step # 304, and if negative, step # 30.
Go to 2.

If the processing of FIG. 6 and the processing of FIG. 4 are combined, the pre-commanded one of the preliminary light emission and the rear curtain synchronization is performed, and the control commanded later is prohibited. The procedure of the release operation in this embodiment may be the same as that shown in FIG.

-Third Embodiment-Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. In the present embodiment, one of the pre-emission and the rear curtain synchronization which is commanded later is given priority. The processing of FIG.
When the release switch 15 is off, the camera microcomputer 1
2 shows the control executed periodically in step 2, and step # 40
If the flag REAR is determined to be off in step 1, step # 4
02, and if the flag RED_EYE is also determined to be off, the process proceeds to step # 407. In step # 407, D
Turn off both O_REAR and DO_RED_EYE. Here, although not shown, when the flag DO_REAR is on, the rear curtain synchronization shooting is performed in the release routine, and when it is off, it is not performed. Also, flag D
When O_RED_EYE is on, preliminary light emission is performed in the release routine, and when it is off, it is not performed.

In step # 402, the flag RED_EYE is set.
Is determined to be ON, the flag OL is set in step # 404.
Turn off D_REAR. This flag OLD_REAR
Indicates which one of the rear curtain synchronization and the preliminary light emission has been instructed first. When it is on, the rear curtain synchronization is first, and when it is off, the preliminary light emission is first. Next step # 40
In 8, the flag DO_REAR is turned off and the flag DO_REAR is turned off.
Turn on RED_EYE.

On the other hand, in step # 401, the flag REAR is set.
Is determined to be on, the process proceeds to step # 403, and if it is determined that the flag RED_EYE is off, the process proceeds to step # 405. In step # 405, the flag OLD_
Turn on REAR, then flag D in step # 409.
O_REAR is turned on and flag DO_RED_EYE is turned off.

In step # 403, the flag RED--
When EYE is determined to be on, the flag OLD_REAR is determined in step # 406. When OLD_REAR is off, the process proceeds to step # 409, and when it is on, the process proceeds to step # 408.

According to the above-mentioned procedure, the pre-flash or the rear curtain synchronization, whichever is commanded later, has priority. That is, when the rear curtain synchronization is instructed while the preliminary light emission is instructed, the operation of the preliminary light emission control means 103 is prohibited and the rear curtain synchronization photographing is performed, while when the rear curtain synchronization is instructed. When the preliminary light emission is instructed to, the rear curtain synchronization is prohibited and the preliminary light emission is performed.

In the above, the example in which the external electronic flash device is attached to the camera has been shown, but the present invention can be applied to a camera having a built-in flash device. Further, the above-mentioned rear synchro is a so-called rear curtain synchro using a focal plane shutter of a single-lens reflex camera, but a rear synchro with a lens shutter may be used. Therefore, the present invention can be applied to a lens shutter camera.

[0030]

According to the present invention, in a flash photography device capable of pre-flash and red-sync for red-eye reduction, even when both pre-flash and rear-sync are commanded, rear-sync shooting is performed subsequent to pre-flash. Since it is prohibited to perform, the interval from the preliminary flash to the main flash does not become long, the satisfactory red-eye reduction effect is obtained, and the person who is the subject has finished shooting before the main flash. You can prevent misunderstanding.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram corresponding to a complaint.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a flash photography device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the first embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a modified example.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a modified example.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the second embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the third embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 Camera Main Body 11 Red-Eye Reduction Preliminary Flash Command Circuit 12 Camera Microcomputer 13 Synchro Signal Generation Circuit 14 Camera Communication Section 15 Release Switch 20 Electronic Flash Device 21 Flash Device Communication Section 22 Flash Device Microcomputer 23 Flash Control Circuit 24 Flash Section 25 Rear Curtain Sync Command Circuit 101 Flashing means 102 Preliminary light emission command means 103 Preliminary light emission control means 104 Rear synchronization command means 105 Main light emission control means 106 Inhibition means

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Ryotaro Takayanagi 3 2-3 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo Inside Nikon Corporation

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A flash unit capable of performing a preliminary light emission for red-eye reduction and a main light emission for illuminating a subject, a preliminary light emission command unit for instructing the preliminary light emission, and a shutter release when the preliminary light emission is instructed. Preliminary light emission control means for preliminarily emitting light from the flash means, rear synchro command means for instructing rear synchro, and when the rear synchro is instructed, the flash means is operated at the first timing with shutter release. When the rear synchro is instructed to emit light, main emission control means for causing the flash means to emit main light at a second timing earlier than the first timing with the shutter release, and the preliminary emission and rear emission. Even when both synchros are commanded, the main light emission control is continued following the preliminary light emission by the preliminary light emission control means. Flash photographing apparatus characterized by comprising a prohibiting means for prohibiting the main light emission of the first timing by the stage is performed. 2. The prohibiting means prohibits the main light emission at the first timing by the main light emission control means when the preliminary light emission and the rear synchro are instructed at the same time. The flash photography device described. 3. The flash photography apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the prohibition unit prohibits the preliminary light emission by the preliminary light emission control unit when the preliminary light emission and the rear synchronization are simultaneously instructed. 4. The prohibiting means prohibits the main light emission at the first timing by the main light emission control means when the pre-light emission is instructed, and the rear synchro 2. When the command is issued, the preliminary light emission by the preliminary light emission control means is prohibited even if the preliminary light emission is instructed.
The flash photography device described in. 5. The prohibition means prohibits the preliminary light emission by the preliminary light emission control means when the rear synchronization is instructed while the preliminary light emission is instructed, and when the rear synchronization is instructed. 2. The flash photography apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the preliminary light emission is instructed to, the main light emission control unit prohibits the main light emission at the first timing.