JPS6244701A - Camera with automatic focus adjusting device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To enable fast continuous photography when a non-AF lens is mounted or when a focus lock mode is entered by detecting the kind of a photographic lens mounted on a camera or the operation state of an AF lens and selecting the fast continuous photography on the camera side in the detection state. CONSTITUTION:A lens system detecting circuit 2 inputs a signal indicating that the lens on the camera is not an AF lens to a selecting means 21, which outputs a control signal to an automatic winding circuit 8 to select a fast automatic winding circuit in the circuit 8 and also outputs a control signal to an inhibiting means 22, which operates to inhibit an AF control circuit 5 from performing AF control operation. At this time, an AF arithmetic processing circuit 23 is in operation to display the focusing state of the photographic lens on a display part. Thus, when the photographic lens mounted on the camera is not an AF lens and the automatic winding circuit 8 selects a continuous photographic mode at this time, a microcomputer 1 selects a fast automatic winding circuit automatically to enable fast continuous photography.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Technical Field of the Invention) The present invention relates to a camera equipped with an automatic focus adjustment device using a TTL focus detection method.

(Blue Tatami of the Invention) Some cameras of this type are equipped with an automatic film winding mechanism and a TTL focus detection type charge accumulation type automatic focus adjustment device so as to enable continuous shooting. If the camera performs automatic focus adjustment control (AF control) for each frame during continuous shooting, the camera will perform automatic focus adjustment control for each frame, so it will always be able to shoot with good focus. Although this is possible, it is necessary to allow for processing time to accurately perform the AFilli, and the interval time for each frame becomes long. However, if the camera is set in a setting a that does not require automatic focus adjustment control for each frame (i.e., the camera is equipped with a non-AF lens that is not controlled by the automatic focus adjustment device, or the AF lens is forcibly stopped), (when the focus is locked), and even in such cases there is a drawback that the continuous shooting interval time becomes long.

(Object of the Invention) The object of the present invention is to solve this drawback and provide a camera equipped with an automatic focus adjustment device that allows high-speed continuous shooting when a non-AP lens is attached or when focus lock is achieved. shall be.

(Summary of the Invention) The present invention detects the type of the darkest lens attached to the camera, or detects the operating state of the AF lens, and selects shadows in high-speed succession 11 on the camera side based on the detected state. The technical point is that it is configured so that it can be used.

(Embodiment) FIG. 1 shows a calculation circuit diagram of a camera capable of automatic focus adjustment, which is an embodiment of the present invention.

In FIG. 1, the arithmetic processing circuit of the camera consists of a microcomputer (hereinafter referred to as microcomputer) 1, in which automatic exposure (AE) computation, autofocus (AP) detection/1 calculation processing, etc. are performed.

This microcomputer 1 is normally configured to be able to perform two processes, AE calculation processing and AF calculation processing, in parallel. This camera has a photographic lens that is automatically focused by an automatic focus adjustment device (hereinafter referred to as an AF lens) and a photographic lens that is not controlled by an automatic focus adjustment device (hereinafter referred to as an AF lens).
This is a single-lens reflex camera that can be equipped with a non-AF lens.

The AF calculation process will be explained first. The microcomputer 1 determines whether the photographing lens L is an AF lens capable of automatic focusing based on the signal from the lens system detection circuit 2, and if it is an AF lens, it converts the light from the subject into a charge storage type photoelectric conversion element (COD).
) 3 receives the light, and its output signal is applied to the AD converter 4, which converts it into digital data and stores it in the RAM, which is one of the memory means of the microcomputer 1. The microcomputer 1 processes the subject signal stored in the RAM using an appropriate algorithm, such as a well-known shift detection algorithm, to detect and store the amount of defocus (servo amount) up to the in-focus position of the photographic lens. do.

Based on this stored defocus amount, the AF control circuit 5 built into the camera controls the driving of the photographing lens L to the in-focus position (AF sub-control). Displayed by department.

Next, the AE calculation process will be explained. Microcomputer 1 has
The ISO sensitivity signal is input from the camera's ISO setting section, the aperture F value signal is input from the aperture F value generation section of the photographing lens, and the subject brightness signal is input from the photometry circuit to the microcomputer 1, and the automatic exposure control mode is input from the shooting mode setting section. (Shank time priority, aperture priority.

Either one of the program automatic exposure control (programmed automatic exposure control) and manual exposure control modes is selected, and signals are input from the shutter time setting section and aperture value setting section accordingly, and the microcontroller performs well-known exposure calculation processing. . The result of this exposure calculation is displayed in the viewfinder by the display.
By inputting a release signal from a release circuit 6 associated with the release button, an exposure control circuit 7 built into the camera is activated to take a picture. The display section is configured to drive display elements such as LEDs and liquid crystals.

Furthermore, the camera has an automatic winding circuit 8 (including, for example, a film winding device built into the camera, and an external film drive device, etc.) and an S/C switching circuit 9 (a film winding device installed on the photographing lens side). ) is provided, and this S/C
The switching circuit 9 selects the continuous 1 closest shadow mode in which continuous automatic winding is performed while the release button is pressed, or the single photographing mode in which single automatic winding is performed, and inputs the mode signal to the automatic winding circuit 8. This automatic winding circuit 8 is a single automatic winding circuit that, if switched to the single shooting mode by the S/C switching circuit 9, shoots only one frame while the release button is pressed and winds the one frame when the release button is released. is selected. In addition, the automatic winding circuit 8 is a high-speed automatic winding device that can continuously wind the film at high speed and perform continuous shooting without performing AF sub-control while the release button is pressed, if the continuous shooting mode is switched by the S/C switching circuit 9. Either the upper circuit or the low-speed automatic winding circuit that continuously winds the film at low speed and performs AF control during the interval time to perform continuous photographing is selected. Focus lock circuit (hereinafter referred to as
(referred to as AF lock circuit) IO is on the camera side or AF
Equipped on the lens side, with one focus lock (hereinafter referred to as A
This is a circuit that forcibly stops the photographic lens under the control of the automatic focus adjustment device by pressing the F-lock button.

Next, flowcharts of the examples are shown in Attached Tables 1 to 3. The normal photographing sequence of the camera will be explained based on Attached Table 1, and the AE routine and AP scene in Attached Table 1 will be explained in detail based on Attached Table 2 and Attached Table 3.

The normal photographing sequence operation of the camera will be explained based on Attached Table 1. In step 321, the power is turned on by pressing the release button of the camera halfway, and all circuits of the camera start operating. In step S22, it is determined whether the photographing lens attached to the camera is an AF lens capable of automatic focusing. At this time, if the AF lens signal is not input into the microcomputer 1 from the lens system detection circuit 2, no AF lens is attached to the camera, and the process proceeds to step s23. In step S23, the operation of the AF control circuit 5 is prohibited, and the process proceeds to step 324. At this time, the AP calculation process may continue to be operated to display only the in-focus state of the photographing lens L.

At step 324, AE calculation processing is performed and the calculation result is displayed in the viewfinder of the camera on the display unit. In step S25, the release button of the camera is fully pressed, and in step S26, the exposure control circuit 7 is activated to control the exposure (a series of operations based on the shutter release until the completion of exposure, i.e., stopping down, mirror up, shutter operation, etc.) (automatic control) is performed, and the exposure of the film can be controlled to the appropriate exposure. In step S26, S
If the automatic winding circuit 8 has selected the continuous shooting mode by the /C switching circuit 9, the non-AF lens, that is, the photographing lens L will not perform an automatic focusing operation, so the high-speed automatic winding circuit is switched to the high-speed automatic winding circuit in step 327. It will switch automatically. At this time, the following control operations are performed within the microcomputer 1.

In FIG. 2, a signal indicating that the lens system is not an AF lens is input from the lens system detection circuit 2 to the selection means 21, and this selection means 21 outputs a control signal to the automatic winding circuit 8 to perform high-speed automatic winding within the circuit 8. In addition to selecting the circuit, this selection means 2
1 outputs a control signal to the inhibiting means 22 to operate the inhibiting means 22, thereby prohibiting the AP control circuit 5 from performing the AF control operation. At this time, the AF arithmetic processing circuit 23 is operating, and the in-focus state of the photographing lens is displayed on the display section. In this way, the photographic lens attached to the camera is AFed.
If not the lens but the automatic winding circuit 8 has selected the continuous shooting mode at that time, the microcomputer 1 will automatically select the high-speed automatic winding circuit to enable high-speed continuous shooting. It is configured.

If the automatic winding circuit 8 has selected the single shooting mode by the S/C switching circuit 9 in step S26, the single automatic winding circuit is activated in step 32B to
It will be the darkest shadow. In steps S29 and S30, exposure control and film winding operation are performed in the continuous shooting mode or the single shooting mode.

When it is determined in step S22 that the photographing lens attached to the camera is an AF lens, in step 331 the AE routine and AF routine shown in Attached Table 2 and Attached Table 3 are jumped to, and they are executed in parallel. to control.

Next, the AP series will be explained using Appendix 3.

At step 341, the residual charge is discharged from the CCD 2 and it is reset. At step 342, the interrupt timer starts counting, and the AE interrupt routine (Appendix 2) for AE calculation processing operates in parallel with the AF screen. AE calculation processing is performed at regular intervals (step 531), and the results are displayed momentarily in the screen (step 53).
2).

When the CCD 2 receives the reflected light from the subject in step 343, it starts accumulating charges, and when a certain amount of charges has been accumulated, it ends the accumulation of charges in step S44.

In step 345, the interrupt of the AE interrupt routine is temporarily prohibited, and the charge accumulated in the CCD 2 is input as digital data into the microcomputer 1 via the AD conversion circuit 3 (in step S47), and AF calculation processing is performed. . At step 348, CCD2 is reset, and at step 3
At step 49, the AE interrupt routine operates again, and at step 'S50, the interrupt timer starts operating. Along with the AE display, the microcomputer 1 selects A in step S51.
The result of the F calculation processing is stored as a servo amount in a memory means in the microcomputer 1 and displayed as AF on the display section, and the photographing lens L is controlled by the AF control circuit 5 based on the servo amount.
is driven to the in-focus position.

Steps 352 to 363 will be explained based on FIG. In step 352, it is determined whether the AF lock circuit 10 is activated and the automatic focusing operation of the photographing lens L is prohibited and is forcibly stopped at that position. If the AF is locked, the process advances to step S513. , the release button is fully pressed. This AF lock circuit 1O is activated even when the photographing lens is not at the in-focus position and is in focus operation.
If the F lock button is pressed, the photographic lens is forcibly stopped at that point. At step S62, the camera or photographing lens side executes a series 'lft1! Determine whether shadow mode is selected. If in single shooting mode, step S
Proceeding to step 61, the exposure control circuit 7 operates to perform exposure control, that is, in response to the full press of the release button, to expose the film, and the process returns to the beginning of the AF screen. Further, if the S/C switching circuit 9 provided on the camera side is set to continuous shooting mode, the automatic winding circuit 8 is activated to enable continuous shooting, and in step 363 the high speed shooting mode is set. The high-speed automatic winding circuit in the automatic winding circuit 8 (that is, the shooting interval is approximately the total time of the exposure control time and the film winding time) is automatically selected, and the exposure control '4I
1 is performed, and in response to the release operation (pressing the release button of the camera), the exposure control circuit 7 is activated to expose the film, and when the continuous shooting is completed, the process returns to the beginning of the AP routine. In FIG. 2, a continuous shooting mode signal is input from the S/C switching circuit 9, and an AF lock signal is input from the AP lock circuit 10 to the selection means 21 in the microcomputer 1. Then, the selection means 21 selects the high-speed automatic winding circuit in the upper circuit 8 from automatic to enable high-speed continuous photographing.

At this time, the AF lock circuit 10 outputs the AF to the inhibiting means 22.
Since the lock signal is output, the inhibiting means 22 functions to inhibit the operation of the AF control circuit 5.

If the AF is not locked in step 352, it is determined in step 354 whether or not the release button has been fully pressed. If the button is not fully pressed, the AF screen returns to the beginning and AF calculation processing is performed periodically.

If the release button is fully pressed in step 354,
A signal is output from the release circuit 6 to the inhibiting means 22 in the microcomputer 1, and in step S55, the inhibiting means 22 temporarily performs AF calculation processing until the photographic lens is forcibly driven even during AF control. Circuit 23 and AFi
+Prohibits the operation of the control circuit 5.

In step S56, it is determined whether the continuous shooting mode is selected. If the S/C switching circuit 9 provided on the camera side is set to continuous shooting mode, the automatic winding circuit 8 is activated and continuous shooting is possible, and steps 356 to S
Proceed to step 57.

In response to the release operation in step S57, the automatic winding circuit 8 enters the low-speed shooting mode, that is, in FIG. Since the system detection circuit 2 inputs a signal indicating that it is an AF lens, the selection means 21
selects the low speed automatic hoisting circuit in the automatic hoisting circuit 8. This low-speed automatic winding circuit has a winding interval time set to a predetermined time that allows AF control to be performed for each frame during continuous shooting (step S58.
59), therefore, even if the subject is moving, AF is performed for each frame.
Since the camera is controlled, you can always take pictures that are in focus. Low-speed continuous imaging is repeated at such interval times (step 560).

If it is determined in step S56 that the mode is single shooting mode rather than continuous shooting, n-light control is performed in step S61 to perform film exposure, and the next film is wound to the beginning of the AF sequence. return.

To explain in more detail, in low-speed shooting mode, every 9
In a camera that uses P control, the film is generally wound after the exposure is completed (several 100 m5).
After that, charge accumulation in the CCD for AF control (for example, it changes depending on the degree of the subject, but in practical terms it accumulates several hundred meters)
s to about 1 s), and AD conversion (from several ms to several 101 seconds), and AD conversion (from several ms to several 101
1Is), and execution of the AF algorithm (Math. 1 (about
(approximately 1 ms to 100+ ms), AF servo, etc. are performed, and the total time of these steps becomes the interval time during continuous imaging.

(Effects of the Invention) As described above, according to the present invention, when the AF lens is AF-locked or when the I darkest lens is a non-AF lens that is not controlled by an automatic focus adjustment device, the selection means allows the camera to The automatic winding device is selected to enable high-speed automatic winding, enabling high-speed continuous shooting. Therefore, when a non-AF lens is attached to the camera, or when the AF lens is
When Front is set, high-speed automatic winding is automatically selected according to the setting state, and when an AF lens is attached to the camera and normal AF control operation can be performed, low-speed automatic winding is automatically selected according to the setting state. Since automatic winding is automatically selected, this camera has the effect of automatically setting the film's automatic winding performance to the optimum setting as appropriate depending on the setting state. Furthermore, for the photographer, the AF system '4'nvJ provides a sense of stability during low-speed continuous shooting, making the camera easy to shoot and easy to operate.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of a camera according to an embodiment of the present invention,
FIG. 2 shows a block diagram showing the functions of the microcomputer of the camera. (Explanation of symbols of main parts) 1...Microcomputer, L...Photographing lens 2...Lens system detection circuit 8...Automatic winding circuit, 9...S/C switching circuit 21...
Selection means, 22...Prohibition means 23...AF calculation processing means

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] In order to perform continuous shooting, an automatic winding device that automatically selects either a high-speed shooting mode in which the film is wound at a high speed or a low-speed shooting mode in which the film is wound at a low speed; and a photoelectric conversion element. an automatic focus adjustment device that includes a focus detection means to be used and drives a photographic lens based on a servo amount of the photographic lens determined by the focus detection means for each frame of the continuous photographing; and a photographing controlled by the automatic focus adjustment device. A focus lock means for forcibly stopping the lens; a lens detection means for detecting whether or not the photographic lens can be automatically focused by the automatic focus adjustment device; and selecting means for selecting the high-speed photographing mode of the automatic winding device when the lens detecting means detects that the photographing lens, which is not controlled by the automatic focusing device, is attached to the camera. A camera with an automatic focus adjustment device.