JP2002006362A - Camera - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve the overall image quality by envisaging a digital laboratory system as a premise. SOLUTION: A control circuit 1 performs exposure arithmetic calculations to the luminance of the entire field so as to perform moderate exposure in a laboratory corresponding mode. In the laboratory corresponding mode, the circuit 1 allows the influence of camera shake and obtains a film image whose depth of field is larger than that in an ordinary mode in the case of setting stop-down amount AV and shutter speed TV. Furthermore, the circuit 1 reduces the emitted light amount of a stroboscope in the laboratory corresponding mode than in the ordinary mode. The circuit 1 is set so that the control of extending a focus lens 9 in the laboratory corresponding mode is performed with lower accuracy than that in the ordinary mode. Thus, a photographic print having the larger depth of field, a photographic print where the difference of exposure between the subject and a background is restrained and a photographic print near to an image actually seen with the naked eyes are obtained, and also a release time lag is reduced.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to a camera suitable for a digital love system.

[0002] The present invention relates to a camera compatible with a digital lab, which can utilize the functions of a digital processing radio device.

[0003]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, digital lab systems have been sold by various companies. The digital lab system generates a photographic print by reading an image on a developed film with a scanner and applying digital image processing to the obtained digital image data.

[0004] Examples of apparatuses (digital processing lab apparatuses) corresponding to the digital lab system include FRONTIER of Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd., and QD-21 of Konica Corporation.

[0005] These digital processing lab devices have functions such as correction of high contrast scenes (dodging correction by digital image processing), correction of under-negatives, sharpness processing (correction of contour enhancement), and the like. Compared to laboratory system products, high-quality photo prints can be easily generated.

Further, by using a digital processing lab apparatus, it is possible to generate a photographic print that looks good even from a film image obtained by improper photographing, for example, a fill image having poor exposure or poor focus. I have.
For example, even a negative film whose exposure is insufficient by 2 EV or more can be finished as a photographic print comparable to a photographic print using a negative film obtained by appropriate photographing.

[0007] In addition, when printing a service print size, even a negative film that is clearly out of focus or blurring can be focused on and printed without blur by using a digital processing laboratory apparatus. Can be finished. Further, the digital processing lab apparatus can also finish a detail-printed photographic print of an overexposed or blackened portion of an image on a negative film.

[0008]

However, in the conventional camera, digital lab print is not presupposed, and extremely high AE and AF accuracy are set in consideration of the image quality when a photographic print is generated. Therefore, the control is complicated and requires a long time. For this reason, there is a problem that the release time lag is relatively large, and it is disadvantageous in terms of cost and battery life.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and provides a camera capable of comprehensively improving photographic image quality by setting various characteristics on the premise of digital laboratory printing. With the goal.

[0010]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a camera which is divided into at least three or more regions, and a multi-segment photometric sensor for measuring the luminance of a scene, and an analog image recorded on a film. In a mode corresponding to a digital photographic print system that generates a photographic print after converting image information into digital information, a test for determining an exposure amount based on an average value of a maximum value and a minimum value among outputs of the multi-segment photometry sensor. The camera according to claim 2 of the present invention comprises: reading means for reading the film sensitivity; a photometric sensor for measuring the luminance of the scene; and a camera for adjusting the film exposure. A shutter mechanism; calculating means for calculating a control time of the shutter mechanism from the photometric sensor output and the film sensitivity; and a shutter for controlling the shutter time based on the calculated shutter control time. Control means for controlling the mechanism, wherein the calculating means converts the analog image information recorded on the film into digital information and then generates a photographic print, and in a mode corresponding to a digital photographic print system, the focal length of the taking lens The shutter control time is calculated using a program diagram having a bending point on the second time side longer than the camera shake limit time determined by the camera shake time, and the camera according to claim 3 of the present invention reads the film sensitivity. Reading means, a photometric sensor for measuring the brightness of the object scene, an aperture mechanism for adjusting the film exposure, and calculating means for calculating a set aperture value of the aperture mechanism from the photometric sensor output and the film sensitivity And control means for controlling the aperture mechanism with the calculated aperture value,
The calculating means converts the analog image information recorded on the film into digital information, and then generates a photographic print after the mode corresponding to the digital photographic print system,
This is to calculate an aperture value narrowed by a predetermined amount from an aperture value at which an appropriate film exposure amount is obtained.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the luminance of the object scene is measured by the multi-segment photometric sensor. The determining means determines the exposure amount based on the average value of the maximum value and the minimum value among the outputs of the multi-segment photometric sensor in the mode corresponding to the digital photographic print system when determining the exposure amount.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, the reading means includes:
The film sensitivity is read, and the photometric sensor measures the brightness of the object scene. In the mode corresponding to the digital photographic print system, the calculating means calculates the shutter control time using a program diagram having a bending point on the second side longer than the camera shake limit second determined by the focal length of the taking lens. The control means controls the shutter mechanism at the calculated shutter control time to adjust the film exposure amount.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, the reading means comprises:
The film sensitivity is read, and the photometric sensor measures the brightness of the object scene. In the mode corresponding to the digital photographic print system, the calculating means calculates an aperture value which is narrowed down by a predetermined amount from an aperture value at which an appropriate film exposure amount is obtained. The control means controls the aperture mechanism with the calculated aperture value to adjust the film exposure.

[0014]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of a camera according to the present invention.

In the present embodiment, exposure control based on photometric results, aperture and shutter speed control in consideration of camera shake correction, strobe light emission control in consideration of exposure correction between a main subject and a background, and depth of field are considered. A lab-compatible mode is provided in which control is performed in consideration of a digital lab function for aperture control, focus lens extension control in consideration of shortening of control time, and the like.

The control circuit 1 is constituted by a microprocessor, and includes a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, a timer (TIMER), a counter (COUNTER), an AD converter (A / D CONVERTER), a clock selection circuit, a clock frequency dividing circuit, and the like. have. The control circuit 1 controls the operation of the entire camera by controlling peripheral circuits according to a program stored in the ROM.

In order to irradiate the object with strobe light, a light emitting section including a xenon flash discharge tube (hereinafter referred to as Xe tube) 2, a reflector 3, and a Fresnel lens 4 is provided. The strobe charging circuit 6 includes a capacitor (not shown) for storing electric charge for causing the Xe tube 2 to emit light, a DC / DC converter (not shown) for increasing a power supply voltage for charging the capacitor, and charging for measuring the charging voltage of the capacitor. It has a voltage measurement circuit (not shown).

The flash charging circuit 6 starts charging the capacitor according to an instruction from the control circuit 1. The charge voltage of the capacitor is monitored by the control circuit 1, and the control circuit 1 stops charging when the voltage reaches a predetermined voltage. Power for the Xe tube 2 to emit light is supplied by the strobe charging circuit 6. In accordance with an instruction from the control circuit 1, the strobe light emission circuit 5 starts strobe light emission by a high voltage trigger signal and stops light emission by stopping the current of the Xe tube 2. The flash of Xe tube 2 is
The light is condensed by the reflector 3 and illuminated on the subject via the Fresnel lens 4.

The lens frame is provided with a shutter 8 constituting a photographing optical system, a focus lens 9 for focus adjustment, a zoom lens 7 for varying the focal length of the photographing lens, and a diaphragm 57.

The zoom lens driving circuit 10 includes a control circuit 1
The zoom lens 7 is driven to adjust the focal length. The lens frame is provided with a Z sensor 11.
The sensor 11 detects the state of the zoom lens 7 and outputs a detection result to the focal length detection circuit 12. The focal length detection circuit 12 detects the focal length based on the output of the Z sensor 11, and outputs a detection result to the control circuit 1. Thus, the control circuit 1 determines the focal length.

The shutter drive circuit 13 is controlled by the control circuit 1 to open and close the shutter 8. An S sensor 14 is provided in the lens frame portion. The S sensor 14 detects the state of the shutter 8 and outputs a detection result to the shutter detection circuit 15. The shutter detection circuit 15 detects an open state of the shutter 8 based on the output of the S sensor 14 and outputs a detection result to the control circuit 1. Accordingly, the control circuit 1 grasps the shutter open state, gives an instruction to the shutter drive circuit 13, and performs exposure control by controlling the open time.

The focus lens drive circuit 16 drives the focus lens 9 under the control of the control circuit 1. An L sensor 17 is provided in the lens frame portion. The L sensor 17 detects the extension position of the focus lens and outputs a detection result to the lens position detection circuit 18. The lens position detection circuit 18 detects a lens position based on the output of the L sensor 17 and outputs a detection result to the control circuit 1. Thereby, the control circuit 1
Grasps the lens position.

The aperture driving circuit 58 drives the aperture 57 under the control of the control circuit 1. An A sensor 59 is provided in the lens frame portion. The A sensor 59 detects the state of the aperture 57 being narrowed down, and outputs the detection result to the control circuit 1. Thereby, the control circuit 1 grasps the aperture amount.

The film cartridge 21 is loaded in a cartridge chamber (not shown). Film cartridge 2
The film unwound from 1 is taken up by a spool 19 in a spool chamber 20. In order to rotate a spool in the film cartridge 21, a fork member (not shown) that engages with a key groove of the spool is provided.

The film winding circuit 22 includes a control circuit 1
The spool 19 is rotated to wind up the film. The film rewinding circuit 27 is controlled by the control circuit 1 to rotate a spool in the film cartridge 21 to rewind the film.

The film cartridge 2 is set in the cartridge chamber.
When 1 is loaded, the control circuit 1 controls the film winding circuit 22 to rotate the spool 19 and wind the film until the first frame reaches the photographing position. Also,
The control circuit 1 winds up the film for one frame every time the photographing is performed.

An F sensor 23 is provided on a pressure plate (not shown). The F sensor 23 detects the perforation of the film and outputs a detection result to a film detection circuit 24. The film detection circuit 24 counts the perforations of the film passing through the F sensor 23 based on the output of the F sensor 23, and outputs the counting result to the control circuit 1. As a result, the control circuit 1 grasps the amount of film winding and enables winding of one frame.

An LED 25 is provided near the running surface of the film. The imprint circuit 26 is controlled by the control circuit 1 and drives the LED 25 based on data output from the clock circuit 33. As a result, an indication of the time is imprinted on the film. As a method of recording time information on a film, magnetic recording may be used. In this case, a magnetic head may be used instead of the LED.

When the photographing of all the frames of the film is completed, or when the user of the camera instructs the rewinding during the photographing, the film is rewound into the cartridge 21. The rewinding of the film is performed by the control circuit 1 controlling the film rewinding circuit 27 to rotate the fork member.

A film sensitivity reading circuit 28 is provided near the film cartridge 21. The film sensitivity reading circuit 28 reads the sensitivity data of the film and outputs it to the control circuit 1.

The photometric lens 40, the AE sensor 41, and the photometric circuit 42 constitute a photometric section for performing photometry of the subject. The AE sensor 41 detects light incident via the photometric lens 40 and outputs a photocurrent proportional to the luminance of the object scene to the photometric circuit 42. The photometry circuit 42 converts the input photocurrent into a voltage, logarithmically compresses the voltage, and outputs the voltage to the control circuit 1.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a specific configuration of the AE sensor 41 in FIG.

The AE sensor 41 is composed of 7
It has an optical sensor divided into two regions. Each sensor outputs a photocurrent corresponding to the brightness of a corresponding portion of the object scene. The photometric circuit 42 outputs outputs based on the photocurrents from the sensors A to G to the control circuit 1 respectively. The control circuit 1 calculates brightness values (BV values) BVA to BVG corresponding to the respective regions on the subject screen based on the outputs of the sensors A to G.

The control circuit 1 determines the exposure of the camera based on the calculated luminance value. In the present embodiment, the control circuit 1 switches the exposure calculation according to the mode. That is, the control circuit 1 employs the following equation (1) for normal exposure calculation.

BV = [BVA + {BVB + BVC + (BVD + BVE + BVF + BVG) / 4} / 3] / 2 (1) In the calculation of the above expression (1), the main subject is located at the center of the screen. This is in consideration of certain things. Further, the specific gravity of the center luminance is calculated to be heavy, and as a result of distance measurement, the specific gravity of the region corresponding to the position where the main subject is located (for example, the position of the AF sensor detecting the closest distance) is increased. The following (2)
The exposure may be determined by the calculation shown in the equation (when the main subject exists in the area corresponding to the sensor B).

BV = {BVB + (BVA + BVC + BVD + BVE + BVF + BVG) / 6} / 2 (2) By performing exposure using the luminance information BV obtained in this manner, the main subject is obtained. Exposure can be properly approximated. However, other areas are not always appropriate. In addition, there is a possibility that an object part having a large luminance difference from the main part does not remain as an image on the film.

By the way, when processing is performed by a digital laboratory system, it is possible to print an image on a film with the gradation of the image expanded. That is, a correct image can be reproduced at the time of printing as long as the image is not extremely immersed or overexposed.

Therefore, in the present embodiment, in the lab mode, the exposure is determined by the calculation shown in the following equation (3). In equation (3), BVmax is the BV value of the brightest area, and BVmin is the BV value of the darkest area.

BV = (BVmax + BVmin) / 2 (3) By performing the exposure based on the calculation in the above equation (3), it is possible to perform a moderate exposure with respect to the luminance of the entire object field. Therefore, by using the digital lab function, it is possible to expect a print that does not have a portion that is crushed black or skipped white as a whole photo print,
By the formula operation (3), it is possible to surely copy the other part of the scene having a large luminance difference from the main part as an image on the film.

A pair of distance measurement lenses 43a and 43b, AF sensor arrays 44a and 44b, and a distance measurement circuit 45
A so-called passive AF type distance measuring unit is configured. The AF sensor arrays 44a and 44b include distance measuring lenses 43a and 43b.
And the two images incident thereon are detected, and the detection result is output to the distance measurement circuit 45. The distance measuring circuit 45 calculates the distance to the subject based on the input distance between the two images and outputs the calculated distance to the control circuit 1. The control circuit 1 calculates the distance based on
The extension amount of the focusing lens 9 is calculated.

The control circuit 1 controls the proper exposure based on the brightness data from the photometry circuit 42, the sensitivity data from the film sensitivity reading circuit 28, the distance data to the subject, the focal length data of the zoom lens, and the camera mode. , The necessity of strobe light emission, the amount of strobe light emission (time), and the like are calculated.

In this embodiment, the aperture amount AV and the shutter speed TV are determined by a program diagram corresponding to the mode. FIG. 3 shows that the control circuit 1 uses AV, T
4 shows a program diagram used for calculating V. FIG. FIG.
FIG. 3A shows a program diagram in the normal mode, and FIG. 3B shows a program diagram in the lab mode. FIG. 3 shows a program line in which TV is defined on the horizontal axis and AV on the vertical axis, and the relationship between TV and AV is defined by a thick line.

The optimum value of the exposure EV is determined based on the luminance of the subject and the film sensitivity. In FIG. 3, the exposure EV is indicated by a straight line (not shown) inclined 45 degrees to the left, and the intersection of the exposure EV and the program line determines the aperture value AV and the shutter speed TV to be set. Is done.

By the way, in general, assuming that the focal length of the photographing lens is fmm, it is known that the limit value of the shutter speed TV at which camera shake does not occur (hereinafter referred to as camera shake limit second) is earlier than 1 / f second. ing. Therefore, FIG.
As shown in (a), in the normal mode, when the exposure amount EV is small and camera shake is a concern,
While the aperture is opened to increase the shutter speed TV as much as possible, when the exposure EV is large and there is no need to worry about camera shake, the aperture is gradually reduced to increase the depth of field.

When the digital lab function is used, even if the outline of the image on the film is blurred due to camera shake, it can be corrected by sharpness processing. Therefore, the control circuit 1 operates in the lab mode,
As shown by the arrow in FIG. 3B, the camera shake limit time is set one step later (corresponding to -1 EV) than in the normal mode in FIG. 3A. That is, since the influence of camera shake can be corrected by the digital lab function, the control circuit 1 determines the aperture amount AV and the shutter speed TV based on the program diagram of FIG. Although the film image may be affected by camera shake, a film image with a greater depth of field than in the normal mode is obtained.

As described above, in the lab-compatible mode, the difference between the exposure amount of the main subject and the exposure amount of the background is suppressed because the program diagram in which the camera shake limit time is shifted by -1 EV as compared with the normal mode is used. There is an effect that can be.

Further, the control circuit 1 is configured to reduce the amount of strobe light during strobe shooting in the lab-compatible mode as compared with the normal mode. By reducing the amount of strobe light, the difference between the exposure amount of the main subject and the exposure amount of the background can be further suppressed. FIG. 4 is a graph for explaining these effects.

FIG. 4 is a graph showing the difference between the exposure amount of the main subject and the exposure amount with the exposure amount EV on the horizontal axis and the exposure correction amount ΔEV on the vertical axis. In FIG. 4, the solid line indicates the total exposure amount of the main subject by the natural light and the strobe light, the dashed line indicates the exposure amount of the main subject by the strobe light, and the broken line indicates the exposure amount of the background by the natural light. FIG.
4A shows a normal mode, and FIG. 4B shows a lab-compatible mode.

Low exposure, shutter speed TV
In photographing where the camera shake limit is longer than the time limit, it is common practice to compensate for the insufficient exposure with a strobe. However, since the strobe light needs an amount of light proportional to the square of the distance to the subject, the exposure amount that is effective can be actually corrected only for the subject at a limited distance.

For example, when the main subject is at a short distance and the background is far, the main subject is properly exposed by the strobe light, but the background does not provide a sufficient exposure with the strobe light. , The exposure difference from the main subject increases. Especially when a dark lens is used,
Even in a scene that feels bright, it is not uncommon for the picture to be dark as at night.

FIG. 4A shows the amount of exposure between the main subject and the background in a scene where the main subject is at the strobe light reaching distance and the strobe light does not reach the background at all in the strobe light emission control in the normal mode. Is shown.

For example, in a scene where natural light is -3 EV,
The difference in exposure amount between the main subject and the background is about 3.17 EV. In this case, the background image is not printed with sufficient brightness.

Therefore, in the present embodiment, the control circuit 1 is configured to reduce the amount of strobe light in the lab-compatible mode from that in the normal mode on the premise of camera shake correction by the digital lab system.

FIG. 4B shows this state. FIG.
The dashed lines at narrow intervals in (b) show the total exposure amount of the main subject by the natural light and the strobe light when the strobe light emission amount is changed by -1 EV from that in the normal mode.

Since the camera shake limit time is shifted by -1 EV, in a scene where the natural light is -3 EV, the exposure difference between the main subject and the background is about 2.3 as shown by the solid line and the broken line.
It is reduced to 2 EV. Further, the strobe light emission amount is set to -1 EV
Since the correction is performed, the difference in exposure amount between the main subject and the background is about 1.58 EV as indicated by the broken line and the broken line at a narrow interval, and the print quality of the background image is further improved.

As described above, in the lab-compatible mode, the difference in the amount of exposure between the main subject and the background can be suppressed, so that a photographic print close to the image actually seen with the naked eye can be obtained.

Further, in this embodiment, the control circuit 1 sets the extension position accuracy in the lab-compatible mode lower than in the normal mode when the focus lens 9 is extended. 5 to 9 show the aperture amount A.
5 is a graph for explaining control of V and the amount of extension of a focus lens.

FIG. 5 shows a program diagram in which the horizontal axis represents the shutter speed TV and the vertical axis represents the aperture amount AV. The solid line in FIG. 5 shows a program line when the shutter speed TV determined based on the brightness of the subject is faster than the camera shake limit second, that is, when there is no need to emit a flash, and the broken line is , Without changing the shutter speed TV from the state of the solid line,
The program line narrowed down to EV is shown.

The control circuit 1 sets, for example, a program line indicated by a broken line in FIG. 5 in the laboratory mode. When the aperture amount AV is determined in accordance with the program line, shooting with 2 EV under is performed.
However, if the digital lab function is used, a print comparable to proper exposure can be obtained from a film shot under 2 EV, so that there is no particular problem in narrowing down to 2 EV.

On the other hand, in the lab-compatible mode, the effect of increasing the depth of field can be obtained by narrowing down the aperture. In other words, the control circuit 1 sets the aperture amount AV to under during the lab-compatible mode,
Even if the extension position accuracy of the focusing lens 9 is lowered,
It is possible to take a focused photograph.

FIG. 6 shows the lens extension control in the normal mode, in which the horizontal axis indicates the extension amount of the focus lens 9 and the vertical axis indicates the extension speed of the focus lens 9. FIG. 7 shows the stop control time of the focus lens 9 corresponding to FIG. 6, with the horizontal axis representing time and the vertical axis representing the lens extension. FIGS. 8 and 9 correspond to FIGS. 6 and 7, respectively, and show the characteristics in the lab-compatible mode.

As described above, the lens position detecting circuit 18
Outputs to the control circuit 1 an output corresponding to the amount of movement of the focus lens 9, for example, a pulse signal synchronized with the amount of movement. The control circuit 1 detects the amount of movement of the focus lens 9 by counting this pulse signal, and controls the extension of the focus lens 9.

The focus lens 9 moves in accordance with the rotation of a focus lens drive motor (not shown), and the focus lens drive circuit 1
Numeral 6 controls the movement of the focus lens 9 by controlling the rotation of the focus lens drive motor. That is, the focus lens drive circuit 16 increases the rotation speed of the drive motor (motor on) to increase the payout speed of the focus lens 9, and reduces the rotation speed of the drive motor by the motor brake (brake). Lens 9
Is rapidly reduced, and the rotation speed of the drive motor is substantially maintained (motor off) to substantially maintain the delivery speed of the focus lens 9.

The control circuit 1 controls the focus lens drive circuit 16 and shifts to stop control when the focus lens 9 approaches the stop target position. That is, the control circuit 1 selects the motor ON, the motor OFF, and the brake of the drive motor of the focus lens 9 at any time according to the interval of the pulse signal generated from the lens position detection circuit 18, that is, the moving speed of the focus lens 9. Then, the lens 9 is driven in accordance with the preset optimum speed curve to stop at the target position.

FIG. 6 shows the focus lens 9 in the normal mode.
This shows the delivery control. As shown in FIG. 6, when the control circuit 1 starts the stop control, the control circuit 1 starts the lens position detection circuit 1.
When the interval between pulse signals from 8 is narrow (when the lens moving speed is fast), decelerate with the motor brake, and when the interval between pulse signals is wide (when the lens moving speed is slow)
When the motor is turned on, the motor is accelerated. When the pulse signal interval is proper (when the lens moving speed is proper), the motor is opened and the speed is maintained by inertia.

When such stop control is performed in the normal mode, extremely high stop position accuracy can be obtained.
However, as shown in FIG. 7, the time required for stop control (stop control time) with respect to the entire extension time of the focus lens 9
Will increase. In other words, if the extension precision of the focusing lens 9 is set high, the release time lag increases.

Therefore, in the present embodiment, in the lab-compatible mode, the control circuit 1 sets the aperture amount to under and sets the focus position of the focusing lens 9 to the normal mode in the normal mode, assuming the use of the digital lab. FIG. 8 shows the lens extension control in the lab-compatible mode. That is, as shown in FIG. 8, the control circuit 1 simply applies a brake to the drive motor when the count of the pulse signal reaches a count value that is a predetermined number before the count value at the stop target position. . In the control of FIG. 8, the stop accuracy is relatively low, and the stop position varies,
As shown in FIG. 9, the time required for braking can be shorter than in the normal mode.

As described above, in the lab-compatible mode, the control circuit 1 stops the lens extension by only the simple braking process when the stop target position approaches.
The control time is shortened by lowering the feeding stop accuracy than in the normal mode. Thereby, the release time lag can be reduced.

It should be noted that even when the lens moving-out accuracy is low, it is possible to make a focused print by the sharpness correction capability of the digital laboratory. Therefore, the control circuit 1 may reduce the lens extension accuracy and reduce the release time lag without narrowing down the aperture amount AV on the premise of using the sharpness correction function of the digital laboratory.

The switch input circuit 29 detects the state of various switches and outputs it to the control circuit 1. The switch input circuit 29 detects the state as a switch (hereinafter, referred to as BRSW) 46 that covers the entire surface of the camera and is linked to the opening and closing of a barrier (not shown) serving as a power switch, and a back cover (not shown). (Hereinafter referred to as BKSW) 47, a switch (hereinafter referred to as 1RSW) 48 which is turned on when a two-stage shutter release button (not shown) is pressed down to the first stage, and a two-stage shutter release button. A switch (hereinafter, referred to as 2RSW) 49 which is turned on when pushed down to the eyes, and two switches (hereinafter, referred to as ZUSW and ZDSW) 50, 51 which are turned on in conjunction with operation of a seesaw type zoom lever (not shown).
In addition, it is turned on in conjunction with a push button operation (not shown).
Switches (hereinafter referred to as MDSW and RWSW) 5
2,53 and the like.

The switch input circuit 29 allows the BRSW4
When ON of the camera 6 is detected, the control circuit 1 recognizes that the user has opened the barrier of the camera, extends the zoom lens 7 from the retracted state to the wide-angle end at which photography can be performed, and starts charging the strobe. It has become. Conversely, BR
When detecting that the SW 46 is turned off, the control circuit 1 retracts the zoom lens 7. The display on the liquid crystal display unit 31 and the like described later also interlocks with the BRSW 46.

When detecting that the BKSW 47 has changed from the on state to the off state, the control circuit 1 determines that the user has loaded the film and closed the back cover, and so-called initial loading in which the film is wound up to the first frame. Execute

When the ON of the 1RSW 48 is detected, the control circuit 1 starts a preparation operation for photographing. That is, the control circuit 1
Distance measurement, photometry and the like are executed, and while the 1RSW 48 is in the ON state, data is retained and prepared for photographing.

Subsequently, upon detecting that the 2RSW 49 is turned on, the control circuit 1 advances the focus lens 9 based on the data held, and opens the shutter 8 for a time necessary for proper exposure of the film according to the mode. After exposure, the focus lens 9 is used to rewind the film, the film is wound up by one frame, and when the strobe light is emitted, charging is performed again to prepare for the next photographing.

When the ON of the ZUSW 50 is detected, the control circuit 1 starts driving the zoom lens 7 to the telephoto side. Then, the driving is continued until the ZUSW 50 is turned off or the zoom lens 7 reaches the telephoto end. Similarly, when the ON of the ZDSW 51 is detected, the control circuit 1
The driving of the zoom lens 7 to the wide angle side is started. And ZD
The drive is continued until the SW 51 is detected to be off or the zoom lens 7 reaches the wide-angle end.

Each time the MDSW 52 is turned on, the control circuit 1 sequentially changes the shooting mode of the camera. That is,
Each time the user presses the MODE button (not shown), the camera mode is updated, such as auto mode, red-eye reduction mode, strobe flash inhibition mode, strobe flash mode, etc.
The display is updated at the same time.

When the ON of the RWSW 53 is detected, the control circuit 1 starts rewinding the film.

Of the above switches, BRSW 46, B
The KSW 47 and RWSW 53 are set as interrupt switches, and when the state changes, the switch input circuit 29
, An interrupt signal is output to the control circuit 1. Even when the control circuit 1 is in the stop mode for power saving, when the interrupt signal is input, the control circuit 1 resumes the operation.

The display circuit 30 converts the data from the control circuit 1 into display data and outputs the display data to the liquid crystal display 31 and the LED display 32. The liquid crystal display unit 31 includes a display circuit 30
, A camera mode, a film counter, a date, and the like are displayed. The LED display section 32 is for displaying an AF of a finder section and displaying a flash warning.

The temperature measuring circuit 34 measures the environmental temperature of the camera and outputs the measurement result to the control circuit 1. The control circuit 1
Based on the temperature data, correction is performed at the time of the AF calculation, and the temperature data is also used as processing determination material when an abnormality occurs, which will be described later.

The power supply voltage boosting stabilizing circuit 35 has a DC / D
A built-in C converter (not shown in FIG. 1) operates the DC / DC converter in accordance with an instruction from the control circuit 1 so that the CPU operates at high speed when using a large current such as when driving a motor or charging a strobe. Of the circuit power supply.

The power supply voltage detection circuit 36 measures the remaining amount of the battery, which is the power supply of the camera, according to the instruction of the control circuit 1, and outputs the measurement result to the control circuit 1. For example, when the barrier is opened, the power supply voltage detection circuit 36 measures the voltage of the battery while supplying a current to the pseudo load resistance immediately before driving the motor or the like, and guarantees the subsequent operation.

When the control circuit 1 indicates that the battery voltage has fallen below the voltage limit at which operation can be assured by the measurement result of the power supply voltage detection circuit 36, the liquid crystal display unit 31 and the LED
The battery warning display or the battery NG is displayed on the display unit 32 or the like.
The display is displayed to urge the user to replace the battery. When displaying the battery NG display, the control circuit 1 also stops the operation of the camera.

The non-volatile memory 37 is an electrically rewritable memory, is connected to the control circuit 1 by a communication line, stores data from the control circuit 1, and stores the stored data in the control circuit 1. Output. The control circuit 1 stores the camera status data such as the film history of the film counter and the abnormality of the shutter and the number of times of abnormality detection, adjustment values, and the like in the built-in RAM and also in the nonvolatile memory 37 at the same time. . Even if the battery is removed, the control circuit 1 operates the nonvolatile memory 3 when the battery is inserted again.
By reading the data of No. 7, the state of the camera can be returned to the original state before the battery was removed.

The communication circuit 38 is an interface that enables communication between the peripheral device connected via the external connector 39 and the control circuit 1. The communication circuit 38
Can execute the program of the control circuit 1 from a device connected to the external connector 39. The communication by the communication circuit 38 is set to be possible at any time by interrupt processing.

The reset circuit 54 detects the power supply voltage of the control circuit 1 in order to prevent the CPU from running out of control, and when it detects that the power supply voltage has fallen below the predetermined threshold voltage, sends a reset signal to the control circuit 1. Output. As described later, the control circuit can switch the threshold voltage.

The high frequency clock generation circuit 55 generates a high frequency clock and supplies it to the control circuit 1. Further, the low frequency clock generation circuit 56 generates a low frequency clock and supplies it to the control circuit 1.

The control circuit 1 generates various operation clocks from a high frequency clock and a low frequency clock by a clock frequency dividing circuit and a clock selecting circuit.

Next, the operation of the embodiment configured as described above will be described with reference to FIGS. 10 to 13 are flowcharts for explaining the basic processing operation of the control circuit 1. ○ in FIGS. 10 to 13
Codes surrounded by indicate connection of processes between corresponding codes.

When a battery is loaded in the camera or a barrier, a back cover, etc. are operated, the CPU in the control circuit 1
Is executed from "start" in FIG. In step S1, the CPU stores the nonvolatile memory (for example, EEPROM) 37 (hereinafter referred to as EEPROM).
OM 37), the data necessary for controlling the camera is read and expanded in the RAM. In the next step S2, the CPU determines whether the barrier is open or closed, that is,
6, the display circuit 30 is controlled in step S3 to start the display on the liquid crystal display unit 31 and the LED display unit 32. Also,
If the BRSW 46 is off, the display is turned off in step S4.

In the next step S5, the CPU performs a battery check to determine whether the voltage VE of the battery supplying the power supply voltage VDD can guarantee the operation of the camera, and can guarantee the operation of the camera. If there is an appropriate voltage, the process proceeds to the next step S6.

In step S6, the CPU checks the REWINDF (rewind execution flag) stored in the RAM, and if "0", branches to step S11.
If "1", the process proceeds to step S7.

In step S7, the CPU executes a film rewinding operation. That is, the CPU controls the film rewinding circuit 27 to rotate the fork member engaged with the film cartridge, thereby executing the film rewinding. The F sensor 23 detects the perforation of the film, and the CPU determines from the output of the film detection circuit 24 that the film has been caught in the cartridge.

When the rewind operation is completed, the CPU clears REWINDF in step S8, sets REWINDEF (rewind end flag) in step S9, and stores it in the EEPROM 37 (step S1).
0).

Next, in step S11, the CPU
Check LOADF (film loading execution flag). If LOADF is "0", the process proceeds to step S16. On the other hand, if the LOADF is "1", the flow shifts to step S12 to execute the film coding. The film coding is an operation of feeding the first frame of the film to the photographing position. The CPU controls the film winding circuit 22 to rotate the spool 19, thereby feeding the film by one frame. Also in this case, the CPU detects the position of the film based on the output of the film detection circuit 24.

When the film coding is completed, the CP
U clears LOADF in step S13, clears REWINDEF in step S14, and writes data in the EEPROM 37 in step S15.

In the next step S16, the CPU
The INDF is checked, and if WINDF is "0", the process proceeds to step S22 shown in FIG.
If DF is "1", a film winding process is executed in step S17. Next, in step S18, the CPU
Clear WINDF (winding execution flag).

In the next step S19, the CPU determines whether or not the film has reached the film end as a result of winding the film. If it is not the film end, the CPU advances the process to step S22. If it is the film end, the CPU proceeds to step S22 to execute the rewinding operation later.
In step 20, REWINDF is set, and in step S21, E is set.
After writing and storing in the EPROM 37, the process is returned to "Start".

In the next step S22 (FIG. 11), the CPU
Checks the state of the BRSW 46 again. here,
If the BRSW 46 is off, it means that the barrier has been closed during the above series of processing, so the CPU branches to step S23, retracts the zoom lens 7, and turns off the display in step S24. After that, the processing shifts to “Stop (stop)” processing. On the other hand, the CPU proceeds to step S22.
If it is determined that the BRSW 46 is on,
The subsequent processing is continued.

At the step S25, the CPU sets the CHARG
F (strobe charging execution flag) is set. As will be described later, charging of the strobe light emission capacitor is performed according to the setting of the CHARGF.

The processing after step S26 is a loop processing with the camera barrier opened. First, CPU
Updates the display in step S26. Next, in step S27, the CPU checks the state of the BKSW 47. The BKSW 47 is a switch linked to the opening and closing of the back cover of the camera, and is turned on in the open state and turned off in the closed state. That is, when the state of the BKSW 47 changes from ON to OFF, it may be determined that the camera user has loaded the film cartridge.
Branches to the processing in step S28, sets the LOADF, writes the data in the EEPROM 37 in step S29, and returns to "Start". LOADF is step S11
Is checked, and a film loading process is performed thereafter.

If the BKSW 47 has not changed from ON to OFF, the CPU proceeds to step S30 to execute the RWSW 53
Check the status of. The RWSW 53 is linked with a rewind button for forcibly rewinding the film before the film is used up to the last frame. When the RWSW 53 changes from off to on, it is determined that this button has been pressed. . In this case, the CPU branches the process to step S31, sets REWINDF, and proceeds to step S31.
After writing in the EEPROM 37 at 32, “Start”
Return to REWINDF is checked in step S6, and thereafter, the film rewinding process is performed.

If the RWSW 53 has not changed from off to on, the CPU determines in step S33 that the BRSW 46
Check the status of. If the BRSW 46 is off, the process returns to “Start”. The BRSW 46 is checked in steps S2 and S22, and shifts to "Stop" processing.

On the other hand, even if the BRSW 46 is on, the CPU returns the process to step S26 even if REWINDEF is determined to be 1 in step S34. That is, in the state where the film rewinding has been completed, no operation other than the barrier operation, the back cover operation, and the rewinding operation is accepted.

In step S34, REWINDEF is "0".
If so, the CPU determines in step S35 whether or not the zoom lens 7 has been extended. The CPU determines whether or not the movement has been completed based on the output of the focal length detection circuit 12. Then, when the CPU determines that the zoom lens 7 has already been extended to the photographing area, the process proceeds to step S37. When the CPU determines that the zoom lens 7 is still in the retracted state, the CPU proceeds to step S36. To the wide-angle end, the focusing lens 9 is moved to an infinite position, and reset.

The CPU determines in step S37 that the CHAR
Check GF. CHARGF is set in step S25 when a barrier or the like is operated, and
After the exposure operation, it is set in step S58 (FIG. 13). When CHARGF is “0”, the CPU proceeds with the process to step S41 (FIG. 12). When “CHARG” is “1,” the CPU needs to charge the strobe. Therefore, the CPU checks the battery in step S38, and in step S39 After charging, clear CHARGF in step S40,
Proceed to step S41.

In step S41 of FIG. 12, the CPU
Checks the state of the 1RSW 48. That is, CPU
Determines whether the shutter release button has been pressed down to the first step. If the 1RSW 48 is off, the process branches to step S60.

When the user presses the shutter release button to the first stage, the 1RSW 48 is turned on, the CPU determines that the shutter release button has been pressed, and proceeds to step S42 in preparation for photographing.

The CPU checks the battery in step S42, measures the temperature in step S43, and measures the distance in step S44. That is, the AF sensor 44a,
The output of 44b is given to a distance measuring circuit 45,
Calculates the distance to the subject and the extension amount of the focusing lens 9 based on the output of the distance measuring circuit 45. The AE sensor 41 supplies a photocurrent proportional to the luminance of the object scene to the photometric circuit, and the CPU measures the luminance of the subject based on the output of the photometric circuit 42 in the next step S45.

The CPU has a film sensitivity reading circuit 28.
Based on the film sensitivity data, setting mode, subject distance data, and the like input via the CPU, the aperture stop amount, shutter release time, necessity of strobe light emission, strobe light emission timing, strobe light emission time, and the like are calculated.

In the present embodiment, the control circuit 1
In the exposure calculation, when the setting mode is the lab-compatible mode, the calculation of Expression (3) is employed.

In the lab mode, the control circuit 1 uses the program diagram of FIG. 3B when setting the aperture amount AV and the shutter speed TV.

Further, in the lab mode, the control circuit 1 sets the strobe light emission amount (light emission time) as shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 0 (b), the light emission amount is made lower than in the normal mode.

In the lab-compatible mode, the control circuit 1 narrows down the stop-down amount AV and controls the focus lens 9 with a lower precision than in the normal mode, as shown in FIGS. 9 is driven.

As described above, when the photographing preparation is completed, the CPU
Checks whether the 2RSW 49 is on, that is, whether the shutter release button has been pressed down to the second step (step S46 in FIG. 13). When the user presses the shutter button down to the second stage, the 2RSW 49
Is turned on, the CPU shifts to a shooting operation after step S48 (FIG. 13). If the 2RSW 49 is off, the CPU checks the state of the 1RSW 48 in step S47. While the 2RSW 49 is on, the CPU continues to monitor the state of the 2RSW 49 in step S46. It is determined that it has been released, and the process returns to step S26 (FIG. 11).

When the user presses the shutter release button to the second level, the CPU advances the focus lens 9 in step S48 based on the data already calculated. Next, the CPU proceeds to step S49 to select WIND.
F is set, written in the EEPROM 37 in step S50, and exposure to film is executed in step S51. Further, the CPU winds up the film by one frame in step S52, and clears WINDF in step S53.

In the next step S54, the CPU determines whether or not the end of the film has been reached as a result of winding the film. If it is not the film end, the CPU advances the process to step S56. If it is the film end, the CPU proceeds to step S55 to execute a rewinding operation later.
WINDF is set, and in step S56, the EEPROM
37 is written and stored.

Next, the CPU determines in step S57 that REWI
The NDF is checked, and if "1", the process returns to "Start" to execute film rewinding, and if "0", the process proceeds to step S58. In step S58, the CPU sets CHARGF. Thus, the strobe is charged in the next loop processing.

The CPU determines in step S59 that 1RS
Check W48 and repeat step S59 while it is on. When the CPU is turned off, the CPU determines that the shutter release button has been released, returns the process to step S26 (FIG. 11), and repeats the loop process.

If the shutter release button has not been pressed, it is detected in step S41 that the 1RSW 48 has been turned off. In this case, the CPU shifts the processing to step S60 and checks the state of ZUSW 50. When the ZUSW 50 is on, the zoom lever is operated to the telephoto side.
After performing a battery check in step S61, the PU drives the zoom lens 7 to the telephoto side in step S62. Note that the zooming-out processing in step S62
The process ends when the SW 50 is turned off or when the zoom lens 7 reaches the telephoto end. That is, the CPU proceeds to step S
Check ZUSW50 at 63, step S while ON
Repeat 63. If the zoom lever is turned off, it is determined that the zoom lever has been released, so the flow returns to step S26 to continue the loop processing.

The processing from step S64 to step S67 is based on the case where the zoom lens 7 is retracted to the wide-angle side.
The same processing as in steps S60 to S63 is performed.

When the user has not operated either the release button or the zoom button, the 1RSW 48, the ZUSW 50,
If none of the ZDSWs 51 is on, the CP
U checks the state of the MDSW 52 in step S68. If the MDSW 52 is off, the CPU returns the process to step S26. If the MDSW 52 is on, the CPU changes the operation mode of the camera in step S69, repeats step S70 until the MDSW 52 turns off, and returns to step S26. .

Now, it is assumed that the user operates the MDSW 52 to set the lab mode. Then, the control circuit 1 performs an exposure calculation based on the above equation (3). As a result, it is possible to perform a moderate exposure with respect to the luminance of the entire object scene, and it is possible to print the entire photographic print without any portions that are crushed black or fly white.

Further, the control circuit 1 sets the aperture amount AV and the shutter speed TV based on the program diagram of FIG. Thereby, it is possible to obtain a photograph having a large depth. Further, the control circuit 1
The strobe light emission amount (light emission time) is made lower than in the normal mode. This makes it possible to further suppress the difference between the exposure amounts of the main subject and the background. Further, the control circuit 1 lowers the extension control of the focus lens 9 and ends the movement of the focus lens 9 in a short time. Thereby, the release time lag can be reduced.

As described above, in the present embodiment, in consideration of the fact that various characteristics can be corrected by using the digital lab system, in the lab-compatible mode, the sensitivity center is set to the luminance center in the exposure calculation. Calculation is performed to set the stop-down amount AV and the shutter speed TV, to delay the camera shake limit time, to reduce the amount of strobe light emission, and to set the control for extending the focus lens 9 with low accuracy. As a result, other characteristics that cannot be corrected by the digital lab system can be improved, and photographic image quality can be improved overall.

[0126]

As described above, according to the present invention, by setting various characteristics on the premise of digital lab print, there is an effect that the picture quality can be improved comprehensively.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of a camera according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a specific configuration of an AE sensor 41 in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a graph showing program line lines used for calculating AV and TV.

FIG. 4 is a graph for explaining the effect of the embodiment of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a graph for explaining control of the aperture amount AV and the extension amount of the focus lens.

FIG. 6 is a graph for explaining control of an aperture amount AV and an extension amount of a focus lens.

FIG. 7 is a graph for explaining control of an aperture amount AV and an extension amount of a focus lens.

FIG. 8 is a graph for explaining control of an aperture amount AV and an extension amount of a focus lens.

FIG. 9 is a graph for explaining control of an aperture amount AV and an extension amount of a focus lens.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart for explaining a basic processing operation of the control circuit 1;

FIG. 11 is a flowchart for explaining a basic processing operation of the control circuit 1;

FIG. 12 is a flowchart for explaining a basic processing operation of the control circuit 1;

FIG. 13 is a flowchart for explaining a basic processing operation of the control circuit 1;

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Control circuit, 5 ... Strobe light emission circuit, 7 ... Zoom lens, 8 ... Shutter, 9 ... Focal lens, 10 ... Zoom lens drive circuit, 12 ... Focal length detection circuit, 13 ... Shutter drive circuit, 15 ... Shutter detection circuit Reference numeral 16: Focus lens drive circuit, 18: Lens position detection circuit, 28: Film sensitivity reading circuit, 42: Photometry circuit, 45: Distance measurement circuit, 57: Aperture, 58: Aperture drive circuit, 60: Aperture detection circuit.

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A multi-segment photometric sensor which is divided into at least three or more areas and measures the luminance of an object scene, and a digital which converts analog image information recorded on a film into digital information and then generates a photographic print. A camera comprising a test means for determining an exposure amount based on an average of a maximum value and a minimum value among outputs of the multi-segment photometry sensor in a mode corresponding to a photographic print system. Reading means for reading the film sensitivity; a photometric sensor for measuring the luminance of the object scene; a shutter mechanism for adjusting the film exposure; and a shutter mechanism based on the photometric sensor output and the film sensitivity. Calculating means for calculating the control time of the shutter, and control means for controlling the shutter mechanism based on the calculated shutter control time. The calculating means converts analog image information recorded on the film into digital information. After that, in the mode corresponding to the digital photo print system that generates the photo print,
A camera which calculates the shutter control time using a program diagram having a bending point on a second side longer than a camera shake limit second determined by a focal length of a photographing lens. Reading means for reading the film sensitivity; a photometric sensor for measuring the luminance of the object scene; an aperture mechanism for adjusting the film exposure; and an aperture mechanism based on the output of the photometric sensor and the film sensitivity. Calculating means for calculating the set aperture value, and control means for controlling the aperture mechanism with the calculated aperture value, wherein the calculating means converts analog image information recorded on the film into digital information. In the mode corresponding to the digital photo print system that generates photo prints,
A camera which calculates an aperture value narrowed by a predetermined amount from an aperture value capable of obtaining an appropriate film exposure amount.