JPH061322B2 - Flash device for photography - Google Patents

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a flash device for photography having an old flash mechanism corresponding to an old camera and a new flash mechanism corresponding to a new camera. .

"Prior Art" In recent years, many flash devices have a configuration of giving and receiving a large amount of information signals to and from the camera, such as giving flash information to the camera and inputting camera information from the camera.

In such a flash device, since the flash information and the camera information are both the signal form and the number of signal sequences that match the mechanism and function of the flash device and the camera, the flash device that can be mounted and used on the flash device is specified by the camera. It That is, the flash device that can be mounted and used for a camera and a camera model of a certain manufacturer is limited to a so-called dedicated flash device.

When this type of dedicated flash device is charged to a state where light emission is possible, a signal indicating that preparation for light emission is ready is given to the camera to switch the camera to the flash photographing mode, or output when the camera reaches appropriate exposure. Operations like flash photography are automated, such as inputting a quench signal to stop the flash.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] As described above, the conventional dedicated flash device has a problem that it is not compatible with the camera because the camera that can be mounted and used is specified.

For this reason, when a new camera is developed, it is necessary to develop a dedicated flash device that can be mounted and used in this new type camera. In other words, every time you develop a camera, you have to develop a special flash device, and if you buy a new camera, you can not shoot with flash unless you newly purchase a special flash device for this camera. Irrationality occurs.

In order to solve the above problems, the applicant of the present patent application is equipped with an old flash mechanism compatible with old cameras and a new flash mechanism compatible with new cameras, and both the old and new cameras are mounted and used. A new flash device that can be used has been developed, and a patent application has already been filed on December 9, 1986.

However, if the old-type flash mechanism and the new-type flash mechanism are provided as in this new-type flash device, the configuration relating to the electrical connection terminal with the camera becomes a problem.

In other words, the new flash mechanism is an improved version of the old flash mechanism, which makes the flash device more multifunctional and more automated, thus changing the signal form of flash information and camera information and increasing the number of signals It is difficult to exchange the flash information signal and the camera information signal with the conventional connection terminal that electrically connects the flash mechanism to the camera. It is conceivable to separately provide a connection terminal for electrically connecting the new flash mechanism to the camera, but as is widely known, there is a limit to the number of terminals provided on the mounting foot in the clip-on type flash device, There is a problem in providing a connection terminal separately.

[Means for Solving the Problems] In view of the above-mentioned problems, the present invention effectively utilizes the connection terminals of the old flash mechanism to electrically connect the new flash mechanism to the camera and connect it to the camera. The purpose is to develop a flash device with a minimum number of terminals.

Therefore, in the present invention, the terminal X for inputting the trigger signal
o, a terminal R that outputs a signal indicating that flash emission is possible
An old flash mechanism electrically connected to the camera through a terminal Qo for transmitting and receiving the flash information signal and the camera information signal is provided.

A new flash mechanism electrically connected to the camera is provided by a control terminal Co newly provided together with the terminals Xo, Ro and Qo.

There is provided operation mode switching means for switching the old flash mechanism or the new flash mechanism to the operation mode in response to the presence / absence of a signal input to the control terminal Co.

And in the operation mode of the old flash mechanism,
A signal indicating that flash light emission is possible is output from the terminal Ro, a flash information signal and a camera information signal are exchanged via the terminal Qo, and a serial clock signal is input from the terminal Ro in the operation mode of the new flash mechanism. At the same time, a flash information signal including a signal indicating that the flash can be emitted and a camera information signal are transmitted and received as a serial signal in response to the serial clock signal through the terminal Qo.

[Operation] In the flash device according to the present invention, in the operation mode of the old flash mechanism, a signal indicating that flash light emission is possible is output from the terminal Ro, and a flash information signal other than a signal indicating that flash light emission is possible is output from the terminal Qo. At the same time, a camera information signal is input from this terminal Qo.

Further, in the operation mode of the new flash mechanism, when a serial clock signal is input from the terminal Ro, a signal indicating that flash light emission is possible and other flash information signals are output from the terminal Qo in synchronization with the serial clock signal, and the camera information signal is output. Is also input from the terminal Qo in synchronization with the serial clock signal.

Therefore, in each operation mode of the old flash mechanism and the new flash mechanism, the terminals Ro and Qo serve as transmission terminals of each information signal. Therefore, when the new flash mechanism is provided, only the control terminal Co for switching the operation mode is provided. In addition, the number of terminals for electrically connecting to the camera is minimized, and it can be sufficiently implemented as an electrical connection terminal using the mounting feet of the flash device.

[Examples] Next, examples of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a partial perspective view of a clip-on type flash device 10 embodying the present invention and a newly developed camera 11.

On the mounting foot 13 provided on the outer bottom portion of the case body 12 of the flash device 10, the flash device side terminals Xo, Ro, and Qo, which are provided with a projecting force by a spring, are newly provided with a projecting force similarly. And a terminal Co.

On the hot shoe 14 of the camera 11, the terminals Xo, R
In addition to the camera-side terminals X, R, and Q corresponding to o and Qo, the camera-side terminal C corresponding to the terminal Co is provided, and by attaching the mounting foot 13 to the hot shoe 14, the flash device side Each terminal is designed to be in contact with each terminal on the camera side.

In addition to the above-mentioned terminals, the mounting foot 13 has a ground terminal G.
It has a five-terminal configuration having o (not shown), and this ground terminal Go contacts the ground terminal G on the camera side.
These ground terminals Go, G have a known structure, for example, a structure in which a part of the hot shoe contacts the ground contact piece protruding from a part of the mounting foot 13.

The terminals Xo and X described above are connection terminals for transmitting a trigger signal generated in synchronization with the shutter operation from the camera to the flash device. The terminals R and Ro are connection terminals for transmitting a serial clock signal from the camera to the flash device. However, when the flash device is mounted on the old camera, a signal indicating that flash light can be emitted (hereinafter, simply referred to as "ready signal") is transmitted. It acts as a connection terminal that communicates from the flash unit to the old camera. The terminals Qo and Q are connection terminals for transmitting and receiving various serial signals such as a ready signal, an aperture information signal, and a quench signal between the camera and the flash device. Further, the terminals Co and C are connection terminals for discriminating between the old and new flash devices to be connected and the camera, and for transmitting a control signal from the camera to the flash device when the new flash device is mounted.

FIG. 2 shows the input / output circuit section of the flash device 10 connected to the terminals Ro, Qo, Co described above and the input circuit section of the camera 11 connected to the terminals R, Q, C described above.
In this figure, the inside of the two-dot chain line on the right side is the flash unit 1.
The partial circuit of 0 is shown, and the two-dot chain line on the left side shows the partial circuit of the camera 11.

As shown in the figure, the flash unit 10 is provided with grounded-emitter transistors 16, 17 and 18 having an output connected to a microcomputer 15, and a terminal Qo is connected to a base of the transistor 16 via a resistor 19 and a terminal Ro. The terminal C is connected to the base of the transistor 17 through the resistor 20.
o are respectively connected to the base of the transistor 18 via the resistor 21. Then, these transistors 16 and 1
Of the bias resistors 22, 23, 24 of 7, 18, the bias resistor 24 of the transistor 18 is a resistor having a small resistance value (for example, about 20 KΩ), and the resistor 24 forms a combined resistance with the resistor 21. , Flash device 10
It works as a discriminating resistor that discriminates on the flash unit side whether the is attached to the old camera or the new camera. This will be described later. The output of the transistor 18 is inverted by an inverter 25 and used as an input signal for the microcomputer 15. That is, the high voltage signal is input when the transistor 18 is turned on, and the low voltage signal is input when the transistor 18 is turned off.

The above-described grounded emitter transistors 16, 17, 18
Each forms a signal input path for receiving camera information into the flash device 10.

Further, two transistors 26 and 27 that are base-inputted from the microcomputer 15 are provided, and the transistor 2
The emitter of 6 is connected to the base of the transistor 16 and the emitter of transistor 27 is connected to the base of the transistor 17. These transistors 26, 2
7 is a flash information terminal R as an emitter follower
A signal output path for outputting from o and Qo to the camera is formed.

The series circuit of the capacitor 28 and the resistor 29 is a time constant circuit that is supplied with power from the battery power supply 31 when the power switch 30 is turned on, and the grounded-emitter transistor 32 whose base is connected to this time constant circuit is turned on for a short time. It is a thing.

The time constant circuit and the transistor 32 work to turn on the power transistor 33 by turning on the transistor 32 to stabilize the flash device circuit in the initial operating state.

The collector of the transistor 32 is connected to the collector of the transistor 18 via the diode 34, and the transistor 32 is connected to the microcomputer 1.
A transistor 35 whose base is input from 5 is connected in parallel.

Control signal is input to terminal Co and transistor 1
When 8 is turned on, the power transistor 33 described above is turned off.
After N, it shifts to the power hole state. That is, when the transistor 18 is turned on, a high voltage signal is input from the inverter 25 to the microcomputer 15, and as a result, the microcomputer 15 controls the transistor 35 to be turned on for a predetermined time, and the power transistor 33 causes the transistor 18 to turn on. Regardless of whether it is turned on or off thereafter, the power is continuously supplied to the flash device circuit for a predetermined time of 5 to 10 minutes.

On the other hand, the flash unit 10 includes an old flash mechanism and a new flash mechanism configured by using a part or all of the flash mechanism. The operation modes of these two flash mechanisms are the microcomputer 15
Is selectively switched by.

The old flash mechanism provided in the flash device 10 has terminals Xo, Ro, Qo, Go that do not have a terminal Co.
It is assumed that the configuration is similar to that of the old flash device having the four-terminal configuration. In other words, the flash mechanism is such that the ready signal is output from the terminal Ro and the aperture information signal is output from the terminal Qo before the flash is started, and the quench signal is input as the camera signal from the terminal Qo after the flash is started. A flash device equipped with such a flash mechanism has already been commercialized and is well known.
It is disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 7-204029.

Further, the new-type flash mechanism is provided with a terminal Co as a control terminal, and according to the control signal input to this terminal Co, a ready signal, an aperture information signal, a quench signal, and various other types required for the new-type camera and the new-type flash mechanism. A signal (hereinafter, this signal is referred to as a "serial signal") is transmitted and received through a terminal Qo, and a serial clock signal is input through a terminal Ro.

As shown in the figure, the camera 11 includes a microcomputer 3
Common-emitter transistor 3 with output connected to 6
7, 38 are provided, the terminal Q is connected to the base of the transistor 37 via the base resistor 39, and the terminal R is connected to the base resistor 40.
Are respectively connected to the bases of the transistors 38 via. These transistors 37, 38 form a signal path for receiving flash information into the camera.
Incidentally, 41 and 42 are bias resistors of the transistors 37 and 38.

In addition, the transistors 43 and 44 for base input from the microcomputer 36 are provided, and the transistor 4 is provided.
The emitter of 3 is connected to the terminal Q, and the emitter of the transistor 44 is connected to the terminal R. These transistors 4
Numerals 3 and 44 are emitter followers forming signal output paths for outputting camera information from terminals R and Q to the flash unit.

The base of the transistor 43 is input via the OR gate 45 because the serial signal output from the microcomputer 36 and the quench signal Qs are output using the terminal Q as a common terminal.

Further, a drive circuit 46 that outputs a control signal in accordance with a command signal from the microcomputer 36 is provided, and a terminal C is connected to the output end of this drive circuit 46. The drive circuit 46 is a tri-state (three-state circuit), and the resistor 47 connected to the output terminal is a discrimination resistor for discriminating on the camera side whether it is an old flash device or a new flash device. It has a relatively high resistance value (for example, about 200 KΩ). A new type flash device 10 as shown in FIG.
When Co is connected, the output voltage of the drive circuit 46 appearing at the terminal C drops to a divided voltage determined by the resistance values of the discrimination resistor 47 on the camera side, the resistor 21 on the flash device side, and the discrimination resistor 24, and the terminal C is It becomes a Low voltage. The combined resistance value of the resistor 21 and the discrimination resistor 24 is set smaller than the resistance value of the discrimination resistor 47.

The Low voltage at the terminal C is detected by the comparator 48. The comparator 48 is composed of an operational amplifier that holds the non-inverting input terminal at the reference voltage and inputs the Low voltage to the inverting input terminal to perform the inverting operation. By inputting the High voltage output to the microcomputer 36,
The camera 11 is operated so as to correspond to the new flash device 10.

By this operation, the drive circuit 46 is controlled, its output voltage rises, and the voltage at the terminal C changes from the above-mentioned Low voltage to Hi.
gh voltage.

When an old flash device having no terminal Co is mounted, the terminal C keeps the high voltage and the low voltage output of the comparator 48 is the microcomputer 36.
The camera 11 operates corresponding to the old flash device.

The other circuit configurations connected to the terminals X and Xo and the terminals G and Go are the same as those of the conventional camera and flash device, and thus the description thereof is omitted.

Next, operations of the flash device 10 and the camera 11 described above will be described.

(1) When the new flash device is attached to the new camera The operation when the new flash device 10 is attached to the new camera 11 will be described with reference to the time chart shown in FIG. In this mounting, each terminal Xo, Ro, Qo, Co, Go on the flash device side is connected to each terminal X, R, Q, C, G on the camera side.

When the power switch 30 of the flash device 10 is turned on, the power transistor 33 is turned on for a short time, and the flash device circuit is set to the initial operating state, as described above.

In the above state, the power switch of the camera 11 (not shown)
Drive circuit 46, the drive circuit 46 outputs a control signal.

This control signal is a voltage signal of a predetermined level which sends out pulse signals P ₁ , P ₂ and P ₃ as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 (a).

Therefore, at the time when the control signal is generated, the output voltage of the drive circuit 46 is divided by the discrimination resistors 24 and 47 and the resistor 21, and the terminal voltages C and Co have the third voltage.
A low voltage appears as indicated by a phantom line in the figure.

This Low voltage is applied to the inverting input terminal of the comparator 48, and the inverting operation of the comparator 48 causes the High
The voltage output is input to the microcomputer 36.

With the above operation, the camera side determines that the new flash device 10 is mounted, and the camera 11 determines that the flash device 10 has been installed.
Works in accordance with.

When the camera 11 judges as described above, the drive circuit 4
6 to control its output voltage and to increase its output voltage, terminal C
o and C become high voltage.

On the other hand, on the flash device side, the transistor 18 is turned on when the terminal Co changes from the low voltage to the high voltage.
Then, as the power transistor 33 is turned on,
The High voltage output of the inverter 25 is input to the microcomputer 15. From this, the transistor 35 is turned on according to the program of the microcomputer 15.
Then, the power transistor 33 works so as to maintain the ON state for a predetermined time. That is, the process proceeds to the power hold of the flash device circuit as shown in FIG.

In addition, when the output of the inverter 25 is at a high voltage for a certain time (for example, 10 milliseconds), the microcomputer 15 causes the flash device 10 to operate the new camera 1
It is determined that it is attached to 1.

In other words, due to the timer function of the microcomputer 15, the terminal Co is High during this timer time t.
When the voltage is the voltage, it is determined that the flash device 10 is attached to the new-type camera 11, and the process proceeds to the new-type flash mechanism.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart of the microcomputer 15 showing the power hold and the discriminating operation. As shown in the drawing, the microcomputer 15 powers on the flash device 10 almost at the same time when the control signal is input to the terminal Co, and then works to start the power hold, and then advances the program to start the timer. .

Then, it is determined whether the voltage of the terminal Co is High, and L
If it is ow, the timer time t is decremented by -1, and the process returns to the judgment process again.

In this way, the determination operation is repeated until the timer time t ends, and if the High voltage is confirmed, the operation mode of the new flash mechanism is entered. If the High voltage cannot be confirmed, the operation shifts to the old flash operation mode.

Further, the power supply to the flash device 10 is continued until the predetermined power hold time T ends, and when the hold time T ends, the flash device 10 is automatically turned off.

When the above-mentioned discrimination operation is completed, the pulse signals P ₁ and P ₂ shown in FIGS. 3 and 4A are repeatedly sent from the drive circuit 46 to the terminal Co.

When the pulse signal P ₁ is input from the terminal Co, the transistor 18 is turned off once and the “Low” output of the inverter 25 is input to the microcomputer 15. Than this,
The microcomputer 15 operates to receive the camera information from the camera 11, the serial clock signal is input to the terminal Ro, and the serial signal is input to the terminal Qo, and the camera information is transmitted to the microcomputer 15 via the transistors 16 and 17. To be done. (Fig. 4 (c),
(See (d)) When the pulse signal P ₂ is input from the terminal Co, the transistor 18 is repeatedly turned on and off, and the “Low”, “High”, and “Low” outputs of the inverter 25 are input to the microcomputer 15. As a result, the microcomputer 15 switches to transmit the flash information to the camera 11, contrary to the above, inputs the serial clock signal from the terminal Ro in the same manner as described above, and outputs it as the emitter follower output of the transistor 26. A serial signal such as a ready signal and an aperture information signal is output from Qo, and the flash information is transmitted to the microcomputer 36 via the transistor 37 on the camera side. (See FIGS. 4 (c) and 4 (e)) The microcomputer 36 of the camera 11 inputs the High voltage output of the comparator 48, determines that the new flash unit 10 is mounted, and The signals P ₁ and P ₂ are output from the drive circuit 46, and immediately after the pulse signal P ₁ is output, the serial clock signal is input to the terminal R via the transistor 44 and the transistor 4 is output.
The serial signal is output to the terminal Q via the terminal 3, the serial clock signal is output to the terminal R via the transistor 44 immediately after the pulse signal P ₂ is output, and the serial signal is input to the terminal Q via the transistor 37. Is programmed to (Refer to FIG. 7) The flash information and the camera information as described above are repeatedly transmitted and received. When the camera 11 is switched to the release mode during this repetition, the terminal Co is shown in FIGS. The pulse signal P ₃ shown by is sent from the drive circuit 46. Therefore, the microcomputer 15 is provided with the inverter 2 corresponding to the pulse signal P _3.
The output of No. 5 is input, and the computer 15 shifts to the flash light emission operation mode.

When switching the release mode of the camera 11, interrupt processing is performed on the program of the microcomputer 36. (See FIG. 7) When the camera 11 is shutter-released, a trigger signal is input to the terminal Xo to start the flash, and in response to the flash start, the flash stop control circuit is powered to accept the quench signal. Then, the quench signal sent from the camera 11 at the time of proper exposure is input to the terminal Qo, and the flash stop control is performed. (See FIGS. 4 (d), (f), and (g)) FIG. 4 (g) showing the flash emission waveform can be represented by, for example, the voltage appearing across the load resistor connected to the photodetector. .

FIG. 6 is a flow chart showing the operation of the microcomputer 15 when the control signals P ₁ , P ₂ and P ₃ are input to the flash device 10. As shown in the figure, when the terminal Co becomes the High voltage, the input gate of the counter is opened, and the pulse signals P ₁ , P ₂ ,
P ₃ is counted and these pulse signals are once set to count.

Then, the pulse signals whose counts have been set are P ₁ , P ₂ , P
Either by whether the ₃ is determined, if it is confirmed that the P _1, is performed to switch the communication, an operational to accept the camera information, when it was confirmed that P ₂ is The operation of outputting flash information is performed by switching the information transmission. Further, when it is confirmed to be P ₃ , the light emission operation mode is set, and in the next step, the light emission operation mode processing such as flash start and flash stop control is started. If none of the pulse signals P ₁ , P ₂ and P ₃ is confirmed, the process returns to the initial position and the above determination process is repeated.

Next, FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the operation of the microcomputer 36 included in the camera 11. As shown in the figure, when the program starts, the microcomputer 36 enables INT (interrupt) immediately after the initial setting, and in the next step, it is determined whether or not the photometric mode is set. When the photometric mode is set, the new / old flash device mounted on the camera 11 is monitored in step ST100. In this monitor, the output voltage of the comparator 48 shown in FIG.
This is done by monitoring whether it is w or high.

Subsequently, after executing other routines for aperture, photometry and exposure calculation, the program is divided into programs corresponding to the new flash unit and the old flash unit. Step S described above
When the new flash device is monitored at T100, the program processing of steps ST101 to ST102 is performed, and when the old flash device is monitored, the program processing of steps ST103 and ST104 is performed.

In steps ST101 to ST102, the pulse signal P ₂
After the generation of the flash information, a process of receiving the flash information in the camera 11 is performed. That is, after the drive circuit 46 shown in FIG. ₂ outputs a pulse signal P ₂ to the terminal C as a control signal, a serial clock signal is output via the terminal R and the transistor 44, and via the terminal Q and the transistor 37. Program processing is executed so as to input a serial signal.

When the ready signal is input from the terminal Q, it is determined that the flash is possible and the process proceeds to the next step.

In the subsequent step, a process of transmitting the camera information to the flash unit 10 after generating the pulse signal P ₁ is performed. That is, after the drive circuit 46 shown in FIG. 2 outputs a pulse signal P ₁ to the terminal C as a control signal, a serial clock signal is output to the terminal R via the transistor 44 and serially to the terminal Q via the transistor 43. Program processing is performed to output the signal. Further, the interruption is prohibited at the beginning of the steps ST101 to ST102, and the interruption is permitted at the end thereof.

When the old flash device is monitored, the ready signal input to the R terminal is monitored, and after the shutter release, when the proper exposure is achieved by a known light amount integrating circuit (not shown), the quench signal is sent to the terminal Q. It is processed to make it stronger.

In the next program, another routine is instructed to display the finder and generate a warning sound, but the display of the finder and the generation of the warning sound are repeated before the set time of the timer ends.

In addition, each shown in the figure represents a connector, and all of these connectors are bonded.

In addition, steps ST105 ... ST110 indicate a portion for determining the occurrence of an interrupt, and whichever step the interrupt is confirmed in, it immediately returns to the initial position of the program.

The interrupt is performed by the interrupt loop shown in FIG. 8 when setting the release mode. When the interrupt is made, the execution of the main program is temporarily stopped, the program shown in FIG. 8 is executed, and the pulse signal P
₃ is output from the drive circuit 46 shown in FIG. 2 to the terminal C as a control signal, and step ST10
5 ... The interrupt is confirmed by any of ST110.

Therefore, it is determined whether the release mode is set, and the shutter control and release mode reset program processing is performed.

(2) When the new flash unit 10 is attached to the old camera When the flash unit 10 is attached to the old camera,
Since this camera does not have a terminal corresponding to the terminal Co, the terminal Co is a play terminal.

From this, the terminal Co keeps the Low voltage, and the microcomputer 15 outputs the output “Lo” of the inverter 25.
w "is input continuously.

By the above operation, it is determined that the flash unit 10 is attached to the old camera, the operation mode of the old flash mechanism is set, and the ready signal is output from the terminal Ro via the transistor 27 of FIG. It is transmitted to the R terminal of the camera,
Further, the aperture information is output from the terminal Qo to the Q terminal of the old camera via the transistor 26, and after the flash is started, the quench signal is input to the terminal Qo, and the flash information and the camera information are exchanged by a known method. The flash device 10 operates with the old flash mechanism.

On the other hand, when the power switch 30 is turned on, the transistor 3
2 is turned on and the power transistor 33 is turned on,
As a result of the microcomputer 15 discriminating the old camera, the transistor 35 cannot be turned on, so that the flash device circuit is not power-held.
The power transistor 33 continues to be turned on until the time until the preparation for light emission is completed (the time until the main capacitor and the like reach a predetermined charge pressure), and then returns to the off state.

The ON time of the power transistor 33 when the power is not held may be set to a very short time, and a power supply circuit such as a main capacitor may be separately provided with a power switch.

(3) When the old-type flash device is attached to the new-type camera 11 When the old-type flash device is attached to the camera 11, since the flash device does not have a terminal corresponding to the terminal C, the terminal C is idle. It becomes a terminal.

From this, when the drive circuit 46 generates the control signal, the terminal C becomes High voltage, and the Low voltage output of the comparator 48 is output from the microcomputer 36.
And the camera side determines that the old flash device is installed. That is, as described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 7, the old flash device is monitored in step ST100, and steps ST103 and ST10 are executed.
As a result of the program processing of 4, the camera 11 enters the operation mode corresponding to the old flash device, the ready signal is input through the terminal R and the transistor 38, and the aperture information signal is input through the terminal Q and the transistor 37, respectively. Further, camera information and flash information are exchanged by a known method such as outputting a quench signal through the transistor 43 and the terminal Q, and flash photography is performed.

Although the click-on type flash device 10 has been described above, the present invention can be similarly applied to a grip type flash device.

"Effects of the Invention" As described above, when the flash device according to the present invention is mounted on the old camera, the operation mode of the old flash mechanism is set in correspondence with this camera. The operation mode of the new flash mechanism is set so that the camera that can be mounted and used is not specified, and the flash device is compatible with the camera. Since the flash information signal and the camera information signal are exchanged using the terminals Ro and Qo, it is only necessary to newly provide the control terminal Co as a terminal for electrically connecting with the camera, and a large number of information signals can be obtained with a small number of terminals. It becomes a flash device that can send and receive.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a partial perspective view of a clip-on type flash device according to an embodiment of the present invention and a camera to which the flash device is attached and used. FIG. A circuit diagram showing an output circuit section and an input / output circuit section of a camera to which terminals of a hot shoe are connected, FIG. 3 is a time chart of a control signal input to a control terminal of the flash device, and FIG. 4 is an operation of the flash device. Chart to explain the fifth
FIG. 6 is a flow chart of a microcomputer provided in the flash device showing power hold and discrimination operation of the flash device, and FIG. 6 is a flow chart showing the operation of the microcomputer provided in the flash device when a control signal is input to the flash device. FIG. 7 is a flowchart of a microcomputer provided in the camera, and FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing an interrupt loop of the camera microcomputer. 10 ... Flash device 13 ... Mounting foot 15 ... Microcomputer as information processing means 16, 17, 18 ... Transistors 26, 27 ... Transistor forming signal output path of camera information Ro ... Serial Clock signal input terminal Qo ... Serial signal input terminal Co ... Control terminal provided on the mounting foot together with other terminals

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An old flash mechanism electrically connected to a camera by a terminal Xo for inputting a trigger signal, a terminal Ro for outputting a signal indicating that flash light can be emitted, and a terminal Qo for exchanging a flash information signal and a camera information signal. And a new-type flash mechanism electrically connected to the camera by a control terminal Co newly provided together with the above-mentioned terminals, and the old-type flash mechanism or new-type flash mechanism described above in response to the presence / absence of a signal input to the control terminal Co. And an operating mode switching means for switching the mechanism to an operating mode. In the operating mode of the old flash mechanism, the terminal Ro is used.
A signal indicating that flash light can be emitted is output, and a flash information signal and a camera information signal are exchanged via the terminal Qo, and in the operation mode of the new flash mechanism, a serial clock signal is input from the terminal Ro and flash light can be emitted. A flash device for photography, wherein a flash information signal including a signal indicating the above and a camera information signal are transmitted and received as a serial signal in response to the serial clock signal through the terminal Qo.