JP3066935B2 - Aspect ratio switchable camera - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an improvement in a camera capable of selecting one of a plurality of photographing aspect ratios.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 62-163033 and Japanese Patent Application No. 4-197450, there is provided a trimming photography for designating printing of only a certain area in a photography screen. There has been proposed a camera which enables selection of an aspect ratio of a screen.

FIG. 1 shows the difference between the three types of aspect ratios and the trimming area. FIG. 1 (a)
FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an area printed at the time of printing when the aspect ratio switching value “H” is selected and photographed, and the aspect ratio is about 1: 1.8. FIG. 7B is a diagram showing an area to be similarly printed at the time of printing when the aspect ratio switching value “L” is selected, and the aspect ratio is about 1: 1.5. FIG. 9C is a diagram showing an area to be similarly printed at the time of printing when the aspect ratio switching value “P” is selected and the aspect ratio is about 1:
2.8.

When these aspect ratio switching values are "H",
Information indicating which of “L” and “P” is stored in the magnetic storage unit of each corresponding frame of the film, and a print of a desired aspect ratio can be obtained by using this magnetic information at the time of printing. If necessary, when the aspect ratio is switched, the viewfinder is electrically displayed in the same manner as in FIG. 1 using an LCD or the like.

[0005]

In the above aspect ratio switching camera of the prior art, the photographing by the self-timer is started, and while the countdown of the remaining seconds is being performed, the camera is not operated against the intention of the photographer. When the means for selecting the aspect ratio of the screen is easily operated: 1) No warning is given to the photographer even though the image is not actually photographed at the desired aspect ratio.

2) Therefore, the photographer does not notice this fact until the print is completed.

[0007] 3) Extra time is required for the operation of switching the aspect ratio, so that the photographing timing is shifted.

4) When the aspect ratio is switched from "P" to "H" or "L", a desired subject may not be printed because the left and right sides of the photographing screen are vignetted.

5) Conversely, when the aspect ratio is switched from "H", "L" to "P", the left and right sides of the shooting screen are expanded.
A subject that is not intended to be photographed may be printed.

[0010] A number of fatal drawbacks occur.

[0011]

The self-photographing is performed in response to the prohibition means for prohibiting the switching operation by the aspect ratio selection means during the self-timer operation or the switching operation by the aspect ratio selection means during the self-timer operation. Is provided.

[0012]

The prohibition means prohibits the aspect ratio switching means in response to the self-photographing being operated by the self-timer means, and the release means cancels the self-photographing operation by operating the aspect ratio switching means. I have.

[0013]

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 2, reference numeral 1 denotes an operation switch for selecting an aspect ratio.
And is displayed on the LCD finder 2 according to the selected aspect ratio. 4 means for inhibiting the operation of the HLP switching detection circuit 3 while the self-timer circuit 5 is operating, 6 a focal length detection circuit of the photographing lens, 7 a photometric circuit for measuring the luminance of the subject, and 8 a subject 9 is a CPU for controlling an operation sequence of a camera (not shown), 10 is an LCD display for performing various displays to a photographer, 11 is a drive circuit thereof, and 12 is a drive circuit. A circuit for driving a motor 13 for feeding the film 21; 14 a photometric / ranging start SW (SW1) which is closed by the first stroke of the photographing button;
Is an exposure start SW (SW2), which is closed by the second stroke of the shooting button, 16 is a self-SW for setting a self-timer shooting mode, 17 is a main SW, and 19 is a magnetic for writing information on a film. In the recording circuit, 20
Is a magnetic head.

FIG. 3 shows a flowchart when the embodiment shown in FIG. 2 is implemented by a program in the CPU. First, in step 401, the state of the main SW 17 is read.
If it is OFF, the reading of the main SW is continued without doing anything. In step 402, it is checked whether or not the first stroke SW (SW1) 14 of the photographing button is ON.
In step 404, the second stroke SW (S
W2) Check whether 15 is ON. If it is ON, it is checked in step 411 whether or not the aspect ratio selection SW1 has changed while performing the process 410 for performing self-photographing. If not, it is determined in step 412 whether the countdown of the self-timer has been completed. When the countdown is completed, steps 406 and 4
In step 07, the same exposure operation and film feeding process as usual are performed, and the process returns to step 401. If the aspect ratio selection SW1 is operated before the countdown ends, the process proceeds to step 413, where a warning display indicating that the aspect ratio cannot be switched is displayed. If the shooting button is not operated (SW1 and SW2 are both OFF), the operation of the aspect ratio selection SW1 is detected in step 408, and the display of the LCD finder and the like are performed in step 409 in accordance with the operation. ing.

In step 409, the aspect ratio information selected by the aspect ratio selection SW1 is set.

In step 407 of this flow, when the film is fed, the head 20 is stored in the magnetic storage unit of the frame.
As a result, the aspect ratio information set in step 409 is written.

Since the flow is configured as described above,
The aspect ratio information written in the magnetic storage unit of each frame on the film in step 407 becomes the aspect ratio information set by operating the selection SW 1 in step 408.
For example, during the self-timer, select S in step 411.
Even if the operation of W1 is detected, the setting of the aspect ratio information is not performed at this time, and the setting of the aspect ratio information during self is prohibited.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing another embodiment of the present invention. Reference numeral 22 denotes a means for canceling the operation of the self-timer circuit 5 in response to the operation of the HLP switching detection circuit. In this embodiment, when the operation of the operation switch 1 is detected by the HLP switching detection circuit 3, the operation of the self-timer circuit 5 is released by the release means 22. Therefore,
If the operation switch for selecting an aspect ratio of 1 is operated while the self-timer circuit 5 is operating, the operation of the self-timer circuit 5 is canceled by the release means 22 and the photographing operation is not performed. Become. And
Unless the self SW 16 is once opened and then closed, the self timer circuit 5 does not operate. That is, in this embodiment, the operation of the aspect ratio selection SW 1 is prioritized, and the display according to the selected aspect ratio is displayed on the LCD finder 2 and the aspect ratio is erroneously switched. In such a case, the self-photographing is canceled.

FIG. 5 shows a control flow in the CPU 9 shown in FIG. 4, and the same steps as those in the flow in FIG.

In FIG. 5, when the aspect ratio selection switch SW1 is operated during self mode, the count of the self timer is canceled in step 414, and the process proceeds to step 401. Therefore, if the aspect ratio selection SW1 is operated during the self-timer, the photographing itself is stopped.

Note that after the step 414 in FIG. 5, the switch 16 is detected to be off, and only when the switch 16 is off, the step 401 is performed.
There may be provided a step of shifting to.

When the aspect ratio information is recorded on the film, the magnetic recording circuit 19 is used in the embodiment of FIGS. 2 and 4, but the aspect ratio selection information is supported as shown in FIGS. The information may be optically recorded by a configuration using the means 22 for optically recording information on a film.

In addition to the above embodiments, for example,
Self shooting mode switch SW16 and aspect ratio selection switch SW1
However, it is needless to say that the configuration may be such that the operation can be performed only by mechanical or exclusive OR.

[0024]

As described above, according to the present invention, the means for prohibiting the aspect ratio switching means in response to the self-timer photographing operation being performed by the self-timer photographing means and the aspect ratio switching means. By providing a means for canceling the self-photographing operation by operation and a warning means, it is possible to prevent a photograph that is significantly different from the photographer's intention from being taken, and to provide a camera that gives an appropriate warning to the photographer. .

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a difference in aspect ratio.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the embodiment in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the embodiment in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing another embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 1 aspect ratio selection switch 3 HLP switching detection circuit 4 HLP prohibiting means 5 self-timer circuit 19 each magnetic recording circuit 10 head 22 self-release means

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. A camera provided with an aspect ratio setting means for setting different photographing aspect ratios, comprising a prohibition means for prohibiting the setting of the aspect ratio by the setting means during self-timer counting during self-timer photographing. A camera capable of switching the aspect ratio. 2. A camera equipped with an aspect ratio setting means for setting different photographing aspect ratios, wherein the self-timer shooting is performed when the setting operation of the aspect ratio is performed by the setting means during the counting of the self-timer during the self-timer shooting. A camera capable of switching an aspect ratio, comprising a canceling means for canceling.