Camera having a charging operation which is inhibited during an operation of the camera function section and a battery check function which is inhibited during the charging function

A method of operating a camera having a power source commonly used for a charging circuit associated with a strobe emission and a camera function section other than the charging circuit, battery check means for achieving a battery check on said power source, shooting operation inhibiting means for inhibiting a shooting operation when said battery check means detects that a voltage outputted from said power source is equal to or less than a predetermined value, and a control unit for conducting a control operation to achieve various functions of the camera, comprising the steps of:

• setting the control unit in a standby state in which an interruption signal can be accepted;
• changing a state of the control unit responsive to the interruption signal denoting a processing start of said function of the camera from the standby state to an operating state;
• allowing, by means of the control unit, the charging operation to be achieved onto the charging circuit;
• initiating, by means of the control unit in response to a reception of the interruption signal designating a charging instruction, the charging operation onto the charging circuit and inhibiting the battery check means from accomplishing the battery check;
• stopping, by means of the control unit in response to a reception of the interruption signal designating an instruction other than the charging instruction, the charging operation being achieved onto the charging circuit, if the charging operation is being executed;
• and
• inhibiting, by means of the control unit in response to a reception of the interruption signal designating an instruction other than the charging instructions, the charging operation from being achieved onto the charging circuit and executing processing based on the received interruption signal.