Combination camera and flashlight

A combination camera and flashlight comprising:

• a flashlight illumination means including an illumination bulb, a power supply means for powering the illumination bulb and a reflecting mirror arranged the illumination bulb for directing light emanating from the illumination bulb in a generally forward direction;
• camera means for recording visual information, the camera means including an aperture and a shutter arranged to open and close the aperture;
• a casing for enclosing the camera means and the illumination means, the casing having a forward facing first opening;
• a substantially transparent protecting plate that covers said first casing opening the protecting plate being positioned generally forward of the illumination bulb for protecting the illumination bulb;
• cutout means for actuating the shutter and automatically reducing the illumination intensity of the illumination bulb by a substantial amount when the shutter is actuated.

A combination camera and flashlight comprising

• a casing;
• an illumination bulb;
• a reflecting mirror received within the casing and arranged about the illumination bulb for directing light emanating from the illumination bulb in a generally forward direction, the reflecting mirror having a cut-out therein;
• a substantially transparent protecting plate supported by the casing and positioned generally forward of the illumination bulb for protecting the illumination bulb;
• camera means received within the casing for recording visual information, the camera means including,
• an aperture located generally behind the reflecting mirror such that the cut-out and the protecting plate expose the aperture in a generally forward direction such that light entering the aperture must pass through the cut-out and the protecting plate, and
• a shutter arranged to open and close the aperture;
• a strobe light received within the casing and positioning at a location to the rear of the front protecting plate such that light generated by the strobe light can not directly enter the aperture;
• and
• cutout means for automatically turning off the illumination bulb when the shutter is opened, the cutout means including,
• a shutter release button mounted on the casing and adapted for actuation by a user to take a picture,
• an interlocking mechanism that couples the shutter release button to the shutter to actuate the shutter when the shutter release button is actuated,
• an illumination switch arranged such that it is mechanically opened by the interlocking mechanism when the shutter release button is actuated, and
• wherein the strobe light is actuated by the interlocking mechanism when the shutter release button is actuated.