Optical system for printing normal and panoramic images

Apparatus for printing first and second format image frames from a negative filmstrip onto elongated, continuous, photographic print paper having a selected paper width at selected magnifications related to the selected width comprising:

• a printer exposure gate for supporting a filmstrip image frame to be printed and a light source for projecting light through an image frame in said exposure gate to provide an image bearing light beam;
• filmstrip transport means for advancing the negative filmstrip into said printer exposure gate;
• means for determining if an image frame in said filmstrip transport means is of the first or second format;
• means for advancing an unexposed length of the elongated, continuous, photographic print paper in a print advancement direction into a first format projection plane or into a second format projection plane, depending on the determined format of the image frame to be printed, said first and second format projection planes being displaced apart along the print advancement direction, said first format projection plane having a first length and a width corresponding to said selected paper width and centered with respect to a first projection path, said second format projection plane having a second length and a width corresponding to said selected paper width and centered with respect to a second projection path, said first and second format projection planes having adjacent first format and second format, projection plane length boundaries;
• a first format, adjustable magnification, light image projection system;
• means operable upon determining that said image frame is of said first format for operating said light source to project said image bearing light beam through said first format projection system as a first projected light image in said first projection path for focusing and magnifying said first projected light image, at a first format image frame magnification related to the selected paper width, onto said photographic print paper in said first format projection plane;
• a second format, adjustable magnification, light image projection system;
• and
• means operable upon determining that said image frame is of said second format for operating said light source and for projecting said image bearing light beam through said second format, adjustable magnification, light image projection system as a second projected light image in said second projection path and onto said photographic print paper in said second format projection plane, at a selected second image frame magnification related to the selected paper width.

A photographic printer for selectively exposing prints on elongated, continuous, photographic paper having a selected paper width from photographic filmstrip image frames having first or second image frame widths at selected magnifications related to the selected paper width comprising:

• a photographic filmstrip transport for advancing filmstrip image frames;
• an exposure gate for supporting a filmstrip image frame to be printed;
• a source of illumination for projecting light through the image frame in the exposure gate to form an image bearing light beam;
• a photographic paper transport for transporting elongated photographic print paper of a selected paper width into a first projection plane or into a second projection plane, said first and second projection planes displaced apart along the length and direction of transport of said photographic print paper;
• a first zoom lens system for projecting said image bearing light beam at a first magnification related to the selected paper width and the first image frame width onto said photographic print paper in said first projection plane and thereby defining a length boundary of said first projection plane at said selected first magnification related to said first image frame width and the selected paper width;
• a first reflective mirror selectively interposable between said exposure gate and said first zoom lens system for selectively reflecting said image bearing light beam away from said first zoom lens system into a second projection path;
• a second zoom lens system for projecting said image bearing light beam reflected by said first reflective mirror at a second magnification related to the selected paper width and said second image frame width;
• a second reflective mirror interposed between said second zoom lens system and said photographic print paper for reflecting said image bearing light beam onto said second projection plane at said second magnification;
• and
• means for selectively positioning said second reflective mirror with respect to said second zoom lens system for displacing said second projection plane with respect to said first projection plane along the length of said photographic print paper and thereby defining a length boundary of said second projection plane and substantially aligned with said length boundary of said first projection plane at said selected first and second magnifications.

A method of printing normal format and panoramic format image frames from a negative filmstrip onto elongated, continuous, photographic paper having a selected paper width at magnifications related to the selected paper width comprising the steps of:

• advancing a negative filmstrip having normal format or panoramic format image frames in a film transport path including an exposure gate for supporting a filmstrip image frame to be printed and a light source for projecting light through an image frame in said exposure gate to provide an image bearing light beam;
• determining if an image frame of said negative filmstrip in said transport path to be printed in said printer exposure gate is of a normal or a panoramic format;
• upon determining that said image frame is a normal image format:
• advancing in a paper advance direction and positioning a first unexposed length of said elongated photographic print paper in a normal format projection plane centered with respect to a normal projection path, said normal format projection plane having a width corresponding to the selected paper width and a normal format projection plane length;
• operating said light source to project light through the normal format image frame in said exposure gate to provide a normal image bearing light beam;
• and
• focusing and magnifying said normal image bearing light beam at a selected normal format image frame magnification related to the selected paper width onto said photographic print paper in said normal format projection plane, thereby defining a normal format, projection plane length boundary at said selected normal image frame magnification;
• and
• upon determining that said image frame is a panoramic image format:
• advancing in said paper advance direction and positioning a second unexposed length of said elongated, continuous, photographic print paper in a panoramic format projection plane displaced entirely in a non-overlapping manner from said normal format projection plane in the paper advance direction, said panoramic format projection plane centered with respect to a panoramic projection path and having a width corresponding to the selected paper width and a panoramic format projection plane length;
• positioning a panoramic image frame optical system to magnify and focus a panoramic image bearing light beam in said panoramic projection path onto said panoramic format projection plane;
• and
• operating said light source to project light through the panoramic format image frame in said exposure gate to provide said panoramic image bearing light beam focused through said panoramic image frame optical system at a selected panoramic image frame magnification related to the selected paper width and onto said photographic paper in said panoramic format projection plane, thereby defining a panoramic format, projection plane length boundary at said selected panoramic image frame magnification substantially coinciding with said normal format, projection plane length boundary.