Camera having built-in flash light emitting device for improving picture quality and method thereof
AssigneeNikon Corporation
InventorsHiroshi Wakabayashi, Hiroshi Terunuma, Daiki Tsukahara, Shuji Iijima
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Abstract
A camera having a built-in first flash light emitting unit located directly above a photographic lens on the front surface of the camera body, and a second flash light emitting unit located at an upper corner of the front face of the camera body. The camera has autofocus capabilities, and reduces shadows created during close-up photography and reduces the "red eye" phenomenon created during far away photography through the control of each of the two flash light emitting units.
Claims20
A camera having a built-in flash light emitting system, for taking a photograph of a subject, the camera comprising:
- a lens having an optical axis;
- a first flash light emitting unit intersected by a perpendicular plane defined by said optical axis and a first line perpendicular to both said optical axis and a long dimension of a photographic image frame;
- a second flash light emitting unit located at a front surface of the camera, and spaced away from said perpendicular plane;
- a distance determining unit to determine a distance of the subject from the camera;
- and
- wherein said first flash light emitting unit and said second flash light emitting unit simultaneously emit light only when said distance determining unit determines that the subject is closer to the camera than a first prescribed distance.
A camera having a built-in flash system, for photographing a subject, the camera comprising:
- a lens having an optical axis;
- a first flash unit intersected by a perpendicular plane defined by said optical axis and a first line perpendicular to both said optical axis and a film running direction;
- a second flash unit located on the front surface of the camera and spaced away from said perpendicular plane;
- and
- wherein said first and second flash units simultaneously emit light, during photography, when the subject is closer than a first prescribed distance from the camera, and only said second flash unit emits light, during photography, when the subject is further than said first prescribed distance from the camera.
A method of controlling a first flash unit positioned adjacent to a lens of a camera and a second flash unit positioned a distance further than the first flash unit from the lens, the method comprising:
- making a first determination whether the subject is greater than a first distance from the camera;
- emitting a first amount of light from said second flash unit if said first determination is true;
- making a second determination whether the subject is greater than a second distance from the camera less than said first distance if said first determination is false;
- emitting said first amount of light from said second flash unit and no light from said first flash unit if said second determination is true;
- and
- emitting said first amount of light from said first flash unit and a second amount of light less than said first amount of light from said second flash unit if said second determination is false.
A camera having a built-in flash system, for photographing a subject, the camera comprising:
- a lens having an optical axis;
- a first flash unit of which a portion is directly above said optical axis when the camera is oriented in a standard photographing position;
- a second flash unit located on the front surface of the camera and of which no portion is directly above said optical axis;
- and
- wherein said first flash light emitting unit and said second flash light emitting unit simultaneously emit light only when said distance determining unit determines that the subject is closer to the camera than a first prescribed distance.
A camera having a built-in flash system, for photographing a subject, the camera comprising;
- a lens having an optical axis;
- a first flash unit of which a portion is directly below said optical axis when the camera is oriented in a standard photographing position;
- a second flash unit located on the front surface of the camera and of which no portion is directly above said optical axis;
- and
- wherein said first flash light emitting unit and said second flash light emitting unit simultaneously emit light only when said distance determining unit determines that the subject is closer to the camera than a first prescribed distance.
A method of controlling a first flash unit positioned adjacent to a lens of a camera and a second flash unit positioned a distance further than the first flash unit from the lens, the method comprising:
- making a determination whether the subject is greater than a predetermined distance from the camera;
- emitting a first amount of light from said second flash unit if said determination is true;
- pre-emitting light from said first flash unit when said determination is true and said camera is set to a first mode;
- emitting no light from said first flash unit when said determination is true and said camera is set to a second mode;
- and
- emitting said first amount of light from said first flash unit and a second amount of light less than said first amount of light from said second flash unit if said determination is false.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.