Photographic camera having a picture size switching device

A photographic camera adapted for switching a film frame to be exposed on a roll of film between a regular size and a panoramic size, the camera comprising:

• changeover control means adapted to be operated by a user for selectively switching the picture size;
• film feeding means for causing the roll of film contained within a cartridge to be taken up by a spool;
• calculation means for calculating a residual amount of unexposed film remaining of a roll of film, and for calculating the number of picture frames that may still be taken for the selected picture size;
• a display for displaying the number of frames remaining on the roll of film for the selected picture size;
• and
• film rewinding means for rewinding the roll of film toward the cartridge;
• wherein, when said changeover control means is operated to switch the picture size from the regular size to the panoramic size, said film feeding means is actuated to take up the roll of film by a predetermined quantity to make the photographic camera ready for photographing in the panoramic size whereas, when said changeover control means is operated to switch the picture size from the panoramic size to the regular size, said film rewinding means is actuated to rewind the roll of film by a predetermined quantity to make the photographic camera ready for photographing in the regular size.

A photographic camera adapted for switching a film frame to be exposed on a roll of film between a regular size and a panoramic size, the photographic camera comprising:

• film feeding means for causing the roll of film contained within a cartridge to be taken up by a spool;
• film rewinding means for rewinding the roll of film toward the cartridge;
• a preliminary take-up mechanism causing the entire roll of film contained within a cartridge to be taken up by the spool after the photographic camera has been loaded with the roll of film, and then causing a predetermined quantity of the roll of film to be rewound toward the cartridge for each photograph to make the photographic camera ready for use;
• changeover control means adapted to be operated by a user for selectively switching the picture size;
• means for calculating the length of film on the roll of film that may be exposed during preliminary take-up;
• means for calculating the number of frames remaining on the roll of film for the selected picture size;
• and
• a display for displaying the number of frames remaining on the roll of film for the selected picture size,
• wherein, when said changeover control means is operated to switch the picture size from the regular size to the panoramic size, said film rewinding means is actuated to rewind a predetermined quantity of the roll of film to make the photographic camera ready for photographing in the panoramic size whereas, when said changeover control means is operated to switch the picture size from the panoramic size to the regular size, said film feeding means is actuated to take up a predetermined quantity of the roll of film to make the photographic camera ready for photographing in the regular size.

A method for handling film in a photographic camera adapted for switching a film frame to be exposed on a roll of film between a regular size and a panoramic size, the method comprising the steps of:

• preliminarily taking up the entire roll of film contained within a cartridge on a spool after the photographic camera has been loaded with the roll of film;
• measuring the full length of the roll of film available for photographing while taking the roll of film up on the spool;
• calculating a residual length of the roll film still available for photographing every time each film frame exposed by photographing is rewound into the cartridge;
• selecting a film frame size;
• and
• dividing the calculated residual length by a film feed quantity for each exposure to calculate a current number of film frames on the roll of film still available for photographing for the selected film frame size.

The photographic camera adapted to switch a film frame to be exposed on a roll of film between a regular size and a panoramic size, the camera comprising:

• film feeding means for causing the roll of film contained within a cartridge to be taken up by a spool;
• film rewinding means for causing the roll of film to be rewound into the cartridge;
• preliminary take-up means for causing the entire roll of film contained within the cartridge to be taken up by the spool after the photographic camera has been loaded with the roll of film, and then causing a predetermined quantity of the roll of film to be rewound into the cartridge for each photograph in order to make the photographic camera ready for photographing;
• film length measuring means adapted for measuring a full length of the roll of film during the preliminary take-up and to determine a residual quantity of the roll of film on the basis of the film length having been taken up;
• and
• changeover control means adapted to be operated by a user for selectively switching the picture size,
• wherein, when said changeover control means is operated to switch the picture size from the regular size to the panoramic size, said film rewinding means is actuated to rewind a predetermined quantity of the roll of film and thereby to make the photographic camera ready for photographing in the panoramic size whereas, when said changeover control means is operated to switch the picture size from the panoramic size to the regular size, said film feeding means is actuated to take up a predetermined quantity of the roll of film and thereby to make the photographic camera ready for photographing in the regular size, and
• wherein the number of film frames on the roll of film still available for photographing in the selected picture size is calculated from a residual quantity of the roll of film.

A photographic camera adapted to switch a film frame to be exposed on a roll of film between a regular size and a panoramic size, the camera comprising:

• film feeding means for causing the roll of film contained within a cartridge to be taken up by a spool;
• film rewinding means for causing the roll of film to be rewound into the cartridge;
• preliminary take-up means for causing the entire roll of film contained within the cartridge to be taken up by the spool after the photographic camera has been loaded with the roll of film, and then causing a predetermined quantity of the roll of film to be rewound into the cartridge for each photograph in order to make the photographic camera ready for photographing;
• film length measuring means adapted for measuring a full length of the roll of film during the preliminary take-up and for determining a residual quantity of the roll of film on the basis of the film length having been taken up;
• display means for displaying a current number of film frames on the roll of film still available for photographing;
• and
• changeover control means adapted to be operated by a user for selectively switching the picture size;
• wherein, when said changeover control means is operated to switch the picture size from the regular size to the panoramic size, said film rewinding means is actuated to rewind a predetermined quantity of the roll of film and thereby to make the photographic camera ready for photographing in the panoramic size whereas, when said changeover control means is operated to switch the picture size from the panoramic size to the regular size, said film feeding means is actuated to take up a predetermined quantity of the roll of film and thereby to make the photographic camera ready for photographing in the regular size,
• wherein the number of film frames on the roll of film still available for photographing in the picture size for which the photographic camera is ready is calculated on the basis of a residual quantity of the roll of film, and
• wherein said calculated number of film frames still available for photographing is displayed by said display means.