Flash light amount controlling apparatus
AssigneeMinolta Co., Ltd.
InventorsNorihiko Akamatsu, Masataka Hamada, Kazuhiko Yukawa, Hiroshi Ootsuka
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Abstract
In a flash light amount control device capable of operating according to multiple methods, the flash light control method alternates according to the detected AF mode setting, the camera panning status, or the reliability of the detected object distance. For example, if AF lock is on, control is performed by flash light adjustment, but if AF lock is not on, control is performed by flashmatic. If panning is performed after AF lock, the method of control alternates between flash light adjustment and flashmatic in response to the amount of panning movement.
Claims7
Flash light amount controlling apparatus, comprising:
- a distinction device which distinguishes set auto focus mode;
- and
- a control device, having first and second flash light amount control devices, which selectively controls either the first or the second flash light amount control device as a function of the auto focus mode distinguished by said distinction device whereby said flash light amount controlled by said control device is based on reflected flash light.
A camera, comprising:
- autofocus means for performing autofocusing on an object to be photographed;
- set means for setting an AF lock;
- detection means for detecting a distance to the object;
- a flash apparatus;
- a photometric element for outputting luminescence signals corresponding to flash light amount of said flash apparatus during exposure;
- first flash control means for controlling said flash apparatus based on the distance detected by said detection means;
- second flash control means for controlling said flash apparatus based on luminescence signals outputted by said photometric element;
- and
- select means for selecting said first flash control means using the detected distance when the AF lock is on, and for selecting said second flash control means based on luminescence signals when the AF lock is not on.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.