US 6,584,281 B2Granted

Lens-fitted photo film unit and method of producing photographic print

AssigneeFuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.

InventorKazuo Kamata

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Abstract

A lens-fitted photo film unit has a taking lens of a fixed focal length, through which picture frames are photographed in respective exposure areas in a constant size on a photo filmstrip. Prior to loading the photo filmstrip in the lens-fitted photo film unit, three dots are prerecorded on each PAR code recording zone of the photo filmstrip, to indicating that a predetermined size photographic print is to be produced from a predetermined central fragment of each of the picture frames by enlarging at a specific print magnification. The lens-fitted photo film unit has an optical viewfinder that shows the photographer a subject at a corresponding magnification and a corresponding angle of view to an image contained in a photographic print of the predetermined size as produced from the central fragment.

Claims10

Dependent claims

A lens-fitted photo film unit pre-loaded with an unexposed photo filmstrip and provided with photographic mechanisms for taking an exposure, said lens-fitted photo film unit comprising:

a taking lens having a fixed focal length, through which picture frames are photographed in respective exposure areas in a constant size on said photo filmstrip;
print format data prerecorded on said photo filmstrip prior to loading said photo filmstrip in said lens-fitted photo film unit, said print format data indicating that a predetermined size photographic print is to be produced from a predetermined central fragment of each of the picture frames by enlarging at a specific print magnification;
and
an optical viewfinder having a view field corresponding to said central fragment of the picture frame, and a magnification corresponding to said specific print magnification, so a subject observed in the view field corresponds in magnification as well as in angle of view to an image contained in a photographic print of the predetermined size as produced from said central fragment;
wherein said specific print magnification is 2-times as large as a standard print magnification that is used for producing a photographic print in said predetermined size from a print area that is approximately equal to said exposure area, and the view field of said viewfinder corresponds to a central 10% to 16% of said exposure area.

2 more elements

A method of producing photographic prints from picture frames photographed by a lens-fitted photo film unit, said photographic print producing method comprising:

recording, prior to loading an unexposed photo filmstrip in said lens-fitted photo film unit, print format data on said photo filmstrip, said print format data designating that a photographic print of a predetermined size is to be produced from a predetermined central fragment of each of the picture frames, a plurality of data recording zones, each being arranged between one of the picture frames and a first edge of the photo filmstrip, the print format data being recorded in each of the data recording zones, said print format data comprising a code consisting of three dots optically prerecorded on each of the data recording zones;
reading out said data from said photo filmstrip after said photo filmstrip is developed;
and
printing an image of said central fragment of each of the picture frames onto photographic paper by enlarging at a specific print magnification that is determined based on the size of said central fragment relative to said predetermined print size;
the printing step being performed by a device constructed so that if zero to two dots are detected from one of said data recording zones, a photographic print of an aspect ratio selected from among a plurality of aspect ratios based on the number of dots is produced from a corresponding said picture frame, instead of enlarging a central fragment of the picture frame.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.