Actuator and selector mechanism for compact camera

A method for providing and storing energy in a hammer spring for operating a camera shutter, comprising the steps of:

• providing a camera having an aperture selector slide which is movably displaceable to one of plurality of aperture settings by an operator;
• providing a hammer in said camera, wherein said hammer is connected to said hammer spring, and wherein said hammer cooperates with said slide;
• and
• displacing said slide from an initial aperture setting to a first aperture setting by said operator, wherein said hammer is rotationally displaced thereby stretching said hammer spring thus effecting the generation and storage of energy in said spring for operating said camera shutter.

A camera, comprising:

• a shutter mechanism having a shutter blade that is spring biased by a shutter spring;
• an actuating means for actuating said shutter mechanism;
• an aperture selecting assembly coupled to said actuating means, including an aperture selector slide, wherein said slide is movably displaceable by an operator from an initial aperture setting to one of a plurality of aperture settings, and wherein said displacement of said slide energizes said shutter;
• and
• a rotatable hammer bypass device, wherein an operator returns said aperture setting to an initial aperture setting from a second aperture setting without actuating said shutter.