Camera with autofocusing device

Abstract

A camera comprises an exposure meter having a pointer deflected to a position dependent upon the brightness level of an object to be photographed, a scanning mechanism actuated by a camera release to scan the position of the deflected pointer with the scanning result being introduced to a lens aperture mechanism, an automatic focus adjusting device actuated by the camera release to control the focusing of an objective lens in accordance with a photoelectrically sensed distance from the camera to the object, and a control mechanism. Since the photoelectric elements in measuring the object distance have a relatively long time lag, the control mechanism functions upon actuation of the camera release to defer the actuation of the scanning mechanism and the autofocusing device, pending completion of the detection of the object distance. In this manner, an exposure setting accurately corresponding to the prevailing lighting conditions is obtained. When the light value is too low to assure the satisfactory operation of the automatic focus adjusting device, the camera may be switched to the flash mode where the objective lens and the aperture mechanism are automatically set in a pan-focus condition in response to actuation of the camera release.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. In a camera having an automatic focus adjusting device and an automatic exposure control device, the combination comprises: (a) a distance measuring circuit including a light receiving element;   (b) a photo-taking lens movably supported for focusing;   (c) an exposure meter;   (d) a scanning member for scanning a pointer of said exposure meter;   (e) latch means for latching said scanning member in an initial position;   (f) stopping means responsive to the output of said distance measuring circuit to be moved for engagement with or disengagement from said photo-taking lens, whereby movement and stoppage of said photo-taking lens is controlled;   (g) a release member arranged upon depression of a shutter button to be moved to a first region for the start of operation of said distance measuring circuit and therefrom to a second region for the start of focusing movement of said photo-taking lens;   (h) preventing means for preventing said release member from moving from said first movement region to said second movement region;   (i) said stopping means being moved in response to the distance measurement completion signal of said distance measuring circuit so that it is taken out of engagement with said photo-taking lens, and upon acting on said preventing means permits movement of said release member to said second movement region; and   (j) said latch means being moved to release the latching of said scanning member when said release member is moved to said second region, causing said photo-taking lens to perform focusing operation and causing said scanning member to perform exposure determining operation.   
     
     
       2. A camera according to claim 1, wherein said stopping means controls the movement and stoppage of said photo-taking lens by the action of an electromagnet connected to said distance measuring circuit. 
     
     
       3. A camera according to claim 2, wherein said pointer scanning member is supported rotatably about an optical axis of said photo-taking lens and removably engages with a support tube for said photo-taking lens. .Iadd. 
     
     
       4.  In a camera which is selectively settable to a daylight photography mode and to a flash photography mode and which includes an objective and a manually operable selector for selection of the photographic modes, an automatic focus adjusting device comprising: range finder means for generating a distance signal representative of a distance from said camera to an object;   objective setting means responsive to said distance signal for setting said objective at a position where said objective focuses on said object; and   control means responsive to the selection of a photographic mode for, upon selection of the flash photography mode, causing said objective setting means to set said objective at a position where said objective focuses on an object at a predetermined distance within the maximum permissible distance for flash photography, and, upon selection of the daylight photography mode, enabling said objective setting means to set said objective in response to said distance signal..Iaddend. .Iadd.   
     
     
       5.  An automatic focusing camera which is selectively settable to a daylight photography mode and to a flash photography mode, comprising: (A) a focus adjustable objective;   (B) an automatic focusing device for automatically focusing said objective;   (C) selector means for selection of the photography modes; and   (D) control means responsive to the selection of a photography mode for, upon selection of the flash photography mode, causing said automatic focusing device to adjust said objective to a position where said objective focuses on an object at a predetermined distance within the maximum permissible distance for flash photography, and, upon selection of the daylight photography mode, enabling said automatic focusing device to adjust said objective at a position corresponding to an object distance..Iaddend. .Iadd.   
     
     
       6.  An automatic focusing camera according to claim 5, wherein said automatic focusing device includes: range finder means for generating a signal for adjusting said objective to the position corresponding to the object distance;   supplementary means for generating a signal for adjusting said objective to the position where the objective focuses on the object at the predetermined distance; and   responsive means for adjusting said objective to one of said positions based on the signal generated by said range finder means or the signal generated by said supplementary means; and   wherein said control means causes said supplementary means to be effective upon selection of the flash photography mode..Iaddend. .Iadd.   
     
     
       7.  An automatic focusing camera according to claim 6, wherein said control means is arranged to cause said range finder means to be ineffective upon selection of the flash photography mode..Iaddend. .Iadd.8. A camera which is selectively settable to a daylight mode and to a flash-light mode, comprising: (a) a focus adjustable objective;   (b) an automatic focusing device for automatically focusing said objective; and   (c) control means responsive to selection of a mode for, upon selection of the flash-light mode, causing said automatic focusing device to adjust said objective to a position where the objective focuses on an object at a distance within the maximum permissible distance for the flash-light mode, and, upon selection of the daylight mode, enabling said automatic focusing device to adjust said objective at a position corresponding to an object distance..Iaddend. .Iadd.9. A camera according to claim 8, wherein said automatic focusing device includes:   range finder means for generating a signal for adjusting said objective to the position corresponding to the object distance;   supplementary means for generating a signal for adjusting said objective to the position where said objective focuses on the object at a distance within the maximum permissible distance for the flash-light; and   responsive means for adjusting said objective to one of said positions based on the signal generated by said range finder means or the signal generated by said supplementary means; and   wherein said control means causes said supplementary means to be effective upon selection of the flash-light mode..Iaddend. .Iadd.10. A camera according to claim 9, wherein said control means is arranged to cause said range finder means to be ineffective upon selection of the flash-light mode..Iaddend. .Iadd.11. A camera which is selectively settable to a daylight mode and to a flash-light mode, comprising:   (a) a focus adjustable objective;   (b) first focus control means for controlling said objective at a position corresponding to an object distance;   (c) second focus control means for controlling said objective at a position where the objective focuses on an object at a distance within the maximum permissible distance for the flash-light mode; and   (d) operation control means responsive to selection of a mode for, upon selection of the flash-light mode, causing said second focus control means to be effective..Iaddend. .Iadd.12. A camera according to claim 11, wherein said second focus control means is arranged to control said objective at the position where the objective focuses at a predetermined distance..Iaddend. .Iadd.13. A camera according to claim 12, wherein said operation control means is arranged to cause said first focus control means to be ineffective upon selection of said flash-light mode by said   
     
     
        selector means..Iaddend. .Iadd.14.  A camera which is selectively settable to a daylight mode and to a flash-light mode, comprising: (a) a focus adjustable lens means;   (b) an automatic focusing device for automatically focusing said lens means onto an object, said focusing device including means for stopping movement of said lens means when an in-focus condition of said lens means with respect to the object is obtained;   (c) specific position control means for detecting whether said lens means reaches a predetermined position and for activating said stop means in said automatic focusing device when it is detected that the lens means reaches the predetermined position; and   (d) operation control means, responsive to selection of a mode, for causing said specific position control means to be effective upon selection of the flash-light mode..Iaddend. .Iadd.15. A camera according to claim 18, wherein the predetermined position is a position where said lens means focuses on the object at a predetermined distance within the maximum permissible distance for the flash-light mode..Iaddend. .Iadd.16. A camera according to claim 14 or 15, wherein said operation control means is arranged to cause said automatic focusing device, but for said stop means, to be ineffective upon selection of said flash-light mode..Iaddend.