Composite camera apparatus

Claim 1

A composite camera apparatus having lens means (2) upon which light from a subject is incident, a film holder (18) for supporting a photosensitive film upon which an image of the subject is formed by the light having passed through said lens means (2); an image pickup means (16) provided with a light receiving surface upon which an image of the subject is formed by the light having passed through said lens means (6) for producing a pickup output signal in response to the image formed upon the light receiving surface; a movable mirror (12) selectively positionable at a first position for permitting the light having passed through said lens means (2) to be incident upon said light receiving surface of the image pickup means (16) and at a second position for permitting the light having passed through said lens means (2) to be incident upon said photosensitive film; and mirror control means (l3) selectively operable by the user of the camera to cause said movable mirror (12) to be positioned at said second position in synchronism with the occurrence of the next vertical blanking period in video signal after the user causes the mirror control means (13) to be operable, characterised by video signal generating means (22) connected to said image pickup means (16) for continuously producing Said video signal based upon the pickup output signal obtained from said image pickup means (16) and by memory means (28) operative to electronically store each successive predetermined segment of the pickup output signal obtained from said image pickup device (16) in such a manner that each successive stored segment replaces the previously stored segment when said movable mirror (12) is positioned at said first position and to permit the last stored segment to be read therefrom when said movable mirror (12) is positioned at said second position.