Method of making photographic prints

Claim 1

A method of making photographic print from original frames (37b) recorded on a photographic film (37), each of said original frame having an image of a scene (10) consisting of a primary subject (16) and a background, said method comprising the steps of: recording discrimination data (38) for designating either a first or a second printing method on a recording medium in association with said each original frame when said each original frame is formed by photographing said scene by a camera; reading said discrimination data when printing said original frame; and selecting either said first or said second printing method based on said discrimination data, for printing said each original frame onto a photographic paper at a print exposure amount which is determined by using said selected first or second printing method, said first printing method calculating said print exposure amount on the basis of image density data obtained by measuring said original frame, and said second printing method calculating said print exposure amount by correcting a predetermined print exposure amount according to the type of said photographic film.

Claim 8

A method of making photographic prints from original frames recorded on a photographic film, each of said original frame having an image of a scene consisting of a primary subject and a background, said method comprising the steps of: recording photographic data representing photographic conditions in association with said original frame when said original frame is formed by photographing said scene by a camera; reading said photographic data when printing; judging based on said photographic data whether said original frame is photographed by a camera under a proper photographic condition which is based on said primary subject, or is photographed by a camera of which the precision of the exposure control is low; selecting a first printing method when said original frame is improperly exposed, or a second printing method when said original frame is photographed under the proper photographic condition, wherein said first printing method calculates a print exposure amount on the basis of image density data obtained by measuring said original frame, and said second printing method calculates a print exposure amount by correcting a predetermined print exposure amount according the type of said photographic film.

Claim 10

A method of making photographic prints from original frames recorded on a photographic film, said method comprising the steps of: forming said original frame by photographing a scene containing a primary subject by means of a camera, said camera having a focus-lock function for measuring a distance of said primary subject while framing said scene such that said primary subject is disposed in a center of a viewfinder, a divided brightness measurement function for measuring brightness values in a plurality of divisional areas of said scene at the time of focus-locking, an automatic exposure control function for controlling exposure for photographing said scene on said photographic film based on brightness data obtained by said brightness measurement, and a data recording function for recording photographic data in a recording medium; and controlling print exposure for making said photographic print from said original frame in a photographic printer, by determining a print exposure amount based on a constant basic print exposure amount which is independent of the image density of said original frame to be printed and a correction amount for correcting said basic print exposure amount, said basic print exposure amount being a value necessary for printing a standard original frame recorded on a standard photographic film onto a photographic paper in an optimum condition, and said correction amount being determined based on said photographic data.

Claim 17

A method of making photographic prints from original frames, comprising the steps of: forming said original frame by photographing a scene containing a primary subject by means of a camera, said camera having a multi-autofocusing function by which distance measurement of said scene is performed at a plurality of measurement points, and said primary subject is discriminated based on distance measurement data of said measurement points, for focusing a taking lens, a divided brightness measurement function by which said scene is divided into a plurality of areas correspondingly to said measurement points, for measuring brightness values in said divided brightness measurement areas, an automatic exposure control function for controlling exposure on photographing while putting emphasis on the brightness value of at least one of said divided brightness measurement areas which corresponds to at least one of said measurement points at which said primary subject is detected, and data recording function for recording position data representing a position of said primary subject within said original frame in a recording medium; reading said position data of said primary subject on printing; controlling print exposure for making said photographic print from said original frame by determining a print exposure amount based on a constant basic print exposure amount which is independent of image density of said original frame to be printed, and a correction amount for correcting said basic print exposure amount, said basic print exposure amount being a value necessary for printing a standard image recorded on a standard photographic film onto a photographic paper in an optimum condition, and said correction amount being calculated based on density data of an image of said primary subject which is detected from said original frame with reference to said position data of said primary subject.