Apparatus for establishing automatic exposure control modes in exchangeable lens camera

Claim 2

A lens exchangeable camera adapted for mounting an exchangeable lens having a diaphragm, a diaphragm presetting means settable to preset a diaphragm aperture size, and an aperture information transmitting means capable of transmitting respective first and second aperture information, said first aperture information representing that the diaphragm presetting means is preset at a minimum aperture size and said second aperture information representing each setting of the diaphragm presetting means other than the minimum aperture setting, said camera comprising: a program exposure control circuit for generating signals adaptable to automatically control the diaphragm aperture size of said lens and to automatically control the shutter speed under a given program in accordance with scene brightness; an aperture priority automatic shutter speed control circuit for automatically controlling the shutter speed in accordance with scene brightness measured through the diaphragm aperture actually stopped-down to the aperture size preset by said diaphragm presetting means; and change-over means for selective actuation of said program exposure control circuit and said aperture priority automatic shutter speed control circuit, said change-over means actuating said program exposure control circuit when said first aperture information is transmitted, and actuating said aperture priority automatic shutter speed control circuit when said second aperture information is transmitted.

Claim 3

A lens exchangeable camera as defined in claim 1, wherein said aperture information transmitting means includes an engagement member movable to a position dependent on the value of the minimum aperture size of said exchangeable lens when said diaphragm presetting means is at the position to preset the minimum aperture size, and wherein said change-over means includes an engaging member engaged and moved by said engagement member only when said diaphragm presetting means is set to the position to preset the minimum aperture size.

Claim 4

A lens exchangeable camera as defined in claim 2, wherein said program exposure control circuit includes: a light measuring circuit including means for generating a first signal and means for generating a second signal, said first signal being representative of a shutter speed which is optimum for the scene brightness with the aperture size of said diaphragm at the time of light measurement, and said second signal being representative of a shutter speed which is optimum for the scene brightness with the aperture size preset by said diaphragm presetting means; means coupled with said engaging member for generating a third signal representative of a step difference from the minimum aperture size of said exchangeable lens to a specific aperture size with said diaphragm presetting means preset to the minimum aperture size; a signal correction circuit for combining said second signal with said third signal to generate a fourth signal representative of an optimum shutter speed for the scene brightness with said specific aperture size; a programmed shutter speed generating circuit for generating a fifth signal representative of a programmed shutter speed by dividing the difference between said fourth signal and a signal representative of a given reference shutter speed with a given ratio and by adding the divided difference to said fourth signal; diaphragm control means including a comparator and an electromagnet, said comparator comparing said first signal with said fifth signal during the stopping-down of said diaphragm to generate a sixth signal when the difference between said first and fifth signals reaches a predetermined level, and said electromagnet being responsive to said sixth signal for stopping the stopping-down of said diaphragm to determine the aperture size; and a shutter speed control circuit for controlling the shutter speed in accordance with said first signal generated after the determination of the aperture size by said electromagnet.

Claim 5

A lens exchangeable camera as defined in claim 3, wherein said aperture priority automatic shutter speed control circuit commonly includes said means for generating a first signal and said shutter speed control circuit, said shutter speed control circuit controlling the shutter speed in accordance with said first signal generated after said diaphragm is stopped-down to the aperture size preset by said preset means when said diaphragm presetting means is at a position to preset an aperture size other than the minimum aperture size.

Claim 6

A lens exchangeable camera as defined in claim 4, wherein said signal correction circuit includes a change-over switch actuated by said engaging member and including a movable contact moved to a plurality of positions in dependence upon the position of said engaging member, and said means for generating said third signal operates in accordance with the positions of said movable contact.

Claim 7

A lens exchangeable camera as defined in any of claims 1-5, further comprising: warning means for generating a warning signal when the scene brightness is out of the range permitting exposure control by said program exposure control circuit and wherein said change-over means includes a switch means for conditioning said warning means to be operable only when said first aperture information is transmitted.