Automatic focus controlling camera

Claim 1

An automatic focus controlling camera comprising: first manually operable means disposed on a camera body and operable in response to a depression of a shutter release button; an automatic focus detector circuit disposed within a taking lens barrel which is detachably mounted on the camera body for detecting a focus status of an object being photographed; drive means disposed on the taking lens barrel and responsive to an output from the automatic focus detector circuit for automatically moving a taking lens arranged on said barrel to an in-focus position; bistable circuit means having an output coupled to the automatic focus detector circuit; said bistable circuit means having a set input; second manually operable means disposed on the taking lens barrel and coupled to said bistable circuit means for enabling the automatic focus detector circuit for operation; a first switching element which is connected in shunt with said second manually operable means and is connected to said set input; operation signal accepting means disposed on the taking lens barrel for connecting the first manually operable means to the first switching element whenever the taking lens barrel is mounted on the camera body; and said bistable circuit means actuating said automatic focus detector circuit upon operation of said first manually operable means which applies an operation signal to said set input through said operation signal accepting means and said first switching element.