Close-up camera apparatus

Claim 2

In apparatus for adapting to close-up use a camera including a lens and a flash device, said apparatus including close-up lens means positionable over said camera lens for modifying the focal distance thereof to a predetermined position, the improvement comprising: flash hood means mounted over said flash device in a first position, for spreading and redirecting a portion of the light beam emitted from said flash device to obtain proper illumination of the subject being photographed, said flash hood means including: a back region open to and extending substantially beyond a light emitting window located on a front surface of said flash device; a top surface sloping downwardly away from the front surface of said flash device, the inside face of said top surface being light reflective; diffuser means covering a front portion for diffusing light passing therethrough, the front portion sloping inwardly and downwardly away from a top edge of said top surface; a right side and a left side; and first and second light reflector means located at said right and left sides, respectively, whereby a first portion of the light emitted from said light emitting window travels directly through said flash hood means and out said diffuser means, a second portion of the light is reflected from an inner reflective surface of said first reflector means to an inner reflective surface of said second reflector means, the latter reflecting the light it receives to and through said diffuser means.

Claim 3

The improvement of claim 1, further including: mounting means for mounting said flash hood means on said flash device, said mounting means including means for selectively positioning said flash hood means in either said first position or in a second position on said flash device, the second position being for permitting normal emission of light from said flash device for subjects located beyond another predetermined position from said lens, at which position no redirection of light from said flash device is required for proper illumination of said subject

Claim 4

The improvement of claim 2, wherein said selective positioning means includes hinge means rigidly connected between a top forwardmost edge of said flash device and a top rearwardmost edge of said flash hood, and latching means for locking said flash hood in said first position, said latching means being operable for unlocking said flash hood to permit the latter to be swung upward via said hinge means to said second position where said flash hood means has its top surface juxtaposed to the top of said flash device.

Claim 5

The improvement of claim 1, wherein each of each of said first and second reflector means includes a truncated triangular like reflector rigidly mounted along one edge to the rearmost edge of a respective one of said right and left sides, and each being bent away from its respective said right or left side, each being at a predetermined angle for ensuring the desired redistribution of light from said light emitting window to illuminate said subject.

Claim 6

The improvement of claim 4, wherein each of said first and second reflectors is each bent 45 degrees away from said right and left side, respectively.

Claim 7

The improvement of claim 4, wherein each of said first and second reflectors consists of a polished metal material.

Claim 8

The improvement of claim 4, further including light blocking means mounted at a centralmost portion of said diffuser means for preventing bright spots in illuminating said subject.

Claim 9

The improvement of claim 4, further including a reflective surface on the inside face of the top of said flash hood means.

Claim 10

The improvement of claim 1, wherein said camera further includes an auto-exposure system having a light receiving window at the front of said camera, for receiving light reflected from the subject for delivery to a light detector, wherein the improvement further comprises filter means covering said window for reducing the intensity of light delivered to said light detector by a predetermined amount, for causing said auto-exposure system to correct the exposure of the film.

Claim 11

The improvement of claim 9, wherein said filter means consists of a 3X density filter.

Claim 12

The improvement of claim 1, wherein said camera further includes a viewfinder system including a viewfinder window at the front of the camera, and wherein said improvement further comprises masking means for blocking a portion of said viewfinder window to substantially eliminate parallax problems in using said viewfinder to center subjects for close-up photography.

Claim 13

The improvement of claim 1, further including pin hole means mounted behind the lens of said camera for configuring the latter as a fixed focus camera.

Claim 14

A flash hood for redistributing a beam of light from a flash unit of a camera configured for close-up photography comprising: mounting means for mounting said flash hood on said flash unit; said flash hood including first and second light reflector tabs located a distance from one another at right and left sides of said flash hood, respectively, whereby a first portion of the light emitted from a relatively narrow light emitting window of said flash unit travels directly through said flash hood means, a second portion of the light is reflected from an inner reflective surface of said first reflector means to an inner reflective surface of said second reflector means, the latter reflecting the light it receives to and out of said flash hood, thereby providing a beam of light substantially wider and broader than that from said flash unit alone.

Claim 15

A flash hood for redistributing a beam of light from a flash unit of a camera configured for close-up photography comprising: mounting means for mounting said flash hood on said flash unit; said flash hood including first and second light reflector tabs located a distance from one another at right and left sides of said flash hood, respectively, whereby a first portion of the light emitted from a relatively narrow light emitting window of said flash unit travels directly through said flash hood means, a second portion of the light is reflected from an inner reflective surface of said first reflector means to an inner reflective surface of said second reflector means, the latter reflecting the light it receives to and out of said flash hood, thereby providing a beam of light substantially wider and broader than that from said flash unit alone.

Claim 16

The flash hood of claim 13, wherein each of said first and second reflector tabs consists of a truncated triangular-like member rigidly mounted along one edge to the rearmost edges of a respective one of said right and left sides, and each being bent away from its said respective right or left side, each being at a determined angle for ensuring the desired redistribution or spread of light from said light emitting window to illuminate said subject.

Claim 17

The flash hood of claim 14, wherein each of said first and second reflector tabs is bent 45 degrees away from its respective said right or left side of said flash hood.

Claim 18

The flash hood of claim 13, wherein each of said first and second reflector tabs consists of polished metal material.

Claim 19

The flash hood of claim 13, further including diffuser means across the front of said flash hood for diffusing light transmitted therefrom.

Claim 20

The flash hood of claim 17, further including light-blocking means mounted at a centralmost portion of said diffuser means for preventing bright spots in illuminating said subject.

Claim 21

The flash hood of claim 13, further including a reflective surface on the inside face of the top of said flash hood means.

Claim 22

In apparatus for adapting to close-up use a camera including a lens, an auto-exposure system having a light receiving window at the front of said camera, for receiving light reflected from the subject for delivery to a light detector, a viewfinder system including a viewfinder window at the front of the camera, and a flash device, said apparatus including close-up lens means positionable over said camera lens for modifying the focal distance thereof to a predetermined position, the improvement comprising: flash hood means mounted over said flash device in a first position, for spreading and redirecting a portion of the light beam emitted from said flash device to obtain proper illumination of the subject being photographed, said flash hood means including: a back region open to and extending substantially beyond a light emitting window located on a front surface of said flash device; a top surface sloping downwardly away from the front surface of said flash device, the inside face of said top surface being light reflective; diffuser means covering a front portion for diffusing light passing therethrough, the front portion sloping inwardly and downwardly away from a top edge of said top surface; a right side and a left side; and first and second light reflector means located at said right and left sides, respectively, whereby a first portion of the light emitted from said light emitting window travels directly through said flash hood means and out said diffuser means, a second portion of the light is reflected from an inner reflective surface of said first reflector means to an inner reflective surface of said second reflector means, the latter reflecting the light it receives to and through said diffuser means; filter means covering said window for reducing the intensity of light delivered to said light detector by a predetermined amount, for causing said auto-exposure system to correct the exposure of the film; masking means for blocking a portion of said viewfinder window to substantially eliminate parallax problems in using said viewfinder to center subjects for close-up photography; and pin hole means mounted behind the lens of said camera for configuring the latter as a fixed focus camera.

Claim 23

In apparatus for adapting to close-up use a camera including a lens, an auto-exposure system having a light receiving window at the front of said camera, for receiving light reflected from the subject for delivery to a light detector, a viewfinder system including a viewfinder window at the front of the camera, and a flash device, said apparatus including close-up lens means positionable over said camera lens for modifying the focal distance thereof to a predetermined position, the improvement comprising: flash hood means mounted over said flash device in a first position, for spreading and redirecting a portion of the light beam emitted from said flash device to obtain proper illumination of the subject being photographed, said flash hood means including: a back region open to and extending substantially beyond a light emitting window located on a front surface of said flash device; a top surface sloping downwardly away from the front surface of said flash device, the inside face of said top surface being light reflective; diffuser means covering a front portion for diffusing light passing therethrough, the front portion sloping inwardly and downwardly away from a top edge of said top surface; a right side and a left side; and first and second light reflector means located at said right and left sides, respectively, whereby a first portion of the light emitted from said light emitting window travels directly through said flash hood means and out said diffuser means, a second portion of the light is reflected from an inner reflective surface of said first reflector means to an inner reflective surface of said second reflector means, the latter reflecting the light it receives to and through said diffuser means; filter means covering said window for reducing the intensity of light delivered to said light detector by a predetermined amount, for causing said auto-exposure system to correct the exposure of the film; masking means for blocking a portion of said viewfinder window to substantially eliminate parallax problems in using said viewfinder to center subjects for close-up photography; and pin hole means mounted behind the lens of said camera for configuring the latter as a fixed focus camera.

Claim 24

The improvement of claim 20, wherein said filter means consists of a 3X density filter.