Still camera

Claim 2

A camera having means for indicating whether a person being photographed is within the picture taking area of a lens associated with said camera, comprising: means for delaying the actuation of a shutter of said camera; means for indicating that said actuation of said shutter has been delayed; and means for setting a viewing angle of said indicating means to substantially coincide with said picture taking area of said lens, wherein said person being photographed can see said indicating means by looking at said camera when said person is within said picture taking area of said lens.

Claim 3

The camera of claim 1, wherein said delaying means comprises a timer that delays the actuation of said shutter of said camera when a shutter release is operated.

Claim 4

The camera of claim 1, wherein said indicating means comprises a light emitting device.

Claim 5

The camera of claim 1, wherein said indicating means comprises a light emitting device that is activated when said shutter release is operated.

Claim 6

The camera of claim 1, wherein said indicating means comprises a light emitting diode.

Claim 7

The camera of claim 1, wherein said indicating means is located proximate said lens of said camera.

Claim 8

The camera of claim 1, wherein said setting means comprises a light projection lens for projecting the light from said indicating means towards said person to be photographed.

Claim 9

The camera of claim 1, further including a mask that converts light emitted from said indicating means to light having a rectangular shape.

Claim 10

The camera of claim 8, wherein said mask is disposed between said indicating means and said setting means.

Claim 11

The camera of claim 1, wherein said viewing angle of said indicating means changes in association with a zooming operation of said lens so that said viewing angle of said indicating means follows changes in the picture taking area of said lens as a result of said zooming operation.

Claim 12

The camera of claim 1, wherein said viewing angle of said indicating means is coincident with said picture taking area of said lens at a predetermined picture taking distance.

Claim 13

The camera of claim 1, wherein said person being photographed can see said indicating means by looking at said camera only when said person is within said picture taking area of said lens.

Claim 14

A still camera according to claim 1, wherein said lens and said indicating means are located with a space S therebetween, and angle θ 1 formed between the optical axis of said lens and a borderline for defining one end of said indicating means within the picture taking area and an angle θ 2 formed between the optical axis of said lens and a borderline for defining a second end of said indicating means within the picture taking area are established such that they satisfy the conditions: ##EQU3## w=transverse length of the film surface; f=focal length of the taking lens; s=space; and L 1 =predetermined taking distance.

Claim 15

A camera having means for indicating whether a person being photographed is within the picture taking area of a lens associated with said camera, comprising: a timer that delays the actuation of a shutter of said camera for a predetermined period of time after a shutter release is operated; means for indicating that said timer is operating to delay the actuation of said shutter; and means for setting a viewing angle of said indicating means to substantially coincide with said picture taking area of said lens, wherein said person being photographed can see said indicating means by looking at said camera when said person is within said picture taking area of said lens.

Claim 16

A camera having means for indicating whether a person being photographed is within the picture taking area of a lens associated with said camera, comprising: a timer that delays the actuation of a shutter of said camera for a predetermined period of time after a shutter release is operated; means for indicating that said timer is operating to delay the actuation of said shutter; and means for setting a viewing angle of said indicating means to substantially coincide with said picture taking area of said lens, wherein said person being photographed can see said indicating means by looking at said camera when said person is within said picture taking area of said lens.

Claim 17

The camera of claim 14, wherein said indicating means comprises a light emitting diode.

Claim 18

The camera of claim 14, wherein said setting means comprises a light projection lens for projecting the light from said indicating means towards said person to be photographed.

Claim 19

The camera of claim 14, wherein said viewing angle of said indicating means is coincident with said picture taking area of said lens at a predetermined picture taking distance.

Claim 20

The camera of claim 16, wherein said light projection lens is movable in accordance with a zooming operation of said lens of said camera so that said viewing angle of said indicating means follows changes in the picture taking area of said lens as a result of said zooming operation.

Claim 21

The camera of claim 18, wherein said light projection lens is located proximate said lens of said camera.

Claim 22

The camera of claim 16, wherein said viewing angle of said light emitted from said projection lens is coincident with said picture taking area of said lens at a predetermined picture taking distance.

Claim 23

The camera of claim 14, further including a mask that converts light emitted from said indicating means to light having a rectangular shape.

Claim 24

The camera of claim 17, further including a mask that converts light emitted from said indicating means to light having a rectangular shape.

Claim 25

The camera of claim 14, wherein said person being photographed can see said indicating means by looking at said camera only when said person is within said picture taking area of said lens.

Claim 26

A camera having means for indicating whether a person being photographed is within the picture taking area of a lens associated with said camera, comprising: a timer that delays the actuation of a shutter of said camera for a predetermined period of time after a shutter release is operated; means for emitting light to indicate that said timer is operated to delay the actuation of said shutter; means for converting said emitted light to a rectangular aperture for defining a light projection area; and means for adjusting a viewing angle of said light projecting area to substantially coincide with said picture taking area of said lens, wherein said person being photographed can see said emitted light when said person looks at said camera and when said person is within said picture taking area of said lens.

Claim 27

A camera having means for indicating whether a person being photographed is within the picture taking area of a lens associated with said camera, comprising: a timer that delays the actuation of a shutter of said camera for a predetermined period of time after a shutter release is operated; means for emitting light to indicate that said timer is operated to delay the actuation of said shutter; means for converting said emitted light to a rectangular aperture for defining a light projection area; and means for adjusting a viewing angle of said light projecting area to substantially coincide with said picture taking area of said lens, wherein said person being photographed can see said emitted light when said person looks at said camera and when said person is within said picture taking area of said lens.

Claim 28

The camera of claim 24, wherein said adjusting means is movable in accordance with a zooming operation of said lens of said camera so that said viewing angle of said emitted light follows changes in the picture taking area of said lens as a result of said zooming operation.

Claim 29

The camera of claim 25, wherein said viewing angle of said emitted light is coincident with said picture taking area of said lens at a predetermined picture taking distance.

Claim 30

The camera of claim 25, wherein said adjusting means is located proximate said lens of said camera.

Claim 31

The camera of claim 24, wherein said emitting light means and said adjusting means is movable in accordance with a zooming operation of said lens of said camera so that said viewing angle of said indicating means follows changes in the picture taking area of said lens as a result of said zooming operation.

Claim 32

The camera of claim 28, wherein said adjusting means is located proximate said lens of said camera.

Claim 33

The camera of claim 28, wherein said viewing angle of said emitted light is coincident with said picture taking area of said lens at a predetermined picture taking distance.

Claim 34

The camera of claim 24, wherein said light projecting area is included within said picture taking area between a near distance limitation and a far distance limitation of a picture taking distance range of said lens of said camera.

Claim 35

A still camera according to claim 31, wherein said lens and said light emitting means are located with a space S therebetween, and angle θ 1 formed between the optical axis of said lens and a borderline for defining one end of said light emitting means within said light projection area and an angle θ 2 formed between the optical axis of said lens and a borderline for defining a second end of said light emitting means within said light projection area are established such that they satisfy the conditions: ##EQU4## w=transverse length of the film surface; f=focal length of the taking lens; s=space; L 0 =near distance limit; and L 2 =far distance limit.

Claim 36

The camera of claim 24, wherein said person being photographed can see said indicating means by looking at said camera only when said person is within said picture taking area of said lens.

Claim 37

A camera having means for indicating whether a person being photographed is within the picture taking area of a lens associated with said camera, comprising: a timer that delays the actuation of a shutter of said camera for a predetermined period of time after a shutter release is operated; a light emitting diode that is illuminated when said timer is delaying the actuation of said shutter; a mask that transforms light from said light emitting diode into a shape similar to an aperture of said lens of said camera; and a light projection lens that focuses said light that has been transformed by said mask, said focused light having a viewing angle that substantially coincides with the picture taking area of said lens of said camera, wherein said person being photographed can see the illumination of said light emitting diode when said person looks at said camera if said person is within said picture taking area of said lens.

Claim 38

A camera having means for indicating whether a person being photographed is within the picture taking area of a lens associated with said camera, comprising: a timer that delays the actuation of a shutter of said camera for a predetermined period of time after a shutter release is operated; a light emitting diode that is illuminated when said timer is delaying the actuation of said shutter; a mask that transforms light from said light emitting diode into a shape similar to an aperture of said lens of said camera; and a light projection lens that focuses said light that has been transformed by said mask, said focused light having a viewing angle that substantially coincides with the picture taking area of said lens of said camera, wherein said person being photographed can see the illumination of said light emitting diode when said person looks at said camera if said person is within said picture taking area of said lens.

Claim 39

The camera of claim 34, wherein said viewing angle of said emitted light is coincident with said picture taking area of said lens at a predetermined picture taking distance.

Claim 40

The camera of claim 34, wherein said light projection lens is movable in accordance with a zooming operation of said lens of said camera so that said viewing angle of said emitted light follows changes in the picture taking area of said lens as a result of said zooming operation.

Claim 41

The camera of claim 36, wherein said viewing angle of said focused light is included within said picture taking area between a near distance limitation and a far distance limitation of a picture taking distance range of said lens of said camera.

Claim 42

The camera of claim 34, wherein said light emitting diode and said light projecting lens is movable in accordance with a zooming operation of said lens of said camera so that said viewing angle of said emitted light follows changes in the picture taking area of said lens as a result of said zooming operation.

Claim 43

The camera of claim 38, wherein said viewing angle of said focused light is included within said picture taking area between a near distance limitation and a far distance limitation of a picture taking distance range of said lens of said camera.

Claim 44

The camera of claim 34, wherein said light projection lens is movable in accordance with a zooming operation of said lens of said camera so that said viewing angle of said emitted light follows changes in the picture taking area of said lens as a result of said zooming operation.

Claim 45

The camera of claim 40, wherein said viewing angle of said focused light is included within said picture taking area between a near distance limitation and a far distance limitation of a picture taking distance range of said lens of said camera.

Claim 46

The camera of claim 34, wherein said person being photographed can see said indicating means by looking at said camera only when said person is within said picture taking area of said lens.