Still camera

Claim 2

A camera having means for indicting whether a person being photographed is within a picture taking area of a lens associated with said camera, comprising: means for delaying the actuation of a shutter of said camera; and means for indicating that said actuation of said shutter has been delayed, said indicating means being adapted to project said indication over a viewing angle that substantially coincides with said picture taking area of said lens, wherein said person being photographed is informed that he is within said picture taking area of said lens when said person being photographed can see said indicating means.

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: means for emitting a source of light, said emitting means being activated with said shutter has been delayed; and means for projecting said source of light from said emitting means, said emitting means and projecting means being set so that said viewing angle of said indicating means substantially coincides with said picture taking area of said

Claim 5

The camera of claim 3, wherein said emitting means comprises a light emitting device that is activated when said shutter release is operated.

Claim 6

The camera of claim 4, wherein said light emitting device comprises a light emitting diode.

Claim 7

The camera of clam 3, wherein said projecting means comprises a light projection lens for projecting the light from said indicating means towards said person to be photographed.

Claim 8

The camera of clam 3, wherein said projecting 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, wherein said indicating means is located proximate said lens of said camera.

Claim 10

The camera of claim 3, further including a mask that converts light emitted from said emitting means to light having a rectangular shape.

Claim 11

The camera of claim 8, wherein said mask is disposed between said emitting means and said projecting means.

Claim 12

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 13

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 14

The camera of claim 11, wherein said viewing angle and said picture taking area are not identical over an entire range of picture taking distances.

Claim 15

A still camera according to claim 1, wherein said lens and said indicating means are located with a space S therebetween, an 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, wherein said angles satisfy the following 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 16

A camera having means for indicating whether a person being photographed 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; and means for indicating that said timer is operating to delay the actuation of said shutter, said indicating means being adapted to project said indication over a viewing angle that substantially coincides with said picture taking area of said lens, wherein said person being photographed is informed that he is within said picture taking area of said lens when said person being photographed can see said indicating means.

Claim 17

A camera having means for indicating whether a person being photographed 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; and means for indicating that said timer is operating to delay the actuation of said shutter, said indicating means being adapted to project said indication over a viewing angle that substantially coincides with said picture taking area of said lens, wherein said person being photographed is informed that he is within said picture taking area of said lens when said person being photographed can see said indicating means.

Claim 18

The camera of claim 14, wherein said indicating means comprises: means for emitting a source of light, said emitting means indicating that said timer is delaying the actuation of said shutter; and means for projecting said source of light from said emitting means, said emitting means and projecting means being set so that said viewing angle of said indicating means substantially coincides with said picture taking area of said lens.

Claim 19

The camera of claim 15, wherein said emitting means comprises a light emitting diode.

Claim 20

The camera of claim 15, wherein said projecting means comprises a light projection lens for projecting light from said emitting means towards said person to be photographed.

Claim 21

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 22

The camera of claim 17, 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 23

The camera of claim 19, wherein said light projection lens is located proximate said lens of said camera.

Claim 24

The camera of claim 14, wherein said indicating 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 25

The camera of claim 21, wherein said indicating means is located proximate said lens of said camera.

Claim 26

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 27

The camera of claim 15, 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 28

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

Claim 29

The camera of claim 15, wherein said indicting means further comprises a mask that converts light emitted from said emitting means to light having a rectangular shape.

Claim 30

The camera of claim 23, wherein said viewing angle and said picture taking area are not identical over an entire range of picture taking distances.

Claim 31

A camera having means for indicating whether a person being photographed is within a 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; and means for indicating that said timer is operating to delay the actuation of said shutter, said indicating means comprising: means for emitting light to indicate that said timer is operating 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 projecting light form said light emitting means, said light emitting means, converting means and projecting means being set so that a viewing angle of said indicating means substantially coincides with said picture taking area of said lens, wherein said person being photographed is informed that he is within said picture taking area of said lens when said person being photographed can see said indicating means.

Claim 32

A camera having means for indicating whether a person being photographed is within a 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; and means for indicating that said timer is operating to delay the actuation of said shutter, said indicating means comprising: means for emitting light to indicate that said timer is operating 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 projecting light form said light emitting means, said light emitting means, converting means and projecting means being set so that a viewing angle of said indicating means substantially coincides with said picture taking area of said lens, wherein said person being photographed is informed that he is within said picture taking area of said lens when said person being photographed can see said indicating means.

Claim 33

The camera of claim 28, wherein said projecting 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 34

The camera of claim 29, 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 35

The camera of claim 29, wherein said projecting means is located proximate said lens of said camera.

Claim 36

The camera of claim 28, wherein said emitting light means and said projecting means are movable relative to each other 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 37

The camera of claim 32, wherein said projecting means is located proximate said lens of said camera.

Claim 38

The camera of claim 32, 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 39

The camera of claim 28, 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 40

A camera having means for indicating whether a person being photographed is within a 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; and means for indicating an indication that said timer is operating to delay the actuation of said shutter, said indicating means comprising: a light emitting diode that is illuminated when said timer is delaying the actuating 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 is informed that he is within said picture taking area of said lens when said person being photographed can see said indicating means.

Claim 41

A camera having means for indicating whether a person being photographed is within a 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; and means for indicating an indication that said timer is operating to delay the actuation of said shutter, said indicating means comprising: a light emitting diode that is illuminated when said timer is delaying the actuating 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 is informed that he is within said picture taking area of said lens when said person being photographed can see said indicating means.

Claim 42

The camera of claim 36, 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 43

The camera of claim 36, 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 44

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 45

The camera of claim 36, wherein said light emitting diode and 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 46

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 47

The camera of claim 36, 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 48

The camera of claim 42, 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 49

A still camera according to claim 36, wherein said lens and said indicating means are located with a space S therebetween, an angle θ 1 formed between the optical axis of said lens and a borderline for defining one end of said indicating 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 indicating means within said light projection area are established, wherein said angles satisfy the following conditions: ##EQU4## v=transverse length of the film surface; f=focal length of the taking lens; s=space; L O =near distance limit; and L 2 =far distance limit.