Camera apparatus which automatically corrects image fluctuations

Claim 1

A camera apparatus comprising: focusing means for optically focusing a beam of light from an object to form an optical image of the object; imaging means optically coupled to said focusing means for converting said optical image into electrical or physicochemical information and issuing or recording said information as an image; fluctuation detecting means for detecting a fluctuation of said camera apparatus and issuing a fluctuation detecting signal indicative of the detected fluctuation; control signal issuing means responsive to said fluctuation detecting signal for issuing an image fluctuation control signal; and fluctuation suppressing means responsive to said image fluctuation control signal for suppressing a fluctuation of the image due to the fluctuation of said camera apparatus; and wherein said imaging means comprises a plurality of imaging devices, each of said imaging devices having a plurality of photo-electric conversion elements arranged in a matrix and having a function of transferring charges produced on the plurality of photo-electric conversion elements in both horizontal and vertical directions, and a color separating means disposed in front of said imaging device for separating the beam of light from the object into a plurality of color component lights so that the plurality of color component lights are incident on said plurality of imaging devices, respectively; wherein said fluctuation suppressing means comprises a charge transfer control means responsive to the image fluctuation control signal for controlling transfer of the charges produced on the plurality of photo-electric conversion elements bidirectionally in at least one of the horizontal and vertical directions; wherein a monitor is provided for detecting a reduction of an opto-electric conversion efficiency of said imaging means caused due to the suppression of the fluctuation of the image; and wherein a brightness control means is provided and is responsive to the reduction of the opto-electric conversion efficiency detected by said monitor for correcting a brightness of the image.