Movie camera for storing movie and still images in proper chronology on a common recording medium

Claim 1

A movie camera for shooting a movie and for shooting a still image during a temporary interruption of the movie shooting, said movie camera comprising: (a) a photoelectric device for producing an image signal of color signals corresponding to light received from a subject; (b) a shutter associated with said photoelectric device; (c) optical means for receiving said light from a subject and controlling the passage of said light to said photoelectric device; (d) a light source for emitting an electronic flash, to illuminate the subject; (e) shutter speed and light source controlling means, responsive to the temporary interruption, for setting the speed of said shutter higher than when shooting the movie, and for controlling said light source so that said electronic flash is synchronized with the opening of said shutter and is terminated before the closing of said shutter; (f) an amplifier for amplifying said image signal; (g) switcher means for manually temporarily interrupting a movie shooting operation to perform said still image shooting during emission of said electronic flash, and automatically returning to the movie shooting operation upon completion of said still shooting operation; (h) amplification controlling means for automatically controlling the amplification of said amplifier, wherein the image signal corresponding to the still image is recorded on the same recording medium as the image signal corresponding to the movie shooting, such that said still image is recorded on said same recording medium between successive movie image signals in proper chronology and during a period in which said movie image signals are not recorded; and (i) white balancing means for adjusting the white balance of the color signals of the image signal corresponding to the still image shot during the temporary interruption, for color temperature of the electronic flash.

Claim 6

A method of taking a still picture of a subject with a movie camera normally shooting a video movie during a temporary interruption of shooting of the video movie, the camera having a shutter and photoelectric device, the method comprising the steps of: (a) temporarily interrupting the shooting of the movie; (b) opening and closing the shutter faster than when shooting the movie in response to the temporary interrupting of step (a); (c) illuminating the subject by initiating a flash of light and then terminating said flash before said closing of said shutter in step (b); (d) producing a still image signal of color signals corresponding to light received by the photoelectric device; (e) returning to the conditions of amplification and exposure prevailing before said interruption of movie shooting, wherein the still image signal is recorded on the same recording medium as an image signal corresponding to the movie shooting, such that said still image is recorded on said same recording medium between successive movie image signals in proper chronology and during a period in which said movie image signals are not recorded; and (f) adjusting said color signals so that the white balance of said color signals is adjusted for color temperature of said electronic flash.

Claim 7

A method of taking a still picture of a subject with a movie camera normally shooting a video movie during a temporary interruption of shooting of the video movie, the camera having a shutter and photoelectric device, the method comprising the steps of: (a) temporarily interrupting the shooting of the movie; (b) opening and closing the shutter faster than when shooting the movie in response to the temporary interrupting of step (a); (c) illuminating the subject by initiating a flash of light and then terminating said flash before said closing of said shutter in step (b); (d) producing a still image signal of color signals corresponding to light received by the photoelectric device; (e) returning to the conditions of amplification and exposure prevailing before said interruption of movie shooting, wherein the still image signal is recorded on the same recording medium as an image signal corresponding to the movie shooting, such that said still image is recorded on said same recording medium between successive movie image signals in proper chronology and during a period in which said movie image signals are not recorded; and (f) adjusting said color signals so that the white balance of said color signals is adjusted for color temperature of said electronic flash.

Claim 11

A method of taking a still picture of a subject with a movie camera normally shooting a video movie during a temporary interruption of shooting of the video movie, the camera having a shutter and photoelectric device, the method comprising the steps of: (a) temporarily interrupting the shooting of the movie; (b) opening and closing the shutter faster than when shooting the movie in response to the temporary interrupting of step (a); (c) illuminating the subject by initiating a flash of light and then terminating said flash before said closing of said shutter in step (b); (d) producing a still image signal of color signals corresponding to light received by the photoelectric device; (e) amplifying said still image signal at substantially the same level operating during the movie shooting immediately preceding said interruption; (f) returning to the conditions of amplification and exposure prevailing before said interruption of movie shooting, wherein the still image signal is recorded on the same recording medium as an image signal corresponding to the movie shooting, such that said still image is recorded on said same recording medium between successive movie image signals in proper chronology and during a period in which said movie image signals are not recorded; and (g) adjusting the white balance of the color signals of the produced still image for the color temperature of the flash.

Claim 12

A method of taking a still picture of a subject with a movie camera normally shooting a video movie during a temporary interruption of shooting of the video movie, the camera having a shutter and photoelectric device, the method comprising the steps of: (a) temporarily interrupting the shooting of the movie; (b) opening and closing the shutter faster than when shooting the movie in response to the temporary interrupting of step (a); (c) illuminating the subject by initiating a flash of light and then terminating said flash before said closing of said shutter in step (b); (d) producing a still image signal of color signals corresponding to light received by the photoelectric device; (e) amplifying said still image signal at substantially the same level operating during the movie shooting immediately preceding said interruption; (f) returning to the conditions of amplification and exposure prevailing before said interruption of movie shooting, wherein the still image signal is recorded on the same recording medium as an image signal corresponding to the movie shooting, such that said still image is recorded on said same recording medium between successive movie image signals in proper chronology and during a period in which said movie image signals are not recorded; and (g) adjusting the white balance of the color signals of the produced still image for the color temperature of the flash.