Liebe Mitglieder,
in einem anderen Thread habe ich gerade die beiden Patente vorgestellt, die dem 1998 von Minolta vorgestellten 2,8/135 [T4,5] Smooth Trans Focus-Objektiv, das auch von Sony angeboten wird, zugrunde liegen. Leider ist dieses Objektiv bisher das einzige seiner Art geblieben.
Allerdings hat Minolta der im Jahr 1999 vorgestellten SLR-Kamera Minolta Dynax 7 eine spezielle STF-Funktion spendiert, die bei Bedarf auf das Benutzerprofil 3 gelegt werden kann. In diesem Modus schießt die Kamera beim Druck auf den Auslöser in schneller Folge eine Serie von Bildern, die mittels Mehrfachbelichtung auf das gleichen Filmfeld belichtet werden. Die Verschlußzeiten und Blenden werden bei jeder dieser Aufnahmen so gesteuert, daß die Gesamtbelichtung ein korrekt belichtetes Bild ergibt, jede einzelne Aufnahme jedoch mit einer anderen Blende aufgenommen wurde. Auf diese Weise wird in der Summe ein fotografischer Effekt erreicht, der dem des STF-Objektivs sehr nahe kommt. Der Vorteil dieser Methode liegt darin begründet, daß sie im Grunde mit jedem Objektiv funktioniert, also kein spezielles STF-Objektiv notwendig ist. Es gibt aber auch Nachteile: So funktioniert das Ganze nur mit statischen Motiven, da die Zeitspanne, die für die automatische Mehrfachbelichtung benötigt wird, durch die Programmsteuerung zwar kurz, aber dennoch deutlich länger als die eigentliche effektive Verschlußzeit ist. Außerdem kann die Funktion nur in einem bestimmten Wertebereich arbeiten. Zuletzt ist der STF-Effekt nicht 100% kontinuierlich wie beim STF-Objektiv, und die Anzahl der Aufnahmen läßt sich in der vorliegenden Implementation auch nicht an eigene Vorstellungen anpassen. Natürlich läßt sich diese STF-Funktion auch mit Kameras nachbilden, die nicht über dieses spezielle Programm verfügen, allerdings ist das Prozedere recht aufwendig, da man relativ viel rechnen und einstellen muß. Schade, daß die DSLRs diese Funktion nicht mehr anbieten - vielleicht sollte Sony das in zukünftigen Kameras wieder implementieren.
Hier finden sich verschiedene Forenbeiträge, in denen die STF-Funktion der Dynax 7 genauer erklärt wird:
http://www.mi-fo.de/forum/index.php?showto...st&p=184880
http://www.mi-fo.de/forum/index.php?s=&...st&p=130071
http://www.mi-fo.de/forum/index.php?showto...st&p=141588
http://www.mi-fo.de/forum/viewtopic.php?t=18667
Es folgenden die beiden Patente, die den technischen Hintergrund dieser STF-Funktion beschreiben:
Das folgende US-Patent 5999752 wurde am 1998-06-04 von Minolta eingereicht und am 1999-12-07 anerkannt.
http://www.google.com/patents?id=QtAYAAAAEBAJ
ZITATExposure controller for use in a camera
Abstract
An exposure controller for use in a photographing apparatus including a flash, includes a diaphragm having a changeable opening to adjust the amount of light reaching a photosensitive medium from a lens optical system, a diaphragm control unit for changing the opening of the diaphragm during the time when a shutter is being opened, and a flash control unit for firing the flash at a predetermined time during the time when the shutter is being opened. This exposure controller enables photography having apodization effect.
Inventors: Ueyama; Masayuki (Takarazuka, JP), Miyazawa; Masayuki (Kawachinagano, JP), Tochimoto; Shigeaki (Kyoto, JP), Tanii; Junichi (Izumi, JP)
Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd. (Osaka, JP)
Appl. No.: 09/090,239
Filed: June 4, 1998
[...]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to an exposure controller for a camera capable of obtaining a special picture effect by changing an opening area of a diaphragm while a film is being exposed, i.e., a shutter is open.
Generally, a camera is provided with a diaphragm for restricting the amount of light reaching a film after passing a lens optical system and a shutter for causing the film to be exposed by opening for a set exposure time in order to properly expose the film. The opening area of the diaphragm and the shutter speed are factors largely influencing how pictures will turn out and are closely related to an occurrence of blurredness and a camera shake.
A lens shutter is a shutter which is provided in the lens optical system and in which the same blades are generally used as aperture blades and shutter blades, i.e., acts as a diaphragm and as a shutter. Thus, the opening area and the shutter speed cannot be set independently of each other. Therefore, the opening area and the shutter speed are determined based on a light measurement value according to the specification of the camera.
On the other hand, in a single-lens reflex camera in which a lens is exchangeable, the diaphragm and the shutter are generally separate elements, and a focal plane shutter is provided as a shutter immediately before a film. In such a single-lens reflex camera, the opening area of the diaphragm and the shutter speed are manually or automatically set such that the film is suitably exposed according to the brightness of an object. During the photographing, the diaphragm is actuated to a specified aperture value and then the shutter is actuated with the opening area fixed.
For example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 1-316726 discloses a camera system which includes a lens shutter and a focal plane shutter, and has a lens shutter mode for actuating the lens shutter as a program shutter and a focal plane shutter mode for controlling the aperture by the lens shutter and controlling the exposure time by the focal plane shutter.
According to this camera system, the aperture value changes over time in the case that a program exposure is made by the lens shutter. Thus, a moving direction of a moving body is recognizable based on the blurredness of an image resulting from an aperture effect.
There is also a commercially available camera which can obtain an effect approximate to an effect obtained when an apodization filter is used by actuating the lens shutter in accordance with a triangular exposure curve for opening the lens shutter at a relatively low speed and closing it at a high speed (hereinafter, "apodization effect" (see pp. 66 to 71, May, 1971 issue of "Shashin Kogyo (Photographic Industry)" published by the Photographic Industry Publishing Company). The apodization filter is constructed such that transmittance is reduced along a direction perpendicular to an optical axis away from the center of the optical axis. If a picture is taken using this apodization filter, there can be obtained an effect that an out-of-focus image is made softly blurry as a whole, thereby being turned into an image which renders a satisfactory blurry effect.
However, the apodization effect cannot be obtained in the conventional single-lens reflex camera since the aperture value is held at a specified value without being changed during the exposure.
Further, in the camera system disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication 1-316726 and the camera which operates in accordance with the triangular exposure curve, a sufficient apodization effect or a desired apodization effect suited to a photographer's purpose cannot be obtained since the lens shutter opens at a specified speed as time elapses.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide an exposure controller for camera which has overcome the problems residing in the prior art.
According to an aspect of the present invention, an exposure controller comprising: a diaphragm which has a changeable opening to adjust the amount of light reaching a photosensitive medium from a lens optical system; a shutter which is openable to permit the photosensitive medium to be exposed to light; and a control unit which changes the opening of the diaphragm during the time when the shutter is being opened.
According to another aspect of the present invention, an exposure controller comprising: a diaphragm which has a changeable opening to adjust the amount of light reaching a photosensitive medium from a lens optical system; a shutter which is openable to permit the photosensitive medium to be exposed to light; a changing manner setter which sets a changing manner of changing the opening of the diaphragm; and a control unit which changes the opening of the diaphragm in accordance with a set changing manner during the time when the shutter is being opened.
According to still another aspect of the present invention, an exposure controller for use in a photographing apparatus including a flash, comprising: a diaphragm which has a changeable opening to adjust the amount of light reaching a photosensitive medium from a lens optical system; a shutter which is openable to permit the photosensitive medium to be exposed to light; a diaphragm control unit which changes the opening of the diaphragm during the time when the shutter is being opened; and a flash control unit which fires the flash at a predetermined time during the time when the shutter is being opened.
According to yet still another aspect of the present invention, a photographing apparatus comprising: a lens optical system which introduces light from an object to a photosensitive medium; a diaphragm which has a changeable opening to adjust the amount of light reaching the photosensitive medium; a shutter which is openable to permit the photosensitive medium to be exposed to light; a control unit which changes the opening of the diaphragm during the time when the shutter is being opened.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent upon a reading of the following detailed description and accompanying drawings.
[...][/quote]
Das folgende US-Patent 6212336 wurde am 1999-03-16 von Minolta eingereicht und am 2001-04-03 anerkannt.
http://www.google.com/patents?id=2aIGAAAAEBAJ
ZITATMultiple exposure camera
Abstract
A multiple exposure camera performing a plurality of exposures in one photographing operation has a diaphragm, a shutter and a controller. The diaphragm controls an amount of light passing through a taking optical system to reach a light receiving medium. The shutter controls an exposure time of the light receiving medium. The controller controls a degree of blur of a subject image formed on the light receiving medium by controlling an exposure operation at a predetermined aperture value and a predetermined shutter speed in each of the plurality of times of exposures.
Inventors: Tanaka; Yoshiharu (Kawachinagano, JP), Minato; Shoichi (Sakai, JP), Ohmori; Shigeto (Kawachinagano, JP), Suzuki; Tatsuya (Kawachinagano, JP), Tanii; Junichi (Izumi, JP)
Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd. (Osaka, JP)
Appl. No.: 09/270,322
Filed: March 16, 1999
[...]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present Invention relates to a multiple exposure camera, and more specifically, to a multiple exposure camera performing a plurality of times of exposures on the same film surface in one release operation.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In conventional photographing, out-of-focus images become blurred. This is undesirable because the edge of the blurred image is enhanced, for example, in the case of a monotonous subject such as a light source. When the degree of blur is substantially uniform in the entire blurred image, a natural and beautiful blurred image is obtained. Means for obtaining such ideal pictures or improving the appearance of pictures include one that uses a so-called apodization effect in which the quantity of the light emanating from the subject and passing through a peripheral portion of the lens is made smaller than that of the light passing through the central portion. This has already been commercialized as a camera.
An arrangement has been disclosed for obtaining pictures where two subjects are in focus by setting a shutter speed, an aperture value, a focal length and in-focus lens driving for a first subject, setting a shutter speed, an aperture value, a focal length and in-focus lens driving for a second subject at a longer distance than the first subject, and performing multiple exposure as described in Japanese Laid-open Patent Application No. H4-215633.
Moreover, the present applicant has disclosed an arrangement in which for a first subject and a second subject at different distances in the photographic image plane, an aperture value where at least one of the subjects is situated outside the depth of field and an aperture value where both are situated within the depth of field are decided and multiple exposure is performed at each of the aperture values as described in Japanese Laid-open Patent Application No. H6-160933.
However, in the conventional product using the apodization effect, the aperture diameter of the diaphragm varies at a constant speed, so that it is impossible to arbitrarily set the apodization effect. Moreover, in the arrangement as described in Japanese Laid-open Patent Application No. H4-215633, an object thereof is to obtain pictures in which subjects at different distances are in focus, which is different from the object of the present invention, i.e. to obtain natural and beautiful blurred images. Moreover, the arrangement as described in Japanese Laid-open Patent Application No. H6-160933 merely provides pictures in which a single blurred image is superimposed outside an in-focus image.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide a multiple exposure camera in which natural and beautiful blurred images are obtained by using the so-called apodization effect in a camera of a normal arrangement in which a diaphragm mechanism is set at a predetermined aperture value before exposure is started, a shutter mechanism operates with the aperture diameter being fixed and the aperture value does not vary during exposure.
To achieve the above-mentioned object, according to the present invention, a multiple exposure camera performing a plurality of times of exposures on the same film surface in one release operation is provided with exposure means for performing an exposure operation by controlling a diaphragm and a shutter and control means for performing the exposure operation by the exposure means at a predetermined aperture value and a predetermined shutter speed in each of the plurality of times of exposures.
The aperture value includes an aperture value set by the user, an open aperture value, a value in minimum aperture state (hereinafter, referred to as minimum aperture value) and an aperture value decided based on a maximum shutter speed and a predetermined exposure amount.
The aperture value in each exposure is set so as to have a predetermined ratio to an immediately preceding aperture value. Or, the aperture value in each exposure is set so as to have a predetermined difference from the immediately preceding aperture value.
The shutter speed is controlled so that the exposure amount in each exposure is the same. Or, the shutter speed is controlled so that the exposure amount increases as the aperture value in each exposure decreases. Or, the shutter speed is controlled so that the exposure amount decreases as the aperture value in each exposure decreases.
The aperture value in each exposure is set with reference to the open aperture value or the minimum aperture value. The shutter speed in each exposure is set with reference to the maximum shutter speed.
The plurality of times of exposures are performed in the order of decreasing exposure amount. The number of the plurality of times of exposures is at least three.
[...][/quote]
Viele Grüße,
Matthias