GB2269461A - Camera having self timer mode - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a camera having a self timer photographing mode. The camera has an autofocusing means (27) and a control means (20) for operating the autofocusing means to adjust the focal length of the camera in the self timer mode after a self timer operation has been activated and before an exposure operation is performed. <IMAGE>

Description

CAMERA HAVING SELF TIMER MODE The present invention relates to a camera having a self timer photographing mode.

There is known a single-lens reflex camera having a retractable strobe incorporated therein and including an automatic focusing device which has an auxiliary light emitting element provided in the light emitter for emitting a contract pattern and a so-called passive photometering means (means for calculating the amount of defocus). In this automatic focusing single-lens reflex camera, the light emitter is moved to the operative position to cause the auxiliary light emitting element to emit the contrast pattern onto the object to be taken when the brightness is below a predetermined value so that the automatic focusing operation, such as a detection of an object distance, is performed based on the contrast pattern of light reflected by the object.

However, in such a strobe incorporated single-lens reflex camera, if self-timer photographing is effected, the photometering operation and the detection of the object distance are effected at the commencement of the self -timer operation, and accordingly, if the object moves thereafter, the object is "out of focus".

An object of the present invention is to eliminate the above mentioned drawbacks.

According to the present invention there is provided a camera having a self timer photographing mode and comprising: autofocusing means; and control means for operating said autofocusing means to adjust the focal length of the camera in said self timer mode after a self timer operation is activated and before an exposure operation is performed.

Preferably, said control means operates said autofocusing means to focus the camera after a self timer interval has expired.

The camera may further comprise photometering means for obtaining an exposure factor for an exposure operation; and wherein said control means actuates the photometering means after said self timer operation is activated.

Conveniently, said control means continues to operate the autofocusing means until focus is achieved before the exposure operation is performed.

It is preferred that said self timer operation is actuated when a switch is made ON.

The switch may comprise a shutter release button.

Reference is made to co-pending divisional patent application number GB-A-2236864 from which the present application has been divided out.

An example of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: - Figure 1 is a schematic view of a strobe light emitter and the surroundings thereof in an automatic focusing single lens reflex camera having a strobe incorporated therein to which the present invention is applied; Fig. 2 is a front elevational view of the camera shown in Fig. 1, with an external strobe attached thereto, shown in an operative position in which the light emitter of an incorporated strobe projects outward from the camera body; Fig. 3 is a block diagram schematically showing a circuit arrangement of the single-lens reflex camera shown in Fig. 1; Figs. 4A, 4B and 4C are flow charts for operations of the single-lens reflex camera shown in Fig. 1; and, Fig. 5 is a flow chart for an indicating operation of the single-lens reflex camera shown in Fig. 1; In Figs. 1 and 2, a camera body 10 is provided on its upper portion (pentagonal prism 11) with a strobe light emitter 12 which is supported by a supporting mechanism so as to move between a retracted position shown by an imaginary line, in which the light emitter 12 is retracted in a receiving portion 1Oa provided in the camera body 10, and an operative position (light emitting position) shown by a solid line, in which the light emitter 12 protrudes from the receiving portion 10a. Note that levers 13 only of the supporting mechanism are shown in Fig.

1.

Each lever 13 is pivotted at its one end to the rear end of the light emitter 12 through a shaft 13a and at its opposite end to the side wall of the receiving portion i0a through a shaft 13b. One of the levers 13 has a sector gear 14 having a center located on the center axis of the shaft 13b. The sector gear 14 is in mesh witii a pinion 17 of a strobe motor 16 which constitutes a driving means) through a gear train 15. Consequently, rotation of the strobe motor 16 is transmitted to the levers 13 through the gears 17, 15 and 14 so that the strobe light emitter 12 is moved between the retracted position and the operative position through the levers 13 in accordance with the direction of rotation of the strobe motor 16.

The sector gear 14 has a pin 14a provided thereon, which is fitted in an arched groove lOb having a center coaxial to the shaft 13b and formed in the camera body 10. The pin 14a and the arched groove 10b restrict the angular displacement of the sector gear 14. Namely, the terminal angular positions of the levers 13 in the opposite directions are defined by the engagement of the pin 14a with the opposite ends of the arched groove 10b. The terminal angular positions correspond to the operative position and the retracted position of the light emitter 12.

Between the levers 13 and the camera body 10 are provided two limit switches 18 and 19 which are made ON and OFF when the light emitter 12 comes to the retracted position and the operative position, respectively. The strobe motor 167 which is controlled by a camera control circuit 20) is stopped mizen the states of the limit switches 18 and 19 change.

An overload detecting circuit of the strobe motor 16 is provided to detect an overload which is produced, for example, when tie movement of the light emitter 12 is intercepted by an external force or the like which stops thereby the strobe motor 16. The overload detecting circuit is contained in the camera control circuit 20 in the illustrated embodiment.

Alternatively, it is possible to stop the strobe motor 16 when the overload detecting means detects that no further rotation of the levers 13 occurs due to the abutment of tulle pin 14a with the terminal ends of tiie arched groove 10b.

The following discussion will be addressed to a circuit arrangement of a strobe control apparatus with reference to Fig. 3.

The camera control circuit 20, which generally controls the whole operation of the camera) is usually comprised of a microcomputer. The camera control circuit 20 is connected to a photometering circuit 22 which amplifies and logaritiimically compresses the output of a photometering sensor 21 which receives object light Bo aa to process the output into predetermined photometer signals.

The camera control circuit 20 calculates the exposure factors (e.g., object brightness, shutter speed Tv, diaphragm value, camera-shake limit shutter speed, etc.) in accordance with a predetermined algorithm, based on data such as film sensitivity data and the photometer signals output from the photometering circuit 22. The camera control circuit 20, the photometering sensor 21 and the photometering circuit 22 serve as a photometering means.

The camera control circuit 20 reads lens data issued by a lens ROM 23 (or CPU) provided in a pllotographing lens attached to the camera body in accordance with a serial communication. Based on the read lens data, tie kind of a lens attached to the camera body, a focal length of the lens, a minimum diaphragm value and an open diaphragm value thereof, etc., can be obtained. Note that tlle camera control circuit 20 serves as a leiis data input means. The serial communication is carried out through the electrical connection of a plurality of contacts provided on a amount 24.

To the camera control circuit 20 are connected contacts of a hot shoe 26 to which an external strobe 25 can be detachably attached. In the case of an external strobe 25 having a cormnunication function, the strobe data is input from the external strobe 25 to the camera control circuit 20 through the idiot shoe 26.The strobe data includes, for exampleJdata which determines whether the external strobe is adaptable to tile camera body 10, that is wlie the r the external strobe interferes with the upward movelllent of tile light emitter 12) whether strobe charging is completed, and the guide number. On the other hand, light emission permitting signals, trigger signals and quench signals are input to the external strobe 25 from the camera control circuit 20.

An object distance detecting unit 27 includes a photometer sensor which converts a two-divided object image focused by the photographing lens into an electrical signal and outputs the- photometering signal necessary for the detectioii of the object distance (amount of defocus). The camera control circuit 20 calculates the amount of defocus in accordance with the photometering signal and the lens data to perform an AF (Automatic Focusing) process for driving a focusing lens of the photographing lens to the focal position through an AF mechanism. The AF process per se is known, as disclosed for example in USP (4,868,592 ).

An LCD indicating panel 29 is provided on the outer face of the camera body 10 and an internal LED 30 is provided in a finder in the finder field of view. The illdication of the LCD panel 29 and the LED 30 is controlled by tile camera control circuit 20 through an indicating circuit 28.

The -. LCD panel 29 and the LED 30 indicate at least the permission and prohibition of the light emission of the strobe and the warning of the use of the strobe, etc. Of course, it is possible to indicate other information on the photographing function of the camera, such as exposure modes, shutter speed, diaphragm value, and "out of focus" and "in focus", etc.

To the camera control circuit 20 are connected various switches including a photometer switch (first switch) SWS, a release switch (second switch) SWR, a self switch SW1, a light emission selecting switch SW2, an improper ens releasing switch SW3 and an upward movement detecting switch SW4, etc.

The photometer switch SWS and the release switch SWR are associated with a release button 31 so that when the release button is pushed aown by a half step, the photometer switch SWS is made ON and when the release button is pushed down by a full step, the release switch SWR is made ON, respectively. When the photometer switch SWS is made ON, the photometering circuit 22 and the object distance detecting unit 27, etc., begin operating. When the release switch SWR is made ON, the operation is changed to the release operation.

The self switch SW1 is a switch for operating the self timer so that when the self switch SW1 is made ON, the mode becomes a self timer mode in which when the release switch SWR is made ON, the self operation starts and the release operation starts a predetermined time thereafter.

The light emission selecting switch SW2 is a switch for changing the light emission mode of the strobe. When light emission selecting switch SW2 is not made ON, judgement whether strobe light should be emitted in accordance with the brightness data of the object detected by the photometering circuit 22 and the lens data read by the ROM 23 is effected by an automatic light emission mode.

Conversely, when the light emission selecting switch SW2 is made ON, strobe light emission is compulsively controlled by a compulsive light emission mode. In the compulsive. light emission mode, when the calculated shutter speed is higher than klie strobe synchronous speed, the camera control circuit 20 sets the shutter speed upon releasing to be identical to the strobe synchronous speed.

The improper lens releasing switch SW3 is a switch for selecting that the lens data read by the lens ROM 23 should be utilized or should not be utilized for judging the strobe light emission. The improper lens releasing switch SW3 is actuated for example when the strobe light should be compulsively emitted in spite of the angle of view of the attached lens being larger than the strobe illuminating angle.

The upward movement detecting switch SW4 is made ON when the light emitter 12 of the strobe shown in Fig. 1 is fully moved up to the light emitting position. It should be appreciated that the upward movement detecting switch SW4 and the limit switch 19 can be constituted by a single switch.

A strobe circuit 35? which causes a strobe (light emitting tube 36) to emit strobe light,and an auxiliary light emitting LED 37 adjacent to the light emitting tube are connected to the camera control circuit 20. The camera control circuit 20 outputs a light emission permitting signal, a trigger signal and a quench signal to the strobe circuit 35. The camera control circuit 20 serves as a strobe control means.

The light emission permitting signal permits the strobe light to be emitted when the necessary conditions for emitting the strobe light are satisfied so that the incorporated and external strobes commence the preparatory operations for the light emission, such as strobe charging, upon receipt of the light emission permitting signal.

The trigger signal is a signal for emitting the strobe light. The quench signal is a signal for stoppiny the light emission when the amount of light emitted by the strobe reaches an optimum value. Tile auxiliary light emitting LED 37 emits a contrast pattern onto the object to assist the measurement of the object distance by the object distance detecting unit 27 when t-he object brightness or contrast is low.

To the camera control circuit 20 are connected a release magnet 39 wliich releases the mechanical charge of a mirror and shutter curtains (leading curtain and trailing curtain) when the release switch SWR is made ON, and leading and trailing curtain magnets 40 and 41 which enyage with the leading curtain and trailing curtain in place of the mechanical engagement and sequentially release the engagement thereby to move the leading and trailiny curtains so as to obtain a desired shutter speed, respectively.

An X contact switch SWX is a switch for emitting tiie strobe light from the conventional external strobe which has a lesser function (no communication function) aid is made ON after the movement of the leading curtain ends to emit strobe light from tie external strobe through the llot shoe 26.

The strobe control apparatus as constructed above operates as follows (Figs. 4 and 5).

The general operation of tie apparatus will be first briefly explained below.

In the strobe control apparatus, when the two requirements are satisfied that firstly, the calculated shutter speed is below a predetermined value (e.g., camera-shake limit shutter speed) resulting in the necessity of auxiliary light by tulle strobe and that secondly, the photographing leiis attached to tulle camera is adaptable to the strobe then when the release switch SWR is made ON, the light emitter 12 is moved up to the operative position to emit the light and then is moved down to the retracted position upon completion of the light emission.

In the case of the compulsive light emission, when the calculated shutter speed is higher than the strobe synchronous speed, the shutter speed is set to the strobe synchronous speed.

When the improper lens releasing switch SW3 is made ON, the strobe control mentioned above is performed only in accordance with the detected object brightness, regardless of the kind of photographing lens attached to the camera. ThereafLer, whether or Idiot the strobe limit can be emitted, namely, wlletller the property of the attached photographing lens meets the property of the strobe, and whether l-lle external strobe 25 is adaptable are iiidicated in the LCD panel 29 provided in the camera body 10.

More detailed expianation for the operation of the strobe control apparatus will be given below with reference to the flow charts shown in Figs. 4 (4A, 4B and 4C) and 5. Note that the operation is performed in accordance with a program stored in a memory of the microcomputer of the camera control circuit 20.

Wiien tulle program starts under the condition that a picture can be taken, for example by actuating a main switch, the camera control circuit 20 inputs the respective switch data (ON ? or OFF ?) of the switches SWS, SWR and SW1 at step S1 and waits until the photometer switch SWS is made ON (step S3).

If the photometer switch SWS is made ON, the switch data of the light emission selecting switch SW2 is input to the microcomputer (steps S5 and S7). If the light emission selecting switch SW2 is made ON, the strobe light emission mode is set to the compulsive light emission mode (step S9) and if the light emission selecting switch SW2 is OFF, the strobe light emission mode is set to the automatic light emission mode (step S11). If the strobe light emission mode is the compulsive light emission mode, the shutter speed upon releasing is set to the strobe synchronous speed at which the shutter speed is synchronous with the light emission of the strobe so that the strobe emits the light upon releasing.On the other hand, if the mode is the automatic light emission mode, the strobe light is emitted only when it is judged that the strobe light is necessary in accordance with the control mentioned below.

Thereafter, the camera control circuit 20 reads the lens data stored in the lens ROM 23 (step S13). The lens data memorized in the lens ROM 23 includes the kind of lens and the focal length, etc.

Signal transmissiçn is effected between the camera body and the external strobe 25 through the hot shoe 26 (step S15). The data from the external strobe 25 includes the characteristics thereof, such as whether or not the external strobe 25, when attached to the camera body 10, interferes with the upward movement of the light emitter 12 toward the operative position, and the guide number, etc. Note that when an external strobe having no communication function is attached to the camera body, the attachment of the external strobe is detected in accordance with the signal level of the electrical contacts of the hot shoe.

The camera control circuit 20 calculates the exposure factors, such as a shutter speed in accordance with the photometer signal output from the photometering circuit 22 and the film sensitivity data, etc., at steps S17 and S19.

Thereafter, the camera control circuit 20 causes the internal LCD 30 to indicate the various values set in the camera through the indicating circuit 28 (step S21). The indicated information includes the strobe light emission mode.

Thereafter, whether or not the self switch SW1 is made ON is checked, that is, whether or not the mode is the self timer mode is checked at step 523. If the mode is the self timer mode, whether the operation is the self operation is checked at step S24. If the operation is not the self operation, whether or not the release switch SWR is made ON is checked (step S25). If the release switch SWR is made ON, the self counter starts, that is, the self operation starts (step S26). The operation under the self timer mode is indicated by the flickering of an external LED 32 (Fig. 3) and the decrement of the self counter is performed (steps S27 and S29).

Thereafter, whether the self counter becomes 0 is checked at step S31. If the counter is not 0, the control is returned to step S1 to repeat the above mentioned operations. If the counter is 0, the control proceeds to step S33. At step S24, if the self operation has already commenced, the control skips to step S27 to continue the self operation. In the self timer mode, if the release switch SWR is not made ON, control is returned from step S25 to step S1.

Conversely, if the mode is not the self timer mode, that is, if the mode is a normal photographing mode, the control proceeds to step S32 from step 523 to check whether the release switch SWR is made ON. If the release switch SWR is not made ON, the control is returned to step S1 to repeat the operations of steps S1 ~ S23 and S32. If the release switch SWR is made ON, the control proceeds to step S33.

AT step S33, whether the calculated shutter speed is below a predetermined value (e.g., camera-shake 1 limit: speed) is checked. If the calculated shutter speed is not below a predetermined value, control skips to step S45 (AF process), since neither the main strobe light emission nor the auxiliary strobe light emission are necessary.

Conversely, if the calculated shutter speed is below a predetermined value, whether or not the external strobe is attached is checked at step 535. If no external strobe is attached, control proceeds to step S39 to perform the process for moving the light emitter 12 upward to the operative position. If the external strobe is attached, whether or not the properties thereof meet the associated camera is checked (step S37). If the external strobe meets the camera requirements, control proceeds to step S39, and if the external strobe does not meet the camera requirements, control skips to step S45. The term "meet" referred to herein means that the external strobe does not interfere with the upward movement of the light emitter 12 to the operative position.

At step S39, the process for moviny the light emitter upward is performed. As a result, tlie upward movement detecting switch SW4 is made ON, that is, if the light emitter 12 comes to the operative position, the auxiliary light emitting LED 37 is lit (step S43) and then control proceeds to step S45 (AF process). If the upward movement detecting switch SW4 is not made ON at step S37, control proceeds to the AF process, since no light emission can be effected.

At step S45, the object distance is detected through the object distance detecting unit 27 so that through the AF the the focusing lens (not shown) of the photographing lens is moved to the focal position in accordance with tlie detected object distance (amount of defocus). Thereafter, whether or not the focusing lens is focused is checked at step S47. If the focusing is finished, control proceeds to step S49. Conversely, if no focusing is achieved at step 547, control is returned to step S1 to repeat the above mentioned operations until the focusing lens is moved exactly to the focal position.

The operations of step S1 ~ S23, S24~S31, S33~S47 and S1 are repeated until the object is "in focus" after the self counter becomes 0 in the self timer mode. On the other hand, in the normal photographing mode, the loop operations of S1-- S23, S32-- 547 and S1 are repeated until the object is "in focus " after the release switch SWR is made ON. Note that although the above discussion has been directed to a focus priority mode, in the case of a release priority mode, control proceeds to step S49 from step S47, regardless of "in focus At step S49, whether the mode is the compulsive light emission mode is checked.If the mode is the compulsive light emission mode, the control skips to step S61 since the incorporated strobe is expected to emit the strobe light regardless of the kind of photographing lens and the existence of the external strobe. If the mode is not the compulsive light emission mode, control proceeds to step S51.

At step S51, whether the calculated shutter speed is below a predetermined value is checked. If the calculated shutter speed is not below a predetermined value, control skips to step S77 to prohibit the emission of the strobe light and to set the shutter speed upon releasing to be identical to the calculated shutter speed since no strobe light is necessary. Thereafter, control proceeds to step S69 to perform the exposure.

If the calculated shutter speed is below a predetermined value, whether the external strobe is attached is checked (step S53). If the external strobe is attached, whether the external strobe meets the camera requirements is checked (step S54). If the external strobe does not meet the camera requirements, since the light emitter 12 can not move to the operative position, control skips to step 575 to prohibit the light emission of the incorporated strobe and set the shutter speed upon releasing to be identical to the strobe synchronous speed.

Thereafter, control proceeds to step S69 to perform the exposure.

If the external strobe meets the camera requirements, whether or not the property of the attached photographing lens meets the property of the incorporated strobe is checked (step S55). If the property of the attached photographing lens does not meet the property of the incorporated strobe, control proceeds to step S75 to prohibit the light emission of the incorporated strobe since even if the strobe light is emitted, no object is correctly illuminated with the strobe light. Conversely, if the property of the attached photographing lens meets the property of the incorporated strobe, control proceeds to step S56 to permit the light emission of the incorporated strobe and set the shutter speed upon releasing to be identical to the strobe synchronous speed.

Thereafter, control proceeds to step S63.

If the external strobe is not attached at step 553, whether the incorporated photographing lens meets the camera requirements is checked at step S57. If the incorporated photographing lens meets the camera requirements, control proceeds to step S61. If the incorporated photographing lens does not meet the camera requirements, control proceeds to step S59 to check whether the improper lens releasing switch SW4 is made ON.

If the improper lens releasing switch SW4 is not made ON, control proceeds to step S77 since no incorporated strobe emits the strobe light. Conversely, if the improper lens releasing switch SW4 is made ON, control is returned to step S61 to emit the strobe light of the incorporated strobe.

At step S61, the light emission of the incorporated strobe is permitted and the shutter speed upon releasing is set to be identical to the strobe synchronous speed.

Thereafter, whether or not the upward movement detecting switch SW4 is made ON, that is, whether the light emitter 12 comes to the operative position is checked at step S63.

If the strobe light emitter 12 is not moved to the operative position, the strobe motor 16 is driven to move the light emitter up to the operative position (step S65).

Thereafter, whether the upward movement detecting switch SW4 is made ON is checked (step S67).

If the upward movement detecting switch SWA is made ON, the exposure is performed under the conditions determined in step S61 (or steps S56, 575 and S77) at step S69. After the exposure is completed, tile light emitter 12 is moved down to the retracted position, if the light emitter 12 is in the operative position (step S71) If tile light emitter 12 is not moved to the operative position for some reason at step S65 so that upward movement detecting switch SW4 is not made ON, control proceeds to step S73 from step S67.

At step S73, whether ttie external strobe is attached is checked. If the external strobe is not attached, the light emission of the incorporated strobe is prohibited and the shutter speed upon releasing is set to be identical to the calculated shutter speed so that the exposure is performed without emitting the strobe limit (steps S77 and S69).On the other hand, if tie external strobe is attached, the external strobe emits th-e strobe light after the light emission of the incorporated strobe is prohibited and after tlie shutter speed upon releasing is set to be identical to the strobe synchronous speed to perform tile exposure (steps S75 and 569).

Upon completion of the exposure, the light emitter 12 is moved down to tiie retracted position, if the light emitter is in the operative position (step S71).

As can be seen from the above discussion, permission for emission of the strobe light is determined in accordance with the object brightness aid the lens data. When strobe light emission is necessary, tlie light embitter 12 is automatically moved up to the operative position to emit tile strobe light upon exposure alien tlie release switch SWR is made ON in the nonnal phot:ograplling mode or immediately before the exposure in the self timer operation mode.Consequently, the light emitter 12 does not move to the operative position only by the operation of the plsotometer switch SWS, and accordingly, tlie problem of troublesome operation with the prior art mentioned above, can be solved. Furthermore, the noise which is produced when the light emitter 12 moves upward is mixed with the sound of the release operation and is diluted thereby, thus resulting in no offensive sound.

The AF process is performed after the set time of the self timer is up in the self timer photographing ode. Thus more accurate focusing can be expected by the AF process imlllediately before the exposure. In addition, since the photometering process is performed during the focusing operation, a picture can be taken at an optimum exposure in accordance with the object brightness immediately before tlie exposure.

Furthermore, in the . self timer photographing mode, whether or not the strobe should be used is judged in accordance with the result of the photometering operation prior to the release operation so that the light emitter 12 is moved to the operative position for the strobe photograpliing if necessary, Thus a more accurate exposure value can be obtained.

Fig. 5 shows a sub routine for the indicating operation. If the light emitter 12 is not in the operative position, if the external strobe 25 is not adaptable to the associated camera, or if the attached lens is not appropriate, these are warned and indicated (steps S81~ 587). The judgement that the light emitter 12 is not in the operative position is effected in accordance with the detection of the upward movement detecting switch SW4, as mentioned before. With the indication sub routine, the above-mentioned four light emission modes of the strobe and the set data of the camera are indicated at step S89.The indication makes it possible for an operator or a photograpller to visibly judge whether or not the used strobe is appropriate or whether tlie external strobe or the incorporated strobe should be used, etc.

As can be understood from the above discussion, in the automatic focusing single lens reflex camera having a strobe incorporated therein, since tlie light emitter is moved to the operative position only after the release switch is made ON in a normal photographing mode, the number of upward and downward movements of the light emitter can be reduced, thus resulting in less troublesome operation and an improved handling of the camera due to the maintenance of the limit emitter in the retracted position when the release switch is not made ON.

- In the self timer photographing mode, since whether or not the strobe should be used to perform the exposure is judged immediately before the release operation, a picture can be taken with a more accurate exposure value.

The present invention is not limited to tlie above-menioned embodiments. For instance, if a focus lock is required for a specific object at the commencement of the self timer photographing, it is possible e to switch the mode to a mode in which the AF process (memorization of tulle amount of defocus) starts at tie commencement of the self timer operatioii. The AF process and the photometering operation can be commenced in the self timer photographing mode when the set time of the self timer is up. The timings of iie commencement of t1e AF process and the pllotometeriny operation can be altered. Furthermore, if the AF process anti the photometering operation are commenced in such a way that the exposure starts when the set time is up, a photographer (or object) can exactly learn tlie exposure time.

Claims (7)

1. A camera having a self timer photographing mode and comprising: autofocusing means; and control means for operating said autofocusing means to adjust the focal length of the camera in said self timer mode after a self timer operation is activated and before an exposure operation is performed.

2. A camera according to claim 1 wherein said control means operates said autofocusing means to focus the camera after a self timer interval has expired.

3. A camera according to claim 1 or 2 further comprising photometering means for obtaining an exposure factor for an exposure operation; and wherein said control means actuates the photometering means after said self timer operation is activated.

4. A camera according to any preceding claim wherein said control means continues to operate the autofocusing means until focus is achieved before the exposure operation is performed.

5. A camera according to any preceding claim wherein said self timer operation is actuated when a switch is made ON.

6. A camera according to claim 5 wherein said switch comprises a shutter release button.

7. A camera having a self timer photographing mode according to claim 1 and substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.