Stylishly designed compact camera with a wide-angle 3.2X zoom lens

Autoboy EPO

[ Japan : Autoboy EPO, Americas : SURE SHOT Z90W, Europe/Asia/Oceania : PRIMA SUPER 90 WIDE ] The final issue of the Technical Report for the year 2000 presents the latest information on the Autoboy Epo, a 35mm compact camera equipped with a 3.2X zoom lens (focal length: 28 ~ 90mm). Concept of development: Autoboy Epo The Autoboy Epo is a fully automatic 35mm compact camera. It was developed as the top model in the Autoboy Luna series, long-term bestsellers since the first camera was released in October l994. The main points of the development concept were: Photo 1 Autoboy Epo (at WIDE and ready to shoot)

• Retention and further enhancement of the Luna design • Full flat, compact, and lightweight body * It is the world's smallest 35mm camera with a wide-angle 3X zoom lens • Wide-angle, high-magnification, and high-image-quality zoom lens • High-performance 3-point hybrid autofocus system • Outstanding operability by the large "Best Shot Dial" • Built-in eyesight (dioptric) adjustment An outline of major functions follows:

Feature 1: Compact camera with a 3.2X zoom lens Despite the fact that the lens of the Autoboy Epo is a high-magnification (3.2X) zoom giving wide (28-90mm) coverage, it is installed in a compact and full flat body that is smaller than the Autoboy Luna XL which only covers 28-70mm with a 2.5X zoom lens. This was made possible by introducing a compact objective optical system and the latest miniaturization technologies, including the small diameter three-step retracting lens barrel, the swing-up light-guide zoom flash, and densely mounted electronic circuitry. The Autoboy Epo measures 117mm (width) x 64mm (height) x 43mm (depth), and weighs 250g without batteries (265g with batteries). Feature 2: Full flat, stylish design While retaining the traditional full flat and full lens cover features of the Luna, the Autoboy Epo has a more compact molded body and a refined design using full silver coating (see Photos 1 and 2). Simple and easy-to-understand features are enhanced by placing both its large "Best Shot Dial" and the LCD panel on its back cover (see Photo 3).

Photo 2 Autoboy Epo (with lens cover shut)   Photo 3 Autoboy Epo rear view

Feature 3: High-image-quality 3.2X zoom lens based on two aspherical lenses The Autoboy Epo has a 28-90mm f/4.5-9.9 zoom lens, which consist of 7 elements in 6 groups. It is a two-group zoom lens. This configuration aims to satisfy the concurrent requirements for high-image-quality and compact wide-angle zoom optical system. It has the following features: High image quality Both groups contain an aspherical element (see Fig. 1), especially to provide good compensations for spherical aberration and coma. Placing the zoom coupled variable aperture within group 1 is advantageous in securing adequate peripheral light. With these mechanisms, the Autoboy Epo achieves clear high contrast images at all focal lengths.

Fig. 1 Objective optical system

Compact The simplest configuration of positive and negative zoom groups is employed so that the refractive power for each group can be optimized to achieve the high-magnification zoom with a small zooming movement. In addition, the number of elements is reduced thanks to the high refraction glass and the aspherical lenses, thus realizing a very compact optical system with a closest shooting distance of 60cm in normal mode and 45cm in the close-up mode. Feature 4: High-performance 3-point hybrid AiAF The Autoboy Epo is equipped with a high-performance 3-point hybrid AiAF (artificial intelligence autofocus) which combines three IRED (infrared emitting diode) and CCD line sensors. The hybrid AF system is based on a synergistic approach in which the passive and active AF combination takes advantage of the individual strong points while compensating for the individual weaknesses. The actual operation of the hybrid AF starts with the 3-point passive mode in which the distance to the subject is measured at three different points (see the lower figure of Fig. 2). When the passive mode detects no signal, the system instantly switches over to the 3-point active mode to do the same (see the upper figure in Fig. 2). The actual lens movement based on the ranging results is performed by a highly precise method in which the focusing lens group is controlled by as many as 911 steps. The LCD AF frame within the viewfinder indicates the in-focus position.

Fig. 2 Concept of 3-point hybrid AiAF

Feature 5: High-efficiency light-guide zoom flash with maximum Guide No. of 13.3 The Autoboy Epo incorporates a very efficient light-guide zoom flash of Guide No. 9.8 to 13.3 (ISO100 in meters). The flash is housed in the camera body when the power is off, and swings up automatically to the position indicated in Photo 1 when the power is turned on. In normal modes with ISO400 film the flash covers from 0.6m to 8m at the wide-angle lens position and 0.6 to 5m at telephoto. The flash recycling time is approximately 5 seconds and the following seven flash modes are available.

[1] Auto flash (without red-eye reduction) [2] Auto flash (with red-eye reduction) [3] Flash ON (forced flash) [4] Flash OFF (suppressed flash) [5] Flash OFF (with +1.5 EV exposure compensation) [6] Flash OFF (with -1.5 EV exposure compensation) [7] Slow-sync (nighttime portrait with red-eye reduction) Photo 1 Autoboy Epo (at WIDE and ready to shoot)

[NOTE] The flash section normally stays in the up position by spring tension when the power is on. Yet, even when the flash mode is set to the above [1], [2]. [3], or [7], if the flash head is pushed in manually and held there, the [4] Flash OFF mode is used.

Feature 6: A sharp, clear viewfinder with eyesight adjustment mechanism The Autoboy Epo has a real-image zoom viewfinder (see Fig. 3) employing six aspherical surfaces in its optical system. Automatically selected items, such as the focusing points (seven patterns including the center, right, left, and the left and right together, etc.), the close-up shooting frame, and the panorama mask, are clearly displayed through a transparent LCD.   Fig. 3 Viewfinder frame

For easy operation, the viewfinder eyepiece has large exit pupil (9mm diameter) and long eye point (15mm). In order to secure even clearer visibility, the viewfinder incorporates eyesight adjustment that is capable of compensating from minus 3 to 0 diopter.

Feature 7: Stress-free, fast, and easy-to-operate Simple operation with the large Best Shot Dial Using the large Best Shot Dial located at the center of the camera back (see Photo 3 and Fig. 4), an optimum combination of function settings for a specific shooting condition (see Table 1) can be selected instantly. The following five modes are available: Photo 3 Autoboy Epo rear view

Fig. 4 Best Shot Dial

[1] Auto This mode is suitable for shooting souvenir photos or ordinary snapshots. [2] Night This mode is effective in taking pictures of people against a sunset or nighttime background. The flash is used to light the main subject while the slow speed shutter exposure, as slow as 4 seconds, is used for the background. [3] Portrait If the shooting distance is in the range of 0.7 to 2.1m, the camera automatically zooms in to frame a head & shoulders portrait of the subject when the camera is in the horizontal position and a portrait from the waist up when in the vertical position. [4] Close-up The lens is fixed at 90mm so when the distance between the camera and the subject is 45cm a close-up picture with a magnification of 0.25X (the picture is about the size of a post card) is made. [5] Spot The camera focus and exposure are based on the subject at the center of the viewfinder. This mode is especially effective for a subject highlighted in a spotlight. Real time release mode with a release time lag of 0.02 seconds The Autoboy Epo is equipped with a real time (RT) release mode. In this mode, when the shutter button is pressed halfway light metering, autofocusing operation and the AF lens drive are completed, so when the shutter button is pressed all the way down, exposure is nearly instantaneous. The release time lag is only 0.02 second, so the Autoboy Epo can capture the crucial moment in any shooting situation. Feature 8: Specifications to satisfy discriminating users Personalized function settings The Autoboy Epo enables the users to select combinations of the flash mode and the AF mode and store them in the camera memory. The AF modes available are 3-point AiAF or the center-point AF. Once the preferences have been specified, the user can take a picture with them simply by setting the Best Shot Dial at the personal mode. The stored data is effective until a new personal function setting is input. Hybrid AF based on the single-point central focusing When the user desires to insure focusing at the central focusing point without relying on the 3-point focusing AiAF, the user can change the setting to the hybrid single-point central focusing AF at will. Plus-minus 1.5 stop exposure compensation Exposure compensation of plus 1.5 or minus 1.5 stops from the standard exposure can be set using the cyclic menu to change the flash mode. Feature 9: Wireless remote control photography The Autoboy Epo has a built-in remote control receiver. The accessory Remote Control RC-5 transmitter is very small and the effective distance is approximately 5m. When the transmitter button is pressed, the camera shutter is released after a two-second delay. Feature 10: Date and message imprinting on both standard and panorama frames By selecting one of the following 5 formats, the date or time is imprinted onto the frame. [1] Year/Month/Day [2] Month/Day/Year [3] Day /Month/Year [4] Day /Hour/Minute (24 hour format) [5] No date/time imprinted A caption, one of 5 pre-determined captions in each of 5 languages can be imprinted simultaneously with the date information. The date and message are imprinted using the 7-dot LED, and are printable on the panorama frame as well as the standard frame. Presented above is the last Technical Report of the 20th century, your reading of which is highly appreciated.

Fig. 5 LCD Panel (Overall view) Fig. 6 Nomenclature