Those are the latest Nikon patent applications filed in Japan. I would like to remind you again that filing a patent doesn’t necessarily mean that a specific technology will be implemented. The text is machine translated, no direct links are available.
Patent application 2010-145882 is for a clever way of implementing bounce flash:
“Problem to be solved: To provide an imaging device which can directly or indirectly illuminate an object of shooting by its illumination part having a simple construction.
Solution: The imaging device is provided with the illumination part 6 which can move between a first place where it directly illuminates the object to be shot by imaging elements and a second position where it indirectly illuminates it and a reflecting surface 10a which is opposed to the illumination part 6 which is in the second position. It also has a reflecting member 10 which can move between an open position where the illumination part 6 is open and an obscuring position where the illumination part 6 is shielded. When the illumination part 6 is in the second position and the reflecting member 10 is in the open position, the illumination light emitted from the illumination part 6 is reflected by the reflecting surface 10a and is guided in the direction so that it may indirectly illuminate the object of shooting.”
Patent application 2010-147695 is for a synthetic camera with multiple lenses that can be pointed at different directions:
“Problem to be solved: To obtain a synthetic image corresponding to a field angle change from wide angle to telephoto.
Solution: An imaging device 100 has a plurality of imaging units 1-5, an imaging direction control means 7 controlling an imaging direction of each imaging unit n composing a plurality of imaging units 1-5 and overlapping an imaging range of each imaging unit n with an imaging range by another imaging unit, a field angle control means 7 controlling the imaging direction control means 7 so as to change a length of a diagonal line of all of the imaging ranges by a plurality of imaging units 1-5 by changing a size of the overlapped range according to a field angle adjustment instruction, and an imaging synthesizing means 8 synthesizing a single image based on a plurality of images obtained by each imaging unit n after the control by the field angle control means 7.”
Patent application 2010-160335 is for a camera that will reflect infrared rays in order to keep the body temperature down:
“Photographing instruments, such as a camera, may be used under the environment which can irradiate with the beam of light containing infrared rays like sunlight so much like [in the case of being used for event photography in the outdoors etc.]. In the photographing instrument concerning conventional technology, when used under the environment where sunlight is irradiated so much, the problem that the temperature of a photographing instrument rises with exposure heat has occurred.
As conventional technology for preventing the rise in heat by solar radiations, such as a photographing instrument, what is provided with a reversible thermal-sensing changing layer, for example on the surface of a case is known.
Problem to be solved: To provide a photographing device capable of suppressing temperature rise of a casing.
Solution: The photographing device includes: an imaging part 140 picking up an image by an optical system 146; and the casing 4 where at least a reflection layer 24 whose lightness L in a Lab color specification system is less than 40, and whose reflectance to light having wavelength of 900 nm or more and less than 1,700 nm is 30% or more, is partially provided, wherein the casing houses the imaging part.”
