JP2008054031A - Digital camera and display control method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a digital camera which allows a composition, hue, and brightness of a subject to be set by comparison between a through image and a reference image. <P>SOLUTION: The reference image displayed in a first area 7a of a LCD 7 instead of the through image, and a composition image generated by extracting contours components of the reference image is displayed in a second area 7b of the LCD 7 superposed over the through image. A photographer compares the through image in the second area 7b and the reference image in the first area 7a with each other to set hue and brightness of the subject. The photographer compares the through image in the second area 7b and the composition image of the reference image in the second area 7b with each other to set a composition of the subject. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a digital camera and a display control method capable of displaying a reference image on an LCD and setting the composition, color and brightness of a subject while referring to the reference image.

  There is known a digital camera that converts an image captured using a solid-state image sensor such as a CCD image sensor into digital image data and records the image data on a recording medium. A display device such as an LCD is provided on the back of the digital camera, and a through image can be displayed on the display device. A through image is a moving image obtained by sequentially displaying images repeatedly picked up by a solid-state image sensor at a predetermined period. The photographer can set the composition, color tone, brightness, and the like of the subject while observing the through image displayed on the display device.

Patent Documents 1 and 2 describe a technique for superimposing and displaying a contour component of a reference image on a through image in order to set the composition of a subject to be the same as the composition of a reference image. When the photographer moves the digital camera to superimpose the through image and the reference image, the composition of the subject becomes the same as the composition of the reference image. Patent Document 3 describes a technique for setting the color and brightness of a subject to be the same as the color and brightness of a reference image. After displaying the through image (current image) and reference image (previous image) side by side on the LCD, select any number of points on each image by key operation, and at all these selected points When the color and brightness are different between images, the shooting conditions are automatically changed.
JP-A-8-294025 JP 2002-94854 A JP 2005-26874 A

  However, in the technique described in Patent Document 3, when setting the color and brightness of the subject, the through image and the reference image must be displayed side by side, so that the display of the through image is small and difficult to see. There was a problem. Patent Document 3 also has a function of setting the composition of the subject as described in Patent Documents 1 and 2, but a screen for comparing the composition of the subject and the composition of the reference image, the color of the subject, The screen is different from the screen for comparing the brightness with the color and brightness of the reference image, and there is a problem in that it is impossible to simultaneously compare both the composition of the subject and the color and brightness of the subject. The operation of switching the screen according to the comparison condition is troublesome for the photographer.

  It is an object of the present invention to provide a digital camera and a display control method capable of displaying and setting a through image and a reference image on a display means, and comparing and setting the composition, color and brightness of a subject.

  The present invention relates to a digital camera that displays an image obtained by imaging a subject on a display unit as a through image, a storage unit that stores a reference image that is referred to during shooting, and a first area of the display unit. A first display control means for replacing the reference image with the through image, and a second area different from the first area of the display means for displaying the reference image superimposed on the through image; And a second display control means for displaying these images together. By comparing the through image displayed in the second area with the reference image displayed in the first area, it is possible to set the color and brightness of the subject to be the same as the color and brightness of the reference image. is there. Further, by comparing the through image displayed in the second area with the reference image displayed in the second area, the composition of the subject can be set to be the same as the composition of the reference image. The composition of the subject and the color and brightness of the subject can be compared simultaneously. The present invention is most preferably employed in the color photographing mode (that is, the reference image is color), but may be employed in the monochrome photographing mode (that is, the reference image is monochrome).

  The second display control means preferably displays only the contour component of the reference image in a superimposed manner on the through image. The second display control means may be configured such that the reference image is made translucent and displayed superimposed on the through image.

  A degree of coincidence calculating unit that calculates a degree of coincidence between the reference image displayed in the second area of the display unit and the through image; and the second display control unit is calculated by the degree of coincidence calculating unit. It is preferable that the display state of the reference image displayed in the second area is changed based on the degree of match. As a result, it is easy to see whether or not the composition of the subject is close to the composition of the reference image by looking at the display state of the reference image. It is preferable to change the display state of the reference image by changing the density of the reference image. The display state of the reference image may be changed by blinking the reference image and changing the blinking cycle. The display state of the reference image may be changed by changing the color of the reference image.

  It is preferable to provide warning means for giving a warning when the degree of coincidence calculated by the degree-of-match calculation means is below a threshold when the release button operated at the time of shooting is half-pressed. As a result, it can be seen that the composition of the subject and the composition of the reference image are different before shooting, and shooting failure can be prevented.

  In response to a half-pressing operation of a release button operated at the time of shooting, it is preferable that the first display control unit hides the reference image in the first area. The through image is easy to see after the composition of the subject is determined. In response to a half-press operation of a release button operated at the time of shooting, it is preferable that the second display control unit hides the reference image in the second area. After determining the composition of the subject, the display area of the through image extends to the first area, making it easy to see the through image. In response to a half-press operation of a release button operated at the time of shooting, the first display control unit hides the reference image in the first area, and the second display control unit includes the second display control unit. The reference image in the area may be hidden, that is, all reference images may be hidden.

  The reference image is preferably a past image taken in the past. Shooting can be performed with the same composition, hue, and brightness as those of past images.

  A determination unit that determines whether the subject of the past image and the through image is similar, and a similarity ratio of the subject of the past image and the through image when it is determined that the determination unit is similar Size change means for changing the size of the past image so that the ratio becomes 1: 1, and each display control means displays the past image whose size has been changed by the size change means on the display means. It is preferable. Even when the shooting position in the past shooting is different from the shooting position in the main shooting, the past image can be used as the reference image.

  The distance LA from the shooting position to the background is acquired at the time of shooting the past image, the recording means for recording the data of the acquired distance LA, and the distance LB from the shooting position to the background at the time of actual shooting is acquired and acquired. The distance LB is compared with the distance LA recorded in the recording means, and based on this comparison, the size of the past image is changed so that the similarity ratio of the subject between the past image and the through image becomes 1: 1. Preferably, each display control means displays the past image whose size has been changed by the size changing means on the display means. The change magnification of the past image can be calculated from the distance LA and the distance LB without using the discrimination means for discriminating whether or not the subject of the past image and the through image is similar. Can be used as an image.

  Focus area setting means for setting a focus area on the reference image is provided, and when shooting is performed with reference to the reference image, a focus operation is performed based on information on the focus area set in the reference image. preferable. By determining the focus area on the reference image in advance, there is no need to newly determine the focus area in the main shooting, so that the main shooting can be performed smoothly and shooting failures can be prevented. .

  Preferably, the second display control means can display a plurality of the reference images and the through images by superimposing and displaying the plurality of reference images on the through image in the second area. For example, a background only reference image and a person only reference image can be used in combination.

  Preferably, the display means is a liquid crystal monitor, and the first area is an outer peripheral area on the liquid crystal monitor. The first region is preferably arranged on the outer peripheral portion so as not to disturb the composition setting.

  The present invention relates to a display control method for displaying an image obtained by imaging a subject on a display unit as a through image, storing a reference image to be referred to at the time of shooting, and in a first area of the display unit, The reference image is displayed by being replaced with the through image, and the reference image is superimposed on the through image and displayed together in a second region different from the first region of the display means. And

  According to the present invention, the through image and the reference image can be displayed together on the display means, and the composition, hue, and brightness of the subject can be compared and set.

  As shown in FIG. 1, a photographing lens 3 and a strobe light emitting unit 4 a of a strobe device 4 are provided on the front surface of the digital camera 2. A release button 5 and a mode dial 6 are provided on the upper surface of the digital camera 2.

  The release button 5 is pressed in two steps. When the release button 5 is lightly pressed to the half-pressed position, various shooting conditions such as automatic exposure adjustment (AE) and automatic focus adjustment (AF) are set, that is, shooting preparation processing is performed. When the release button 5 is further pressed from the half-pressed position to the fully-pressed position, a still image is shot under the shooting conditions set in the shooting preparation process.

  The mode dial 6 is operated when switching the operation mode of the camera. The operation mode includes a shooting mode for taking a still image, a playback mode for playing back and displaying a shot image recorded on the memory card 35 (see FIG. 3), a setup mode for making various settings, and the like.

  As shown in FIG. 2, on the back of the digital camera 2, there are an LCD 7, a power button 8 for switching on / off the power, a zoom operation unit 9 operated when zooming, a cross key 10, and a decision button 11. Is provided.

  When the operation mode is set to the setup mode by operating the mode dial 6, a shooting condition setting screen can be displayed on the LCD 7. By operating the cross key 10 and the enter button 11 while viewing the setting screen displayed on the LCD 7, shooting conditions such as an exposure correction value, white balance, shutter speed, aperture value, and ISO sensitivity can be set. Note that these shooting conditions can be set by displaying the shooting conditions superimposed on the through image even when the operation mode is set to the shooting mode.

  The electrical configuration of the digital camera 2 is shown in FIG. The CPU 20 has a built-in memory, and programs and parameters for executing various sequences are stored in the memory. The CPU 20 responds to the operation of the release button 5, the mode dial 6, the zoom operation unit 9, the cross key 10, and the determination button 11, and controls each unit in accordance with a program stored in the memory.

  A diaphragm 21 and a CCD image sensor 22 are disposed behind the photographing lens 3. A lens motor 23 is connected to the photographing lens 3, and an iris motor 24 is connected to the diaphragm 21. These motors 23 and 24 are controlled by the CPU 20. The lens motor 23 adjusts the focus of the photographing lens 3 in addition to zooming the photographing lens 3 to the wide side or the tele side in conjunction with the operation of the zoom operation unit 9. The diaphragm 21 is driven by an iris motor 24 to adjust the light intensity of incident light to the CCD image sensor 22.

  The CCD image sensor 22 performs operations such as control of the charge accumulation time, that is, the shutter speed of the electronic shutter, transfer of charges, and the like, converts the subject image transmitted through the photographing lens 3 into an electrical image signal and outputs it. The imaging signal output from the CCD image sensor 22 is input to a CDS (correlated double sampling) circuit 25 to remove noise, and then input to an amplifier 26 to be amplified. The gain of the amplifier 26 is set according to the ISO sensitivity. The imaging signal amplified by the amplifier 26 is digitally converted by the A / D converter 27 to be image data.

  The image data from the A / D converter 27 is sent to the image input controller 28. The image input controller 28 controls input of image data to the bus 29. The CPU 29, the image input controller 28, and the like are connected to the bus 29, and each unit connected to the bus 29 is controlled by the CPU 20 via the bus 29 and can exchange data with each other. It is possible.

  The AF detection unit 30 detects the contrast of the subject image using the image data from the image input controller 28 for focusing the photographing lens 3, and sends the contrast information to the CPU 20. The CPU 20 refers to the contrast information and drives the lens motor 23 so as to maximize the contrast of the subject image, thereby bringing the photographing lens 3 into focus with the subject.

  The AE detection unit 31 detects the luminance of the subject image based on the image data from the image input controller 28 and sends the result to the CPU 20 as luminance information. The CPU 20 determines the appropriate aperture value of the aperture 21 and the shutter speed of the electronic shutter based on the luminance information, and performs control so that shooting is performed with these values.

  The image data processing unit 33 performs white balance correction processing, gamma correction, and the like on the image data from the image input controller 28. The image data processing unit 33 stores the WB gain of each color, and the WB gain is set based on the white balance set by the photographer.

  The media controller 34 controls writing and reading of data in the memory card 35. The image data of the still image obtained in response to the operation of the release button 5 is processed by the image data processing unit 33, sent to the media controller 34, and written in the memory card 35.

  The display control unit 36 determines the display content to be displayed on the LCD 7 based on an instruction from the CPU 20 and controls the LCD 7 so that the determined display content is displayed. The display control unit 36 displays the image data processed by the image data processing unit 33 on the LCD 7 as a through image under the shooting mode, and the image data read from the memory card 35 as a playback image under the playback mode. Displayed on the LCD 7.

  Under the shooting mode, the display control unit 36 displays the reference image in the first area 7a (see FIG. 2) of the LCD 7 by replacing the reference image with a through image, and displays the second image 7b in the LCD 7 (see FIG. 2). The composition image created by extracting the contour component of the reference image can be displayed superimposed on the through image. The reference image is a color image that is referred to in order to determine the composition, hue, and brightness of the subject, and the photographer adjusts the composition, hue, and brightness of the through image while referring to the reference image. be able to. As the reference image, for example, a past image taken in the past is used. The reference image is recorded on the memory card 35. The reference image is not limited to the past image, and may be an artificially created image. In the present embodiment, since the color image is assumed, the reference image is color. However, in the case of monochrome image capture, the reference image is monochrome.

  As an example, FIG. 4 shows a reference image, FIG. 5 shows a through image, and FIG. 6 shows an image displayed on the LCD 7 of this embodiment. In FIG. 6, a dotted line indicates a composition image of the reference image. As shown in FIG. 6, a color reference image is displayed in the first area 7 a of the LCD 7, and a through image and a composition image of the reference image are displayed in the second area 7 b of the LCD 7. The first area 7 a is set in the outer peripheral area of the LCD 7, and the second area 7 b is set in the central area of the LCD 7. The boundary between the first region 7a and the second region 7b is indicated by a two-dot chain line. The display control unit 36 functions as first display control means and second display control means.

  The feature extraction unit 37 shown in FIG. 3 reads a reference image from the memory card 35 based on an instruction from the display control unit 36, extracts a contour component of the reference image, and creates a composition image. The feature extraction unit 37 also extracts a contour component of the through image and creates a composition image. The composition image of the reference image and the composition image of the through image are sent to the display control unit 36. A well-known technique is used for the contour component extraction processing.

  The matching level calculation unit 38 calculates the matching level between the through image displayed in the second area 7b of the LCD 7 and the reference image based on an instruction from the display control unit 36. The degree of coincidence is a numerical value indicating how close the through image and the reference image are on the LCD 7, and means that if the degree of coincidence is large, the images are close to each other. A well-known technique may be used for calculation of the degree of match, but for example, it is calculated by the following procedure. First, a part of the composition image of the reference image is made into a template, and template matching is performed on the composition image of the through image. Next, the distance between the template position on the composition image of the reference image and the pattern position having the highest correlation on the composition image of the through image is obtained, and the reciprocal of this distance is used as the matching degree. The degree-of-match information calculated by the degree-of-match calculator 38 is sent to the display controller 36.

  The display control unit 36 changes the density of the composition image of the reference image displayed on the second area 7 b of the LCD 7 based on the matching degree information from the matching degree calculation unit 38. As the degree of match increases, the density is decreased. Thus, the photographer can easily recognize whether or not the composition of the through image is close to the composition of the reference image.

  Further, when the display control unit 36 receives information from the CPU 20 that the release button 5 has been pressed halfway, and the degree of matching at that time is less than or equal to the threshold value, the composition of the subject is the target composition. In order to inform you that it is different from the above, a warning is given by flashing the composition image at high speed. The warning may be by voice or by another method.

  When the display control unit 36 receives information from the CPU 20 that the release button 5 has been half-pressed, and the degree of matching at that time exceeds a threshold value, the composition image of the second area 7b of the LCD 7 is displayed. Hide. As a result, only the through image is displayed in the second area 7b of the LCD 7, making it easy to see the through image. Instead of hiding the composition image in the second area 7b of the LCD 7, the reference image in the first area 7a of the LCD 7 may be hidden to widen the display range of the through image. All the images may be hidden to make the through image easy to see and the display range may be expanded. Even if the reference image is not hidden, it may be made inconspicuous by reducing the density of the reference image or changing the color of the reference image.

  Hereinafter, the operation of the above configuration will be described along the flow of the flowchart of FIG. The mode dial 6 is operated to set the operation mode to the setup mode, and then the cross key 10 and the decision button 11 are operated to select an image as a reference image from the images recorded on the memory card 35. Set.

  When the operation mode is set to the shooting mode by operating the mode dial 6, a reference image is displayed in the first area 7a of the LCD 7, and a through image and a reference are displayed in the second area 7b of the LCD 7, as shown in FIG. The composition image of the image is displayed together.

  The photographer compares the through image in the second area 7b with the reference image in the first area 7a, adjusts the white balance so that the color of the through image is the same as the color of the reference image, The exposure correction value is set so that the brightness of is the same as the brightness of the reference image.

  The photographer compares the through image in the second area 7b with the composition image of the reference image in the second area 7b, and moves the digital camera 2 so that the through image overlaps the composition image. Here, since the density of the composition image decreases as the degree of matching between the through image and the composition image increases, the photographer can easily know whether the composition of the subject is close to the target.

  When the release button 5 is pressed halfway, an AF operation and an AE operation are performed. When the AE operation is performed, an appropriate exposure value is determined. Exposure correction is performed on the appropriate exposure value using the exposure correction value, and the exposure value at the time of shooting is determined.

  If the degree of match is greater than the threshold during the half-press operation, the composition image in the second area 7b of the LCD 7 is not displayed. Since only the through image is displayed in the second region 7b, the through image is easy to see. When the release button 5 is fully pressed, shooting is performed.

  On the other hand, when the degree of coincidence is equal to or less than the threshold value during the half-press operation, the composition image in the second area 7b of the LCD 7 is displayed blinking at high speed. The blinking display of the composition image allows the photographer to recognize that the composition of the subject is different from the intended one. When the digital camera 2 is moved and the through image is superimposed on the composition image, the composition image is not displayed. When the release button 5 is fully pressed, shooting is performed.

  According to the present invention, the through image and the reference image can be displayed on the LCD 7, and the composition, color and brightness of the subject can be compared and set. The composition of the subject and the color and brightness of the subject can be compared on the same screen.

  In the above embodiment, the composition image created by extracting the contour component of the reference image is superimposed and displayed in the second region 7b of the LCD 7. Instead, the reference image is made translucent, and this translucent image is displayed. It may be displayed in a superimposed manner.

  In the above embodiment, the first area 7a of the LCD 7 is set to the outer peripheral area of the LCD 7 and the shape thereof is a frame shape. However, the first area of the LCD can be set to an arbitrary area of the LCD. The shape may be arbitrary. For example, the first area of the LCD may be set at the lower end of the LCD and the shape may be rectangular.

  In the above embodiment, the reference image is displayed on the LCD 7 without changing the size of the reference image. However, the size of the reference image may be changed and the reference image after the size change may be displayed on the LCD. The display control unit determines whether or not the subject of the through image and the reference image are similar, and when determining that they are similar, the display control unit causes the similarity ratio of the subject of the through image and the reference image to be 1: 1. The size of the reference image is changed, and the reference image after the size change is displayed on the LCD. This makes it possible to use the past image as a reference image even when the shooting position at the time of past image shooting differs from the shooting position at the actual shooting when shooting the same subject as the past image shot in the past. Become. The display control unit functions as a determination unit and a size change unit.

  For the similarity determination process and the size change process, a known technique may be used. For example, the similarity determination process and the size change process are performed according to the procedure shown in the flowchart of FIG. First, the composition image of the through image is compared with the composition image of the reference image, and it is determined whether or not these images have a common part. If there is a common part, the size change magnification of the reference image that can make the similarity ratio of the common part 1: 1 is calculated. The size of the reference image is changed at this size change magnification.

  In addition to using the similarity determination unit as described above, the reference image size may be changed by the following method, and the reference image after the size change may be displayed on the LCD. In this method, the distance LA is used to obtain a distance LA from the shooting position (hereinafter referred to as the first position) at the time of past image shooting to the background and the shooting position (hereinafter referred to as the second position) in the main shooting. The display control unit calculates a size change magnification of the reference image based on the distance LA and the distance LB, and changes the size of the reference image.

  A specific procedure will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. First, the first operator takes a picture at the first position and takes a reference image. In this photographing, the distance LA from the first position to the background is automatically acquired by the distance measuring means, and information on this distance LA is recorded in a memory card (recording means) in association with the reference image. Next, the first operator hands over the digital camera to the second operator, and the second operator moves to the second position. The second operator measures a distance L1 from the second position to the first operator at the first position. The display control unit calculates the distance LB (= LA + L1) so that the reference image and the subject of the through image displayed on the LCD of the digital camera at the second position have the same size from the distance LA and the distance LB. Then, the reference image size change magnification is calculated. The display control unit changes the size of the reference image at the calculated size change magnification, and displays the reference image after the size change on the LCD. The second operator can photograph the first operator at the first position while viewing the reference image whose size has been adjusted. The display control unit functions as a size changing unit. The distance measuring means may be based on a TTL contrast method that performs distance measurement based on an imaging signal from a CCD image sensor, or may be based on a distance measuring mechanism provided on the outer surface of the digital camera. For example, the above technique is effectively used when the first operator requests the second operator to take a picture with the composition considered by the first operator.

  In the above embodiment, the focus area is determined at the time of shooting as in the conventional case. However, the focus area is set on the reference image in advance, and the focus area in the main shooting is determined based on the focus area on the reference image. May be. As shown in the flowchart of FIG. 10, a focus area is set on the reference image before shooting. You can display the reference image on the LCD and manually move the cursor to specify the focus area. Alternatively, you can manually select a specific subject from the multiple subjects extracted from the reference image and select this subject as the focus area. Alternatively, a person area extracted from the reference image may be automatically set as the focus area. When the focus area is set manually, the LCD, the cross key, and the enter button function as focus area setting means. When the focus area is automatically set, this process is performed by the display control unit, and the display control unit functions as a focus area setting unit. When the release button is half-pressed, an area on the through image corresponding to the focus area set on the reference image is determined as the focus area for actual shooting, and a focus operation is performed. When the release button is fully pressed, shooting is performed.

  In the above embodiment, only one reference image is displayed in the second area 7b of the LCD 7, but a plurality of different reference images may be displayed. For example, the composition image shown in FIG. 11 created by extracting the contour component from the reference image on which the background is drawn, and the composition image shown in FIG. 12 created by extracting the contour component from the reference image on which the person is drawn. 13 may be superimposed and displayed on the through image. For each composition image, it is preferable to change the display color, change the display size, change the display position, etc. so that a reference image can be created according to the photographer's preference.

It is an external appearance perspective view of the front side of a digital camera. It is an external appearance perspective view of the back side of a digital camera. It is a block diagram which shows the electric constitution of a digital camera. It is a figure which shows a reference image. It is a figure which shows a through image. It is a figure which shows the image displayed on LCD of this embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the whole flow of imaging | photography operation | movement. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of the size change process of a reference image. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of the size change process of a reference image when the size change magnification of a reference image is determined based on the distance measurement result. 10 is a flowchart showing a flow of a focus operation when shooting is performed while referring to a reference image in which a focus area is set. It is a figure which shows the composition image of a 1st reference image. It is a figure which shows the composition image of a 2nd reference image. It is a figure which shows the image produced combining the composition image of the 1st reference image, and the composition image of the 2nd reference image.

Explanation of symbols

2 Digital camera 7 LCD
7a 1st area 7b 2nd area 20 CPU
36 Display Control Unit 37 Feature Extraction Unit 38 Matching Level Calculation Unit 39 Similarity Determination Unit

Claims (14)

In a digital camera that displays an image obtained by imaging a subject on a display means as a through image,
Storage means for storing a reference image referred to at the time of shooting;
First display control means for replacing the reference image with the through image and displaying it in the first area of the display means;
And a second display control means for superimposing the reference image on the through image and displaying the images together in a second area different from the first area of the display means. A digital camera.   2. The digital camera according to claim 1, wherein the second display control unit superimposes and displays only a contour component of the reference image on the through image. A degree of coincidence calculating means for calculating a degree of coincidence between the through image and the reference image displayed in the second area of the display means;
3. The second display control unit changes a display state of the reference image displayed in the second area based on the degree of matching calculated by the degree of matching calculating unit. The digital camera described.   4. The second display control means reduces the density of the reference image displayed in the second area as the degree of matching calculated by the degree of matching calculating means increases. 5. Digital camera.   5. The apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising warning means for giving a warning when the degree of coincidence calculated by the degree-of-match calculation means is below a threshold when the release button operated at the time of shooting is half-pressed. The digital camera described.   6. The first display control means hides the reference image in the first area in response to a half-pressing operation of a release button operated at the time of shooting. Item 1. A digital camera according to item 1.   6. The second display control means hides the reference image in the second area in response to a half-pressing operation of a release button operated at the time of shooting. Item 1. A digital camera according to item 1.   The digital camera according to claim 1, wherein the reference image is a past image taken in the past. A discriminating means for discriminating whether or not the subject of the past image and the through image is similar;
A size changing unit that changes the size of the past image so that the similarity ratio of the subject between the past image and the through image is 1: 1 when the determining unit determines that they are similar;
9. The digital camera according to claim 8, wherein each of the display control means displays the past image whose size has been changed by the size changing means on the display means. A recording unit that acquires a distance LA from a shooting position to a background at the time of shooting the past image, and records data of the acquired distance LA;
The distance LB from the shooting position to the background is acquired at the time of the main shooting, the acquired distance LB is compared with the distance LA recorded in the recording means, and the subject of the past image and the through image based on this comparison Sizing means for changing the size of the past image so that the similarity ratio is 1: 1.
9. The digital camera according to claim 8, wherein each of the display control means displays the past image whose size has been changed by the size changing means on the display means.   11. The digital camera according to claim 1, wherein a focus area is set in advance on the reference image, and a focus operation is performed based on information on the focus area set on the reference image. .   12. The digital according to claim 1, wherein the second display control means can display a plurality of different reference images superimposed on the through image in the second area. camera.   The display means is a liquid crystal monitor, the first area is set in an outer peripheral area on the liquid crystal monitor, and the second area is set in a central area surrounded by the first area. The digital camera according to claim 1, wherein: In a display control method for displaying an image obtained by imaging a subject on a display unit as a through image,
Remember the reference image that is referenced when shooting,
In the first area of the display means, the reference image is replaced with the through image and displayed, and the reference image is converted into the through image in a second area different from the first area of the display means. A display control method characterized by superimposing and displaying together.

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