JPH0519326A - Camera with shiftabl automatic exposure conditions - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide an exposure conditions automatic shifting camera which can minimize the effect of the depth of an objective field, the blurring of an object or the like caused by the movement of the object even when continuos photographing is executed with respect to the object coming more distant or nearer from/to the camera while exposure conditions are automatically shifted. CONSTITUTION:In the automatic exposure conditions shifting camera provided with a focus detection means 101 which detects the defocus amount of a photographing lens, a moving direction detection means 102 which detects the moving direction of the object along the optical axis of the photographing lens based on the defocus amount detected by the detection means 101 and an automatic shifting control means 103 which executes a successive photographing action while shifting at least one of a stop and a shutter speed as many as the prescribed number of steps extending over the prescribed number of photographing frames, an order decision means 104 which decides the set order of at least one of the stop and the shutter speed in the successive photographing action based on the detected result of the detection means 102 is provided. Then, the set order of the exposure conditions is decided according to the moving direction of the object.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an automatic exposure condition shift camera for photographing while automatically shifting exposure conditions.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A camera with a so-called "auto bracket" function, which automatically shifts the shutter speed and aperture so that the exposure amount changes sequentially, and a shutter speed that keeps the exposure amount constant. There is known a camera with a so-called "auto shift" function that performs exposure while automatically shifting the aperture and the aperture (for example,
JP-A-63-184728 and JP-A-2-19
1918 gazette).

[0003]

However, in the above-mentioned camera, when an object that is moving away or approaching is auto-bracketed or auto-shifted, the overall impressions of a plurality of consecutive photographs are different even for the same object. Sometimes. Now, let us consider a case in which the aperture is opened and the series of auto bracket shooting is performed as the exposure is performed later. Generally, the depth of field is shallower as the subject is closer to the camera and deeper as the aperture is narrowed down. When you shoot a subject that comes close to the camera, the aperture will be opened further as the exposure after a series of auto bracketing shots, so the subject will be closer to the camera than the photo that was previously exposed because the subject was far from the camera. The exposed photo has a much shallower depth of field. Therefore, in multiple consecutive photographs obtained by a series of auto bracket shooting, the depth of field of each photograph is different,
As a result, the overall impression of each photo is different, which makes me feel uncomfortable. On the other hand, if you shoot a subject that is moving away from the camera, the aperture will be opened as the exposure after a series of auto-bracketing shots increases. Therefore, the depth of field of the photograph exposed later is almost the same. Therefore, in a plurality of continuous photographs obtained by a series of auto bracket shooting, the depth of field of each photograph is almost the same, and there is no difference in the overall impression of each photograph.

On the contrary, when a series of auto bracket shooting is performed with a smaller aperture as the subsequent exposure is performed, when a subject approaching the camera is shot, any field of a plurality of pictures obtained by the series of auto bracket shooting is obtained. The depth is almost the same, but on the contrary, if you shoot a subject that is moving away from the camera,
There is a large difference in the depth of field between multiple photos, and the overall impression of each photo is different.

Even when a series of auto bracket shooting is performed while the aperture is kept constant and the shutter speed is shifted by a predetermined number of steps, the impressions of a plurality of pictures obtained by the series of auto bracket shooting differ depending on the moving direction of the subject. There is. Now, consider a case where a series of auto bracket shooting is performed with a slower shutter speed for later exposure regardless of the moving direction of the subject. Normally, the size of the subject image on the film surface is larger as the subject is closer to the camera, and the subject blur is larger as the subject is closer to the camera. Further, the blurring of the subject is larger as the shutter speed is slower.
When you use auto bracket shooting for a subject approaching the camera,
The degree of subject blurring with respect to the size of the subject itself is greater in a photograph exposed later near the camera than in a photograph that is farther from the camera and is exposed earlier. In such a case, the impressions of a plurality of photographs obtained by a series of auto bracket shooting are different. On the other hand, when shooting a subject that is moving away from the camera, the degree of subject blurring with respect to the size of the subject itself is approximately the same for a photograph that was exposed earlier because it was closer to the camera and a photograph that was later exposed because it was farther from the camera. become. In other words, each of a plurality of photographs obtained by a series of auto bracket shooting gives a similar overall impression.

On the other hand, when a series of auto bracket shooting is performed with a higher shutter speed for later exposure, when a subject approaching the camera is shot, all of the plurality of photographs obtained by the series of auto bracket shooting are the subject. The degree of blurring is almost the same, but on the other hand, when a subject is taken away from the camera, the difference in subject blurring between a plurality of photographs is large, and the overall impression of each photograph is different.

It is an object of the present invention to obtain a depth of field or subject blur caused by movement of a subject even when continuous shooting is performed while automatically shifting exposure conditions for a subject moving away from or approaching the camera. The objective is to provide a camera that automatically shifts the exposure conditions that can minimize the effect of.

[0008]

The present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 1, which is a claim correspondence diagram, and the invention of claim 1 corresponds to the amount of deviation between the image plane of the taking lens and the planned focal plane. Focus detection means 101 for detecting the defocus amount,
Based on the defocus amount detected by the focus detecting means 101, a moving direction detecting means 102 for detecting the moving direction of the subject along the optical axis of the photographing lens, and a diaphragm and shutter for a predetermined number of photographing frames. The present invention is applied to an automatic exposure condition shift camera including an automatic shift control unit 103 that sequentially performs shooting operations while shifting at least one of the speeds by a predetermined number of steps. Then, the moving direction detecting means 10
The order determining means 104 for determining the setting order of at least one of the aperture and the shutter speed in the sequential photographing operation based on the detection result of No. 2 is provided, thereby achieving the above object. According to the invention of claim 2, when the moving direction detecting means 102 detects that the subject is moving in a direction approaching the camera, it is determined in the order in which the aperture for each exposure in the photographing operation is sequentially narrowed, and the subject is detected. When it is detected that you are moving away from the camera,
Order determining means 1 for determining the order of opening the aperture for each exposure
04A. Further, according to the invention of claim 3, when the moving direction detecting means 102 detects that the subject is moving in a direction approaching the camera, the shutter speed for each exposure in the sequential photographing operation is determined in the order of increasing, and the subject is When it is detected that the camera is moving away from the camera, the order determination unit 104B that determines the shutter speed for each exposure in the order of decreasing the shutter speed is provided. The invention of claim 4 is provided with a selection means 105 for selecting the aperture priority mode and the shutter speed priority mode, and the order determination means 104C.
However, in the case where the shutter speed priority mode is selected by the selection unit 105, when the moving direction detection unit 102 detects that the subject is moving in the direction approaching the camera, each exposure in the sequential shooting operation is performed. The aperture is determined in the order of aperture reduction, and when it is detected that the subject is moving away from the camera, the aperture is determined for each exposure in the order of opening, and the aperture priority mode is selected by the selection unit 105. In this case, when the moving direction detecting unit 102 detects that the subject is moving in a direction approaching the camera, the shutter speed for each exposure in the sequential shooting operation is determined to be increased, and the subject moves away from the camera. When it is detected that the shutter speed is moving to, the shutter speed for each exposure is determined in order of decreasing.

[0009]

According to the present invention, the order determining means 104 determines the setting order of at least one of the aperture and the shutter speed in the sequential photographing operation based on the detection result of the moving direction detecting means 102, and the automatic shift control means. 103 is
The shooting operation is sequentially performed while shifting at least one of the aperture and the shutter speed by a predetermined number of steps over a predetermined number of shooting frames. Further, in claim 2, the order determining means 104A.
However, when the moving direction detecting unit 102 detects that the subject is moving toward the camera, it is determined in the order of narrowing the aperture for each exposure in the shooting operation, and the subject moves in the direction away from the camera. If it is detected that the apertures are open, the apertures for each exposure are determined in the opening order. Then, the automatic shift control means 103 sequentially performs the shooting operation over a predetermined number of shooting frames according to the aperture setting order determined by the order determining means 104A. Further, in claim 3, when the moving direction detecting means 102 detects that the subject is moving in the direction approaching the camera, the order determining means 104B determines in the order of increasing the shutter speed for each exposure in the sequential shooting operation. Then, when it is detected that the subject is moving away from the camera, the shutter speed for each exposure is determined in order of decreasing. Then, the automatic shift control means 103 sequentially performs the shooting operation over a predetermined number of shooting frames in accordance with the shutter speed setting order determined by the order determining means 104B. In claim 4, when the shutter speed priority mode is selected by the selecting unit 105, the order determining unit 104C detects that the subject is moving in the direction approaching the camera by the moving direction detecting unit 102. Then, it is determined in the order of closing the aperture for each exposure in the sequential shooting operation, and when it is detected that the subject is moving away from the camera, it is determined in the order of opening the aperture for each exposure, and the selection unit 105. When the aperture priority mode is selected by, the moving direction detecting means 10
When it is detected by 2 that the subject is moving toward the camera, it is determined that the shutter speed for each exposure in the shooting operation is sequentially increased, and it is detected that the subject is moving away from the camera. When done,
The shutter speed for each exposure is determined in order of decreasing. Then, the automatic shift control means 103 causes the order determination means 10
According to the setting order of the aperture or shutter speed determined by 4C, the photographing operation is sequentially performed over a predetermined number of photographing frames.

[0010]

2 and 3 are block diagrams showing the configuration of an embodiment in which the present invention is applied to a single-lens reflex camera having a predictive driving function. The interchangeable lens 10 is detachably mounted on the camera body 20. In the state where the lens 10 is attached, the photographing light flux coming from the subject reaches the main mirror 21 through the photographing lens 11, a part of which is reflected by the main mirror 21 and guided to the finder, and the other part of which is the main mirror. After passing through −21, it is reflected by the sub-mirror 22 and guided to the AF module 23 as a light beam for focus detection. AF module 2
Reference numeral 3 denotes a phase difference detection type focus detection device including a focus detection optical system 24 and a CCD (charge coupled device) 25.

In the camera having such a structure, a light beam passing through a pair of regions symmetrical with respect to the optical axis contained in the exit pupil of the taking lens 11 is CCD by the focus detection optical system 24.
An image is formed as a pair of secondary images on the pair of 25 light receiving portions. As is well known, by detecting the relative positional relationship in the arrangement direction of the light receiving portions of the paired secondary images on the CCD 25, the distance between the image forming position of the photographing lens 11 and the film conjugate plane is detected. The focus amount can be detected.

The AFCPU 30 A / D-converts the output signal of the CCD 25 with the built-in A / D converter to obtain A / D-converted data according to the number of light-receiving elements. When the A / D conversion is completed, a known focus detection calculation is performed on the obtained data to calculate the defocus amount. AFCP
U30 is an AF display unit 40 based on the focus detection calculation result.
Are controlled via port P5. For example, in the case of the front pin, the triangular display section 41 is turned on, and in the case of the focus, the circular display section 4 is displayed.
2 is lit, and in the case of the rear pin, the triangular display part 43 is lit,
When the focus cannot be detected, the cross mark display portion 44 is turned on. In addition, the AFCPU 30 performs the AF operation based on the focus detection calculation result.
The driving direction and the driving amount of the motor 50 are controlled to move the taking lens 11 to the focal point. In this way, the AFCPU
The function 30 mainly controls an automatic focus adjustment (hereinafter, referred to as AF) operation.

On the other hand, inside the body 20, a main CP that mainly controls the sequence operation and exposure operation of the camera is provided.
U70 is provided. The main CPU 70 controls the mirror mechanism section 81, the shutter mechanism section 82, the diaphragm mechanism section 83, the winding mechanism section 84, and the like, and also the photometric device 8
5 is controlled to perform photometry, and photometric information is input. Further, the main CPU 70 inputs the exposure mode information such as the aperture priority automatic exposure mode A or the shutter speed priority automatic exposure mode S selected by the photographer from the exposure mode selection button 86.

The main CPU 70 and the AFCPU 30 are
Various information is input to and output from the ports Q1 and P6 via the communication bus 64. In addition, the main CPU 70
There is an input / output signal (IO signal) line directly connected to the AF CPU 30 in addition to the communication bus 64. The AF permission signal AF and the mirror-up signal MR are sent from the main CPU 70 to the AFCPU 30, and the release permission signal RL is sent from the AFCPU 30 to the main CPU 70 via these signal lines. Further, DM is a piece speed mode signal, and sends piece speed mode selection information of the piece speed mode selection button 61 provided on the body 20 to the port P11 of the AFCPU 30 and the port Q6 of the main CPU 70. There are two types of frame speed modes, CD and SD. The CD is in the continuous shooting mode. When the shooting operation is completed while the release button 60 is fully pressed, at least one AF operation is performed and the next shooting operation is started. SD is a single shooting mode, and normally the shooting operation is performed only once when the release button 60 is fully pressed.

FM is a focus mode signal, which sends focus mode selection information of the focus mode selection button 62 provided on the body 20 to the port P12 of the AFCPU 30 and the port Q7 of the main CPU 70. There are three types of focus modes FM, C, O, and M. C
Is a continuous AF mode, and always servos the taking lens 11 to the in-focus point based on the detected defocus amount.
Further, O is a one-shot AF mode, and once the taking lens 11 reaches the focal point, the taking lens 1 after that
The servo of 1 is not performed. Further, M is the manual mode, the servo of the taking lens 11 is not performed, and the focus detection result is displayed on the display 40. RB is ON when the release button 60 is fully pressed, and O when it is not.
This is a signal that becomes FF and is also sent to the AF CPU 30 and the main CPU 70.

The two CPUs 30 and 70 send and receive various signals to predictively drive the taking lens 11.
The predictive driving is to repeatedly detect the defocus amount of the photographing lens 11 with respect to the moving subject, predict the moving speed of the subject image forming position based on the change of the defocus amount and the lens position, and form the subject image at the time of exposure. The photographing lens 11 is driven so that the image position matches the film surface as much as possible. This technique is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2-5014.
Since it is publicly known in Japanese Patent No. 0 and its details are disclosed in that publication, description thereof will be omitted. The publication also discloses the determination of the moving direction of the subject in predictive driving.

FIG. 4 is a flow chart showing an outline of the control program executed by the main CPU 70. Figure 5
~ FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of a control program of the main CPU 70. An outline of the entire operation will be described with reference to FIGS. Step S10 in FIG. 4 is the starting unit shown in steps S100 to S103 in FIG. 5, and here, first, the same initialization and variable B as those in the above-mentioned known example are performed.
Initialize C to 1. This BC is a variable that indicates how many shots will be taken in a series of auto bracket shooting when the auto bracket mode is set. After that, wait until the signal RB indicating that the release button 60 is fully pressed is turned on,
When the RB is turned on, proceed to the next step.

Step S20 is step S10 in FIG.
The focus mode reading unit shown in 4 to S109 performs the following processing here. a) If the variable BC is 1 and the normal shooting is not the auto bracket shooting, or the first shot of the auto bracket shooting is shown, and the designation by the focus mode selection button 62 is manual (M), the focus mode Flag variable MFF to 1 and proceed to the next step. B) Similarly, if variable BC is 1 and the selective focus mode is one-shot AF (O) or continuous AF (C), set flag variable MFF to 0. And release permission signal RB
Wait until is turned on before proceeding to the next step. c) If the variable BC is not 1, the focus mode is not read, and if the previously set MFF is 1, proceed to the next step without waiting for the release permission signal RB as in a). ) Similarly, if the variable BC is not 1 and the previously set MFF is 1, the release permission signal RB is awaited as in b) and the process proceeds to the next step. This is a process for not switching the focus mode during a series of auto bracket shooting.

Next, step S30 is an exposure condition determination subroutine shown in FIGS. 8 to 10, and determines the shutter speed and the aperture. The process in this step is
This is a main part of the present invention and will be described later.

Step S40 is step S11 in FIG.
1 to S118, which is an exposure operation sequence part, in which exposure is performed from the mirror up using the shutter speed and aperture determined in the previous step, and then film winding and shutter charging are performed, and finally AF permission is given. The signal AF is turned on and the process proceeds to the next step.

Step S50 is step S11 in FIG.
9 to S126, which is a release standby unit, and what is the value of the flag variable BF set depending on whether or not there is an instruction to perform auto bracket shooting by the photographer in the exposure condition determination subroutine, and is also selected. Depending on what frame speed mode is used, what the value of the variable BC is, etc., different responses are made to the operation of the release button 60, and the next shooting cycle starts. That is, a) If BF is 0, which indicates that auto bracket shooting is not specified, and the frame speed mode is CD (continuous shooting mode), after a predetermined delay, it is checked whether or not the release button 60 is still fully pressed. If it is fully pressed, it is kept as it is, and if it is not fully pressed, the process is terminated after waiting until the release button 60 is fully pressed. This is the normal operation for CD. B) Similarly, if BF is 0 and SD (single shooting mode) is used, wait until the release button 60 is no longer fully pressed, and then wait until it is fully pressed again. The process ends. This is a normal operation during SD. c) On the other hand, if BF is 1 indicating that auto bracket shooting has been designated and the variable BC is 4, the release button 60 is once pushed as described in b) regardless of the selected state of the frame speed mode. After waiting until the state is not fully pressed, the variable BC is initialized to 1 after being fully pressed again, and the process is ended. Here, BC of 4 indicates that the predetermined auto bracket shooting number of 3 in this embodiment has been taken, and the shooting number is set in the exposure condition determination subroutine. d) If BC is not 4 at the time of checking, the operation similar to that in the case of a) is performed. That is, after a predetermined delay,
It is checked whether the release button 60 is still fully pressed, and if it is fully pressed, the variable BC is initialized to 1 if it is not fully pressed, and then the release button 60 is pressed.
Wait until is pressed all the way down, then end this process. By performing the processes shown in c) and d), the camera of the present embodiment keeps the release button 60 fully pressed by the photographer even when the frame speed mode is SD during the auto bracket photographing, which is different from the normal case. After a series of auto bracket shooting is performed a predetermined number of times, the shooting operation is stopped.
Then, once you press the release button 60 all the way down,
The camera is ready for the next shooting. If you want to cancel during auto bracket shooting, release button 60
If you stop pressing the button, the camera will be ready for the next shooting. When the process of step S50 is completed, the process returns to step S20 and the camera enters the next shooting cycle.

Next, the exposure condition determining subroutine according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. Step S2
In 01, it is determined whether or not the variable BC is 1, and if it is 1, the process proceeds to step S202, and if not, step S237.
Go to. In step S202, the photometric device 8 with a built-in camera
The photometric information is read from 5, and in the following step S203,
Read the exposure mode such as shutter speed priority automatic exposure S and aperture priority automatic exposure A set by the photographer,
Further, in step S204, the exposure correction mode such as no correction, one step over, one step under, etc. set by the photographer is read. In step S205, based on the information read in the above step, when the exposure mode is the shutter speed priority automatic exposure mode S, the shutter speed of the camera is set as a basic value, and in the case of the aperture priority automatic exposure mode A, Based on the set aperture value of the camera, the basic combination of aperture and shutter speed is determined. This determination may be made by the same logic as the determination of the combination of the aperture and the shutter speed in the conventional automatic exposure camera.

In step S206, it is determined whether or not the auto bracket shooting mode has been set by the photographer. If so, the process proceeds to step S207, and if not, the process proceeds to step S208. The variable BF is set to 1 in step S207, while the variable BF is set to 0 in step S208. Here, the description will be continued assuming that the auto bracket shooting mode has been set. For a series of settings by these photographers, a setting member is provided for each setting item and the state is set by the CPU.
Or a method in which the photographer interactively inputs information to the CPU by using a liquid crystal display device provided in the camera and a relatively small number of operating members.

In step S209, a shift number set by the photographer, that is, a shift indicating how many shifts the exposure conditions on the over side and the under side of the three exposures during the auto bracket operation are shifted from the basic exposure condition. Read the number of steps. In step S210, the combination of the aperture on the over side (+ side) and the shutter speed, and the combination on the under side (-
Side) and the combination of aperture and shutter speed are calculated and stored in memory. In step S211, it is determined whether the calculated aperture and shutter speed are within the controllable range. If the calculated aperture and shutter speed are within the controllable range, the process proceeds to step S213 in FIG. 9, and if not, the process proceeds to step S212. When it is out of the controllable range, in step S212, a display (not shown) indicates that the current setting is out of the controllable range, and prompts the photographer to change the setting. On the other hand, if it is within the controllable range, it is determined in step S213 in FIG. 9 whether the flag variable MFF is 1, that is, the manual focus mode. If it is the manual focus mode, the process proceeds to step S214, and if not. It proceeds to step S215. Step S21
In 4, the flag variable FF is set to 0, and step S22 is performed.
Go to 1. On the other hand, in step S215, the flag variable F
F is set to 1, and the process proceeds to step S216. The flag variable FF is a flag indicating whether the order of exposure conditions is automatically determined (1) or not (0) when performing auto bracket shooting. In the camera of the present embodiment, in the auto focus mode, the order of the exposure conditions during auto bracket shooting is automatically set, and in the manual focus mode, the predetermined under exposure condition to the basic exposure condition are determined. ~ Determine in the order of over exposure conditions. Depending on the specifications of the camera, a switch for the photographer to select whether the order is automatically set or fixed is added, and the setting of this selection switch is checked before executing step S215. You may make it progress to step S215 or step S214 according to a result.

In step S216, the AFCPU 30 reads information about whether the subject is moving away from the camera, is approaching the camera, or cannot be determined, and the result is temporarily stored in the memory. In the following step S217, it is determined whether or not the subject is approaching the camera. If the subject is approaching, the process proceeds to step S218, and if not, the process proceeds to step S219. In step S219, it is determined whether or not the subject is moving away from the camera. If the distance is increasing, the process proceeds to step S220, and if not, the process proceeds to step S214. When the subject is approaching, the variable CP is set to 1 in step S218, while when the subject is moving away, in step S220,
The variable CP is set to -1. When the subject is neither approaching nor moving away from the camera, determination is not possible, the flag variable FF is set to 0 in step S214, the exposure is performed in the fixed exposure condition order, and the process proceeds to step S221.

In step S221, the processing flow is branched according to the FF set in the processing so far. That is, if the flag variable FF is 0, step S225
Otherwise go to step S222. When the flag variable FF is 1, that is, when the exposure order is automatically determined, in a step S222, the calculation CC = (BC-2) × CP (1) is performed to determine the variable CC. This variable CC
Is a variable indicating the exposure condition in the next exposure, -1 indicates the under side, 0 indicates the reference, and 1 indicates the over side. In the equation (1), if it is determined that the subject is approaching, that is, if CP = 1, the first sheet with BC = 1 has an under exposure condition of CC = −1, and BC = 2.
No. 2 has the basic exposure condition of CC = 0, and the third No. 3 of BC has the over-exposure condition of CC = 1. vice versa,
In the case of CP = −1 in which it is determined that the subject is moving away, the variable CC is set in the reverse order to that in the approaching state.
Is set.

By the way, the calculated value of the variable CC is a numerical value adapted when the exposure mode is the shutter speed priority automatic exposure mode S. In the next step S223, it is determined whether or not the exposure mode stored in the memory is the S mode. If the exposure mode is the S mode, the process proceeds to step S230 in FIG. 10, otherwise the process proceeds to step S224. If S
If it is not the mode but the aperture priority automatic exposure mode A, the sign of the variable CC is inverted in step S224. The reason why the above order of exposure conditions is effective for each exposure mode will be described later.

When the flag FF is 0 in step S221, in steps S225 to S229, the exposure condition for each shooting in the series of automatic bracket shooting is set to
The value of the variable CC is set so that the second side and the third side are on the under side, the basic side, and the over side, respectively.

Next, in step S230 of FIG. 10, it is determined whether or not the variable CC set in the above step is 0, and 0 is determined.
If so, the process proceeds to step S231; otherwise, the process proceeds to step S232. In step S231, the exposure condition is set so that the actual exposure is performed with the previously calculated basic aperture value A and shutter speed S. On the other hand, in step S232, it is determined whether or not the variable CC is 1, and C
If C is 1, the process proceeds to step S233, and if not, the process proceeds to step S234. In step S233, the exposure condition is set so that the actual exposure is performed with the aperture value A and the shutter speed S of the over-side correction calculated previously. On the other hand, in step S234, the exposure condition is set such that the actual exposure is performed with the aperture value A and the shutter speed S of the under-side correction calculated previously. Then, in step S235, the variable BC indicating the number of the image in the auto bracket shooting is incremented and the process returns to the main program.

Now that the exposure conditions for the first image for auto bracket shooting have been determined, the process for determining the exposure conditions for the second and third images will be described next. Here, at the time of the second or third auto bracket shooting, the variable BC is set to 2 or 3 in step S235 described above.
Therefore, the process proceeds from step S201 to step S237, and the variable FF set when the exposure condition for the first image is determined is 1
If it is 1, the process proceeds to step S216 in FIG. 5, and if not, the process proceeds to step S221 in FIG.
In this way, even if the photographer performs an operation to change the setting items such as the exposure mode and the auto bracket designation during a series of auto bracket shooting, the second shot similar to the above-described first shot or The third auto bracket shooting process is executed.

When it is determined in step S206 that the auto bracket shooting is not designated, step S208 is performed.
After setting 0 to the variable BF, step S2 in FIG.
In step 36, the exposure conditions are set so that the exposure is performed at the basic aperture value A and the shutter speed S stored in the memory, and the process returns to the main program.

As described above, the present invention is, so to speak, an automatic setting function of the order of exposure conditions, that is, it detects whether the moving direction of the object is near or far and changes the order of setting the exposure conditions accordingly. In the camera of the above-described embodiment, the one-shot autofocus mode O or the continuous autofocus mode C is used, and this function works when the photographer previously specifies the auto bracket shooting. The photographing results when the auto bracket photographing is performed by the camera according to the present invention will be described for the case of the shutter speed priority automatic exposure mode S and the case of the aperture priority automatic exposure mode A. Shutter speed priority automatic exposure mode S
In this case, the shutter speed is invariable, and when the subject is approaching the camera, the aperture is narrowed for the later exposure, and conversely, when the subject is farther from the camera, the aperture is opened for the later exposure. Either way, the closer the subject is to the camera, the narrower the aperture. In general, the depth of field is
The closer the subject is to the camera, the shallower it is, and the narrower the aperture, the deeper it is. Therefore, if a series of auto bracket shooting is performed by narrowing the aperture as the subject is closer to the camera, a series of auto bracket pictures with a substantially constant depth of field can be taken. That is, as shown in FIG. 11, for example, the camera is operated so that the desired focus range (depth of field) from the front wheel of the automobile to the face of the driver does not change during the three frames of the auto bracket shooting. be able to. As in the case of the subject shown in FIG. 11, if the focus range (depth of field) changes, the overall impression often changes, so it is important to perform auto bracket shooting within the desired focus range. .

Next, in the case of aperture priority automatic exposure mode A,
The aperture is invariable, and when the subject is approaching the camera, the shutter speed is increased with subsequent exposure, and conversely, when the subject is moved away from the camera, the shutter speed is reduced with subsequent exposure. In any case, the closer the subject is to the camera, the faster the shutter speed will be. Generally, the size of the subject image on the film surface is larger as the subject is closer to the camera, and thus the subject blur is larger as the subject is closer to the camera. Further, the blurring of the subject is larger as the shutter speed is slower. Therefore, if you perform a series of auto bracket shooting at a faster shutter speed as the subject is closer to the camera,
It is possible to take a series of auto bracket pictures in which the degree of subject blur is almost constant with respect to the size of the subject itself. That is, as shown in FIG. 12, for example, the camera can be operated so that a series of auto bracket shooting is performed with a targeted blur condition such that the width of the blur of the water droplet is 1/10 of the diameter of the water droplet itself. it can. As in the case of the subject shown in FIG. 12, if the blurring condition changes, the overall impression often changes, so it is important to perform auto bracket shooting with the desired blurring condition.
Further, when a subject that is moving not only in the perspective direction but also in an oblique direction other than the perspective is panned as in the car shown in the photograph of FIG. 11, generally, the closer the subject is to the camera, the closer the camera is to the camera. Since the direction is swung quickly, there is also an effect that it is possible to shoot so that the flow of the background is as uniform as possible. Note that 91a and 91b in the center of FIGS.
Indicates a range for focus detection and a range corresponding to the autofocus area.

In the above embodiment, an example in which the present invention is used in a camera with an auto bracket function has been described, but it is also possible to use the present invention in a camera with an auto shift function. The auto-shift function is a function that shifts the shutter speed and the aperture at the same time so as to keep the exposure amount constant and shoots one after another. Its main purpose is to take multiple shots at various shutter speeds and then select a desired blur level when it is not possible to determine how fast the shutter will be when shooting a moving subject. Used for. When the present invention is applied to this auto-shift function, for example, if the subject is closer to the camera, the shutter speed becomes slower. Therefore, if the shooting order is determined so that the apertures are narrowed, the change in the blurring condition is promoted and the focus range is changed. Has the effect of being suppressed.

The number of auto bracket shooting frames is not limited to that in the above embodiment.

In the configuration of the above embodiment, the AF module 23 and the AFCPU 30 are the focus detecting means, the main CPU 70 is the moving direction detecting means, the order determining means and the automatic shift control means, and the exposure mode selecting button 86 is the selecting means. Constitute.

[0037]

As described above, according to the present invention, the setting order of at least one of the aperture and the shutter speed is determined according to the moving direction of the object, and the exposure conditions are shifted by a predetermined number of steps in that order. However, since the shooting operations are performed sequentially, even if the continuous shooting is performed while automatically shifting the exposure conditions for the subject moving away from the camera or approaching the camera, the depth of field and the subject caused by the movement of the subject The effects of blurring can be suppressed to a minimum, and a series of continuous shots can produce pictures with almost the same impression. In addition, it is possible to further increase the effects of the depth of field and subject blurring that accompany movement of the subject, and it is also possible to take continuous photographs that emphasize the change in impression.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a complaint correspondence diagram.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an outline of a control program.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of a control program.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing an example of a control program.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of a control program.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing an exposure condition determination processing routine.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing an exposure condition determination processing routine.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing an exposure condition determination processing routine.

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a photograph taken by the camera according to the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of a photograph taken by the camera of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

10 lenses 11 Shooting lens 20 camera body 23 AF module 24 Focus detection optical system 25 CCD 30 AFCPU 50 AF motor 60 Release button 61 Piece speed mode selection button 62 Focus mode selection button 64 communication bus 70 Main CPU 101 focus detection means 102 moving direction detecting means 103 Automatic shift control means 104, 104A, 104B, 104C Order determination means 105 selection means

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A focus detecting means for detecting a defocus amount corresponding to a shift amount between an image plane of a photographing lens and a planned focal plane, and the photographing based on the defocus amount detected by the focus detecting means. Moving direction detecting means for detecting the moving direction of the object along the optical axis of the lens, and automatic shifting for sequentially performing photographing operation while shifting at least one of the aperture and shutter speed by a predetermined number of steps over a predetermined number of frames. An automatic exposure condition shift camera including a control unit, and an order determination unit that determines a setting order of at least one of an aperture and a shutter speed in the sequential shooting operation based on a detection result of the moving direction detection unit. A camera that automatically shifts the exposure conditions. 2. The automatic exposure condition shifting camera according to claim 1, wherein the order determining means detects that the subject is moving in a direction approaching the camera by the moving direction detecting means. When it is determined that the aperture for each exposure in the sequential shooting operation is to be reduced, and it is detected that the subject is moving in a direction away from the camera,
The automatic exposure condition shift camera, which determines the opening order for each exposure. 3. The automatic exposure condition shifting camera according to claim 1, wherein the order determining means detects that the subject is moving in a direction approaching the camera by the moving direction detecting means. The shutter speed for each exposure in the sequential shooting operation is determined in order of increasing, and when it is detected that the subject is moving away from the camera, the shutter speed for each exposure is determined in order of decreasing. Characteristic automatic exposure condition shift camera. 4. The automatic exposure condition shifting camera according to claim 1, further comprising a selection unit for selecting an aperture priority mode and a shutter speed priority mode, wherein the order determination unit is the shutter speed priority mode by the selection unit. When is selected, when the moving direction detecting unit detects that the subject is moving in a direction approaching the camera, it is determined in the order of narrowing the aperture for each exposure in the sequential shooting operation. However, when it is detected that the subject is moving in a direction away from the camera, it is determined in the order of opening the aperture for each exposure, and when the aperture priority mode is selected by the selection unit, When the moving direction detecting means detects that the subject is moving in a direction approaching the camera, the sequential shooting motion is detected. In the order of increasing the shutter speed for each exposure, and when it is detected that the subject is moving away from the camera, the shutter speed for each exposure is determined in the order of decreasing. Exposure condition shift camera.