JP2006025314A - Digital camera - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a digital camera capable of positively guiding to the setting of a zoom position adapted for photographing. <P>SOLUTION: A display section 114 displays a zoom bar B being an index of the zoom position and an icon P1 for denoting the current zoom position. The display section 114 may display the zoom bar B in yellow in order to indicate the fact that the position of the present zoom lens 12 is not a position optimum to macro photographing. Further, the display section 114 displays an icon P2 for denoting an optimum zoom position and an icon A for urging zooming operations of the movement of the current zoom position up to the optimum zoom position. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a digital camera, and more particularly to a digital camera that guides settings suitable for shooting.

Conventionally, a technique for informing a photographer of a setting state of a camera has been devised. For example, according to Patent Document 1, in an imaging apparatus including an optical zoom unit, an electronic zoom unit, a zoom operation unit that performs a zoom operation, and an information display unit, the zoom state by the optical zoom unit is at the tele end. The information display means performs a display for identifying the information to prevent the user from unintentionally executing the electronic zoom enlargement process.
JP 2003-244490 A

  However, in the imaging apparatus of Patent Document 1, display for identifying that the zoom state is at the telephoto end is performed, and unintentional zoom setting is only passively prevented. The present invention has been made in view of such problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a digital camera that can actively guide settings suitable for photographing.

  In order to solve the above-described problem, the invention according to claim 1 is a zoom lens, an imaging unit that photoelectrically converts a subject image formed by the zoom lens to obtain a captured image, and a display device that displays the captured image A digital camera equipped with a mode setting unit that accepts settings for normal mode for shooting at normal shooting distance or macro mode for close-up shooting at shorter shooting distance than normal shooting distance, and manual operation of zoom position setting A manual zoom setting unit that receives the zoom lens, a lens driving unit that drives the zoom lens to the set zoom position, a zoom position detection unit that detects a current zoom position, and the detection when the macro mode is set. Until the zoom position moved to the optimal zoom position for close-up photography. A control unit for displaying information to induce settings Jishon on the display device, provides a digital camera comprising a.

  According to the present invention, when the macro mode is set, information for guiding the setting is displayed on the display device until the zoom position optimal for the close-up shooting is set. The photographer can manually set the optimum zoom position for close-up shooting while referring to this information.

  In the invention according to claim 2, the information for guiding the setting of the optimal zoom position includes information indicating the detected zoom position, information indicating the optimal zoom position, and the detected zoom position. The digital camera according to claim 1, further comprising information indicating a movement amount to an optimum zoom position.

  Information that guides the optimal zoom position setting for close-up photography, information that indicates the detected zoom position, information that indicates the optimal zoom position, and information that indicates the amount of movement from the detected zoom position to the optimal zoom position In this way, the photographer can easily recognize how much the zoom lens should be driven from the current zoom position to the optimum zoom position.

  The invention according to claim 3 provides the digital camera according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the optimum zoom position is a wide end of the zoom lens.

  Due to the design of digital cameras, focusing may not be possible unless the zoom lens is driven to the wide end in the macro mode. When the macro mode is set, information for guiding the zoom lens to move to the wide end is displayed, so that the photographer can move the zoom lens to the wide end to prevent blurring during macro shooting.

  The invention according to claim 4 is a digital camera comprising a zoom lens, an imaging unit that photoelectrically converts a subject image formed by the zoom lens to obtain a photographed image, and a display device that displays the photographed image. A manual focus setting unit that receives a focus setting of the imaging unit by a manual operation, a focus detection unit that detects a current focus state set in the photographing unit, and the detected focus state is substantially in focus. There is provided a digital camera comprising: a control unit that displays information for guiding the manual focus setting until the state is reached.

  According to the present invention, information for guiding the manual focus setting is displayed on the display device until a substantially in-focus state is reached. The photographer can focus by manual operation while referring to this information.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the digital camera according to the fourth aspect, wherein the information for guiding the focus setting includes information indicating a direction of manual operation to reach a focused state.

  By indicating the direction of manual operation leading to the in-focus state, manual focus setting is further facilitated.

  According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, the control unit calculates an evaluation value indicating the sharpness of an image based on a captured image obtained by the imaging unit, and the focus is maintained until the calculated evaluation value becomes substantially maximum. The digital camera according to claim 4 or 5, wherein information for guiding setting is displayed.

  By displaying information for guiding the focus setting until the evaluation value indicating the sharpness of the image becomes substantially maximum, focusing by manual operation is further ensured.

  The invention according to claim 7 is a digital camera comprising a zoom lens, an imaging unit that photoelectrically converts a subject image formed by the zoom lens to obtain a captured image, and a display device that displays the captured image. A manual zoom setting unit that receives a setting of a zoom position by a manual operation, a lens driving unit that drives a zoom lens to the set zoom position, a recognition unit that recognizes a predetermined observation point of the subject image, A calculation unit that sets a similarity ratio calculated by comparing an observed figure determined from the recognized predetermined observation point and a predetermined similar figure to an optimum zoom magnification for photographing the subject image, and a zoom for detecting a current zoom position A position detection unit, and the optimal shift until the detected zoom position is set to a zoom position corresponding to the optimal zoom magnification. Providing a digital camera comprising a control unit for displaying information to induce set zoom position corresponding to the beam magnification in the display device.

  According to the present invention, since the information for guiding the setting of the zoom position is displayed until the detected zoom position is set to the zoom position corresponding to the optimum zoom magnification, the optimum zoom magnification can be obtained even if the photographer is a beginner. Can be set.

  The invention according to claim 8 further includes an estimation unit that geometrically estimates an observation figure from a part of a predetermined observation point recognized from the subject image, and the calculation unit includes the estimated observation figure and a predetermined value. The digital camera according to claim 7, wherein a similarity ratio calculated by comparing with a similar figure is set to an optimum zoom magnification for photographing the subject image.

  The observed figure can be geometrically estimated from a part of predetermined observation points recognized from the subject image.

  In the invention according to claim 9, the information for guiding the setting of the zoom position corresponding to the optimal zoom magnification includes information indicating the detected zoom position and information indicating the zoom position corresponding to the optimal zoom magnification. The digital camera according to claim 7, further comprising information indicating a movement amount from the detected zoom position to a zoom position corresponding to the optimum zoom magnification.

  According to the present invention, the photographer can easily recognize how much the zoom lens should be driven from the current zoom position to the optimum zoom position.

  According to the present invention, when the macro mode is set, information for guiding the setting is displayed on the display device until the zoom position optimal for the close-up shooting is set. The photographer can set an optimum zoom position for close-up shooting while referring to this information.

  Further, according to the present invention, information for guiding the focus setting by manual operation is displayed on the display device until a substantially in-focus state is reached. The photographer can focus by manual operation while referring to this information.

  Further, according to the present invention, since the information for guiding the setting of the zoom position is displayed until the detected zoom position is set to the zoom position corresponding to the optimal zoom magnification, it is optimal even if the photographer is a beginner. Zoom magnification can be set.

  Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[Schematic configuration]
1 to 3 are external perspective views of the camera 10 according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The camera 10 is a digital camera equipped with a zoom lens 12 and is large enough that a photographer can reliably hold the lens portion 14 protruding forward from the camera body and the grip portion 22 on the side of the body to prevent photographing blur. And has a shape. As the zoom lens 12, for example, an optical 6 × zoom lens is used, and the lens barrel 15 is driven back and forth in accordance with a zoom operation on the telephoto (tele) side or the wide angle (wide) side.

  A pop-up strobe 16 is provided at the top of the camera, and a strobe light control sensor 18 is provided beside the strobe light emitting unit. Reference numeral 40 denotes a strobe pop-up button that pops up the strobe 16 at a usable position. A shutter button 80 is disposed on the upper surface of the grip portion 22, and the self-timer lamp 20 is provided on the front surface of the grip portion 22.

  The lens 14 is provided with a focus / zoom ring (hereinafter referred to as an FZ ring) 24. When the photographer manually rotates the FZ ring 24 in the manual focus mode (MF), manual focus adjustment can be performed. it can. Alternatively, when the photographer manually rotates the FZ ring 24 in the continuous auto focus (C-AF) mode or the single auto focus (S-AF) mode, manual optical zoom adjustment can be performed. The MF / C-AF / S-AF mode is switched by the mode switch 30.

  On the side surface of the camera 10, a mode selector switch 30 for selecting a C-AF mode, an S-AF mode or an MF mode, a zoom key 32, an information button 34, an exposure correction button 36, a white balance adjustment button 38, and the like are disposed. ing. Each of these operation units is provided at a position where the photographer can operate with the thumb of the left hand holding the lens unit 14 of the camera 10.

  The zoom key 32 is an operation unit that is used both for adjusting the focal length of the zoom lens 12 and for instructing enlargement / reduction by the electronic zoom function. The zoom key 32 has a seesaw-type switch structure that tilts in the front-rear direction of the camera 10, and can change the focal length of the zoom lens 12 to the tele side and the wide side according to the tilt direction. When the front part (T key) of the zoom key 32 is pressed, zoom control is performed in the tele direction (enlargement direction), and when the rear part (W key) of the zoom key 32 is pressed, zoom control is performed in the wide direction (reduction direction). The It is also possible to separate the T key and the W key in different directions.

  When the mode changeover switch 30 is selected to the C-AF mode or S-AF mode, the optical zoom adjustment can be performed manually by rotating the FZ ring 24 by hand. As an example, when the FZ ring 24 is rotated to the right as viewed from the back of the camera 10, zoom control is performed in the tele direction (enlargement direction), and when the FZ ring 24 is rotated to the left, optical zoom control is performed in the wide direction (reduction direction). The The relationship between the rotation direction and the tele / wide direction may be reversed.

  The information button 34 is a means for giving an instruction to display the shooting conditions at the time of shooting on the liquid crystal monitor 68 (see FIG. 2) of the camera 10 with one touch. The exposure correction button 36 is used when instructing the exposure correction amount of the captured image, and the white balance adjustment button 38 is used when changing the white balance setting.

  When the terminal cover 42 provided on the side surface of the camera 10 is opened, a communication connector (for example, a USB terminal) 44 for transmitting / receiving information to / from other electronic devices, a video output terminal 46 for transmitting / receiving a video signal, and a power source from the outside. A power input terminal 48 used for supplying is provided.

  FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of the camera 10. A finder 50 and a liquid crystal monitor 68 are provided on the rear side of the camera. As an operation unit, a cross key 52, a menu / execution button 54, a cancel / return button 56, a display button 58, a shift button 60, a display switching button 62, an enlarged display. A button 64 and an AE fixed button 66 for inputting an AE lock instruction are provided.

  Although the finder 50 is configured by an electronic view finder, an embodiment in which the finder 50 is replaced with an optical finder is also possible. The liquid crystal monitor 68 is a display unit that can be used as an electronic viewfinder for checking the angle of view at the time of shooting, and displays a preview image of the shot image, a reproduced image read from an external recording device such as a memory card, and the like. Further, menu selection using the cross key 52 and command dial 96 (see FIG. 3), setting of various items in each menu, and the like are also performed using the display screen of the liquid crystal monitor 68. Further, the liquid crystal monitor 68 can display information such as display of the number of shootable images (number of frames) and playback frame number, macro mode display, recording image quality (quality) display, and pixel number display.

  The photographer can adjust the angle of view by viewing the image displayed on the finder 50 or the liquid crystal monitor 68. The display switching button 62 is an operation unit for inputting an instruction to switch between using the finder 50 and the liquid crystal monitor 68 as a display destination of images and information.

  The cross key 52 is a multi-function key configured to input instructions in the corresponding four directions (up, down, left, and right) by pressing one of the upper, lower, left, and right edges. Used as operation keys to instruct selection and change of setting contents, focal length adjustment (tele / wide operation) of zoom lens 12, electronic zoom magnification adjustment, zoom center movement instruction, playback frame forward / return It is used as a means for instructing The cross key 52 may be of a type in which one operating member tilts up, down, left, and right, or four keys, up, down, left, and right may be provided separately.

  The menu / execution button 54 is used when a transition is made from the normal screen to the menu screen in each mode, or when a selection content is confirmed and a process execution instruction is given. The cancel / return button 56 is a means for designating cancellation of processing or returning processing to the previous state, and is used when canceling the item selected from the menu or returning to the previous operation state.

  The display button 58 is a means for turning on / off the liquid crystal monitor 68 and switching between display / non-display of a frame number being reproduced. The shift button 60 is a push switch for extending the function of a multifunction key such as the cross key 52. The enlargement display button 64 is an operation button for giving an instruction to enlarge and display a part of the screen (for example, the center of the screen) in order to confirm the focused state with respect to the subject.

  Of the operation units provided on the back of the camera, the shift button 60 is provided at a position where the photographer can operate with the left hand in view of the necessity of simultaneous pressing with other operation buttons (keys). The other operation parts (52, 54, 56, 58, 62, 64, 66) are provided at positions where the photographer can operate with the thumb of the right hand holding the grip part 22.

  A slot cover 70 is provided on the side of the camera with the grip portion 22 so as to be freely opened and closed, and a media slot (not shown) for mounting an external recording device is provided inside the cover. Further, a battery cover 72 and a tripod screw hole 74 are provided on the bottom surface of the camera 10 to cover a portion where a battery (not shown) is mounted.

  FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the camera 10 in a state in which the strobe 16 and the lens barrel 15 are housed. On the upper surface of the camera 10, a shutter button 80, a power switch 82, a mode lever 84, a flash button 86 for instructing the flash mode of the flash 16 or prohibiting flash, and a macro button for instructing to set or cancel the macro (short-distance shooting) mode. 88, a self-timer button 90, a continuous shooting button 92 for instructing to set or cancel the continuous shooting mode, a mode dial 94, and a command dial 96 for setting various modes.

  The shutter button 80 is a means for instructing the start of image recording. The automatic focus (AF) and automatic exposure control (AE) are activated in a “half-pressed” state in which the shutter button 80 is lightly pressed to stop. It is also used as a recording button for instructing the state of “full press” to be further pressed from “”. The mode lever 84 is means for setting the camera 10 to each mode of photographing or reproduction. The mode lever 84 is configured by a lever switch that is rotatably supported on the outer periphery of the power switch 82, and can switch between the photographing mode and the reproduction mode depending on the stop position of the mode lever 84.

  The mode dial 94 is means for switching various shooting modes. By turning the mode dial 94 and aligning the mark of each mode drawn on the dial with the index, setup mode, manual shooting mode, aperture priority shooting mode, shutter speed priority shooting mode (normal shooting mode), night view, It is possible to select a mode such as a scene selection mode in which a shooting scene such as a person or a distant scene is set and shot, and a moving image recording mode.

  The setup mode is a mode for setting, for example, the resolution, compression rate, sharpness, recording color, date, presence / absence of a beep sound, and the like of a recorded image. Note that the resolution, compression rate, and the like related to image recording can also be set from the menu screen in the shooting mode. When set to manual shooting mode, you can manually set the exposure, flash output, focus, etc.

  FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the internal configuration of the camera 10. A solid-state image sensor 102 such as a CCD is disposed behind the optical unit 100 including the zoom lens 12, and light that has passed through the zoom lens 12 enters the solid-state image sensor 102. Photosensors are arranged in a plane on the light receiving surface of the solid-state imaging device 102, and the subject image formed on the light receiving surface is converted into signal charges of an amount corresponding to the amount of incident light by each photosensor. . The signal charge accumulated in this way is sequentially read out as a voltage signal (image signal) corresponding to the signal charge based on a pulse signal supplied from a driver circuit (not shown) and added to the imaging circuit 106.

  The imaging circuit 106 includes a gain adjustment circuit and an A / D converter, and image data converted into a digital signal through the imaging circuit 106 is sent to an image processing circuit 108 and a high pass filter (HPF) 125. The image processing circuit 108 includes a luminance / color difference signal generation circuit, a gamma correction circuit, a sharpness correction circuit, a contrast correction circuit, a white balance correction circuit, a contour processing unit that performs image processing including contour correction on a captured image, and image noise reduction processing. The image processing means includes a noise reduction processing unit that performs the processing, and processes the image signal in accordance with a command from the processing unit 110 configured by RISC (Reduced Instruction Set Computer) or the like.

  The image data input to the image processing circuit 108 is converted into a luminance signal (Y signal) and a color difference signal (Cr, Cb signal) and is subjected to predetermined processing such as gamma correction and then stored in the memory 112. Is done. The image data stored in the memory 112 is read according to a command from the processing unit 110, converted into a predetermined signal format such as the NTSC system, and then output to the display unit 114. The display unit 114 corresponds to an external display device connected to the finder 50, the liquid crystal monitor 68, the video output terminal 46, or the like built in the camera 10. The processing unit 110 includes an OSD signal generation circuit, and the OSD signal generation circuit generates a signal for displaying characters such as a shutter speed, an aperture value, the number of images that can be shot, a shooting date and time, a warning message, and a symbol such as an icon. Let A signal output from the OSD signal generation circuit is mixed with an image signal as necessary and supplied to the display unit 114. As a result, a composite image in which characters, icons, and the like are combined with the through image and the playback image is displayed.

  The image data in the memory 112 is periodically rewritten by the image signal output from the solid-state image sensor 102, and the video signal generated from the image data is supplied to the display unit 114, so that the image data is output via the solid-state image sensor 102. The captured image is displayed on the display unit 114 in real time.

  When the shooting mode is selected by the mode lever 84 and the still image shooting mode is selected by the mode dial 94, when the shutter button 80 is pressed, a shooting start instruction (release ON) signal is issued. In other words, a focus drive unit (not shown) is controlled to perform a focus operation, and exposure control is performed by controlling a charge accumulation time (a so-called electronic shutter) of the solid-state image sensor 102.

  In response to the full pressing operation of the shutter button 80, the captured image data for recording is subjected to predetermined processing in the image processing circuit 108, and then compressed as necessary, and recorded in the external recording device 116. Is done.

  The external recording device 116 is means for holding image data obtained by shooting, and for example, a memory card called smart media is used. The form of the recording medium is not limited to this, and it may be a PC card, a compact flash (registered trademark), a magnetic disk, an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk, a memory stick, etc., electronic, magnetic, optical, or a combination thereof A readable / writable medium can be used in accordance with the above-described method. A configuration in which a plurality of media can be mounted regardless of different types or the same type of recording media may be adopted. The means for storing the image file is not limited to a removable medium that can be attached to and detached from the camera body, but may be a recording medium (built-in memory) built in the camera.

  When the moving image recording mode is set by the mode dial 94, the recording operation is started by pressing the shutter button 80, and when the shutter button 80 is pressed again, the recording operation is stopped. The recording operation may be performed while the shutter button 80 is continuously pressed, and the recording may be stopped by releasing the pressing. The moving image data is recorded in the external recording device 116, for example, in the motion JPEG format.

  When the playback mode is set by the mode dial 94, the image file is read from the external recording device 116. The read image data is decompressed by the image processing circuit 108 and output to the display unit 114.

  On the other hand, only the G pixel component is extracted by the HPF 125 from the image data converted into a digital signal by the A / D conversion unit of the imaging circuit 106. Then, the G pixel component extracted by the integration processing unit 126 is integrated and sent to the processing unit 110. The processing unit 110 calculates an average value of four areas in the vicinity of the center of the 64-division image data for one screen sent from the integration processing unit 126, and sets this as an autofocus (AF) evaluation value. The AF evaluation value is calculated every elapse of a predetermined period, and updated and stored in the memory 112 each time it is calculated.

  When the photographer operates the mode changeover switch 30 to switch to the C-AF or S-AF mode and rotates the FZ ring 24 in the tele direction or the wide direction, the processing unit 110 performs a zoom control circuit according to the operation. 120 is controlled to drive the motor 122. The motor 122 is a DC motor, and can be driven in the tele direction or the wide direction by changing the polarity of the voltage applied to the motor 122. The power of the motor 122 is transmitted to the zoom lens 12 through a gear or other power transmission mechanism (not shown), so that the zoom lens moves and the focal length is changed.

  The cross key 52 can also function as a zoom operation key. For example, in the state where the camera 10 is held horizontally (horizontal position), the upper key of the cross key 52 functions as a zoom up key (T key) and the lower key functions as a zoom down key (W key) to replace the FZ ring 24. The cross key 52 may be operated to perform zoom driving.

  The camera 10 is provided with a lens position detection circuit 124 as means for detecting the position (zoom position) of the driven zoom lens 12, and the detection result is notified to the processing unit 110. The processing unit 110 performs zoom position control based on the detection signal of the lens position detection circuit 124.

  The lens position detection circuit 124 may be a circuit that generates a pulse by the rotation of the motor 122, or may be a mode in which a position detection encoding plate is disposed on the outer periphery of the lens barrel 15, and is used when implementing the present invention. It is not particularly limited.

  The processing unit 110 is a control unit that performs overall control of each circuit of the camera 10, and includes a zoom key 32, a shutter button 80, a cross key 52, a menu / execution button 54, an FZ ring 24, a mode switch 30, a zoom key 32, and a macro button. 88, the mode lever 84, the mode dial 94, and other signals received from the operation unit 113, and controls the operation of the corresponding circuit, as well as display control in the display unit 114, strobe light emission control, autofocus (AF) control, Perform automatic exposure (AE) control.

[Process flow]
Next, processing executed by the camera 10 will be described. The camera 10 executes a zoom position guiding process, a focusing guiding process, and a zoom position guiding process during person photographing.

  FIG. 5 is a flowchart of zoom position guidance processing executed by the processing unit 110. The camera 10 performs macro photography by depressing the macro button 88. At the time of macro photography, the camera 10 is designed to focus only at the wide end, or the distance at which the subject can be approached is limited even if it can be focused. May be. For this reason, it is necessary for the photographer to set an appropriate zoom position during macro photography. The zoom position guiding process is a process of guiding the photographer to display an icon on the display unit 114 and set a zoom position suitable for macro shooting. This process is performed when the camera 10 is set to the shooting mode by operating the mode lever 84 and the mode switch 30 is operated to switch to the C-AF / S-AF mode so that the optical zoom can be manually set. Start.

  In S1, it is determined whether or not the macro button 88 has been pressed. When the macro button 88 is pressed, the process proceeds to S2. If not pressed, it continues to wait for pressing.

  In S2, as shown in FIG. 6, an icon M indicating macro shooting is displayed on the display unit 114. When the macro button 88 is pressed twice continuously to shift to the super macro mode, an icon indicating that the super macro shooting is performed is displayed on the display unit 114.

  In S <b> 3, the current position (zoom position) of the zoom lens 12 is detected from the lens position detection circuit 124. Then, it is determined whether or not the current position of the zoom lens 12 is the optimum position for macro photography, that is, the telephoto end. If the current position of the zoom lens 12 is not the optimum position for macro photography, the process proceeds to S4, and if it is the optimum position, the process proceeds to S6.

  In S4, as shown in FIG. 6, the zoom bar B serving as an index of the zoom position and the icon P1 indicating the current zoom position on the zoom bar B are displayed on the display unit 114. In order to indicate that the current position of the zoom lens 12 is not optimal for macro photography, the zoom bar B may be displayed on the display device 114 by changing the color of the zoom bar B to yellow. Further, an icon P2 indicating an optimal zoom position and an icon A for prompting a zoom operation to move the current zoom position to the optimal zoom position are displayed on the display unit 114. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 7, the amount of movement from the current zoom position to the optimum zoom position may be indicated by a number of icons corresponding to the amount. In this figure, among the plurality of icons A1 to A8 indicating the zoom positions from the tele end to the wide end, icons A2 to A8 corresponding to the movement amount from the icon P1 to the icon P2 are displayed.

  In accordance with this, attention may be drawn to adjusting the zoom position by blinking the icon M indicating macro shooting / super macro shooting. Unlike the zoom bar B and the icon P1, the icon P2 indicating the optimal zoom position may be a white transparent color.

  In S5, it is determined whether or not an optical zoom control operation has been performed with the FZ ring 24 or the cross key 52. When the zoom operation is performed, the process returns to S3, and when the zoom operation is not performed, the zoom operation is continuously waited.

  In S6, if the zoom bar B and the icons P1, P2, and A are displayed, they are deleted from the display unit 114, and this process is terminated. In this step, the content indicating that the zoom position suitable for macro photography has been reached may be displayed with an icon or the like.

  With the above processing, when the current position of the zoom lens 12 is not the optimum position for macro photography, the icon A guides the user to move to the optimum position for macro photography. Can be set.

[Focus guidance processing]
Next, the flow of the focusing guidance process will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. This process is started when the MF mode is set by the mode selector switch 30. In the MF mode, it is necessary to rotate the FZ ring 24 for focusing, but in this process, it is guided in which direction the FZ ring 24 should be rotated for focusing.

  In S11, the AF evaluation value currently stored in the memory 112 is acquired as the first AF evaluation value a1.

  In S12, it is determined whether or not the focus adjustment operation has been performed by the rotation of the FZ ring 24. When the focus adjustment operation is performed, the process proceeds to S13, and when the focus adjustment operation is not performed, the process returns to S11.

  In S13, the AF evaluation value currently stored in the memory 112 is acquired as the second AF evaluation value a2.

  In S14, it is determined whether or not a2> a1, that is, whether or not the AF evaluation value has increased due to the focus adjustment operation. If a2> a1, the process proceeds to S15, and if a2 ≦ a1, the process proceeds to S16.

  In S15, a rotation instruction in the same direction as the rotation direction operated in S12 is displayed on the display unit 114 with an icon or a symbol. On the other hand, in S16, a rotation instruction in the direction opposite to the rotation direction operated in S12 is displayed on the display unit 114 with an icon or a symbol, and the process returns to S11.

  For example, when the FZ ring 24 is rotated in the clockwise direction in S12 and a2> a1, the icon CL instructing the rotation of the FZ ring 24 in the clockwise direction is displayed as shown in FIG. It is displayed on the part 114 (S15). Alternatively, when the FZ ring 24 is rotated in the clockwise direction in S12 and a2 ≦ a1, the icon ACL for instructing the rotation of the FZ ring 24 in the counterclockwise direction is displayed as shown in FIG. 9B. The information is displayed on the display unit 114 (S16). Alternatively, when the FZ ring 24 is rotated in the counterclockwise direction in S12 and a2 ≦ a1, the icon ACL for instructing the rotation of the FZ ring 24 in the clockwise direction is displayed as shown in FIG. The information is displayed on the display unit 114 (S16). Alternatively, if the FZ ring 24 is rotated in the counterclockwise direction in S12 and a2> a1, the icon ACL for instructing the rotation of the FZ ring 24 in the counterclockwise direction as shown in FIG. 9B. Is displayed on the display unit 114 (S15).

  In S <b> 17, it is determined whether or not a focus adjustment operation has been performed with the FZ ring 24. When the focus adjustment operation is performed, the process proceeds to S18, and when the focus adjustment operation is not performed, the focus adjustment operation is continuously waited.

  In S18, the AF evaluation value currently stored in the memory 112 is acquired as the third AF evaluation value a3.

  In S19, it is determined whether a3 <a2. That is, it is determined whether or not the AF evaluation value increased by the first focus adjustment operation (S12) is decreased by the second focus adjustment operation (S17). When a3 <a2, the process proceeds to S20, and when a3 ≧ a2, the process returns to S11.

  In S20, the icon CL or ACL instructing the rotation of the FZ ring 24 displayed in S15 or S16 is deleted from the display unit 114.

  When the first focus adjustment is performed by the above processing (S12), if the focus adjustment is in the direction in which the AF evaluation value increases, an instruction is given to continue to rotate the FZ ring 24 in that direction (S15). If the focus adjustment is in the direction in which the AF evaluation value decreases, the FZ ring 24 is instructed to rotate in the opposite direction (S16). Accordingly, it is possible to guide the photographer to rotate the FZ ring 24 in the MF mode to adjust the focus toward the maximum AF evaluation value.

  Also, as shown in FIG. 10, the AF evaluation value increases from a1 (obtained at S11) to a2 (obtained at S13) by the first focus adjustment (“Y” at S14), and at the second focus adjustment. When the AF evaluation value decreases from a2 to a3 (obtained in S181) (“Y” in S19), the AF evaluation value changes from increasing to decreasing, as in the so-called hill climbing method, and the AF evaluation value becomes the maximum point P of the focus evaluation value. It is thought that it was set almost in the vicinity of. Therefore, the rotation instruction of the FZ ring 24 can be deleted when the AF evaluation value substantially reaches the vicinity of the maximum point P of the focus evaluation value (S20).

[Zoom position guidance processing when shooting people]
Next, based on the flowchart of FIG. 11, a flow of zoom position guidance processing at the time of person photographing performed by the processing unit 110 will be described. The zoom position guidance process during portrait shooting is a process for guiding the photographer to display an icon on the display unit 114 and set an appropriate zoom position for portrait shooting when performing portrait shooting. In this process, the camera 10 is set to the shooting mode by operating the mode lever 84, the person shooting is selected with the mode dial 94, and the mode changeover switch 30 is operated to switch to the S-AF / C-AF mode. The process starts when the optical zoom can be adjusted by rotating the ring 24 or pressing the cross button 52.

  In S31, a predetermined observation point is identified from the human subject of the image data output from the image processing circuit. As an example of the observation point, as shown in FIG. 12A, the left eye LE, the right eye RE, the nose N, the mouth MT of a person, or a combination thereof can be cited.

  In S32, the observed figure, which is a figure determined by the observation point, is compared with a predetermined reference figure similar to the observed figure, the similarity ratio a between the observed figure and the predetermined reference figure is calculated, and this similarity ratio a is used as the zoom magnification. And decide. The reference figure is a figure that serves as a calculation reference for a zoom magnification suitable for portrait photography. For example, as shown in FIG. 12B, it is assumed that the observed figure is a triangle connecting the left eye LE, the right eye RE, and the mouth MT. In this case, as shown in FIG. 12C, the reference graphic is a triangle similar to the observation graphic. If the similarity ratio between the two is a, the zoom magnification is a.

  Alternatively, if the main subject is a building, the similarity ratio can be calculated by recognizing the geometric shape of the subject (such as a rectangle or a pentagon). For example, as shown in FIG. 12D, building corners x1 to x5 are recognized as observation points. And as shown in FIG.12 (e), let the square which connected the corners x1-x4 of a building mutually be an observation figure. The rectangular interior angles θ1 to θ4 are determined in advance. The similarity ratio may be calculated by comparing the observed figure with a similar reference figure (rectangle in FIG. 12F).

  As another example of the observation figure, the observation figure can be geometrically estimated from a part of the observation points that can be recognized among the predetermined observation points. That is, as shown in FIG. 13, the length x1 of the line segment from the nose N to the right eye RE, the length x2 of the line segment from the nose N to the left eye LE, and the length y of the line segment from the nose N to the mouth MT , And the angle of depression of the line segment from the nose N to the right eye RE and the line segment from the nose N to the left eye LE is predetermined as θ. The values of β and θ may be changed according to the characteristics of the subject (gender, adult, child, etc.). If any one of the right eye RE, the left eye LE, and the mouth MT and the nose N can be recognized as observation points, the positions of other observation points can be calculated using β and θ. Then, a triangle formed by connecting the right eye RE, the left eye LE, and the mouth MT, which are recognized observation points, is estimated as an observation figure.

  In S <b> 33, the current position (zoom position) of the zoom lens 12 is detected from the lens position detection circuit 124. Then, it is determined whether or not the current position of the zoom lens 12 is a zoom position (person photographing position) corresponding to the zoom magnification determined in S32. If the current position of the zoom lens 12 is not in the person photographing position, the process proceeds to S34, and if it is in the person photographing position, the process proceeds to S36.

  In S34, as shown in FIG. 14, the zoom bar B serving as an index of the zoom position and the icon P1 indicating the current zoom position on the zoom bar B are displayed on the display unit 114. In order to indicate that the current position of the zoom lens 12 is not a zoom position suitable for photographing a person, the zoom bar B may be displayed on the display device 114 by changing the color of the zoom bar B to yellow. Further, an icon P2 indicating the person shooting position and icons A2 to A8 for prompting a zoom operation to move the current zoom position to the person shooting position are displayed on the display unit 114. This icon display is the same as in S4 of the zoom position guidance process described above and FIG.

  In S35, it is determined whether or not the zoom control operation has been performed with the FZ ring 24 or the cross key 52. When the zoom operation is performed, the process returns to S33, and when the zoom operation is not performed, the zoom operation is continuously waited.

  In S36, if the zoom bar B and the icons P1, P2, and A are displayed, they are deleted from the display unit 114, and this process is terminated. In this step, the content indicating that the zoom magnification suitable for the person photographing is reached may be displayed with an icon or the like.

  With the above processing, if the current zoom magnification is not optimal for portrait photography, the zoom operation is guided by the icon until the optimal zoom magnification for portrait photography is reached, so the photographer reaches the appropriate zoom magnification for portrait photography. The zoom position can be set manually.

  In the above-described processing, even if the subject is a building other than a person, observation points and reference figures can be determined as appropriate.

The figure which shows the external appearance of the digital camera which concerns on preferable embodiment of this invention. Rear perspective view of digital camera Front perspective view of digital camera Digital camera block diagram Flow chart showing the flow of zoom position guidance processing The figure which shows the example of a display which prompts zoom operation to move the current zoom position, the optimal zoom position for macro photography, and the current zoom position to the optimal zoom position The figure which shows the example of a display of the icon which shows the movement amount from the present zoom position to the optimal zoom position Flow chart showing the flow of focus guidance processing The figure which shows the example of a display of the icon which instruct | indicates the rotation direction of a FZ ring. The figure which illustrated the change of AF evaluation value by focus adjustment Flowchart showing the flow of zoom position guidance processing during portrait shooting The figure which shows an example of the predetermined observation point identified from the person subject Figure showing an example of geometrically estimated observation points The figure which shows the example of a display of the icon which shows the movement amount from the current zoom position to the zoom position optimal for person photography

Explanation of symbols

10: Digital camera, 12: Zoom lens, 24: FZ ring, 30: Mode selector switch, 88: Macro button, 100: Optical unit, 102: Solid-state imaging device, 106: Imaging circuit, 108: Image processing circuit, 110: Processing unit 114: Display unit 120: Zoom control unit 124: Lens position detection circuit

Claims (9)

A digital camera comprising a zoom lens, an imaging unit that photoelectrically converts a subject image formed by the zoom lens to obtain a captured image, and a display device that displays the captured image,
A mode setting unit that accepts a setting of a normal mode for shooting at a normal shooting distance or a macro mode for close-up shooting at a shooting distance shorter than a normal shooting close distance;
A manual zoom setting unit for accepting the setting of the zoom position by manual operation;
A lens driving unit that drives the zoom lens to the set zoom position;
A zoom position detector for detecting the current zoom position;
When the macro mode is set, a control unit that causes the display device to display information for guiding the setting of the optimum zoom position until the detected zoom position moves to the optimum zoom position for close-up shooting,
Digital camera equipped with.   Information for guiding the setting of the optimal zoom position includes information indicating the detected zoom position, information indicating the optimal zoom position, and a movement amount from the detected zoom position to the optimal zoom position. The digital camera of Claim 1 containing the information which shows.   The digital camera according to claim 1, wherein the optimum zoom position is a wide end of the zoom lens. A digital camera comprising a zoom lens, an imaging unit that photoelectrically converts a subject image formed by the zoom lens to obtain a captured image, and a display device that displays the captured image,
A manual focus setting unit that receives the focus setting of the imaging unit by a manual operation;
A focus detection unit for detecting a current focus state set in the photographing unit;
A control unit that causes the display device to display information for guiding the manual focus setting until the detected focus state reaches a substantially in-focus state;
Digital camera equipped with.   The digital camera according to claim 4, wherein the information for guiding the focus setting includes information indicating a manual operation direction to reach a focused state.   The control unit calculates an evaluation value indicating the sharpness of an image based on a captured image obtained by the imaging unit, and displays information for guiding the focus setting until the calculated evaluation value becomes substantially maximum. The digital camera according to claim 4 or 5. A digital camera comprising a zoom lens, an imaging unit that photoelectrically converts a subject image formed by the zoom lens to obtain a captured image, and a display device that displays the captured image,
A manual zoom setting unit for accepting the setting of the zoom position by manual operation;
A lens driving unit that drives the zoom lens to the set zoom position;
A recognition unit for recognizing a predetermined observation point of the subject image;
A calculation unit that sets a similarity ratio calculated by comparing an observed figure determined from the recognized predetermined observation point and a predetermined similar figure to an optimum zoom magnification for photographing the subject image;
A zoom position detector for detecting the current zoom position;
A controller that causes the display device to display information for guiding the setting of the zoom position corresponding to the optimum zoom magnification until the detected zoom position is set to a zoom position corresponding to the optimum zoom magnification;
Digital camera equipped with. An estimation unit that geometrically estimates an observation figure from a part of a predetermined observation point recognized from the subject image;
The digital camera according to claim 7, wherein the calculation unit sets a similarity ratio calculated by comparing the estimated observed figure and a predetermined similar figure to an optimum zoom magnification for photographing the subject image.   Information for guiding the setting of the zoom position corresponding to the optimal zoom magnification includes information indicating the detected zoom position, information indicating the zoom position corresponding to the optimal zoom magnification, and the detected zoom position. The digital camera according to claim 7, further comprising information indicating a movement amount from a zoom position to a zoom position corresponding to the optimum zoom magnification.

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