JP2008300950A - Photographing apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a photographing apparatus suitable for photographing a moving subject while changing the photographing direction. <P>SOLUTION: An operating section 8 is operated to select an input mode, and the photographing direction is changed so as to trace a moving locus of a subject to be photographed while matching the photographing direction with the photographing target on the moving locus. When a photographing lens 4 is controlled so as to continuously focus and a direction detecting section 22 detects a change in the photographing direction, a photographing distance to be obtained from the focusing position and the photographing direction at that time are recorded in a memory section 23 in association with each other, and each photographing direction for the moving locus and the photographing distance for the photographing direction are recorded in the memory section 23. When photographing starts in an execution mode, the photographing distance corresponding to the photographing direction to be detected by the direction detecting section 22 is read from the memory section 23, and a focus lens 15a is moved so as to focus to the photographing distance. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a photographing apparatus that performs photographing while focusing on a subject.

  Some photographing apparatuses such as a camera using a photographic film and a digital camera that photographs an object with an image sensor and records the image on a recording medium have a so-called autofocus (AF) function that automatically focuses on the object. Many. There are various types of autofocus (AF), but in many digital cameras, a contrast detection method (TTL contrast detection method) using an image sensor used for photographing is often employed.

  In contrast detection AF, the focus position of the highest contrast is detected by moving the focus lens of the photographic lens. In this contrast detection AF, since the focus sensor is moved stepwise and exposure by the image sensor is performed at each lens position to obtain the contrast of the subject image, high-accuracy focusing is possible. There was a problem that it took a considerable amount of time to reach the in-focus state.

  As described above, there is a problem that a photo opportunity is missed if a considerable time is required until the in-focus state is achieved. Therefore, there are known techniques and various devices for shortening the time until the in-focus state is reached (hereinafter referred to as in-focus time). For example, a phase difference detection type autofocus that uses two sensors to measure the distance to an object by the principle of triangulation is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In this phase difference detection method, since the photographing distance can be known from the detected amount of displacement between the sensors, the in-focus state can be achieved in a short time.

  A so-called hybrid AF using a distance measuring sensor and a contrast detection method is also known (for example, see Patent Document 2). In the hybrid AF described in Patent Document A, an approximate shooting distance is acquired by a passive or active AF sensor, and the focus lens is moved only before and after the lens position corresponding to the acquired shooting distance. Focusing time is shortened by performing contrast evaluation.

  In the imaging apparatus described in Patent Document 3, by forming irregularities on the image formation surface of the image sensor and arranging the light receiving elements on the irregularities, each of the light receiving elements of the respective convex portions and the light receiving elements of the respective concave portions is provided. The direction in which the focus lens is to be moved is determined by determining in which direction the focus is shifted based on the mutual relationship between the contrast evaluation values obtained from (1).

  On the other hand, in an imaging apparatus having a mechanism that performs panning that changes the shooting direction in the horizontal direction and tilt that changes the shooting direction in the vertical direction, in order to capture a plurality of shooting targets, panning is performed corresponding to each shooting target position. An imaging apparatus is known in which the tilt direction and the in-focus position with respect to the imaging target are stored in advance in a memory so that the in-focus state is achieved in a short time (see, for example, Patent Document 4). In the imaging apparatus of Patent Document 4, when a shooting target in which the pan / tilt direction and the in-focus position are set in advance is specified, the orientation of the imaging apparatus is changed to the set pan / tilt direction, and Move the focus lens to the in-focus position.

Further, in Patent Document 5, in order to be able to cope with a case where a subject outside the photographing target enters the photographing range in the photographing apparatus as in Patent Document F, the set photographing distance is set as the upper limit. The auto focus operation is performed. Furthermore, in order to obtain the shooting distance, there is also known one that is obtained by irradiating a subject with laser light and measuring the return time of light reflected from the subject from the start of irradiation (see, for example, Patent Document 6). .
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 11-2111830 JP 2003-279844 A JP 2004-361611 A JP 09-205573 A JP 2004-126291 A JP 2004-205222 A

  By the way, in the photographing apparatus described in Patent Document 4, the pan / tilt direction is instructed by operating the remote controller, the in-focus position is detected by directing the photographing apparatus in the pan / tilt direction, and then registered in the memory. When instructed, the in-focus position is recorded in the memory together with the pan / tilt direction at that time. For this reason, the input method is complicated, and it is not suitable for a large number of shootings with various shooting directions.

  On the other hand, in the photographing apparatus described in Patent Document 5, photographing distances are stored in advance in all the pan / tilt directions in the memory, and the photographing distance stored in correspondence with the pan / tilt directions is set as an upper limit. Since the in-focus position is detected within the range, it is possible to easily cope with a large number of shootings with various shooting directions. However, for each shooting target, an operation to detect the in-focus position within the range from the shortest shooting distance to the upper limit of the shooting distance set in the memory occurs in each shooting direction. It was unsuitable for shooting with different scenes.

  The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and is suitable for shooting following a moving subject by changing the shooting direction, and can maintain a good focus state when shooting by changing the shooting direction. An object is to provide a photographing apparatus.

  In order to achieve the above object, in the photographing apparatus according to claim 1, an input mode for registering a photographing direction and distance information corresponding to the photographing distance, a photographing direction and distance information registered in the input mode, Selection means for selecting an execution mode for shooting under focusing control based on the image, a shooting lens whose shooting distance to be focused is adjusted by moving the focus lens, and a direction for detecting a shooting direction for shooting with the shooting lens A detection unit, a storage unit that stores a plurality of shooting directions and corresponding distance information in association with each other, and a focus that evaluates each optical image obtained through the shooting lens by moving the focus lens and focuses on the subject Focus detection means for detecting the position of the lens, and focus detection means for each shooting direction detected by the direction detection means when the input mode is selected The position of the focus lens that focuses on the subject obtained from the above or the corresponding shooting distance is recorded in the storage means as distance information, and the storage means corresponding to the shooting direction detected by the direction detection means when selecting the execution mode A focus control means for determining a shooting direction stored in the camera, obtaining distance information of the detected shooting direction from distance information corresponding to the specified shooting direction, and moving the focus lens to a position corresponding to the distance information; It is provided.

  In the photographing apparatus according to claim 2, the focus control means measures the elapsed time in the input mode, and stores the photographing direction and distance information together with the elapsed time corresponding to the detection of the photographing direction and the photographing distance. When the execution mode is selected, the elapsed time is counted, and the shooting direction stored in the storage means is specified from the elapsed time that has been timed and the shooting direction detected by the direction detection means. Is.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, the focus control means records the shooting direction and distance information in the storage means in association with the shooting direction and distance information in the input mode, and records the direction when the execution mode is selected. When the shooting direction stored in the storage unit is specified based on the shooting direction detected by the means, the shooting direction is specified in order according to the temporal order associated with each shooting direction.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the focus control unit detects the change direction of the shooting direction based on the detection result of the direction detection unit, and in the input mode, the change direction of the shooting direction is set together with the shooting direction and distance information. It is recorded in association with the storage means, and when the execution mode is selected, the shooting direction stored in the storage means is specified based on the shooting direction detected by the direction detection means and the change direction of the shooting direction. is there.

  In the photographing apparatus according to claim 5, the focus control means moves the focus lens within a partial range including the position of the focus lens corresponding to the distance information in the execution mode, and evaluates each optical image obtained through the photographing lens. The position of the focus lens that focuses on the subject is detected, and the focus lens is moved to the detected focus position.

  In the photographing apparatus according to claim 6, the focus control means operates the focus detection means every time a predetermined operation member is operated in the input mode, and acquires distance information and a photographing direction. Is. In the photographing apparatus according to claim 7, each time the focus control means detects the position of the focus lens that focuses on the subject by changing the photographing direction by continuously operating the focus detection means in the input mode. In addition, the distance information and the shooting direction are acquired.

  In the photographing apparatus according to claim 8, the focus lens is moved from the shortest photographing distance side or the infinity side by operating the first photographing mode for photographing using the input mode and the execution mode and the focus detection unit. A second shooting mode for detecting the position of the focus lens that focuses on the subject and moving the position of the focus lens to the detected position.

  According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a photographing lens in which a photographing distance to be focused is adjusted by moving a focus lens, direction detecting means for detecting a photographing direction for photographing with the photographing lens, and a plurality of photographing directions. When the shortest distance and the longest distance of the distance range to be photographed are input in advance and the shortest distance with respect to the photographing direction detected by the direction detecting means is Ln and the longest distance is Lf, “Lm = 2 / (1 / Ln + 1 / Lf) ”and a focus control means for moving the focus lens to a position where the focus matches the intermediate distance obtained by“ Ln + 1 / Lf) ”.

  The photographing apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising an input unit that inputs a shortest distance and a longest distance corresponding to each photographing direction, wherein the focus control unit is an intermediate distance from the shortest distance and the longest distance input in advance by the input unit. And a storage means for storing an intermediate distance corresponding to each shooting direction obtained by the calculation means in association with the corresponding shooting direction, and detected by the direction detection means. An intermediate distance with respect to the photographing direction is read from the storage means, and the focus lens is moved to a position where the read intermediate distance is in focus.

  12. The photographing apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising an input means for inputting a shortest distance and a longest distance corresponding to each photographing direction, wherein the focus control means is an intermediate distance from the shortest distance and the longest distance input in advance by the input means. And calculating means for obtaining the position of the focus lens corresponding to the intermediate distance, and storing the position of the focus lens corresponding to each photographing direction obtained by the computing means in association with the corresponding photographing direction. The position of the focus lens with respect to the photographing direction detected by the direction detection means is read from the storage means, and the focus lens is moved to the read position.

  In the photographing apparatus according to claim 12, the focus control means moves the focus lens within a partial range including the position of the focus lens corresponding to the intermediate distance, evaluates each optical image obtained through the photographing lens, and applies to the subject. The position of the focus lens to be focused is detected, and the focus lens is moved to the detected focus position.

  According to the present invention, an input mode and an execution mode are provided, and in the input mode, the position of the focus lens that focuses on the subject in each shooting direction or the corresponding shooting distance is recorded in the storage means as distance information, In the execution mode, the focus lens is moved to a position corresponding to the distance information corresponding to the detected shooting direction. Therefore, even when a large number of shooting targets with various shooting directions are performed, each shooting direction and corresponding to it. It is easy to input the distance information, and the focus lens is moved greatly during photographing so that the in-focus position is not detected, so that the focus can be brought into a very short time. In addition, an intermediate distance determined by applying the shortest distance and the longest distance to be photographed or scheduled to be photographed to each photographing direction is applied to a predetermined arithmetic expression, and the intermediate distance corresponding to the detected photographing direction is set. Since the focus lens is moved to a position where the focus is matched, it is possible to photograph a subject within a photographing distance range necessary for each photographing direction in a good focus state without detecting the in-focus position.

  FIG. 1 shows the appearance of the front side of a digital camera 2 embodying the present invention. FIG. 2 shows the back of the digital camera 2. The digital camera 2 is provided with a photographing lens 4 and a strobe light emitting unit 5 on the front surface of the camera body 3. Further, a release button 6 for instructing photographing is provided on the upper surface, and an LCD 7 and an operation unit 8 are provided on the rear surface. The operation unit 8 includes a power button 8a for turning on / off the power of the digital camera 2, and an operation button 8b for performing various settings such as operation mode selection and strobe light emission.

  As operation modes, there are a shooting mode for shooting and a playback mode for displaying a shot image. Furthermore, the shooting modes include a normal shooting mode and a preset shooting mode. The normal shooting mode is detected by searching the lens position where the photographing lens 4 is driven and the subject is in focus in response to the pressing operation of the release button 6 as in the case of the conventional digital camera. A still image is taken and recorded after the focus position, that is, the lens position where the subject is in focus.

  On the other hand, in the preset shooting mode, the shooting direction and shooting distance for the subject are registered in advance, the shooting direction is detected during shooting, and the shooting lens 4 is driven so that the shooting distance corresponding to the shooting direction matches the focus. Shoot and record a still image. The preset shooting mode includes an input mode for registering a shooting direction and a shooting distance, and an execution mode for shooting by performing focusing according to registered data. The input mode and execution mode are also selected by operating the operation unit 8.

  The stroboscopic light emitting unit 5 emits stroboscopic light toward the subject in synchronism with the exposure of the still image when the subject luminance is insufficient. The LCD 7 displays a so-called through image in which the subject image within the shooting range is continuously displayed under the shooting mode. The photographer can perform framing by observing the through image displayed on the LCD 7. The LCD 7 displays various setting screens and operation guides.

  FIG. 3 shows a main configuration of the digital camera 2. The system control unit 11 controls each unit of the digital camera 2 based on various operation signals from the release button 6 and the operation unit 8. An image sensor 12 is arranged behind the photographic lens 4, and subject light transmitted through the photographic lens 4 enters the light receiving surface of the image sensor 12. The taking lens 4 incorporates a focus mechanism 15 for adjusting the focus and a diaphragm mechanism 16 for adjusting the amount of light incident on the image sensor 12.

  The photographic lens 4 moves the focus lens 15a in the optical axis direction, thereby bringing the subject in the photographing distance range between the shortest photographing distance and infinity into focus. That is, the photographing lens 4 has its photographing distance adjusted to be adjusted by the movement of the focus lens 15a. In addition to the focus lens 15a, the focus mechanism 15 includes a pulse motor and a motor driver that move the focus lens 15a. The focus mechanism 15 moves the focus lens 15a in the optical axis direction under the control of the AF control unit 17. Various configurations can be adopted as the configuration for adjusting the focus. For example, a plurality of lenses may be moved.

  The focus mechanism 15 is provided with an encoder 15b that detects the lens position of the focus lens 15a. The encoder 15b detects the lens position of the focus lens 15a based on, for example, the number of drive pulses supplied to the pulse motor that drives the focus lens 15a and the rotation direction of the pulse motor, and sends the lens position to the AF control unit 17. send.

  The diaphragm mechanism 16 includes a diaphragm blade that forms a diaphragm aperture on the optical axis of the photographing lens 4 and an actuator that drives the diaphragm blade. The diaphragm mechanism 16 is incident on the image sensor 12 by increasing or decreasing the diameter of the diaphragm aperture. Adjust the light intensity.

  The image sensor 12 is provided with a large number of light receiving elements on its light receiving surface. The image sensor 12 converts subject light into charges corresponding to the amount of light by each light receiving element and accumulates them, and converts the accumulated charges into an analog image signal and outputs it. Thus, the exposed subject image is converted into an electrical signal. As the image sensor 12, various types such as a CCD type and a MOS type can be used.

  The image signal from the image sensor 12 is sent to the signal processing unit 18. The signal processing unit 18 performs signal processing such as signal amplification processing, digital conversion processing, γ correction processing, and white balance correction processing on the image signal, and outputs the obtained image data. Under the shooting mode, the image data from the signal processing unit 18 is normally sent to the LCD 7, and the LCD 7 is driven on the basis thereof to display a through image. Further, image data obtained by photographing in response to the operation of the release button 6 is sent to the memory card 19 and written therein.

  The image signal from the image sensor 12 is also sent to the AF detection unit 21. The AF detection unit 21 extracts, from the image signal, a high-frequency component of an AF detection area set in advance in the shooting screen, for example, set in the center of the screen, for focusing the shooting lens 4. The AF evaluation value obtained by integrating the high frequency components is output to the AF control unit 17. The AF control unit 17 controls focusing of the photographing lens 4 and constitutes a focus position detection unit and a focus control unit together with the focus mechanism 15 and the AF detection unit 21.

  The AF control unit 17 performs AF processing for matching the focus of the photographing lens 4 to the subject in the AF detection area based on the AF evaluation value. When the release button 6 is pressed in the normal shooting mode, a so-called single AF operation is performed. In other words, when the release button 6 is pressed, the focus position is detected in response to this, and then the focus lens 15a is moved and set to this focus position. To detect the in-focus position in the single AF operation, the AF evaluation value is evaluated while sequentially moving the focus lens 15a, and the AF evaluation value is maximized, that is, the contrast of the subject image in the AF detection area is maximized. A contrast detection method using a so-called hill-climbing method for detecting a lens position (in-focus position) that matches is used.

  In addition, in the case of through image display in the normal shooting mode and in the input mode in the preset shooting mode, the AF control unit 17 performs a continuous AF operation and performs control so as to maintain a state where the focus is always consistent. In the continuous AF operation, for example, a wobbling method is used in which a new in-focus position can be detected in a short time by performing lens movement such as moving the focus lens 15a before and after the in-focus position. . In the input mode, in the case of tracing the movement of the subject, the wobbling method or the like can be handled because there is no significant change in the shooting distance with respect to the change in the shooting direction.

  The detection of the in-focus position is not limited to that based on the contrast of the subject image as described above, and other detection methods such as phase difference detection using an optical image obtained through the photographing lens 4 are employed. Can do. Alternatively, the shooting distance may be detected by an external phase difference detection AF sensor or the like without passing through the shooting lens.

  The direction detection unit 22 detects the shooting direction of the digital camera 2, that is, the shooting direction by the shooting lens 4 in the preset shooting mode, and outputs it to the AF control unit 17. As the direction detection unit 17, for example, a geomagnetic sensor is used. As shown in FIG. 4, for example, the direction of the optical axis of the taking lens 4 of the digital camera 2 with respect to the north (N) direction is set as the shooting direction (θ). Detect as direction. In the input mode, the shooting distance (L) to the subject focused in the shooting direction (θ) is calculated from the focus position of the focus lens 15a.

  The method for detecting the shooting direction of the digital camera 2 is not limited to the above. For example, when shooting with the digital camera 2 attached to a tripod or the like, the shooting direction may be acquired by attaching the digital camera 2 to the tripod via a pan head that can detect the orientation with an encoder or the like.

  In the input mode, the AF control unit 17 calculates and acquires the shooting distance based on the focus position from the encoder 15 b and acquires the shooting direction from the direction detection unit 22. As schematically shown in FIG. 5, the memory unit 23 records a plurality of shooting directions (θ) and shooting distances (L) acquired by the AF control unit 17 in association with each other. In the execution mode, the AF control unit 17 acquires the shooting direction from the direction detection unit 22, reads the shooting distance corresponding to the acquired shooting direction from the memory unit 23, and sets the focus lens at the in-focus position corresponding to the shooting distance. Control 15a to move.

  Instead of storing the shooting distance in the memory unit 23, the focus position of the focus lens 15a may be stored. When the photographic lens is a zoom type, the focus position corresponding to the shooting distance changes according to the focal length. In this case, the shooting distance is stored and the shooting distance is adjusted according to the focal length. It is better to convert it to a focal position. On the other hand, when the shooting distance and the in-focus position are in a certain correspondence relationship as in a single focus lens, it is preferable to store the in-focus position because processing such as conversion processing can be omitted.

  Next, the operation of the above configuration will be described by taking as an example a case where a preset shooting mode is used and a runner on a predetermined course is shot from the start to the goal. The operation unit 8 is operated to select a preset shooting mode, and further enter an input mode.

  As shown in FIG. 6, when the input mode is selected, operation guidance for starting registration of the shooting direction and the corresponding shooting distance is displayed on the LCD 7 in step S1, for example, “Release button with camera facing start position”. Please press "is displayed.

  The photographic lens 4 is framed while observing the through image so that the shooting target position at which to start shooting, in this case, the course portion of the runner to be shot at the start point becomes the center portion of the LCD 7 corresponding to the AF detection area. After that, the release button 6 is pressed.

  When pressing of the release button 6 is detected in step S2, the AF control unit 17 starts a continuous AF operation (step S3). When the continuous AF operation is started, for example, in order to detect the initial focus position, the focus lens 15a is sequentially moved from the lens position focusing on the shortest shooting distance to the lens position focusing on infinity. Based on the AF evaluation values obtained sequentially from the AF detector 21 during the movement, the in-focus position where the contrast is maximized is detected. Then, the focus lens 15a is moved to the in-focus position. Thereafter, focusing is performed at any time by a wobbling method in which the focus lens 15a is moved within a minute range centered on the lens position (focus position) at that time.

  When it is detected in step S4 after the continuous AF operation is started as described above, the shooting distance is acquired by the AF control unit 17 based on the lens position of the focus lens 15a from the encoder 15b. (Step S5), and the shooting direction at that time is acquired from the direction detection unit 22 by the AF control unit 17 (Step S6). The photographing distance and the photographing direction acquired in this way are written and stored in the memory unit 23 (step S7). Accordingly, the shooting direction and the shooting distance in a state where the focus of the shooting lens 4 matches the course portion of the runner to be shot at the start point are stored in the memory unit 23.

  After the first shooting direction and shooting distance are stored in the memory unit 23, a guidance that the movement locus of the subject to be photographed should be traced is displayed (step S8). If this display is made, the photographer is directed to the direction of the digital camera 2 by tracing the course portion from the course portion of the runner to be photographed at the start point toward the goal point at the center portion of the photographing range. Change slowly. When changing the orientation of the digital camera 2, the orientation may be changed stepwise.

  When it is confirmed in step S9 that the release button 6 has not been pressed, the presence or absence of a change in the shooting direction is monitored by the AF control unit 17 based on the output from the direction detection unit 22 in step S10. When the direction of the shooting direction changes, the process proceeds to step S4, and it is determined whether or not the camera is in focus. When it is determined that the in-focus state has been achieved by the continuous AF operation that has been started first, the shooting distance and the shooting direction at the time of the focusing are acquired by the AF control unit 17 in steps S5 and S6, and in step S7 they are stored in the memory. It is written and saved in the unit 23.

  The display of the operation guidance is held at step S8, and it is determined whether or not the release button 6 is pressed at step S9. If the release button 6 has not been pressed, the change in the direction of the photographing direction is checked again in step S10. If the direction of the photographing direction has changed, the processes in and after step S4 are performed. Thereafter, similarly, the shooting direction and the shooting distance corresponding to the shooting direction are acquired and sequentially stored in the memory unit 23 until the release button 6 is pressed.

  After directing the digital camera 2 to the goal point, the release button 6 is pressed. When the operation of the release button 6 is detected in step S9, it is checked in step S11 whether the acquisition of each data of shooting direction and shooting distance has been normally performed, and then the input mode ends. If acquisition of each data of the shooting direction and shooting distance is not normal, the data acquisition cannot be performed in step S12, and a message prompting re-operation is displayed, and the input mode ends.

  When shooting is actually performed, the shooting direction and shooting distance on the moving locus of the subject are stored in the memory unit 23 in the input mode as described above, and then the operation unit 8 is operated to enter the execution mode. Note that shooting is performed from the same place where the input mode was performed.

  When the execution mode is set, an operation guide for preparing for photographing is displayed in step S21, and then a preparation instruction in step S22 is waited. The photographer instructs the start of preparation by operating the operation unit 8 with the digital camera 2 facing the subject assumed to move in the input mode. The release button 6 may be pressed.

  When the start of preparation is instructed, the shooting direction at that time is acquired by the AF control unit 17 from the direction detection unit 22 in step S23. Then, the AF control unit 17 checks whether or not the acquired shooting direction is stored in the memory unit 23 (step S24). If the acquired shooting direction is stored in the memory unit 23, the shooting distance corresponding to the shooting direction is read from the memory unit 23 (step S25), and the focus is adjusted to match the shooting distance in step S26. The focus lens 15a is moved.

  On the other hand, when the acquired shooting direction is not stored in the memory unit 23, the shooting distances corresponding to the shooting directions before and after the acquired shooting direction are read out from the stored shooting directions, respectively. An interpolation process is performed based on the shooting distance, and a shooting distance corresponding to the acquired shooting direction is calculated (step S27). Then, the focus lens 15a is moved in step S26 so that the calculated shooting distance matches the focus.

  After the focus lens 15a has been moved so as to be in focus at the shooting distance corresponding to the shooting direction as described above, a guidance that shooting is performed by operating the release button 6 is displayed in step S28, and then the release button It is checked whether or not 6 has been pressed (step S29). If the release button 6 is not pressed, it is checked in step S30 whether or not the execution mode is instructed. For example, if the operation unit 8 is instructed to end the execution mode, the execution mode is ended.

  On the other hand, when the end of the execution mode is not instructed, the shooting direction is acquired from the direction detection unit 22 (step S31), and although it is changed with respect to the previously acquired shooting direction, it is determined in step S32. If it is determined in step S32 that the shooting direction has not changed, it is assumed that there is no change in the shooting distance, and the focus lens 15a is not moved, and the process returns to step S29, and the same processing as described above is performed.

On the other hand, if the shooting direction has changed, it is assumed that the shooting distance has changed, the process returns to step S24, and the processing of step S25 or step S27 is performed depending on whether or not the acquired shooting direction is stored, and the shooting direction is changed. Get the corresponding shooting distance. Then, the focus lens 15a is moved so that the focusing distance matches the shooting distance (step S26).
After this, the process after step S28 is performed.

  Each time the shooting direction changes as described above, the focus lens 15a is moved so that the lens position is in focus with the shooting distance corresponding to the shooting direction. When the release button 6 is pressed, a photographing process is performed in step S33, and an image exposed by the image sensor 12 is stored in the memory card 19 after being processed by the signal processing unit 18. In the same manner, each time the shooting direction is changed, the focus lens 15a is controlled so as to be in a lens position that is in focus with the shooting distance corresponding to the shooting direction, and shooting is performed when the release button 6 is pressed. .

  For example, if a digital camera 2 is used to follow a runner who runs from a start point to a goal point on a specific course, the shooting direction changes as the runner moves. Then, the focus lens 15a is moved to a lens position that is in focus with the shooting distance corresponding to the changed shooting direction. As a result, the state where the runner is in focus is always maintained, and shooting is performed by pressing the release button 6 in that state. For this reason, it is possible to perform shooting in a state in which the runner is in focus without causing a delay in shooting timing due to focusing.

  In FIG. 8, in the input mode, the shooting target positions are sequentially specified by pressing the release button 6 toward the shooting target position where the digital camera 2 is to be shot, and the specified shooting target position is set. The example which acquires an imaging | photography direction and an imaging | photography distance is shown.

  In the example of FIG. 8, after displaying the operation guidance for acquiring the shooting direction and shooting distance of the first shooting target position in step S41, the operation waits for the release button 6 to be pressed (step S42). When the release button 6 is pressed, in step S43, it is checked whether the operation is a long press, for example, a press for 1 second or longer. If it is a long press, data acquisition is normally acquired in step S44. A determination is made as to whether or not it has been successfully completed, and if it has not been acquired normally, a display prompting re-operation is performed in step S45, and then the input mode is terminated.

  On the other hand, if the release button 6 is not pressed long, an AF operation is performed in step S46. The AF operation in this case may be a single AF operation, but it is preferable to detect the in-focus position at high speed using, for example, a wobbling method. If it is detected in step S47 that the focus lens 15a is moved to the in-focus position and the photographing lens 4 is in focus, the photographing distance and photographing direction are acquired in steps S48 and S49, and the memory is stored in step S50. Written in the unit 23.

  When the shooting distance and shooting direction are written in the memory unit 23 in response to the operation of the release button 6 as described above, the release button 6 is pressed toward the next shooting target position in step S51. Thus, after the operation guidance is displayed, the operation waits for the release button 6 in step S42. When the photographer presses the release button 6 after setting the shooting direction of the digital camera 2 to the next shooting target position, the shooting distance and shooting direction are acquired in the same manner. Thereafter, the acquisition of the shooting distance and the shooting direction is performed in the same manner until the release button 6 is pressed for a long time.

  In each of the above embodiments, the shooting is performed by pressing the release button 6. For example, after the start of the execution mode, the shooting direction detected by the direction detection unit 22 is the shooting direction stored in the memory unit 23. When they match, the photographing may be automatically performed immediately after the focus lens 15a is moved so that the photographing distance in the photographing direction matches the focus. In this way, the photographer can concentrate on framing only. In the case of such a configuration, as in the example shown in FIG. 8 described above, it is preferable to acquire the photographing direction and the photographing distance each time the release button 6 is pressed.

  FIG. 9 shows an example in which the elapsed time from the start time is acquired together with the shooting direction and the shooting distance and recorded in the memory unit. After the operation guidance is displayed in step S61, if the pressing of the release button 6 is detected in step S62, the continuous AF operation is started in step S63. When it is detected in step S64 that the in-focus state is detected, the elapsed time using the timer is started in step S65. Further, the timer value at that time, that is, the timer value “0” is acquired in step S66. Further, the shooting direction and shooting distance are acquired in step S67, and the acquired timer value, shooting direction, and shooting distance are stored in the memory unit 23 (step S68).

  After pressing the release button 6 as described above, the operator changes the shooting direction by shaking the digital camera 22 in accordance with the operation guide displayed in step S69 while imagining the movement of the subject. For example, as described above, in the case of shooting a runner on a predetermined course from the start to the goal, the photographer runs the runner's course while imaging the runner to be photographed. The shooting target position is moved by shaking the digital camera 2 so that the speed is the same.

  In step S70, it is determined whether or not the release button 6 is pressed. If the release button 6 is not pressed, a change in the direction of the shooting direction is checked in step S71. If the direction of the shooting direction has changed, step S72 is performed. After the in-focus state is detected in step S66, the process returns to step S66 to acquire the timer value, shooting direction, and shooting distance and record them in the memory unit 23. After the process in step S69, the release in step S70 is performed again. The process returns to determining whether or not the button 6 is pressed. Further, if the release button 6 is pressed, the input mode is terminated through the processes of steps S73 to S74. In this way, in this example, the timer value is acquired together with the shooting direction and shooting distance, and these are stored in the memory unit 23 as schematically shown in FIG.

  If the execution mode is selected and shooting is started after acquiring the timer value, shooting direction, and shooting distance according to the input mode as described above, the timer value and shooting timed from the shooting start time in that execution mode An optimum shooting distance is obtained from the shooting distance corresponding to the timer value stored in the memory unit 23 that is the same or approximate to the direction and the shooting direction, and the focus lens 14a is moved so that the shooting distance is in focus. Each time the release button 6 is pressed, shooting is performed.

  According to this, when the subject Tg runs on the arc-shaped track Tc as schematically shown in FIG. 11, a plurality of shooting target positions with different shooting distances correspond to the same shooting direction. Even in this case, when determining the shooting distance, the shooting distance of any of the plurality of shooting target positions may be determined by taking into account the shooting direction and the elapsed time after the start of shooting. It becomes possible to judge whether.

  In FIGS. 12 and 13, instead of considering the elapsed time, taking the shooting direction and the shooting distance acquisition order in the input mode, the shooting direction is specified in order according to the temporal order, and corresponding to the shooting direction. It shows an example in which the focus is matched to the photographing distance to be performed.

  In the input mode, the shooting direction and shooting distance are acquired in the same manner as in the first embodiment, and as shown in FIG. 12, an acquisition number is assigned to the shooting direction and shooting distance in the acquired order (temporal order), and the memory unit. 23 sequentially stored. Instead of giving the acquisition number, the order acquired by another method such as increasing the address of the memory unit 23 to be written in the acquisition order may be known.

  In the execution mode, the photographer instructs the start of preparation with the digital camera 2 facing the subject at the start position. As shown in FIG. 13, when the start of preparation is instructed, a focusing process is performed, and the movement of the focus lens 15a is controlled based on the AF evaluation value in the same way as in the single AF operation, and the subject facing the photographing lens 4 is focused. Matched.

  After the focus is matched, after setting the parameter i indicating the acquisition number to “1” and displaying the guidance that the shooting is performed by operating the release button 6, it is determined whether or not the release button 6 has been pressed. Investigate. When the release button 6 is not pressed, it is checked whether or not the end of the execution mode is instructed. When the end is instructed, the execution mode is ended.

  When the end of the execution mode is not instructed, the shooting direction is acquired from the direction detection unit 22 and it is checked whether or not the shooting direction has changed. If the shooting direction has not changed, the focus lens 15a is not moved, and the process returns to the determination process of whether or not the release button 6 is pressed, and the same process as described above is performed.

  If the shooting direction has changed, it is checked whether or not the acquired shooting direction is within the range of each shooting direction of the acquisition number “i” and the acquisition number “i + 1” using the parameter i at that time. Here, if there is an acquired shooting direction within the range, the shooting distance corresponding to the acquired shooting distance using the shooting directions of the acquisition numbers “i” and “i + 1” and the corresponding shooting distances. Is obtained by interpolation processing. Then, after moving the focus lens 15a so that the obtained shooting distance matches the focus, the process returns to the determination process of whether or not the release button 6 is pressed.

  On the other hand, if there is no acquired shooting direction within the range of the respective shooting directions of the acquisition numbers “i” and “i + 1”, the parameter i is incremented by “1”, and then the acquisition numbers “i” and “i + 1” are again obtained. A process for checking whether or not the acquired shooting direction is within the range of each shooting direction is performed.

  With this process, the parameter i is incremented by “1” until the acquired shooting direction falls within the range of each shooting direction of the acquisition number “i” and the acquisition number “i + 1”. Then, when the acquired shooting direction falls within the range of each of the shooting directions, it is similarly acquired using the shooting directions of the acquisition number “i” and the acquisition number “i + 1” and the corresponding shooting distances. The shooting distance corresponding to the shooting direction is obtained by interpolation processing. Thereafter, the focus lens 15a is moved so that the shooting distance is in focus, and then the process returns to the determination process of whether or not the release button 6 is pressed.

  When the photographing direction is acquired again and a change in the photographing direction is detected, the photographing distance corresponding to the photographing distance obtained in the same manner is obtained by interpolation processing, and the focus lens 15a is adjusted so that the photographing distance is in focus. Move. As the parameter i used at this time, a value obtained by determining the previous shooting distance as described above is used as an initial value.

  As a result, the data stored in the memory unit 23 corresponds to the acquired shooting direction by using a shooting direction that is the same as the previously acquired acquisition number or has a higher acquisition number, that is, the acquisition order is new. The shooting distance is required. For this reason, it is possible to specify the shooting direction along the acquired order and obtain the shooting distance corresponding to the shooting direction, and as shown in FIG. 11, it is also good when the subject Tg runs on the arc-shaped track Tc. You can focus on the camera.

  FIG. 14 and FIG. 15 show an example in which the change direction of the photographing direction is taken into consideration. In this example, in the input mode, the change direction is detected together with the shooting direction, and the change direction of the shooting direction is stored in the memory unit 23 together with the shooting direction and shooting distance, as shown in FIG. In this example in which the shooting direction is changed in the horizontal direction, the left direction or the right direction is stored as the change direction.

  As shown in FIG. 15, in the execution mode, it is checked whether or not there is data in the memory unit 23 that matches the shooting direction and the change direction. If the data matches, the shooting distance indicated by the data matches the focus. The focus lens 15a is moved. If there is no matching data, first, the data in the memory unit 23 is narrowed down to the data whose change direction matches. Next, the shooting distance corresponding to each shooting direction before and after the acquired shooting direction is read out from the narrowed data, and interpolation processing is performed based on each shooting distance. Then, a shooting distance corresponding to the acquired shooting direction is calculated, and the focus lens 15a is moved so that the shooting distance is in focus.

  Thus, in this example, when the shooting direction is changed to the left, the shooting direction and the shooting distance acquired while changing the shooting direction to the left in the input mode are used, and the shooting direction is set to the right. If the shooting distance is changed, the shooting distance and the shooting distance obtained while changing the shooting direction to the right in the input mode are used to determine the shooting distance, and the shooting distance is controlled to be in focus. The Thereby, as shown in FIG. 11, it is possible to achieve good focusing even when the subject Tg runs on the arc-shaped track Tc.

  In each of the above embodiments, when shooting in the preset shooting mode, the focus lens 15a is moved so that the focus matches the shooting distance determined by the shooting direction or the elapsed time, the acquisition order, and the change direction of the shooting direction. For example, even if the wobbling method or hill-climbing method is used in a comparatively narrow shooting distance range before and after the determined shooting distance, control can be performed so that the subject is in focus. Good. Further, a mode for performing such an operation may be provided. Furthermore, a mode may be provided in which a photographing distance range is input in advance and a focus position is detected within the photographing distance range.

  In addition, as shown in FIG. 16, a dedicated operation member 28 that is operated at the start point and the goal point when the input mode starts and ends, that is, when a runner on a predetermined course is photographed from the start to the goal. May be provided. In this way, a simpler input operation can be achieved.

  Next, focusing control for obtaining an optimum shooting distance for matching the shooting lens and enabling shooting in a necessary distance range will be described. FIG. 17 shows a configuration of a main part of the photographing apparatus 40 embodying the present invention. The camera system 40 is roughly composed of a head unit 41, a control unit 42, and a scanning mechanism 43.

  The head unit 41 includes a photographic lens 45 and an image sensor 46. The photographing lens 45 is adjusted so that the subject is in focus when the focus mechanism 47 controlled by the control unit 42 moves the focus lens 47a in the optical axis direction. The photographing lens 45 incorporates a diaphragm mechanism 48 for adjusting the amount of light incident on the image sensor 46 by changing the aperture diameter. An image sensor 46 disposed behind the photographic lens 45 converts the subject image formed by the photographic lens 45 into an electrical image signal and outputs it. An image signal from the image sensor 46 is sent to the control unit 42.

  In this example, since shooting is performed in a state in which one shooting distance set in each shooting direction is in focus with respect to a shooting distance range to be shot in each shooting direction or scheduled to be shot, It is preferable to increase the aperture value of the aperture mechanism 48 as much as possible to increase the depth of field.

  The head unit 41 is attached to a tripod, a wall or the like via the scanning mechanism 43. The scanning mechanism 43 rotates the head unit 41 within a predetermined angle range around a rotation axis orthogonal to the optical axis of the photographing lens 45. The scanning mechanism 43 is provided with an encoder 49, which detects the rotation angle of the head unit 41, that is, the photographing direction.

  The control unit 42 includes a signal processing unit 51, a drive control unit 52, a calculation unit 53, a memory unit 54, and an input unit 55. The signal processing unit 51 performs signal processing such as signal amplification processing, digital conversion processing, γ correction processing, and white balance correction processing, and outputs image data. The image data is recorded on various recording media or sent to a monitor (not shown) to display an image taken by the head unit 41.

  The input unit 55 is used to input the shortest distance on the shortest distance side and the longest distance on the farthest distance side in the photographing distance range to be photographed in each photographing direction of the head unit 41. The computing unit 53 calculates an intermediate distance from which the subject within the photographing distance range from the shortest distance to the longest distance can be preferably photographed from the shortest distance and the longest distance input from the input unit 55, and the intermediate distance and the corresponding distance. The shooting direction is written in the memory unit 54. The intermediate distance is expressed by the equation “Lm = 2 / (1 / Ln + 1), where the intermediate distance is“ Lm ”, the shortest distance input in the shooting direction is“ Ln ”, and the longest distance is“ Lf ”. / Lf) ".

  The drive control unit 52 controls focusing of the head unit 41 and rotation by the scanning mechanism 43. The drive control unit 52 drives the scanning mechanism 43 to swing the head unit 41 so that the shooting direction changes in the range between the maximum value and the minimum value of the shooting direction written in the memory unit 54. The drive control unit 52 is fed back with the shooting direction detected by the encoder 49 in order to control the swing range of the head unit 41 as described above. Further, the drive control unit 52 reads the intermediate distance corresponding to the photographing direction detected by the encoder 49 from the memory unit 54, and drives the focus mechanism 47 so that the focus lens 47a is at the lens position corresponding to the intermediate distance. To do.

  As shown in FIG. 18, the operation of the above configuration will be described by taking as an example the case where the head unit 41 is installed in the corner of the room as an indoor monitoring camera. When photographing with the head unit 41, as a preparation for the photographing direction range, the photographing directions θ1, θ2,... Θp and the corresponding shortest distances Ln1, Ln2,. Lnp and the longest distances Lf1, Lf2,... Lfp are measured.

  The input mode is used to input the shooting direction and the like. As shown in the procedure in FIG. 19, the input unit 55 is first operated to input the shooting direction θ1, and then the shortest distance Ln1 and the longest distance Lf1 corresponding thereto are input. When the photographing direction θ1, the shortest distance Ln1, and the longest distance Lf1 are input, the calculation unit 53 obtains the intermediate distance Lm1 with respect to the photographing direction θ1 by the above-described arithmetic expression, and associates the obtained intermediate distance Lm1 with the photographing direction θ1. Then, the data is written in the memory unit 54.

  After the input for the shooting direction θ1, the input for the shooting direction θ2 is performed, and the obtained intermediate distance Lm2 and the shooting direction θ2 are associated with each other and written in the memory unit 54. Thereafter, in the same manner, the shooting direction, the shortest distance and the longest distance corresponding to the shooting direction are input, and the shooting direction and the intermediate distance obtained by the calculation are written in the memory unit 54. Note that the lens position corresponding to the intermediate distance may be written in the memory unit 54 instead of the intermediate distance.

  After the final shooting direction θp and the corresponding intermediate distance Lmp are written in the memory unit AA as described above, as shown schematically in FIG. 20, the shooting directions θ1 to θp and the corresponding shooting directions θ1 to θp are displayed. The distances Lm1 to Lmp are written in the memory unit 54.

  After completing the input, the scanning mechanism 43 is operated as an execution mode, and photographing by the image sensor 46 is started. The scanning mechanism 43 feeds back the imaging direction detected by the encoder 49 to the drive control unit 52 and controls the driving thereof, whereby the minimum imaging direction θ1 and the maximum imaging direction stored in the memory unit 54 are controlled. Within the range of θp, the photographing direction of the head unit 41, that is, the photographing lens 45 is changed, and the room to be photographed is scanned.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 21, the intermediate distance corresponding to the photographing direction detected by the encoder 43 is read from the memory unit 54, and the focus lens 47a is moved to a lens position that is in focus with the intermediate distance. Since this movement is performed every time the shooting direction changes, as a result, the focus lens 47a is maintained so that the lens position is in focus with the intermediate distance corresponding to the detected shooting direction. Since the intermediate distance is determined so that a subject within the shooting distance range to be shot in the corresponding shooting direction can be preferably shot, it is possible to perform shooting in a good focus state without performing an operation such as autofocus. it can.

  In addition, when the angle interval of the input imaging direction is large, the intermediate distance may be obtained by an interpolation process using the approximate imaging directions and the corresponding intermediate distances. Further, the movement timing of the focus lens 47a is controlled in consideration of a delay from the detection of the shooting direction by the encoder 43 until the focus lens 47a is moved to the lens position corresponding to the shooting direction, so that the actual shooting direction is set. The focus lens 47a may be moved so that the lens position is in focus at the corresponding intermediate distance.

  Furthermore, when the difference between the shortest distance and the longest distance is large, there may be a case where good focus cannot be obtained over the entire photographing distance range. In such a case, for example, as shown in FIG. 22, the aperture value is associated with the intermediate distance in each shooting direction and stored in the memory unit 54, and the depth of field is also adjusted. It is also preferable to obtain a good focus for the entire photographing distance range. Note that when the aperture value is increased to increase the depth of field, the exposure time of the image sensor may not be longer than a predetermined time by increasing the light receiving sensitivity of the image sensor.

  As in the first embodiment, it is also preferable to provide a mechanism for autofocus and detect the in-focus position in a narrow range with an intermediate distance between them to perform focusing. Alternatively, if the focus position is detected only in the range from the shortest distance to the longest distance for each shooting direction, the amount of movement of the focus lens can be reduced, and the time for focusing is reduced. This is advantageous for energy saving.

  In each of the above-described embodiments, the case of panning in which the shooting direction is changed to the left or right or the horizontal direction has been described. For example, a tilt that changes the direction in the vertical direction instead of changing the shooting direction in the horizontal or horizontal direction may be used. Further, it may be changed in both the horizontal direction (pan) and the vertical direction (tilt). In the case of changing in both the horizontal direction and the vertical direction, the photographing direction may be specified in each of the horizontal direction and the vertical direction. Of course, even when the shooting direction is changed in each of the horizontal direction and the vertical direction, if the shooting distance or the intermediate distance is determined only by the shooting direction of one of the two, there is no need to consider the other direction. .

It is a perspective view which shows the external appearance of the digital camera which implemented this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows the back surface of a digital camera. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of a digital camera. It is explanatory drawing explaining the imaging | photography direction detected by a direction detection part. It is explanatory drawing which shows typically the memory | storage state of the memory part of an imaging | photography direction and an imaging distance. It is a flowchart which shows the process sequence of the input mode which registers an imaging | photography direction and an imaging distance. It is a flowchart which shows the process sequence of the execution mode which image | photographs. It is a flowchart which shows the process sequence of the input mode which registers an imaging | photography direction and an imaging | photography distance for every press of a release button. It is a flowchart which shows the process sequence of the input mode which registers imaging direction and imaging distance with elapsed time. It is explanatory drawing which shows typically the memory | storage state of the memory part of elapsed time, imaging | photography direction, and imaging distance. It is explanatory drawing which shows the example from which an imaging distance differs in the same imaging | photography direction. It is explanatory drawing which shows typically the memory | storage state of the memory part of an acquisition number, an imaging | photography direction, and an imaging distance. An example is shown in which the focus is matched with the shooting distance corresponding to the shooting distance specified in consideration of the acquisition order. It is explanatory drawing which shows typically the memory | storage state of the memory part of an imaging | photography direction, an imaging | photography distance, and the change direction of an imaging | photography direction. An example is shown in which the focus is matched with the shooting distance corresponding to the shooting distance specified in consideration of the change direction of the shooting direction. It is explanatory drawing which shows the back surface of the digital camera which provided the operation member for exclusive use which instruct | indicates the start and completion | finish of input mode. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the imaging device which registers the intermediate distance corresponding to an imaging | photography direction. It is explanatory drawing which shows the relationship between the imaging | photography direction at the time of installing as a surveillance camera and intermediate distance. It is a flowchart which shows the process sequence which inputs an imaging | photography direction, the shortest distance, and the longest distance, and sets an intermediate distance. It is explanatory drawing which shows typically the memory | storage state of the memory | storage part of an imaging | photography direction and an intermediate distance. It is a flowchart which shows the process sequence of the execution mode which image | photographs based on the imaging | photography direction and intermediate distance currently recorded. It is explanatory drawing which shows typically the memory | storage state of the memory part of the example which records an imaging | photography direction, an intermediate distance, and an aperture value in a memory part.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 2 Digital camera 4 Shooting lens 6 Release button 12 Image sensor 15, 47 Focus mechanism 15a, 47a Focus lens 17 AF control part 21 AF detection part 22 Direction detection part 23, 54 Memory part 43 Scan mechanism 49 Encoder 52 Drive control part 53 Calculation Part

Claims (12)

Select an input mode for registering the shooting direction and distance information corresponding to the shooting distance, and an execution mode for shooting under focus control based on the shooting direction and distance information registered in the input mode. A selection means;
A shooting lens whose focusing distance is adjusted by moving the focus lens;
Direction detecting means for detecting a shooting direction for shooting with the shooting lens;
Storage means for storing a plurality of shooting directions and corresponding distance information in association with each other;
Focus detection means for evaluating each optical image obtained through the photographing lens by moving the focus lens and detecting a position of the focus lens for focusing on the subject;
When the input mode is selected, the storage unit uses the position of the focus lens that focuses on the subject obtained from the focus detection unit or the corresponding shooting distance as distance information for each shooting direction detected by the direction detection unit. When the execution mode is selected, the shooting direction stored in the storage unit corresponding to the shooting direction detected by the direction detection unit is specified and detected from the distance information corresponding to the specified shooting direction. An imaging apparatus comprising: focus control means for obtaining distance information in the imaging direction and moving the focus lens to a position corresponding to the distance information.   In the input mode, the focus control unit measures the elapsed time, records the shooting direction and distance information, and the shooting direction and the elapsed time corresponding to the detection of the shooting distance, and records them in the storage unit. 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein at the time of selection, the elapsed time is measured, and the shooting direction stored in the storage unit is specified from the measured elapsed time and the shooting direction detected by the direction detection unit. Shooting device.   The focus control means records the shooting direction and distance information in the input mode in association with the time order in which they are acquired and records them in the storage means. When the execution mode is selected, the focus control means detects the shooting detected by the direction detection means. 2. The photographing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the photographing direction stored in the storage unit is identified based on the direction, the photographing direction is identified in order according to a temporal order associated with each photographing direction.   The focus control unit is configured to detect a change direction of the shooting direction based on a detection result of the direction detection unit. In the input mode, the storage unit associates the change direction of the shooting direction with the shooting direction and distance information. The shooting direction stored in the storage means is specified based on the shooting direction detected by the direction detection means and the change direction of the shooting direction when the execution mode is selected. The photographing apparatus described.   The focus control means moves the focus lens within a partial range including the position of the focus lens corresponding to the distance information in the execution mode, evaluates each optical image obtained through the photographing lens, and focuses on the subject 5. The photographing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the position of the lens is detected, and the focus lens is moved to the detected in-focus position.   The focus control means operates the focus detection means every time a predetermined operation member is operated in the input mode, and acquires distance information and a photographing direction. The imaging device according to any one of the above.   The focus control unit continuously operates the focus detection unit in the input mode, and each time the focus direction is detected and the position of the focus lens that focuses on the subject is detected, the distance information and the shooting direction are changed. The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein the imaging device is acquired.   The first photographing mode for photographing using the input mode and the execution mode and the focus detection unit are operated to move the focus lens sequentially from the shortest photographing distance side or the infinity side to focus on the subject. 8. The photographing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a second photographing mode that detects a position of the focus lens and moves the position of the focus lens to the detected position. A shooting lens whose focusing distance is adjusted by moving the focus lens;
Direction detecting means for detecting a shooting direction for shooting by the shooting lens;
When the shortest distance and the longest distance of the distance range to be photographed corresponding to a plurality of photographing directions are input in advance, and the shortest distance with respect to the photographing direction detected by the direction detecting means is Ln and the longest distance is Lf. And a focus control means for moving the focus lens to a position where the focus matches the intermediate distance obtained by “Lm = 2 / (1 / Ln + 1 / Lf)”.   Input means for inputting a shortest distance and a longest distance corresponding to each shooting direction, and the focus control means; an arithmetic means for calculating the intermediate distance from the shortest distance and the longest distance input in advance by the input means; Storage means for storing an intermediate distance corresponding to each shooting direction obtained by the calculation means in association with the corresponding shooting direction, and storing the intermediate distance with respect to the shooting direction detected by the direction detection means. The photographing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the focus lens is read out from the means, and the focus lens is moved to a position where the read intermediate distance is in focus.   Input means for inputting the shortest distance and the longest distance corresponding to each shooting direction, and the focus control means calculates the intermediate distance from the shortest distance and the longest distance input in advance by the input means, and Calculating means for obtaining the position of the focus lens corresponding to the intermediate distance, and storage means for storing the position of the focus lens corresponding to each photographing direction obtained by the computing means in association with the corresponding photographing direction, respectively. 10. The photographing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the position of the focus lens with respect to the photographing direction detected by the direction detecting unit is read from the storage unit, and the focus lens is moved to the read position.   The focus control unit moves the focus lens within a partial range including the position of the focus lens corresponding to the intermediate distance, evaluates each optical image obtained through the photographing lens, and positions the focus lens to focus on the subject. The photographing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the focus lens is moved to the detected focus position.

Images