JP2009053598A - Imaging device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an imaging device capable of easily obtaining information on the number of remaining sheets and the photographing order of auto-bracketing photography even without performing a release standby operation. <P>SOLUTION: The imaging device capable of auto-bracket photographing comprises: a setup means for setting the auto-bracket information; a storage means for storing the auto-bracket information; and a display means for displaying the auto-bracket information stored by the storage means. Wwherein, (a) before the auto-bracketing photography is performed, the display means displays all of the auto-bracket information and, (b), (c) every time the auto-bracketing photography is performed, the auto-bracket information of which the photography is performed, among the auto-bracket information is not displayed. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an imaging apparatus capable of auto bracket photography, and more particularly to display of auto bracket information during auto bracket photography.

  Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for displaying auto bracket step number information corresponding to exposure information at the time of auto bracket shooting.

When the release standby operation (half-press of the release button) is not performed, all the auto bracket step information recorded in the storage means is displayed. When the release standby operation is performed, the next auto bracket shooting is performed. A technique for displaying only information on the number of auto brackets used on a display means is disclosed.
JP-A-2-8826

  However, in Patent Document 1, since the auto bracket step number information to be displayed is changed when the release standby operation is not performed, in order to obtain the auto bracket step number information used for the next auto bracket shooting. The release standby operation had to be performed. Further, it has not been possible to easily obtain information about the remaining number of auto bracket shooting and the shooting order.

  In order to solve the above-described problem, an imaging apparatus according to the present invention is an imaging apparatus capable of auto bracket shooting, and includes setting means for setting auto bracket information, storage means for storing the auto bracket information, and the storage Display means for displaying the auto bracket information stored in the means, and the display means displays all of the auto bracket information and performs auto bracket shooting before auto bracket shooting is performed. It is characterized by not displaying the auto bracket information which was image | photographed among the said auto bracket information for every time. With this configuration, it is possible to easily obtain information about the remaining number of auto bracket shooting and the shooting order without performing a release standby operation.

  In addition, the display unit of the imaging apparatus according to the present invention may be characterized in that, every time auto bracket shooting is performed, the auto bracket information that has been shot out of the auto bracket information is grayed out. With this configuration, it is possible to obtain auto bracket information that has already been shot.

  The display unit of the imaging apparatus of the present invention may display exposure information and display the auto bracket information in correspondence with the exposure information. With this configuration, the auto bracket information can be visually obtained in correspondence with the exposure information.

  Further, the display unit of the imaging device of the present invention specifies auto bracket information that cannot be displayed in correspondence with the exposure information when at least one of the auto bracket information cannot be displayed in correspondence with the exposure information. It is good also as notifying. With this configuration, it is possible to notify an image of extreme overexposure or underexposure before shooting.

  Further, the auto bracket information of the image pickup apparatus of the present invention may include at least a shooting order.

  As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to easily obtain information on the remaining number of auto bracket shooting and the shooting order without performing a release standby operation. For this reason, it is possible to display the information of the auto bracket, which is easier for the user to understand than in the past.

(Embodiment 1)
1. Configuration Hereinafter, an example of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Here, the case where the present invention is applied to a digital still camera as an imaging apparatus and auto bracket shooting is performed will be described, but the application of the present invention is not limited to this.

  FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a circuit configuration of a digital still camera according to the present embodiment. According to the figure, the light collected by the lens 1 enters the CCD 2 driven by a CCD (Charge Coupled Devices) drive circuit 3 and is converted into image data which is an electrical signal. Image data generated by the CCD 2 is converted into a digital signal by the A / D conversion circuit 4. The signal is stored in the SDRAM 5 as image data captured by the lens 1. The image data stored in the SDRAM 5 is converted into a display image by an image signal processing circuit 6 and a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 7 and is output to an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) 8.

  When photographing, when the user presses the shutter button 9, the CPU 7 determines that and instructs the CCD driving circuit 3 to perform photographing operation. An image captured by the CCD 2 by shooting driving is temporarily stored in the SDRAM 5, subjected to predetermined processing by the image signal processing circuit 6, and then stored in the memory card 10. The exposure information calculated by the signal processing circuit 6 and the CPU 7 from the image data stored in the SDRAM 5 and the auto bracket information set by the user are also output to the LCD 8. The auto bracket information is performed by the user operating the cross key 11 and the menu setting key 12 according to the guidance displayed on the LCD 8.

  Here, a case where a CCD is used as the optical sensor will be described, but a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) or other imaging element which has lower power consumption may be used.

  Further, although the case where an SDRAM is used as a storage element will be described, an SRAM (Static Random Access Memory) that operates at a higher speed, a DDR SDRAM (Double Data Rate SDRAM) that can realize a double transfer speed of the SDRAM, A memory element may be used.

  Further, although the case where an LCD is used as a display will be described, an organic EL (Electro-Luminescence) display with lower power consumption, a higher brightness CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) display, and other displays may be used. .

Although a case where a memory card is used as a storage device will be described, a magnetic recording medium such as a floppy (registered trademark) disk, an MO (Magneto-Optical disk), a hard disk, or other storage device may be used.
2. Procedure Next, the display procedure of auto bracket information will be described. The present embodiment is characterized in that the auto bracket information, the remaining number of sheets, and the shooting order information can be confirmed at the same time.
2.1 Setting Auto Bracket Information Hereinafter, an example of setting auto bracket information will be described. The procedure for setting the auto bracket information is shown in the flowchart of FIG. In the following description, S11, S12, and the like indicate corresponding steps of the flowchart.

  First, when the menu setting key 12 is pressed, a menu list (FIG. 3) is displayed on the LCD 8. By selecting “auto bracket setting” with the cross key 11, the auto bracket setting screen (FIG. 4) is entered.

On the auto bracket setting screen, the “correction width” and the shooting order (“bracket order”) are set (S11). The “correction width” is set to how much the exposure is changed. The example of FIG. 4 is a setting for changing the exposure with a width of 1/3 EV. The shooting order (“bracket order”) is set in what order the exposure is changed. The example of FIG. 4 is a setting for changing the exposure in the order of 0 / − / +. That is, when auto bracket shooting is performed with the setting shown in FIG. 4, the first image is captured with the proper exposure, the second image with the appropriate exposure−1 / 3 EV, and the third image with the appropriate exposure + 1/3 EV. As for the selection operation method for each item, the item to be changed is selected with the cross key 11, the setting value to be changed is selected with the cross key, and determined with the menu setting key 12. The auto bracket information set here is stored in the SDRAM 5.
2.2 Display of Auto Bracket Information Next, display of auto bracket information will be described. An example of an auto bracket information screen displayed on the LCD 8 during auto bracket shooting is shown in FIG. The exposure information and auto bracket information are shown in a frame 51 in FIG. The numeral 52 in FIG. 5 indicates that 0 is proper exposure, and the other figures indicate what EV proper exposure is deviated. The figure 53 in FIG. 5 shows the shooting sequence of auto bracket shooting and the exposure at that time. Photographing is performed in the order of the numbers on the figure at the exposure indicated by the figure 53 in FIG. In the case of this example, it is shown that the first image is taken with proper exposure, the second photo is taken with proper exposure-1 / 3EV, and the third photo is taken with proper exposure + 1 / 3EV, which are stored in the SDRAM 5. Display based on auto bracket information (correction width and shooting order).

  Next, FIG. 6 shows how the display of auto bracket information is updated (S12) each time auto bracket shooting is performed. Shooting is performed by pressing the shutter button 9. FIG. 6A shows the display of auto bracket information before auto bracket shooting, which is the same as the display in the frame 51 in FIG. FIG. 6B shows the display of auto bracket information after the first image is taken. By erasing the graphic representing the shooting sequence and exposure (appropriate exposure) of the first image, it is shown that the first image has been captured. FIG. 6C shows the display of auto bracket information after the second image is taken. By erasing the figure representing the shooting sequence and exposure (appropriate exposure-1/3 EV) of the second image, it indicates that the second image has been captured. As described above, the number of shots that have been taken (S13, S14) is recorded in the SDRAM 5 with respect to the auto bracket information (correction width and shooting order) stored in the SDRAM 5, and the information is also recorded. To update the auto bracket display.

  Further, when overexposure or underexposure is set beyond the scale of the exposure information, as shown in FIG. 7, the shooting sequence of auto bracket shooting and a figure indicating the exposure at that time are displayed outside the scale of the exposure information. To do. At this time, in order to emphasize that the setting value is outside the scale of the exposure information, the display color of the graphic outside the scale of the exposure information may be changed or blinked.

  In FIG. 7, after setting the correction width to 4/3 EV and the bracket order to 0 / − / +, the figure 71 in FIG. 7 indicating proper exposure was moved to the overexposed side by 4/3 EV. Accordingly, the figure 72 in FIG. 7 showing proper exposure −4/3 EV and the figure 73 in FIG. 7 showing proper exposure +4/3 EV are also moved to the overexposed side by 4/3 EV. As a result, the figure 73 in FIG. 7 showing the proper exposure + 4 / 3EV is a set value outside the scale of the exposure information. Therefore, in order to emphasize that the setting value is outside the scale, the display color of the graphic 73 in FIG. 7 is changed or blinked. The “+/−” mark 74 in FIG. 7 indicates that the figure 71 in FIG. 7 that is the proper exposure has moved from the scale 0 of the exposure information.

  Here, every time auto bracket shooting is performed, the auto bracket information display of the shooting is turned off. However, the auto bracket information that has already been shot can be displayed by dimming the display (grayed out). The auto bracket information that has already been photographed may be continuously displayed as past information while distinguishing from the auto bracket information that will be photographed from now on. In addition, although an example of shooting with three auto brackets is given here, it goes without saying that the same applies to shooting more than that. In addition, on the auto bracket information screen of FIG. 5, the image currently captured by the CCD 2 may be displayed sequentially, and the other displays shown in FIG. 5 are only examples.

  In this embodiment, a camera without a viewfinder is assumed. However, when an embodiment having a viewfinder is assumed, the same display may be performed on the display in the viewfinder. Further, when it is desired to store the auto bracket information and the like even when the image pickup apparatus is turned off, the information may be stored in a flash memory or the like.

  According to the present invention, since information on auto bracket shooting can be easily obtained by the user at the time of auto bracket shooting, such as a digital still camera, a video camera with a still image shooting function, and a mobile phone with a still image shooting function. It is useful as an information display at the time of image shooting realized by a device having a still image shooting function and a personal computer.

1 is a block diagram illustrating a circuit configuration of a digital still camera according to an embodiment. Flow chart showing the setting procedure of auto bracket information Image of menu list screen Image of auto bracket setting screen Image of auto bracket information display screen Image of change of auto bracket information display screen Image of auto bracket information display screen when overexposed

Explanation of symbols

1 Lens 2 CCD
3 CCD control circuit 4 A / D conversion circuit 5 SDRAM
6 Image signal processing circuit 7 CPU
8 LCD
9 Shutter button 10 Memory card 11 Cross key 12 Menu setting key

Claims (5)

An imaging device capable of auto bracket photography,
Setting means for setting auto bracket information;
Storage means for storing the auto bracket information;
Display means for displaying the auto bracket information stored in the storage means;
Have
The display means includes
Before auto bracket shooting, all the auto bracket information is displayed,
Each time auto bracket shooting is performed, the auto bracket information that has been shot out of the auto bracket information is not displayed.
An imaging apparatus characterized by that. The display means includes
Every time auto bracket shooting is performed, out of the auto bracket information, the auto bracket information that was shot is grayed out.
The imaging apparatus according to claim 1. The display means includes
Display exposure information,
Displaying the auto bracket information in correspondence with the exposure information;
The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein The display means includes
When at least one of the auto bracket information cannot be displayed in correspondence with the exposure information, the auto bracket information that cannot be displayed in correspondence with the exposure information is identified and notified,
The imaging apparatus according to claim 3. The auto bracket information is
Including at least correction range and shooting order,
The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

Images