JP2010135963A - Imaging apparatus, and control method of imaging apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an imaging apparatus which enables an automatic switchover to an optimum aspect ratio with respect to a focus distance set by a user and a subject (person), and to provide a control method of the imaging apparatus. <P>SOLUTION: An imaging apparatus has an imaging element 221 outputting a subject image as image data, an image processing circuit 257 which can detect a face of the subject, an optical system driving mechanism 107 changing a focus distance of an imaging optical system, and a zoom location detection mechanism 106 detecting the focus distance. A horizontal to vertical ratio and/or aspect ratio of an image data output range of the imaging element 221 is controlled according to an increase and decrease of the focus distance detected and the subject face. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an imaging apparatus and an imaging apparatus control method, and more particularly, to an imaging apparatus capable of changing an image to a different aspect and an imaging apparatus control method.

  In recent years, an imaging device such as a digital camera is generally used for photographing. When shooting, the image may be changed to a portrait or landscape image depending on the composition of the subject. You may also want to change the aspect ratio to achieve an optimal composition.

In view of this, there has been proposed an imaging apparatus that can change the aspect ratio and aspect ratio. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an electrophotographic apparatus that can change the aspect ratio of an imaging screen without changing the orientation of the main body. In this electrophotographic apparatus, the effective imaging range in the vertical direction and the horizontal direction is changed from the square image sensor by operating the vertical direction enlargement button or the horizontal direction enlargement button.
JP 2002-176581 A

Patent Document 2 discloses a camera that determines whether or not the main subject is side by side based on the result of multipoint ranging, and switches to panoramic photography when the main subject is side by side. Further, Patent Document 3 discloses a camera that analyzes the distance and position of the main subject based on the result of multipoint ranging and selects the optimum focal length for the aspect ratio selected by the user. Yes.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 6-094970 JP-A-5-040292

  The electrophotographic apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1 described above can obtain images having various aspect ratios by cutting out image data from a square imaging device, but the operation of setting the aspect ratio is complicated. In addition, the camera disclosed in Patent Document 2 only shows switching to a horizontally long panorama, and does not take into account zoom and vertically long images. Furthermore, in the camera disclosed in Patent Document 3, the optimal zoom position is automatically set according to the aspect ratio, but it is not considered to set the aspect ratio appropriately according to the zoom or the person detection result. .

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an imaging apparatus capable of automatically switching to an optimum aspect ratio for a focal length and a subject (person) set by a user and a method for controlling the imaging apparatus The purpose is to provide.

  In order to achieve the above object, an imaging apparatus according to a first invention includes an imaging unit that outputs a subject image as image data, a face detection unit that detects a face of the subject, and a focal length that changes a focal length of the photographing optical system. A changing unit; and an imaging region control unit that controls the aspect ratio and / or aspect ratio of the image data output region of the imaging unit according to the increase / decrease of the focal length and the increase / decrease of the face of the subject.

  The imaging apparatus according to a second invention is the imaging apparatus according to the first invention, wherein the imaging area control unit makes the image data output area horizontally long if the number of faces of the subject increases when the focal length is shortened. If the aspect ratio is controlled to be more horizontally long and the face of the subject does not decrease or increase / decrease, the image data output area is controlled to be vertically long and / or the aspect ratio is controlled to be vertically long.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, the imaging area control unit sets the image data output area as long as the face of the subject does not increase or decrease when the focal length is increased. Control is performed so as to be horizontally long and / or the aspect ratio is further horizontally long, and if the face of the subject is reduced, the image data output region is controlled to be vertically long and / or the aspect ratio is controlled to be vertically long.
In the imaging device according to a fourth invention, in the first to third inventions, the face detection unit detects a face of one or a plurality of subjects located in the entire imaging unit, or Faces of one or more subjects located in the image data output area are detected.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an imaging apparatus according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, wherein a finder display unit that optically displays the subject image and a live view display unit that displays the subject image based on the image data. And a switching unit that switches between shooting using the finder display unit and shooting using the live view display unit, and the imaging area control unit is configured to perform shooting using the live view display unit. In addition, the aspect ratio and / or aspect ratio of the image data output area is controlled.

  In the imaging device according to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the first to fifth aspects of the invention, the focal length changing unit moves a part of the optical system in the photographing optical system along the optical axis. The focal length is changed by changing the distance, or the imaging optical system can be attached to and detached from the imaging apparatus, and the imaging optical system is replaced.

  According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, there is provided a control method for an image pickup apparatus that outputs a subject image as image data, detects a subject's face based on the image data, detects a focal length of a photographing optical system, and increases / decreases the focal length. The aspect ratio and / or aspect ratio of the image data output area of the imaging unit is controlled according to the increase or decrease of the face of the subject.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an imaging apparatus and an imaging apparatus control method capable of automatically switching to an optimal aspect ratio for a focal length and a subject (person) set by a user.

  Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment using a digital camera to which the present invention is applied will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is an external view of a digital single lens reflex camera according to an embodiment of the present invention viewed from the front, and FIG. 2 is an external perspective view of the digital single lens reflex camera viewed from the back side.

  A body mount 24 for mounting the interchangeable lens 100 (see FIG. 3) is provided in the approximate center of the front surface of the camera body 200 shown in FIG. A communication contact 341 for connecting to the interchangeable lens 100 and performing communication is disposed at a position slightly behind the body mount 24. Further, the inside of the camera body 200 from the body mount 24 is a mirror box, and a movable mirror 201 and the like are arranged in the mirror box.

  In addition, a release button 21 is disposed on the upper part of the left-side grip portion of the camera body 200. The release button 21 has a first release switch that is turned on when the photographer is half-pressed and a second release switch that is turned on when the photographer is fully pressed. When the first release switch (hereinafter referred to as 1R) is turned on, the camera performs photographing operations such as focus detection, focusing of the photographing lens, and photometry of the subject brightness, and the second release switch (hereinafter referred to as 2R) is turned on. Based on the output of the image sensor 221 (see FIG. 3), an exposure operation for capturing image data of the subject image is executed.

  A front dial 22 is disposed on the front left grip portion of the camera body 200. The front dial 22 is rotatable in a clockwise direction and a counterclockwise direction, and its rotation direction and rotation amount are detected and output.

  A built-in flash 50 for irradiating the subject with auxiliary light is housed in the upper part of the camera body 200. When the built-in flash 50 is in a pop-up state, the built-in flash 50 is in a use state, and the light emitting unit is positioned toward the subject.

  A control panel 40 is disposed on the upper surface of the camera body 200. The control panel 40 is a display device such as a liquid crystal display, and displays shooting information such as an aperture value and a shutter speed value for shooting.

  As shown in FIG. 2, a rear dial 23 is arranged on the upper right side of the back surface of the camera body 200. Similarly to the front dial 22, the rear dial 23 is also rotatable in the clockwise direction and the counterclockwise direction, and the rotation direction and the rotation amount are detected and output.

  A live view display button (hereinafter referred to as LV display button) 31 is disposed below the rear dial 23. Live view display refers to displaying a subject image on a display device such as a liquid crystal monitor for subject image observation based on image data acquired by an image sensor. By operating this LV display button 31, the live view display mode is set, and when it is operated again, the live view display mode is canceled.

  A cross button 32 is disposed below the LV display button 31. This cross button 32 is composed of four buttons, an upper cross button, a lower cross button, a right cross button, and a left cross button. . An OK button 33 is disposed substantially at the center of the four cross buttons 32. The OK button 33 is an operation member for determining the item selected by the cross button 32.

  A power switch 34 is disposed below the cross button 32. The power switch 34 is an operation member for controlling execution of the camera operation of the camera. That is, the camera according to the present embodiment performs various operations when the power switch 34 is on, and does not perform camera operations when the power switch 34 is off.

  An eyepiece unit 38 is provided at the upper portion of the center of the back surface of the camera body 200, and an eyepiece lens 209 is disposed therein. The camera body 200 is a single-lens reflex camera. A finder optical system (see FIG. 3) such as a movable mirror 201 and a pentaprism 207 is arranged inside, and a subject light flux that has passed through the finder optical system is used as an eyepiece. 209. The photographer can optically observe the subject image through the eyepiece lens 209.

  A rear liquid crystal monitor (hereinafter referred to as rear LCD) 39 is disposed below the eyepiece 38. The rear LCD 39 is a display device for performing live view display, reproducing and displaying recorded subject images, and displaying shooting information and menus. Any liquid crystal display can be used as long as it can perform these displays. Further, in the present embodiment, the camera body 200 is disposed on the back surface, but is not limited to the back surface as long as the photographer can observe it.

  A menu button 35 is disposed below the rear LCD 39 and on the left side of the power switch 34. The menu button 35 is an operation member for setting and canceling the menu mode. The menu mode is a mode for performing various modes and other settings of the camera. When the menu mode is set, a menu is displayed on the rear LCD 39. The photographer selects a desired mode or the like from the menu display with the cross button 32 and confirms with the OK button 33.

  A playback button 36 is arranged on the left side of the menu button 35. The playback button 36 is an operation member that reads out image data recorded on a recording medium or the like and instructs a playback mode in which a subject image is played back and displayed on the rear LCD 39 based on the image data.

  On the left side of the playback button 36, a vertical / horizontal button 37 is arranged. The vertical / horizontal button 37 is an operation member for selecting either a vertical image or a horizontal image. As will be described later, the image pickup device 221 of the camera according to the present embodiment has a substantially square shape, and image data of a vertically long image or a horizontally long image is selected and displayed from image data output by the image pickup device. And recording on a recording medium.

  Next, an electric circuit of the digital single-lens reflex camera according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to a block diagram shown in FIG. This digital single-lens reflex camera includes an interchangeable lens 100 and a camera body 200. In the present embodiment, the interchangeable lens 100 and the camera body 200 are configured separately and are electrically connected by the communication contact 341. However, the interchangeable lens 100 and the camera body 200 can be configured integrally. .

  Inside the interchangeable lens 100, a photographing optical system 101 for focus adjustment and focal length adjustment, and a diaphragm 103 for adjusting the aperture amount are arranged. The photographing optical system 101 is driven by an optical system driving mechanism 107, and the diaphragm 103 is driven by an aperture driving mechanism 109. The focus position (focus position) of the photographing optical system 101 driven by the optical system drive mechanism 107 is detected by the focus position detection mechanism 105, and the focal length of the optical system 101 is detected by the zoom position detection mechanism 106.

  The optical system drive mechanism 107, the aperture drive mechanism 109, the focus position detection mechanism 105, and the zoom position detection mechanism 106 are each connected to a lens CPU 111, and the lens CPU 111 is connected to the camera body 200 via a communication contact 341. ing.

  A lens ROM 113 and a lens RAM 115 are connected to the lens CPU 111. The lens ROM 113 is an electrically rewritable nonvolatile memory, and stores a program for causing the lens CPU 111 to execute, unique information of the interchangeable lens 100, and the like. The lens RAM 115 is an electrically rewritable volatile memory, and is a temporary storage area used for executing the above-described program.

  The lens CPU 111 controls the interchangeable lens 100. The lens CPU 111 controls the optical system driving mechanism 107 to perform focusing and zoom driving, and controls the diaphragm driving mechanism 109 to perform aperture value control. Further, the lens CPU 111 transmits the focal length and focal position information detected by the focus position detection mechanism 105 and the zoom position detection mechanism 106 to the camera body 200.

  In the camera body 200, a position tilted by 45 degrees with respect to the optical axis of the lens (the lowered position, the subject image observation position) in order to reflect the subject image to the observation optical system, and a subject image to be guided to the image sensor 221. A movable mirror 201 that can be rotated between the jumped up position (the raised position and the retracted position) is provided.

  Above the movable mirror 201, a focusing screen 204 for forming a subject image is disposed. Above the focusing screen 204, an entire liquid crystal plate (hereinafter referred to as an entire LCD) 205 is disposed. . The entire LCD 205 can partially control transmission and light shielding, and can guide the subject image to the finder optical system for any part of the subject image formed on the focusing screen 204.

  Above the entire LCD 205, a pentaprism 207 for horizontally inverting the subject image is arranged. An in-finder display device 206 is arranged along the front reflective surface of the pentaprism 207. The in-viewfinder display device 206 is composed of a liquid crystal display device or the like, and displays a field-of-view display, photographing information and the like superimposed on the optical viewfinder image, as will be described later. The in-finder display device 206 is connected to the in-finder display driving circuit 295, and is driven and controlled thereby.

  An eyepiece lens 209 for observing a subject image is disposed on the emission side (right side in FIG. 3) of the pentaprism 207, and a photometric sensor 211 is disposed on the side of the pentaprism 207 so as not to interfere with the observation of the subject image. The photometric sensor 211 is connected to a photometric processing circuit 212, and the output of the photometric sensor 211 is subjected to processing such as amplification and analog-digital conversion by the photometric processing circuit 212.

  Near the center of the movable mirror 201 described above is a half mirror, and on the back surface of the movable mirror 201, a sub mirror 203 for reflecting subject light transmitted through the half mirror portion to the lower part of the camera body 200 is provided. ing. The sub mirror 203 is rotatable with respect to the movable mirror 201. When the movable mirror 201 is flipped up (the position indicated by a broken line in FIG. 3), the sub mirror 203 is rotated to a position that covers the half mirror portion. When in the observation position (lowering position), it is in an open position with respect to the movable mirror 201 as shown.

  This movable mirror 201 is driven by a mirror drive mechanism 239. A phase difference AF sensor 241 is disposed below the sub mirror 203, and an output of the phase difference AF sensor 241 is connected to the phase difference AF processing circuit 243. The phase difference AF sensor 241 is a known phase difference that separates the peripheral luminous flux of the photographing optical system 101 into two luminous fluxes in order to measure the defocus amount of the subject image formed by the photographing optical system 101. It consists of an AF optical system and a pair of sensors. Further, the phase difference AF sensor 241 can detect the focus at each of a plurality of points in the photographing screen.

  A focal plane type shutter 213 for controlling the exposure time is disposed behind the movable mirror 201, and this shutter 213 is driven and controlled by a shutter drive mechanism 237. An imaging element 221 is disposed behind the shutter 213 and photoelectrically converts a subject image formed by the photographing optical system 101 into an electrical signal. Needless to say, a two-dimensional solid-state image sensor such as a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) or a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) can be used as the image sensor 221.

  The image sensor 221 is connected to the image sensor drive circuit 223, and the image sensor drive circuit 223 reads an image signal from the image sensor 221. The image sensor driving circuit 223 is connected to a preprocessing circuit 225. The preprocessing circuit 225 performs preprocessing for image processing such as pixel thinning processing for live view display and clipping processing for enlarged display. Do.

  A dust filter 215 and an infrared cut filter / low pass filter 217 are disposed between the shutter 213 and the image sensor 221. A piezoelectric element is fixed around the dustproof filter 215, and this piezoelectric element is vibrated with ultrasonic waves by a dustproof filter driving circuit 235. The dust adhering to the dust filter 215 is removed by the vibration wave generated in the piezoelectric element.

  The infrared cut filter / low pass filter 217 is an optical filter for removing the infrared light component and the high frequency component from the subject light flux. The dust-proof filter 215, the infrared cut filter / low-pass filter 217, and the image sensor 221 are integrally formed in an airtight manner so that dust and the like do not enter. The integrated image sensor 221 and the like can be moved by the shift mechanism 233 along the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction on the image pickup surface of the image sensor 221, respectively.

  The camera shake sensor 229 is an angular acceleration sensor or the like that detects vibration caused by camera shake or the like applied to the camera body 200, and this output is connected to the camera shake correction circuit 230. The camera shake correction circuit 230 generates a camera shake correction signal for removing vibrations such as camera shake, and the output of the camera shake correction circuit 230 is connected to the shift mechanism drive circuit 231.

  The shift mechanism drive circuit 231 inputs a camera shake correction signal, and drives the shift mechanism 233 based on this signal. By this shift mechanism 233, the image sensor 221 and the like are moved so as to cancel vibrations such as camera shake applied to the camera body 200, thereby performing vibration isolation.

  The tilt sensor 227 detects angular acceleration about three axes and outputs a value corresponding to the tilt of the camera body 200. The inclination detection circuit 228 is connected to the inclination sensor 227, and obtains the inclination state from the steady state value of the inclination sensor 227 and the acceleration from the change amount of the inclination sensor 227, and outputs these values.

  The light source sensor 244 is a sensor for detecting a light source of ambient light of a subject such as a fluorescent lamp or sunlight. The light source processing circuit 245 is connected to the light source sensor 244 and outputs light source data corresponding to the light source. The illuminance sensor 246 is a sensor for measuring the illuminance on the camera 200. The illuminance processing circuit 247 is connected to the illuminance sensor 246 and outputs illuminance data corresponding to the illuminance.

  The remote control reception sensor 248 is an infrared sensor for receiving a remote control command by infrared rays or the like from a remote control device (not shown). The remote control reception processing circuit 249 is connected to the remote control reception sensor 248, inputs a signal from this sensor, and outputs a remote control signal.

The pre-processing circuit 225 described above is an ASIC (Application Specific
Integrated Circuit is connected to a data bus 252 in an application-specific integrated circuit) 250, and is connected to each circuit in the ASIC 250 via the data bus 252. The preprocessing circuit 225 is also connected to the contrast AF circuit 253 and the AE circuit 255.

  The contrast AF circuit 253 extracts a high frequency component based on the image signal output from the preprocessing circuit 225, and outputs contrast information based on the high frequency component to the body CPU 251. Note that the contrast AF circuit 253 can extract the entire region in the screen when extracting the high-frequency component. The AE circuit 255 outputs photometric information corresponding to the subject brightness to the body CPU 251 based on the image signal output from the preprocessing circuit 225.

  The body CPU 251 connected to the data bus 252, the contrast AF circuit 253, and the AE circuit 255 controls the operation of the digital single-lens reflex camera according to the program stored in the flash memory 277.

  In addition to the body CPU 251, the data bus 252 includes an image processing circuit 257, a compression / decompression circuit 259, a video signal output circuit 261, a switch detection circuit 268, an input / output circuit 271, a communication circuit 273, a flash memory control circuit 275, and an SDRAM control circuit. 279, a recording medium control circuit 283, and a dial detection circuit 289 are connected.

  The image processing circuit 257 performs various types of image processing such as digital amplification (digital gain adjustment processing) of digital image data, color correction, gamma (γ) correction, contrast correction, and live view display image generation. The image processing circuit 257 uses the digital image data in the image data output area to determine whether or not a person's face is included in the subject image, and if it is included, Detect the number of faces. The compression / decompression circuit 259 is a circuit for compressing the image data temporarily stored in the SDRAM 281 by a compression method such as JPEG or TIFF and decompressing the data for display. Note that image compression is not limited to JPEG or TIFF, and other compression methods can be applied.

  The video signal output circuit 261 is connected to the rear LCD 39 via the LCD driving circuit 263, and can be connected to the external display device 330 via the contact 330a. The video signal output circuit 261 is a circuit for converting image data stored in the SDRAM 281, the recording medium A 285, and the recording medium B 287 into a video signal for display on the rear LCD 39 or the like. As shown in FIG. 2, the rear LCD 39 is disposed on the rear surface of the camera body 200. However, the rear LCD 39 is not limited to the rear surface and may be another display device as long as the photographer can observe.

  Various switches including a 1R switch for detecting the first stroke (half press) of the shutter release button 21, a 2R switch for detecting the second stroke (full press), and a live view display switch that is turned on by operating the live view display button 31. 269 is connected to the data bus 252 via the switch detection circuit 268. Other various switches 269 include a menu switch linked to the menu button 35, a playback switch linked to the playback button 36, a vertical / horizontal switch linked to the vertical / horizontal button 37, and a power switch 34. Various interlocking switches are included.

  The dust filter driving circuit 235, the shutter driving mechanism 237, the phase difference AF processing circuit 243, the mirror driving mechanism 239, the light source processing circuit 245, the illuminance processing circuit 247, the remote control reception processing circuit 249, the tilt detection circuit 228, and the shift mechanism driving circuit described above. The input / output circuit 271 connected to the photometric processing circuit 212 controls input / output of data to / from each circuit such as the body CPU 251 via the data bus 252. The input / output circuit 271 is also connected to an LCD orientation detection circuit 265, a charging circuit 301, and a flash light emission circuit 303, which will be described later.

  A communication circuit 273 connected to the lens CPU 111 via a communication contact 341 is connected to the data bus 252 and exchanges data and communicates control commands with the body CPU 251 and the like.

  The flash memory control circuit 275 is connected to a flash memory 277. The flash memory 277 stores a program for controlling the operation of the digital single-lens reflex camera. As described above, the body CPU 251 The digital single-lens reflex camera is controlled according to the program stored in the flash memory 277. Note that the flash memory 277 is an electrically rewritable nonvolatile memory.

  The SDRAM 281 is connected to the data bus 252 via the SDRAM control circuit 279, and the SDRAM 281 temporarily stores the image data processed by the image processing circuit 257 or the image data compressed by the compression / decompression circuit 259. This is a buffer memory.

  The recording medium control circuit 283 connected to the data bus 252 is connected to the recording medium A 285 and the recording medium B 287, and controls the recording of image data and the like to the recording medium A 285 and the recording medium B 287 and reading of the image data and the like. Do.

  Recording medium A285 and recording medium B287 are loaded with any of rewritable recording media such as xD Picture Card (registered trademark), CompactFlash (registered trademark), SD Memory Card (registered trademark) or Memory Stick (registered trademark). It is configured so that it can be attached to and detached from the camera body 200. In addition, the hard disk may be configured to be connectable via a communication contact. The recording medium A 285 and the recording medium B 287 are the same type of recording medium, and combinations such as combinations with different storage capacities and combinations of different types of recording media are arbitrary.

  The dial detection circuit 289 is connected to the front dial 22 and the rear dial 23, respectively, and detects the rotation direction and the rotation amount of each dial.

  In the camera main body 200, a power supply circuit 291 for supplying power to each circuit and each mechanism in the main body is provided. A built-in battery 292 and an external power supply 293 can be connected to the power supply circuit 291.

  The LCD orientation detection circuit 265 detects the orientation of the rear LCD 39. That is, the rear LCD 39 can change its orientation to a vertical position or a horizontal position, detects this orientation, and transmits it to the body CPU 251 via the input / output circuit 271.

  A control panel drive circuit 297 is connected to the control panel 40 described above, and the control panel drive circuit 297 is connected to the body CPU 251. The body CPU 251 displays shooting information and the like on the control panel 40 via the control panel drive circuit 297.

  The built-in flash 50 disposed in the camera body 200 includes a charging circuit 301, a flash light emitting circuit 303, a light emitting tube 305, and the like. The charging circuit 301 receives power supply from the battery 292, the external power supply 293 or the like, boosts the voltage, and charges it. The flash light emission circuit 303 performs light emission control such as applying a voltage boosted by the charging circuit 301 to the light emission tube 305 at a predetermined timing.

  The external flash 310 is an external flash device, and is connected to the camera body 200 via the contacts 310a and 310b. In the external flash 310, a flash CPU 311, a charging circuit 313, a flash light emission circuit 315, an arc tube 317, a reflector 318, and a zoom drive circuit 319 are disposed.

  The flash CPU 311 controls the external flash 310, and communicates with the body CPU 251 via the contact 310b and the communication circuit 273. The charging circuit 313 boosts the voltage of the power supply battery loaded in the external flash 310 and charges it. The flash light emission circuit 315 emits light in response to a light emission command received via the body CPU 251 and the contact 310a. The zoom drive circuit 319 drives and controls the distance between the arc tube 317 and the reflection shade 318 according to the focal length of the photographing optical system 101, and controls the irradiation angle according to the focal length of the photographing optical system 101 and the like. .

  The external device 320 is a device such as a personal computer (PC), and communicates with the body CPU 251 via the contact 320a and the communication circuit 273. The external display device 330 is a display device such as a television and is connected to the video signal output circuit 261 through the contact 330a. A display device drive circuit 331 and a display device 333 are disposed inside the external display device 330. Based on the video signal from the video signal output circuit 261, the display device driving circuit 331 displays a recorded image or the like on the display device 333.

  Next, the aspect and aspect ratio in this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. The imaging surface of the image sensor 221 has a substantially square shape, and an image is obtained in the image sensor 221 and in the image circle 120. The aspect ratio at this time is called the aspect ratio. In the present embodiment, four aspect ratios of 4: 3 landscape, 4: 3 portrait, 16: 9 landscape, and 16: 9 portrait are employed. Of course, a different aspect ratio may be adopted. The aspect ratio described here can be changed by a setting change subroutine in FIG. Based on the set aspect ratio, valid image data (image data output area) is selected by the preprocessing circuit 225 and the image processing circuit 257 from the image data output from the image sensor driving circuit 223. The

  Next, the operation in this embodiment will be described with reference to the flowcharts shown in FIGS.

  FIG. 5 shows a power-on reset operation by the body CPU 251 on the camera body 200 side. When the battery 292 is loaded in the camera body 200 or the external power source 293 is connected, this flow starts. First, it is determined whether the power switch 34 of the camera body 200 is on (# 1). If the result of determination is that the power switch 34 is off, the sleep state, which is a low power consumption state, is entered (# 3).

  In this sleep state, interrupt processing is performed only when the power switch 34 is turned on, and processing for power-on is performed in step # 5 and subsequent steps. Until the power switch 34 is turned on, operations other than the power switch interrupt processing are stopped to prevent the power battery from being consumed.

  In step # 1, when the power switch 34 is turned on, or when the sleep state is canceled in step # 3, power supply is started (# 5). Next, a dust removing operation is performed in the dust filter 215 (# 7). In this step, a driving voltage is applied from the dust filter driving circuit 235 to the piezoelectric element fixed to the dust filter 215, and dust and the like are removed by ultrasonic vibration waves.

  Next, if there is information such as the shooting mode set by the front dial 22 or the rear dial 23, ISO sensitivity, manually set shutter speed or aperture value, the shooting mode and shooting conditions are read (#). 9). At this time, the lens CPU 111 also reads lens information such as the aperture stop and focal length information of the interchangeable lens 100 via the communication circuit 273.

  Once the shooting mode or the like has been read, it is next determined whether or not live view is being performed (# 11). The live view display of the digital single lens reflex camera according to this embodiment is set to the live view display mode when the LV display button 31 is operated once, and the live view display mode is canceled when the LV display button 31 is operated again.

  If the result of determination in step # 11 is not live view display mode, that is, in the case of optical viewfinder display mode, finder photometry (F metering) and exposure amount calculation are performed (# 13). When not in the live view display mode, the movable mirror 201 is in the lowered state, and reflects the subject light flux that has passed through the photographing optical system 101 to the finder optical system such as the pentaprism 207. Therefore, the subject luminous flux enters the photometric element 211, and photometry can be performed.

  When metering is performed by finder metering, an exposure value such as an aperture value and a shutter speed for obtaining proper exposure is calculated based on the subject luminance obtained at this time. The exposure amount is calculated according to the shooting mode and shooting conditions set in step # 9.

  Once the exposure amount is calculated, the finder display is then performed (# 15). The viewfinder display is performed by the in-finder display device 206, and the shooting range according to the set aspect ratio and aspect ratio, and the shooting conditions such as the aperture value and the shutter speed, which are calculated or set manually, are displayed. The aperture value and shutter speed value based on the calculated exposure amount, or these manually set values are also displayed on the control panel 40. Details of this finder display subroutine will be described later with reference to FIG.

  Subsequently, the live view display is turned off (# 17). When the live view display mode is switched to the optical viewfinder display mode, the live view display is turned off here. If the live view display mode is canceled and the optical viewfinder display is repeated, the live view display is turned off, and this step is skipped.

  If the result of determination in step 11 is that live view display mode has been set, the movable mirror 201 is retracted (# 31), and the shutter 213 is opened (# 33). In the live view display mode, the subject image is displayed on the rear LCD 39 based on the image data from the image sensor 221, so the movable mirror 201 is retracted and the shutter 213 so that the subject image is formed on the image sensor 221. Is released. Note that steps # 31 and # 33 are skipped after the live view display is started.

  Subsequently, imager photometry (I photometry) and exposure amount calculation are performed (# 35). When the live view display mode is entered, the movable mirror 201 is retracted from the optical path of the photographing optical system 101, and the subject luminous flux does not enter the photometric element 211. Therefore, the subject brightness is measured by the AE circuit 255 based on the image data from the image sensor 221.

  Based on the measured subject brightness, an exposure amount such as an aperture value and a shutter speed for obtaining proper exposure is calculated. Note that the exposure amount is calculated according to the shooting mode and shooting conditions set in step # 9, as in step # 13. Further, the aperture value and shutter speed value based on the exposure amount calculated here, or these manually set values are displayed on the rear LCD 39 and the control panel 40.

  Subsequently, live view display is performed (# 37). In the live view display, image processing such as thinning out the number of pixels is performed by the pre-processing circuit 225 and the image processing circuit 257 based on the image data from the image sensor 221, and the subject image is displayed on the rear LCD 39 as a moving image. Every time image data is read from the image sensor 221, the subject image is updated. In this live view display, whether or not a face is included in the subject image is detected by the image processing circuit 257, and the increase or decrease of the focal length is detected by the zoom position detection mechanism 106, and imaging is performed according to these detection results. The vertical / horizontal and / or aspect of the image data output area from the element 221 is controlled. Details of this subroutine will be described later with reference to FIG.

  Once live view display is performed, the viewfinder display is turned off (# 39). When the optical viewfinder display mode is switched to the live view display mode, the viewfinder display is turned off here. Note that when the mode is switched to the live view display mode and the live view display is repeatedly performed, the finder display is turned off, and this step is skipped.

  When the live view display in step # 17 is turned off or the viewfinder display in step # 39 is turned off, it is determined whether or not an operation with the operation member has been performed (# 19). In this step, it is determined by the switch detection circuit 268 whether any one of the 1R switch, the setting switch (menu switch), the reproduction switch, and the power switch has been operated.

  If the result of determination in step # 19 is that there has been no operation, processing returns to step # 11 and the aforementioned operation is executed. On the other hand, if the result of determination is that operation has been performed, it is next determined whether or not the release button 21 has been half-pressed, that is, whether or not the 1R switch is on (# 21).

  If the result of determination in step # 21 is that the 1R switch is on, a shooting operation subroutine for shooting preparation and shooting is executed (# 41). Details of this subroutine will be described later with reference to FIG.

  If the result of determination in step # 21 is that the 1R switch is not on, or if a shooting operation has been executed in step # 41, it is next determined whether or not the setting switch is on. In this step, it is determined whether or not the menu button (setting button) 35 or the like is operated and the menu mode (setting mode) is set.

  If the result of determination in step # 23 is menu mode (setting mode), the setting is changed (# 43). In this setting change subroutine, various modes such as the aspect change mode can be set, and various processes are performed according to the set menu. Details of this subroutine will be described later with reference to FIG.

  If the result of determination in step # 23 is that the setting switch is not on, or if the setting change subroutine in step # 43 is executed, it is next determined whether or not the regeneration switch is on (# 25). If the result of this determination is that the regeneration switch is on, regeneration operation is executed (# 45). In the reproduction operation, the image data recorded on the recording medium A285 or the recording medium B287 is read and reproduced and displayed on the rear LCD 39 or the external display device 330. Details of the subroutine of the reproduction operation will be described later with reference to FIG.

  If the result of determination in step # 25 is that the regeneration switch is not on, or if the regeneration operation subroutine in step # 45 is executed, it is next determined whether or not the power switch 34 is on (# 27). . If the result of this determination is that the power switch 34 is on, processing returns to step # 11 and the aforementioned operation is executed.

  On the other hand, if the result of determination in step # 27 is that the power switch is not on, power supply is stopped (# 29), processing returns to step # 3, and the aforementioned sleep state is entered.

  Next, the shooting operation subroutine in step # 41 will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG.

  When the shooting operation subroutine is entered, it is first determined whether or not the live view display mode is set as in step # 11 (# 51). If the result of this determination is not live view display mode, a phase difference AF subroutine is executed (# 53). In this phase difference AF subroutine, the focal shift direction and the focal shift amount of the photographic optical system 101 are detected based on a known phase difference method using two light beams that have passed through the periphery of the photographic optical system 101. Then, the photographing optical system 101 is driven to the in-focus position using the detected defocus direction and defocus amount.

  When phase difference AF is completed, finder photometry and exposure amount calculation are then performed in the same manner as in step # 13 (# 55). The aperture value and shutter speed value based on the exposure amount calculated here, or these manually set values are displayed on the in-finder display device 206 and the control panel 40.

  If the result of determination in step # 51 is live view display mode, the imager AF subroutine is executed (# 57). In the live view display mode, the movable mirror 201 is in the retracted position from the optical path of the photographing optical system 101, and distance measurement by phase difference AF cannot be performed. Therefore, imager AF is performed based on the image data from the image sensor 221. In this imager AF subroutine, drive control of the imaging optical system 101 is performed so that the high-frequency component of the image data output from the contrast AF circuit 253 has a peak value.

  Once imager AF has been carried out, imager photometry and exposure amount calculation are carried out in the same manner as in step # 35 (# 59). The aperture value and shutter speed value based on the calculated exposure amount, or these manually set values are displayed on the rear LCD 39 and the control panel 40.

  After performing finder photometry and exposure calculation in step # 55 or imager photometry in step # 59, it is next determined whether or not the release button 21 has been fully pressed, that is, whether or not the 2R switch is on (#). 61). If the result of this determination is that the 2R switch is not on, it is determined whether or not the 1R switch is on (# 63).

  If the result of determination in step # 63 is that the 1R switch is not on, the photographer's finger has been released from the release button 21, so the shooting operation subroutine is terminated, and the flow returns to the original flow. On the other hand, if the result of determination in step # 63 is that the 1R switch is on, since at least the photographer's finger is on the release button 21, the process returns to step # 61, and this step and step # 63 are performed. It will be in the standby state judged alternately.

  If the result of determination in step # 61 is that the 2R switch is on, the release button 21 is fully pressed and the operation proceeds to exposure. First, as in steps # 11 and # 51, it is determined whether or not the live view display mode is set (# 65). If the result of this determination is not live view display mode, the movable mirror 201 is retracted (# 67). In the live view display mode, that is, in the optical viewfinder display mode, the movable mirror 201 is in the lowered position, and therefore the movable mirror 201 is retracted to guide the subject light flux to the image sensor 221.

  On the other hand, if the result of determination in step # 65 is live view display mode, the shutter 213 is closed (# 91). In the live view display mode, the movable mirror 201 is in the retracted position, and the shutter 213 remains open. Since the shutter 213 needs to be charged when performing the exposure operation, the shutter 213 is temporarily closed.

  If the movable mirror is retracted in step # 67 or the shutter is closed in step # 91, the diaphragm 103 is then moved down (# 69). In this step, a stop instruction is given to the lens CPU 111 so that the aperture value obtained based on the exposure amount calculation or the manually set aperture value is obtained.

  Subsequently, an exposure operation is performed (# 71). In this step, the front curtain of the shutter 213 is driven and charge accumulation is started in the image sensor 221. When a predetermined time elapses, the rear curtain of the shutter 213 is caused to travel and the charge accumulation in the image sensor 221 is terminated.

  When the exposure operation is completed, the aperture 103 is then opened (# 73). That is, the body CPU 251 transmits an instruction to the lens CPU 111 so that the aperture 103 becomes the full aperture value.

  When the aperture is opened, it is next determined whether or not the live view display mode is set (# 75), as in steps # 11, # 51, and # 65. If the result of this determination is not live view display mode, the movable mirror 201 is returned (# 77). That is, since the movable mirror 201 has been retracted from the optical path of the photographing optical system 101 in step # 67, it is lowered so as to be inserted into the optical path.

  On the other hand, if the result of determination in step # 75 is live view display mode, the shutter 213 is opened (# 93). That is, in order to restart the live view display, the front curtain of the shutter 213 is run and the shutter is opened in order to guide the subject light flux from the photographing optical system 101 to the image sensor 221.

  When the movable mirror is returned at step # 77 or the shutter is opened at step # 93, the image is read out (# 79). In this step, an image signal is read from the image sensor 221 by the image sensor drive circuit 223.

  Subsequently, image processing is performed (# 81). That is, the image signal read from the image sensor 221 is subjected to various image processing by the preprocessing circuit 225, the image processing circuit 257, the compression / decompression circuit 259, and the like. Note that the image data in the image data output area based on the set aspect ratio is selected by the pre-processing circuit 225, the image processing circuit 257, and the like by the setting change subroutine (see FIG. 7), and image processing is performed.

  Once image processing has been performed, image recording is next performed (# 83). In the image recording, the image data in the image data output area subjected to the image processing is recorded on the recording medium A 285 or the recording medium B 287 by the recording medium control circuit 283. When this image recording is completed, the original flow is restored.

  Next, the setting change subroutine in step # 43 will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. Various settings can be changed in the menu mode, but the flowchart shown in FIG. 7A shows only a part thereof.

  That is, the flow shown in FIG. 7A shows a case where the mode for changing the aspect ratio is selected by operating the operation members such as the cross button 32 and the vertical / horizontal button 37 in the upper setting change flow.

  If the setting change flow shown in FIG. 7A is entered, it is first determined whether or not an aspect change operation has been performed (# 101). This aspect change operation is performed by selecting the aspect change by operating the cross button 32 on the menu screen of the rear LCD 39 and determining the selected aspect ratio by the OK button 33.

  If the result of determination in step # 101 is that the aspect setting has been changed, the aspect setting is changed (# 103). That is, each time the right cross button of the cross buttons 32 is operated, the aspect ratio is sequentially changed to 4: 3, 3: 2, 16: 9 as shown in FIG. 7B. When the left cross button is operated, the order is changed in the reverse order.

  When the aspect setting change in step # 103 is completed, or if the result of determination in step # 101 is that an aspect change operation has not been performed, it is next determined whether or not a vertical / horizontal position change operation has been performed (#). 105). In this step, it is determined whether or not the vertical / horizontal button 37 has been operated.

  If the result of determination in step # 105 is that a vertical / horizontal position change operation has been performed, vertical / horizontal setting change is performed (# 107). Here, as shown in FIG. 7B, when 4: 3 landscape is set, the setting is changed to 3: 4 portrait. If 3: 2 landscape is set, the setting is changed to 2: 3 portrait, and if it is set to 16: 9 landscape, the setting is changed to 9:16 portrait.

  If the setting is changed in step # 107 or if the result of determination in step # 105 is that the vertical / horizontal position change operation has not been performed, the process returns to the original flow.

  Thus, in this embodiment, the aspect ratio and the vertical / horizontal position can be changed. When the vertical / horizontal position and aspect are changed, the preprocessing circuit 225 and the image processing circuit 257 change the effective range of the image data read from the image sensor 221 according to this setting. For this reason, it is possible to shoot on a screen corresponding to the vertical / horizontal position and aspect ratio of the screen of the playback device. In addition, it is possible to shoot with a frame suitable for the subject.

  In this embodiment, the aspect change operation is performed on the setting screen (menu screen), and the vertical / horizontal position is changed by operating the vertical / horizontal button 37. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and both buttons may be provided with an operation button, and conversely, both operations may be performed on the setting screen (menu screen) without providing an operation button. It doesn't matter. In addition to changing the aspect ratio and the vertical / horizontal direction using the operation member, for example, the camera body 200 may be changed based on the detection output of the tilt sensor 227 according to the operation of shaking the camera body 200.

  Next, the finder display subroutine in step # 15 will be described with reference to FIG. In this finder display, the subject image is optically displayed by an optical finder, and in this case, shooting information and a shooting range are displayed.

  When the flow of finder display shown in FIG. 8A is entered, first, driving of the information display liquid crystal is started (# 121). In this step, driving of the information display liquid crystals 206a and 206b of the in-finder display device 206 is started (# 121). The information display liquid crystals 206a and 206b have a photographing mode such as a program photographing mode (P), a shutter speed (“250” in the drawing), an aperture value (“F5.6” in the drawing), and exposure correction (in the drawing). “+0.7”), the flash status and the like are displayed. In this step, the information display liquid crystals 206a and 206b are started to be driven. However, since the backlight is not lit, the photographer cannot visually recognize at this stage.

  Subsequently, it is determined whether or not the horizontal position is selected (# 123). Since the vertical position or the horizontal position can be set by the vertical / horizontal button 37, the determination is made in this step based on the vertical / horizontal setting state. Since the vertical position and the horizontal position change alternately each time the vertical / horizontal button 37 is operated, the latest setting state is confirmed in this flow.

  If the result of determination in step # 123 is that the horizontal position has been selected, the horizontal position liquid crystal backlight is turned on (# 125). When this laterally positioned liquid crystal backlight is turned on, as shown in FIG. 8B, the information display liquid crystal 206a is illuminated, and the photographing information arranged in a horizontal row can be visually recognized.

  On the other hand, if the result of determination in step # 123 is that the horizontal position has not been selected, the vertical position liquid crystal backlight is turned on (# 127). When this vertical position liquid crystal backlight is turned on, the information display liquid crystal 206b is illuminated as shown in FIG. 8C, and the photographing information arranged in a vertical line can be visually recognized.

  When the horizontal position liquid crystal backlight is turned on in step # 125 or the vertical position liquid crystal backlight is turned on in step # 127, the selected aspect ruled line is turned on (# 129). In this step, according to the set aspect ratio and vertical / horizontal position, as shown in FIGS. 8B and 8C, ruled lines 206c and 206d indicating the photographing range are displayed on the entire LCD 205. That is, when the horizontal position is set, as shown in FIG. 8B, two ruled lines above and below the ruled line 206c are displayed, and when the vertical position is set, FIG. As shown in c), two ruled lines on the left and right of the ruled line 206d are displayed. The ruled lines 206c and 206d displayed here are performed based on the set image data output area in steps # 103 and # 107.

  When the selected aspect ruled line is turned on, the original flow is restored. Thus, in the present embodiment, the display position of the shooting information is changed according to the vertical position or the horizontal position. In addition, the shooting range is displayed by ruled lines 206c and 206d in the optical viewfinder. For this reason, even if the vertical position, horizontal position, and aspect ratio are changed, the shooting range and necessary shooting information can be confirmed in the optical viewfinder, which is very convenient.

  In the present embodiment, the shooting range is indicated by a ruled line, but it is of course possible to allow only the shooting range to be transmitted by the full-screen LCD 205 and to block light outside the shooting range. When only the ruled lines are transmitted as in the present embodiment and the other lines are transmitted, it is possible to observe the surroundings other than the shooting range, and when only the shooting range is transmitted, only the completed image is displayed. It can be easily grasped.

  Next, the live view display subroutine in step # 37 will be described with reference to FIGS. As described above, this subroutine displays a subject image on the rear LCD 39 based on the image data from the image sensor 221.

  When the live view display flow shown in FIG. 9 is entered, it is first determined whether or not live view display is started (# 311). If the result of this determination is that live view display has not yet started, display of a live view image is started (# 313). Here, live view display is started on the rear LCD 26 based on the image data from the image sensor 221.

  If the result of determination in step # 311 is that live view display has started, then face detection is performed (# 315). In this step, the determination is made based on the face detection performed by the image processing circuit 257. If the result of this determination is that a face has been detected, it is next determined whether or not the zoom is to the telephoto side (# 317). Here, the focal length detected by the zoom position detection mechanism 106 is acquired via the lens CPU 111, and it is determined whether or not the acquired focal length is zoomed to the telephoto side. When the focal length is zoomed to the telephoto side by a predetermined amount or more, it is determined as Yes. If the result of determination in step # 317 is that the zoom has zoomed to the telephoto side, aspect setting is performed in the horizontal direction (# 323). In this case, the aspect ratio may be set so that all detected face positions are within the screen, or the focal length may be changed.

  If the result of determination in step # 317 is that zooming has not been performed on the telephoto side, it is next determined whether or not zooming has been performed on the wide angle side (# 319). Here, as in step # 317, the focal length is acquired via the lens CPU 111, and it is determined whether or not the acquired focal length is zoomed to the wide-angle side. When the focal length is zoomed to the wide angle side by a predetermined amount or more, it is determined as Yes.

  If the result of determination in step # 319 is that the zoom has zoomed to the wide angle side, it is determined whether or not the number of people has increased (# 321). Here, it is determined whether or not the number of human faces detected by the image processing circuit 257 has increased compared to the previous time. As a result of this determination, if the number of persons has increased, the process proceeds to step # 323 described above, and the aspect setting is performed in the horizontal direction. On the other hand, if the result of determination in step # 321 is that the number of people has not changed or has decreased, aspect setting is performed in the vertical direction (# 325).

  As described above, in steps # 315 to # 325, the aspect setting is changed according to the change of the focal length and the increase or decrease of the number of people. That is, when zooming is performed on the wide-angle side and the number of people increases from the state in FIG. 11B (step # 315 → # 317 → # 319 → # 323), the aspect setting is made in the horizontal direction (# 323). In this case, since the number of subjects has increased, it is in a state where the angle of view has been widened by zooming to the wide-angle side, so that a landscape image is created so that all the subjects can easily enter the screen.

  Even when zooming is performed on the telephoto side from the state shown in FIG. 11A or FIG. 11C (step # 315 → # 317 → # 323), the aspect setting is made in the horizontal direction (# 323). Further, when zooming is performed from the state in FIG. 11B to the wide angle side and the number of people has not increased (steps # 315 → # 317 → # 319 → # 321 → # 325), the aspect setting is set in the vertical direction. (# 325). In this case, the whole person is photographed from the foot.

  When the live view image display is started in step # 313, the aspect setting is performed in the horizontal direction in step # 323, or the aspect setting is performed in the vertical direction in step # 323, the setting of the selected aspect display coordinates is then performed. (# 331). In this step, coordinates indicating a range to be displayed as a subject image are set based on the set vertical / horizontal position and aspect ratio information.

  Subsequently, the outside of the image area is painted black (# 333). In this step, based on the display coordinates set in step # 331, as shown in FIGS. 10A to 10D, the outside of the image area is painted black, that is, outside the image display area. 10A is a 4: 3 landscape image, FIG. 10B is a 16: 9 landscape image, FIG. 10C is a 2: 3 portrait image, and FIG. 10D is 9:16. This is an area showing a vertically long image.

  If the outside of the image area is blacked out, information display coordinates are set (# 335). In this step, when the image is in the horizontally long position, as shown in FIGS. 10A and 10B, coordinates for displaying shooting information in a horizontal row below the image area are set. In the case of the vertically long position, as shown in FIGS. 10C and 10D, coordinates for displaying shooting information in a single vertical column on the right side of the image area are set.

  If the information display area coordinates are set, or if the determination result is No in step # 315 or # 319, next, information display is performed (# 336). In this step, the shooting information is displayed below or on the right side of the image area. Subsequently, live view image display is started (# 337). In this step, a subject image is displayed as a moving image for observation based on the image data from the image sensor 221 in the image area of the rear LCD 39. Subsequently, the liquid crystal backlight is turned on (# 339). Thereby, the live view display and the shooting information on the rear LCD 39 can be visually recognized. The photographer can determine the composition while observing the subject image and perform photographing.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, when live view display is performed on the rear LCD 39, the subject image is displayed in consideration of the set vertical and horizontal positions and aspect ratio. In addition, the display position of the shooting information is changed according to the vertical and horizontal positions of the image. For this reason, even if the vertical position, the horizontal position, and the aspect ratio are changed, the shooting range and necessary shooting information can be confirmed by the live view display, which is very convenient.

  In the present embodiment, the number of persons included in the subject image and the change in focal length are detected, and the aspect setting is automatically changed in the horizontal direction or the vertical direction according to the detection result. This is convenient because it is not necessary to set the aspect according to the composition of the subject image.

  In the present embodiment, the outside of the image area is painted black so that the image is not displayed at all. However, the present invention is not limited to this. Of course, it does not matter even if the display is made transparent. When displaying with ruled lines or semi-transparent, the image data for live view display is not limited to the image data output area, but is output to the rear LCD 39 including the surrounding image data.

  Next, the reproduction operation subroutine in step # 45 will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. As described above, this subroutine reads out the image data recorded on the recording medium A 285 or the recording medium B 287 and reproduces and displays it on the rear LCD 39 or the like. When the playback button 36 is operated, a subroutine for the playback operation starts.

  When the playback operation subroutine is entered, a playback image is first designated (# 141). In this step, the images recorded on the recording medium A 285 and the like are displayed as thumbnails on the rear LCD 39, and the user designates an image that the user desires to reproduce and display with the cursor.

  When the reproduction image is designated, it is next determined whether or not an external output connection is made (# 143). Here, it is determined whether or not an external display device 330 such as a television is connected. If the result of this determination is that the external display device 330 is connected, external playback is performed (# 145). In this step, the image signal from the video signal output circuit 261 is transmitted to the external display device 330, and the image read from the recording medium A285 or the like is reproduced and displayed on the external display device 330.

  On the other hand, if the result of determination in step # 143 is that the external display device 330 is not connected, liquid crystal monitor playback is performed (# 147). In this step, the image read from the recording medium A285 or the like is reproduced and displayed on the rear LCD 39. This liquid crystal monitor reproduction subroutine will be described later with reference to FIG.

  When external reproduction in step # 145 or liquid crystal monitor reproduction in step # 147 is performed, it is determined whether or not the reproduction is completed (# 149). The camera body 200 in the present embodiment enters the playback display mode by operating the playback button 36, and the playback display mode ends by operating the playback button 36 again. Therefore, in this step, it is determined again whether or not the playback button 36 has been operated.

  If the result of determination in step # 149 is that playback has not ended, processing returns to step # 143 and the above-described operation is executed. On the other hand, if the result of determination is that playback has ended, the playback operation ends and the flow returns to the original flow.

  Next, the liquid crystal monitor reproduction subroutine in step # 147 will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. In this subroutine, the image data recorded on the recording medium A258 or the like is read and reproduced and displayed on the rear LCD 39.

  When the liquid crystal monitor reproduction subroutine is entered, first, a designated image is read (# 151). That is, image data is read from the recording medium A285 for the image designated in step # 141. Subsequently, the blank portion is painted black (# 153). As described above, since the images in the present embodiment have different vertical and horizontal positions and aspect ratios, according to the vertical and horizontal positions and aspect ratios of the read image data, respectively, as in FIGS. Make the margins black.

  Once the blank area has been painted black, monitor reproduction display is then started (# 155). That is, the image is reproduced and displayed on the rear LCD 39 based on the image data read in step # 151.

  When the monitor reproduction display is started, it is next determined whether or not an image selection operation has been performed (# 157). The camera according to the present embodiment can change to the previous or next image by operating the left and right cross buttons 32, and can display the thumbnail image again and select an image from these images. Therefore, in this step, it is determined whether or not these operations have been performed.

  If the result of determination in step # 157 is that an image selection operation has been performed, the designated image is changed (# 161). That is, the image is changed to the image selected by the image selection operation. Thereafter, the process returns to step # 151, where the changed image is read out and reproduced and displayed.

  On the other hand, if the result of determination in step # 157 is that no image has been selected, it is determined whether or not playback has ended (# 159). As described above, when the reproduction button 36 is operated again, the reproduction is completed. Therefore, in this step, it is determined whether or not the reproduction button 36 is operated again.

  If the result of determination in step # 159 is that playback has not ended, processing returns to step # 157 and the above-described operation is executed. On the other hand, if the reproduction is completed, the liquid crystal monitor reproduction subroutine is terminated and the process returns to the original flow.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, when image data is read from the recording medium A 285 or the like and reproduced and displayed, the reproduced display is selectively performed on the external LCD 330 or the rear LCD disposed in the camera body 200. be able to. In addition, when reproducing and displaying on the rear LCD 39, the margin portion is painted black according to the vertical / horizontal position and aspect ratio. Therefore, when shooting at various sizes, it is possible to perform display suitable for the size.

  As described above, in the embodiment of the present invention, the aspect ratio and / or aspect ratio of the image data output area of the image sensor 221 is controlled in accordance with the increase / decrease of the focal length and the increase / decrease of the subject's face. Therefore, it is possible to automatically switch to an optimum aspect ratio for the focal length and the subject (person) set by the user.

  Further, the conventional imaging apparatus has a problem that the angle of view differs depending on the aspect ratio and the diagonal length differs. That is, there is a problem that the angle of view changes. However, according to the embodiment of the present invention, the diagonal line of the image circle 120 of the image sensor 221 is always constant, and the angle of view does not change.

  In the embodiment of the present invention, both the optical finder and the live view display are included. However, the optical finder may be omitted and only the live view display may be used.

  In the embodiment of the present invention, when the image processing circuit 257 detects a face, the face of the subject is detected within this range using the image data in the image data output area. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the face of the subject may be detected using image data output from the entire image sensor 221. In this case, the aspect of the surrounding subject including the face of the surrounding subject is taken into consideration when setting the aspect.

  Furthermore, in the embodiment of the present invention, the focal length is changed by a zoom lens that moves a part of the optical system of the photographing optical system 101 along the optical axis. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, the focal length may be changed by exchanging an interchangeable lens that can be attached to and detached from the digital camera. Also in this case, it is only necessary to detect a change in the focal length of the mounted interchangeable lens by performing communication between the camera body 200 and the interchangeable lens 100.

  Furthermore, in the embodiment of the present invention, the image data in the image data output area determined by the vertical / horizontal position and the aspect ratio is included in the image data output from the image sensor drive circuit 223 by the preprocessing circuit 225 and the image processing circuit 257. Had chosen from. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, when reading from the image sensor 221, image data may be read only in a range determined by the vertical and horizontal positions and the aspect ratio.

  Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the digital camera is used as the photographing device. However, the camera may be a digital single-lens reflex camera or a compact digital camera, and may be used for moving images such as video cameras and movie cameras. It may be a camera, or may be a camera built in a mobile phone or a personal digital assistant (PDA). In any case, the present invention can be applied to any device for photographing that can change the vertical and horizontal positions and aspect.

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments as they are, and can be embodied by modifying the constituent elements without departing from the scope of the invention in the implementation stage. In addition, various inventions can be formed by appropriately combining a plurality of components disclosed in the embodiment. For example, you may delete some components of all the components shown by embodiment. Furthermore, constituent elements over different embodiments may be appropriately combined.

It is the external appearance perspective view seen from the front side of the digital camera concerning one Embodiment of this invention. It is the external appearance perspective view seen from the back side of the digital camera which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows an electric circuit in the digital camera concerning one Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the image circle, vertical and horizontal position, and aspect ratio of an image pick-up element in the digital camera concerning one Embodiment of this invention. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a power-on reset operation in the digital camera according to the embodiment of the present invention. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a shooting operation in the digital camera according to the embodiment of the present invention. 4A and 4B are diagrams for explaining a setting change operation in a digital camera according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 5A is a flowchart of setting change, and FIG. 5B is a diagram illustrating a relationship between vertical and horizontal positions and an aspect ratio. FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the operation of finder display in the digital camera according to the embodiment of the present invention, (a) is a flowchart of finder display, (b) shows finder display in a horizontal position, and (c) is a diagram. Shows the viewfinder display in the vertical position. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of live view display in the digital camera according to the embodiment of the present invention. In the digital camera in one Embodiment of this invention, it is a figure which shows the state of a live view display, (a) shows the live view display in horizontal position 4: 3, (b) is in horizontal position 16: 9. Live view display is shown, (c) shows live view display at the vertical position 2: 3, and (d) shows live view display at the vertical position 9:16. It is a figure explaining the aspect automatic setting in a live view display in the digital camera in one Embodiment of this invention. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a reproduction operation in the digital camera according to the embodiment of the present invention. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a liquid crystal monitor operation in the digital camera according to the embodiment of the present invention.

Explanation of symbols

21 ... Release button, 22 ... Front dial, 23 ... Rear dial, 24 ... Body mount, 31 ... LV display button, 32 ... Cross button, 33 ... OK button, 34 ... Power switch, 35 ... Menu button, 36 ... Play button, 37 ... Vertical / horizontal button, 38 ... Eyepiece, 39 ... Rear LCD, 40 ... Control panel, DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 50 ... Built-in flash, 100 ... Interchangeable lens, 101 ... Imaging optical system, 103 ... Aperture, 105 ... Focus position detection mechanism, 106 ... Zoom position detection mechanism, 107 ... Optical system drive mechanism, 109 ... Aperture drive mechanism, 111 ... Lens CPU, 113 ... Lens ROM, 115 ... Lens RAM, 120 ... Image circle, 200 ... Camera body, 201 ..Movable mirror , 203 ... sub-mirror, 204 ... screen, 205 ... full-screen LCD, 206 ... finder display device, 206a ... information display liquid crystal, 206b ... information display liquid crystal, 207 ... penta Prism, 209 ... eyepiece, 211 ... photometric element, 212 ... photometric processing circuit, 213 ... shutter, 215 ... dustproof filter, 217 ... low pass filter, 221 ... image sensor 223: Image sensor drive circuit, 225: Pre-processing circuit, 227 ... Tilt sensor, 228 ... Tilt detection circuit, 229 ... Shake sensor, 230 ... Shake correction circuit, 231 ... Shift mechanism drive circuit, 233 ... Shift mechanism, 235 ... Dustproof filter drive circuit, 237 ... Shutter drive mechanism, 239 ... Mirror drive 241 ... phase difference AF sensor, 243 ... phase difference AF processing circuit, 244 ... light source sensor, 245 ... light source processing circuit, 246 ... illuminance sensor, 247 ... illuminance processing circuit 248 ... Remote control reception sensor, 249 ... Remote control reception processing circuit, 250 ... ASIC, 251 ... Body CPU, 252 ... Bus, 253 ... Contrast AF circuit, 255 ... AE Circuit, 257... Image processing circuit, 259... Compression / decompression circuit, 261... Video signal output circuit, 263... LCD drive circuit, 265. Circuits, 269, various switches, 271, input / output circuits, 273, communication circuits, 275, flash memory control circuits, 277, flash memory 279 ... SDRAM control circuit, 281 ... SDRAM, 283 ... recording medium control circuit, 285 ... recording medium A, 287 ... recording medium B, 289 ... dial detection circuit, 291 ..Power supply circuit, 292 ... battery, 293 ... external power supply, 295 ... in-finder display drive circuit, 297 ... control panel drive circuit, 301 ... charge circuit, 303 ... flash Light emitting circuit, 305 ... arc tube, 310 ... external flash, 310a ... contact, 310b ... contact, 311 ... flash CPU, 313 ... charging circuit, 315 ... flash light emitting circuit 317 ... arc tube, 318 ... reflective shade, 319 ... zoom drive circuit, 320 ... external device (PC), 320a ... contact, 321, And equipment CPU, 330 ... external display device (TV), 330a ... contact, 331 ... display device drive circuit, 333 ... display unit, 341 ... communication contact

Claims (7)

An imaging unit that outputs a subject image as image data;
A face detection unit for detecting the face of the subject;
A focal length changing unit for changing the focal length of the photographing optical system;
An imaging region control unit that controls the aspect ratio and / or aspect ratio of the image data output region of the imaging unit according to the increase or decrease of the focal length and the increase or decrease of the face of the subject;
An imaging device comprising: When the imaging area control unit shortens the focal length,
If the number of faces of the subject increases, the image data output area is controlled to be horizontally long and / or the aspect ratio is further horizontally long.
If the face of the subject does not decrease or increase or decrease, the image data output area is controlled to be vertically long and / or the aspect ratio is controlled to be vertically long.
The imaging apparatus according to claim 1. When the imaging area control unit increases the focal length,
If the subject's face does not increase or increase / decrease, the image data output area is controlled to be horizontally long and / or the aspect ratio is further horizontally long,
If the number of faces of the subject decreases, the image data output area is controlled to be vertically long and / or the aspect ratio is controlled to be vertically long.
The imaging apparatus according to claim 1.   The face detection unit detects a face of one or more subjects located in the entire imaging unit, or detects a face of one or more subjects located in the image data output area. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: A finder display for optically displaying the subject image;
A live view display unit for displaying the subject image based on the image data;
A switching unit for switching between shooting using the finder display unit and shooting using the live view display unit,
Further comprising
The imaging area control unit controls the aspect ratio and / or aspect ratio of the image data output area at the time of shooting using the live view display unit.
The imaging apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the imaging apparatus is characterized.   The focal length changing unit changes a focal length by moving a part of the optical system in the imaging optical system along the optical axis, or the imaging optical system is detachable from the imaging apparatus. 6. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the focal length is changed by exchanging the photographing optical system. Output the subject image as image data,
Detect the face of the subject based on the image data,
Detect the focal length of the photographic optical system,
Control the vertical and horizontal and / or aspect ratio of the image data output area of the imaging unit according to the increase or decrease of the focal length and the increase or decrease of the face of the subject.
And a method of controlling the imaging apparatus.