JP2014225854A - Imaging device and method for controlling the same - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve the operability of a user in subject recapturing operation even when a subject gets out of a field angle during telescopic photographing.SOLUTION: An imaging device comprises a first operation unit via which a user instructs change of a zoom position, subject detecting means for detecting a subject from an image, and control means for controlling the zoom position according to the operation of the first operation unit. When the first operation is performed via the first operation unit, the control means executes first mode. If the subject detected by the subject detecting means is included outside a first region set in the image in the first mode, the control means controls the zoom position to move to a first zoom position on a wide-angle side and sets the zoom position before zoom movement at a second zoom position. If the subject detected by the subject detecting means at the first zoom position is included in the second region set in the region corresponding to the second zoom position, the control means controls the zoom position to move to the second zoom position.

Description

  The present invention relates to an imaging apparatus having a zoom function and a control method thereof.

  Some imaging devices such as a digital camera have an optical scaling function by driving a zoom lens (optical zoom) and an electronic scaling function (electronic zoom) function for enlarging a part of an imaged area. is there. In recent years, it has become possible to shoot with the same lens from ultra-wide angle to super-telephoto due to the performance improvement of the zoom lens, and with the increase in the number of pixels of the image sensor, it has become possible to shoot with sufficient resolution even when the magnification is increased. It is coming.

  As a function for instantly recapturing a subject when the subject is out of frame, Patent Document 1 proposes a function called a framing assist zoom function (FA zoom function). In the apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1, when the start of the FA zoom function is instructed, the zoom position is zoomed out in the wide-angle direction, and when the end of the FA zoom function is instructed, the FA zoom function is started. You can zoom in to the zoom position.

  On the other hand, a so-called auto-zoom function is known as a function for detecting a subject in the screen by a camera and automatically changing the zoom position according to the subject detection information. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-228688 proposes a method of zooming out the zoom position in the wide-angle direction when the subject reaches the limit position of a specific area in the screen. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-228561 presents a method of zooming in on the zoom position in the telephoto direction when the subject is in the center of the screen.

  However, in the auto-zoom function as in Patent Document 2, depending on the moving speed of the subject to be photographed, the zoom operation start condition, the amount of zoom change, and the like, the subject moves to the vicinity of the center on the screen by the zoom-out operation. There is a possibility that the subject is zoomed in immediately based on the position of the subject, or the subject moves to the vicinity of the periphery on the screen by the zoom-in operation and instantly zooms out based on the location. That is, a hunting phenomenon that repeats zoom-out and zoom-in occurs, which may cause the photographer to feel bothersome and may miss a photo opportunity due to the operation.

JP 2012-60595 A Japanese Patent No. 20526553

  In the above FA zoom function, zoom-out and zoom-in are performed in accordance with a photographer's operation. Here, in order to improve the convenience of the photographer, it is assumed that the zoom operation can be automatically performed in the FA zoom function according to the state of the subject. At that time, in order to quickly adjust the angle of view, it is required to suppress the above hunting phenomenon as much as possible.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems, and an object of the present invention is to suppress the occurrence of a hunting phenomenon in which zoom-out and zoom-in are repeated in an operation of re-capturing a subject when the subject deviates from the angle of view during telephoto shooting. That is.

  An imaging apparatus according to the present invention includes a first operation unit for a user to instruct a change of a zoom position, subject detection means for detecting a subject from an image, and a zoom position according to an operation of the first operation unit. When the first operation via the first operation unit is performed, the control unit executes the first mode, and the first operation unit controls the first mode. In the mode, when the subject detected by the subject detection means is included outside the first region set in the image, the control means controls to move the zoom position to the first zoom position on the wide angle side. At the same time, the zoom position before the zoom movement is set to the second zoom position, and the subject detected by the subject detection means is set in the region corresponding to the second zoom position at the first zoom position. Is When included in the second region, and controls to move the zoom position to the second zoom position.

  An imaging device control method according to the present invention is a method for controlling an imaging device having a first operation unit for a user to instruct a change of a zoom position, and a detection step of detecting a subject from an image; And a control step for controlling the zoom position according to the operation of the first operation unit, and when the first operation is performed via the first operation unit, the first mode is set in the control step. And the zoom position is moved to the first zoom position on the wide-angle side when the subject detected by the detection step is included outside the first area set in the image in the first mode. The zoom position before the zoom movement is set to the second zoom position, and the subject detected by the detection step corresponds to the second zoom position at the first zoom position. When included in that second area set in the area, and controlling so as to move the zoom position to the second zoom position.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to suppress a hunting phenomenon in which zoom-out and zoom-in are repeated in an operation of re-capturing a subject when the subject deviates from the angle of view during telephoto shooting.

1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of a digital camera according to an embodiment of the present invention. The figure which showed the relationship between a focal distance and the focus lens position for every object distance. The figure which illustrated the angle of view in the subject search state and the angle of view in the shooting preparation state. The figure explaining the process which prevents a to-be-photographed object (thing) from carrying out a frame out of a screen. The figure explaining the process which prevents a to-be-photographed object (person) from changing in size within a screen. The flowchart explaining the outline | summary of the flow of a process of FA zoom function. The flowchart explaining FA zoom start determination. 6 is a flowchart for explaining subject designation processing. The flowchart explaining FA zoom-out operation | movement and FA zoom-in operation | movement. The flowchart explaining zoom return position change processing. The flowchart explaining FA zoom end determination.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the function realized by this embodiment is a framing support zoom function that supports framing by a photographer, and for convenience, will be referred to as a framing assist zoom function (hereinafter abbreviated as FA zoom function).

  FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a digital camera 100 as an embodiment of an imaging apparatus of the present invention. The lens barrel 101 holds a lens group therein. The zoom lens 102 adjusts the focal length by moving in the optical axis direction, and optically changes the angle of view (moves the zoom position). The focus lens 103 adjusts the focus by moving in the optical axis direction. The anti-vibration lens 104 is a correction lens that corrects image blur caused by camera shake. A diaphragm and shutter 105 for adjusting the amount of light are used for exposure control. The light that has passed through the lens barrel 101 is received by an image sensor 106 using a CCD (charge coupled device), a CMOS (complementary metal oxide semiconductor), or the like, and is subjected to photoelectric conversion to generate an image signal. The imaging signal is input to the image processing circuit 107, subjected to pixel interpolation processing, color conversion processing, and the like, and then sent to the image memory 108 as image data. The image memory 108 is configured by a DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory), an SRAM (Static Random Access Memory), or the like.

  The display unit 109 as a display unit is configured by a TFT type LCD (Thin Film Transistor Driven Liquid Crystal Display) or the like, and displays specific information (for example, shooting information, an FA zoom frame described later, etc.) together with the shot image data. . By displaying information such as live view, an electronic viewfinder (EVF) function for the photographer to adjust the angle of view is realized.

  The aperture shutter drive unit 110 calculates an exposure control value (aperture value and shutter speed) based on luminance information obtained by image processing in the image processing circuit 107, and drives the aperture and shutter 105 based on the calculation result. . Thereby, automatic exposure (AE) control is performed. The anti-vibration lens driving unit 111 calculates a shake amount applied to the digital camera 100 based on information from an angular velocity sensor such as a gyro sensor, and drives the anti-vibration lens 104 so as to cancel the shake.

  The focus lens driving unit 112 drives the focus lens 103. For example, in contrast AF (autofocus) control, the focus lens 103 is focused on the subject based on focus adjustment information (contrast evaluation value) of the photographing optical system obtained by image processing of the image processing circuit 107. Driven. Note that for the application of the present embodiment, there is no limitation on the focus adjustment control, and a phase difference AF method or a method combined with another method can be employed. The zoom lens driving unit 113 drives the zoom lens 102 in accordance with a zoom operation instruction. The operation unit 117 is provided with a zoom lever or a zoom button as a zoom operation member for the photographer to instruct the camera to perform zooming. Based on the operation amount and operation direction of the zoom operation member (second operation unit) used for the zoom instruction operation, the system control unit 114 calculates the zoom drive speed and drive direction, and the zoom lens 102 follows the optical axis according to the calculation result. Move.

  The image data generated by the shooting operation is sent to the recording unit 116 via the interface unit (hereinafter referred to as I / F unit) 115 and recorded. The image data is recorded in an external recording medium such as a memory card used by being mounted on the camera, a nonvolatile memory 118 built in the digital camera 100, or both.

  In addition to the zoom operation member, the operation unit 117 includes a release switch for instructing start of photographing, an FA zoom operation switch (first operation unit) for instructing start and end of the FA zoom function, and the like. The operation signal is sent to the system control unit 114 described later. In addition to program data and image data, the memory 118 stores setting information of the digital camera 100 and information such as a zoom-in position in an FA zoom function described later. The zoom-in position is a return position that is a target when zooming in at the end of the FA zoom, and details thereof will be described later.

  The system control unit 114 as a control unit is configured by using an arithmetic device such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), and controls the entire camera by sending a control command to each unit according to a photographer's operation. The system control unit 114 executes various control programs stored in the memory 118, for example, programs for performing control of the image sensor 106, AE / AF control, zoom control (including FA zoom processing), and the like.

  Next, control related to the FA zoom function in the system control unit 114 will be described. In FIG. 1, internal processing of the system control unit 114 is represented by functional blocks 119 to 123.

  In order to maintain the in-focus state even when the angle of view is changed by the optical zoom, in the case of the rear focus type lens barrel shown in the lens barrel 101, the focus lens 103 is moved to an appropriate focus position according to the position of the zoom lens 102. Must be moved. Such control is called computer zoom (CZ) control. FIG. 2 is a graph showing a data table showing the relationship between the focal length of the zoom lens and the focus position at which the subject is in focus for each distance to the subject. This table is called a focus cam table. The horizontal axis indicates the focal length corresponding to the zoom position, the vertical axis indicates the focus position, and the distance from the camera to the subject (subject distance) is indicated beside each graph line. The system control unit 114 performs the scanning operation by controlling the focus lens driving unit 112 and moving the focus lens 103 within a predetermined range during the AF operation. Using a contrast evaluation value or the like obtained during this operation, a focus position that is a focal point is detected by a known method. The subject distance can be measured by referring to the focus cam table from the zoom position and the focus position at that time.

  The digital camera 100 has an optical zoom function and an electronic zoom function. The CZ control unit 119 and the zoom lens driving unit 113 are in charge of optical zoom driving. The CZ control unit 119 detects the zoom position of the zoom lens 102 for each predetermined control period during the zoom operation, and drives the focus lens 103 so as to follow the focus cam table according to the zoom position. This makes it possible to perform an optical zoom operation while maintaining the in-focus state.

  On the other hand, the electronic zoom control unit 120 and the image memory 108 are in charge of electronic zoom driving. The electronic zoom control unit 120 realizes an electronic zoom function by cutting out a target area from the image data transferred to the image memory 108. In addition, a smooth electronic zoom display can be realized by gradually increasing the range to be extracted at the frame rate period of the video to be captured by the image sensor 106 and displaying the range on the display unit 109.

  The subject detection unit 123 detects a desired subject region from the image data (in the image region) of the image memory 108. In this embodiment, a subject detection method for detecting a subject based on face information and color information will be described. The face detection process is a process for detecting a face area existing in image data by a known algorithm. For example, the subject detection unit 123 extracts a feature value from a square-shaped partial region on the image data, compares the feature value with a feature value of a face prepared in advance, and the correlation between the two exceeds a certain threshold value Then, the partial area is determined as a face area. If this determination is repeated while changing the combination of the size, arrangement position, and arrangement angle of the partial areas, various face areas existing in the image data are detected. In the color detection process, the color information of the subject area designated according to the subject designation method described later is stored as a characteristic color. The color detection process is executed when the subject to be detected is a “thing” other than a person. As the color information, RGB, luminance Y, color differences RY, BY, and the like, which are output signals from the image processing circuit 107, are used. At the time of subject detection, the image data is divided into several partial areas, and average values of luminance and color difference for each partial area are calculated. Further, the feature color information stored in advance and the color information of each area at the time of subject detection are compared, and a partial area whose difference in luminance and color difference is equal to or smaller than a predetermined amount is determined as a subject area candidate. A group of partial areas adjacent to each other in this area candidate is defined as the same color area, and an area where the same color area falls within a predetermined size range is defined as a final subject area.

  The subject detection unit 123 can estimate the size of the subject region on the image data by using the subject distance information measured by the CZ control unit 119 and the focal length information of the zoom lens 102 together with the face information and the color information. it can.

  Next, an overview of the FA zoom function and the FA zoom frame control unit 121 and the FA zoom control unit 122 will be described. The FA zoom function in this embodiment has two modes, a manual search mode and an automatic tracking mode. The difference between the two modes is the mode in which the photographer operates the FA zoom operation switch to catch the subject when the subject is out of frame, or the camera automatically detects the subject and supports the angle adjustment. There is a difference. An overview of the functions in each mode will be described.

In a camera not equipped with the FA zoom function, the photographer (user) needs to perform the following operations when the photographer is framing in the telephoto state and the subject moves out of the frame while waiting for a photo opportunity. there were.
(1) Searching for a subject by zooming out (zooming to the wide angle side) by operating a zoom operation member.
(2) Adjusting the angle of view by performing a zoom operation (zooming to the telephoto side) again until a desired angle of view (for example, an angle of view before zooming out by zooming out) is reached.

  On the other hand, in the digital camera 100 equipped with the manual search mode (second mode) of the FA zoom function, the subject is lost in a state where the angle of view is adjusted before photographing (hereinafter referred to as a photographing preparation state). In this case, the photographer may operate the FA zoom operation switch. This FA zoom operation switch is a switch assigned for the FA zoom function, and is a member different from the zoom operation member. By pressing the FA zoom operation switch, the camera is instructed to start the FA zoom function. The FA zoom control unit 122 stores each zoom position (zoom-in position) of electronic zoom and optical zoom in the memory 118 in response to an FA zoom start instruction from the FA zoom operation switch. Further, the FA zoom control unit 122 instructs the CZ control unit 119 or the electronic zoom control unit 120 to zoom out in the wide-angle direction according to the processing procedure of FIG. To the state (hereinafter referred to as subject search state).

  3A and 3D show the angle of view in the zoom-in state, and FIGS. 3B and 3C show the angle of view in the zoom-out state. When the subject goes out of the frame (FIG. 3A), the photographer presses the FA zoom operation switch to search for the subject. While the FA zoom operation switch is pressed, the zoom-out state is maintained, and the FA zoom frame 300 indicating the zoom-in position is displayed on the display unit 109 so as to be superimposed on the image. When a desired subject is found in the subject search state (FIG. 3B), framing is performed so that the subject fits within the FA zoom frame (periphery of the frame) using the FA zoom frame 300 as a guide (FIG. 3 ( c)). Thereafter, when the photographer releases the FA zoom operation switch and instructs the camera to end the FA zoom, the FA zoom control unit 122 performs electronic zoom or optical zoom up to the stored zoom position (zoom-in position) in the shooting preparation state. Zoom in with In this way, an optimum framing state as shown in FIG.

  As shown in FIGS. 3B and 3C, the FA zoom frame control unit 121 calculates the size indicating the angle of view in the stored shooting preparation state, and displays it at the center of the EVF of the display unit 109. The FA zoom frame 300 is displayed. The size of the FA zoom frame 300 is calculated based on the zoom magnification at the time of zooming out (before starting zooming out). For example, when the electronic zoom magnification is 2 times and the optical zoom magnification is 3 times from the shooting preparation state and the subject search state is entered after zooming out, the angle of view displayed on the EVF in the subject search state is ( A FA zoom frame having a size of 1/2) × (1/3) = 1/6 times is displayed. With this processing, the photographer can shoot at a desired angle of view while re-framing the framed out subject with a simple operation.

  On the other hand, when shooting a scene where the subject is likely to be out of frame, such as when shooting a moving subject, the camera automatically changes the zoom position as described below to prevent frame out more easily. can do.

  The digital camera 100 of this embodiment includes an automatic tracking mode (first mode) of the FA zoom function. In the automatic tracking mode, after setting the mode to the automatic tracking mode, a subject to be photographed is specified by performing an operation of specifying the subject from a touch panel or the like. In addition to touch panel operations, there are other ways to specify the subject, such as specifying the subject near the center when a specific button is pressed, or automatically selecting the main subject from subjects detected by the camera. It is done. The subject detection unit 123 calculates the position and size of the subject region designated from the image memory 108 on the image data. By continuously performing this on image data for each sampling displayed as a live view, it is possible to track the movement of the subject. When the tracked subject is detected in a zoom-out area, which will be described later, or when the subject is larger than a predetermined size (FIG. 3A), the camera is wide-angled with respect to the CZ controller 119 or the electronic zoom controller 120 A zoom-out instruction is given in the direction (FIG. 3B). When the subject is detected within the zoom-in area of the FA zoom frame 300 and falls within a predetermined size range (FIG. 3C), the zoom-in operation is performed to the zoom position indicated by the FA zoom frame 300. (FIG. 3 (d)). This process makes it easier for the photographer to move the camera so that the subject can be displayed on the screen without worrying about the zoom operation. Corner alignment can be performed. An object of the present embodiment is to enable the photographer to easily perform framing by performing the zoom-out operation and the zoom-in operation in the automatic tracking mode at the optimum timing.

  Next, the start conditions for the zoom-out operation and the zoom-in operation will be described with reference to FIGS. Reference numeral 400 denotes a mono tracking frame for tracking things other than a person, and 500 is a face tracking frame for tracking the face of a person. In the present embodiment, when the subject may be a person or a thing, the mono tracking frame 400 and the face tracking frame 500 may be collectively referred to as a subject tracking frame. The subject tracking frame is displayed on the EVF of the display unit 109 so as to surround the subject so that the subject designated by the photographer can be visually recognized. The position and size of the subject tracking frame on the screen (in the image) are calculated based on the face information and the color information by the subject detection unit 123 and updated at the frame rate period. FIG. 4 shows an example in which frame-out is prevented when an airplane as a subject frames out of the screen. In FIG. 4A, a region outside the predetermined ratio (outside the first region) with respect to the entire angle of view displayed by EVF is shown as a zoom-out region (ZO). For example, assuming that the center point of the screen is 0%, the entire screen is 100%, and a position that is 80% of the entire screen is a ZO boundary, an area of 80 to 100% is defined as ZO. When a part of the mono tracking frame 400a enters this area, the zoom-out operation is started. By calculating the zoom magnification and zoom speed for zooming out according to the size and moving speed of the subject, and performing the zoom-out operation according to the magnification and speed, it is possible to prevent the subject from being out of frame. In FIG. 4B, in the subject search state (first zoom position), an area (second area) inside a predetermined ratio with respect to the zoom-in field angle (second zoom position) indicated by the FA zoom frame 300 (second zoom position). Area) is shown as a zoom-in area (ZI). For example, assuming that the center point of the screen is 0%, the zoom-in angle of view indicated by the FA zoom frame 300 is 100%, and the position that is 70% of the zoom-in angle of view is the ZI boundary, 0 to 70% area Is ZI. At this time, when the zoom-out magnification is 1/2, for example, the FA zoom frame 300 is 50% of the entire screen. Therefore, it can be said that the ZI area is an area of 0 to 35% (= 70% × (1/2)) with respect to the entire screen. When the photographer changes the direction of the camera so that the mono tracking frame 400b fits within the ZI, a zoom-in operation is started.

  Here, the relationship between the lower limit ratio of ZO (80% in the above example) and the upper limit ratio of ZI (70% in the above example) will be described. Consider a case where the zoom-out operation is performed when the mono tracking frame 400 is detected at a position near the ZO lower limit ratio in the shooting preparation state, the subject stops at the position, and the direction of the camera itself is not changed. . At this time, when the ZO lower limit ratio and the ZI upper limit ratio are set to the same ratio, the entire mono tracking frame 400 is almost within the ZI immediately after the zoom-out operation (after the zoom-out stop). Further, when the setting is such that the ZO lower limit ratio ≦ ZI upper limit ratio, the entire mono tracking frame 400 is completely within the ZI immediately after the zoom-out operation, and the zoom-in operation is started immediately. That is, a hunting phenomenon that repeats the zoom-out operation and the zoom-in operation occurs. Therefore, in order to prevent the hunting phenomenon, the relationship between the ZO lower limit ratio and the ZI upper limit ratio needs to be set so that the ZO lower limit ratio> the ZI upper limit ratio.

  FIG. 5 shows an example in which, when a person who is a subject approaches the camera, the camera automatically performs a zoom operation so that the proportion of the subject is within a predetermined ratio. The face tracking frame 500 is displayed so as to surround the face region as a feature region of the person who is the subject. Therefore, here, the description will be made assuming that the size of the face tracking frame 500 = the subject size. FIG. 5A shows an angle of view when a subject is designated according to a subject designation method described later. The size of the face tracking frame 500a at the time of subject designation is stored in the memory 118 as a reference subject size (reference size). FIG. 5B shows the angle of view when the subject approaches the camera without changing the zoom position from the state of FIG. For example, a size that is 150% of the size of the face tracking frame 500a that is the reference subject size (a size that is larger than a predetermined multiple) is set as the zoom-out start size. When the relationship of the subject tracking frame is such that the face tracking frame 500b> face tracking frame 500a × 150%, the zoom-out operation is started. FIG. 5C shows an angle of view when the zoom magnification is zoomed out in the wide-angle direction by a factor of 1 / 1.5, which is equivalent to the amount of change in the subject size changed from FIG. 5A to FIG. Is shown. If the subject approaches further after this, the subject can be kept within a predetermined ratio by repeating zooming out until the optical zoom position reaches the wide end, and the photographer concentrates only on the operation of the release switch. be able to. In FIGS. 4 and 5, the processing for preventing frame-out when the subject is a thing and the processing for keeping the subject size within a predetermined ratio when the subject is a person have been described. The operation start determination process may be any combination.

  Next, an outline of processing of the FA zoom function will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a rough processing flow of the FA zoom function. In S100, the FA zoom control unit 122 determines whether or not to start FA zoom. In the FA zoom start determination, it is determined whether the manual search mode or the automatic tracking mode is selected. In the manual search mode, the state of the FA zoom operation switch of the operation unit 117 is determined. In the automatic tracking mode, the subject detection result is determined. Originally, it is determined whether or not to start FA zoom. The mode determination method will be described later. If the FA zoom start determination in S100 determines that FA zoom is started, the process proceeds to S101.

  In S101, the FA zoom control unit 122 stores the optical zoom position and the electronic zoom position at the start of zoom-out, and instructs the CZ control unit 119 or the electronic zoom control unit 120 by a predetermined drive amount to perform the FA zoom-out operation. Do. When the FA zoom-out operation ends, the process proceeds to S102, and the FA zoom frame control unit 121 displays the FA zoom frame 300 indicating the stored zoom position on the display unit 109. Using the FA zoom frame 300 as a guide, the photographer performs a framing operation so that the subject to be photographed is placed near the center of the screen. At this time, if the subject does not fit in the FA zoom frame 300 or if the subject is too small, the FA zoom frame 300 is changed to an appropriate size and the stored zoom position information is updated in S103. In S104, the FA zoom control unit 122 determines whether or not to end the FA zoom.

  In the FA zoom end determination, when the FA zoom start mode is the manual search mode, the FA zoom operation switch state of the operation unit 117 is determined. In the automatic tracking mode, the FA zoom end determination is based on the subject detection result. I do. When the FA zoom end determination is made in the FA zoom end determination in S104, the process proceeds to S105. In S105, the FA zoom control unit 122 instructs the CZ control unit 119 or the electronic zoom control unit 120 to drive to the stored optical zoom position and electronic zoom position, performs the FA zoom-in operation, and ends the FA zoom function.

  Next, details of each process will be described with reference to FIGS. 7 to 11 according to the process flow of the FA zoom function shown in FIG.

  FIG. 7 is a flowchart for explaining the FA zoom start determination process in S100. In S200, the FA zoom control unit 122 determines whether or not the FA zoom operation switch of the operation unit 117 is pressed. When the FA zoom operation switch is pressed, the process proceeds to S201, and the switch pressing time (operation time) is measured. In S201, it is determined whether or not the FA zoom operation switch has been released within a predetermined time since the start of pressing. That is, whether the switch is long-pressed or short-pressed is determined, and the mode to be executed is changed depending on the pressing time. When the button is pressed for a long time (second operation), the process proceeds to S202. When the button is pressed for a short time (first operation), the process proceeds to S203, the mode is set to the automatic tracking mode, and the selected mode is stored in the memory 118. . In the case of the manual search mode, the process proceeds to S208 when a predetermined time elapses from the start of pressing the switch, that is, when it is determined that the switch is pressed for a long time, and the start of FA zoom is determined. The In the case of the automatic tracking mode, the process proceeds to S204, and subject designation processing for the subject to be tracked is performed.

  In the present embodiment, the manual search mode or the automatic tracking mode is determined based on the switch pressing time. However, the mode determination method is not limited to this as long as the zoom operation switch is used. For example, when the zoom operation switch is pressed once and then pressed again within a predetermined time, any mode may be determined. Moreover, you may make it determine in any mode by simultaneous operation with a zoom operation switch and another member. In addition, the zoom operation switch is not limited to a pressing type, but instead, a rotatable ring member or the like may be used to instruct the FA zoom operation.

  Here, the subject designation process in S204 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 8A shows a flowchart of an operation example in which a subject displayed on the display unit 109 is touched and specified using a touch panel which is a member of the operation unit 117. In S300, it is determined whether or not the touch panel has been pressed. When the touch panel is pressed, the process proceeds to S301, and the FA zoom control unit 122 acquires the touched position.

  In S302, the FA zoom control unit 122 notifies the subject detection unit 123 of the touch position, and the subject detection unit 123 performs face detection near the touch position. If a face is detected near the touch position, it is determined that the main subject is a person, and the process proceeds to S303. In step S <b> 303, face information of the person who is the target of automatic tracking is stored in the memory 118. Specific face information includes the face size, face detection position, face orientation, etc. when the subject is designated. In addition, an authentication ID or the like is stored in a camera having a face authentication function.

  If no face is detected in the vicinity of the touch position in S302, the main subject is determined to be something other than a person, and the process proceeds to S304. In S304, the characteristic color near the touch position is stored in the memory 118 as the color information of the automatic tracking target. Specific color information includes the color and brightness of the characteristic color when the subject is designated, the value of the color difference, the size of the same color area, the center of gravity position of the same color area, and the like. In the following description, face information and color information are collectively used as subject information (subject size / subject detection position) for explanation.

  When the subject information is stored in S303 or S304, the process proceeds to S305. In S305, when the subject tracking frame (mono tracking frame 400 or face tracking frame 500) having a size corresponding to the subject size with the subject detection position as the center is displayed on the display unit 109, the subject designation processing ends. If the method of FIG. 8A described above is used, the subject that the photographer wants to track can be easily designated by an intuitive designation method.

  On the other hand, FIG. 8B shows a flowchart of an operation example in which a subject is specified by a switch different from the FA zoom operation switch which is a member of the operation unit 117. In step S <b> 306, the FA zoom control unit 122 displays a frame serving as a target for specifying the subject near the center of the screen of the display unit 109. The photographer adjusts the direction of the camera so that the subject to be tracked is placed near the center using this frame as a guide. In S307, it is determined whether or not the subject designation switch has been pressed. If the subject designation switch has been pressed, the process proceeds to S308. In step S308, the subject detection unit 123 performs face detection near the center of the screen. If a face is detected near the center of the screen, the main subject is determined to be a person and the process proceeds to S303. If no face is detected near the center of the screen, the main subject is determined to be something other than a person. Proceed to S304. Further, when the subject information is stored in S303 or S304 as in FIG. 8A, the process proceeds to S305, where the subject tracking frame (mono tracking frame 400 or face tracking frame 500) is displayed, and the subject designation processing is ended.

  Since the processing from S303 to S305 is the same as that in FIG. 8A except that the area for subject detection is near the center of the screen, the description thereof is omitted. When the method of FIG. 8B is used, a subject can be easily specified even in a camera not equipped with an operation member such as a touch panel.

  FIG. 8C shows a flowchart of an example in which a subject to be tracked is automatically selected from the faces detected when the FA zoom operation switch as a member of the operation unit 117 is pressed for a short time. In step S309, the subject detection unit 123 performs face detection on the entire screen. If even one person is detected on the entire screen, the main subject is determined to be a person and the process proceeds to S310.

  In step S310, the subject detection unit 123 selects the main face as the main face when the detected face is one person, and selects the main face as the subject to be tracked from the faces when there are a plurality of detected faces. As a determination criterion for main face selection, for example, the face detection position is assumed to be closer to the center of the screen, and if the position is similar, a face having a large face size is selected as the main face. Further, in the case of a camera having a face authentication function, if there is a face registered for authentication, the face is preferentially designated as the main face.

  In S303, the face information of the selected main face is stored in the memory 118. When the face information is stored in S303, the process proceeds to S305, and the face tracking frame 500 is displayed. In S311, the photographer can change the main face when the main face automatically selected from a plurality of faces is a face not intended by the photographer. At this time, when a switch on the operation unit 117 (which may be an FA zoom operation switch or another switch) is pressed, the main face is changed to a face not selected as the main face from the detected faces, and the face tracking frame 500 is changed. Update. When the main face is changed, the process proceeds to S303 again to update the stored face information, and at S305, the face tracking frame 500 is changed to the newly selected main face size and detection position.

  If the face is not detected in the entire screen in S309, it is determined that the main subject is something other than a person, and the process proceeds to S304. In S304, the characteristic color near the center of the screen is stored in the memory 118 as the color information of the automatic tracking target. Further, when the color information is stored in S304, the process proceeds to S306, the mono tracking frame 400 is displayed, and the subject designation process ends.

  The processing in S303 to S306 is the same as that in FIG. 8A except that the entire area for subject detection is the face and the area near the center of the screen in the case of color. When the method of FIG. 8C is used, it is possible to easily specify the subject with a smaller number of operations.

  When the subject designation process is completed, the process proceeds to S205 in FIG. In S205 to S207, it is determined whether or not to start FA zoom based on the subject information that is the reference specified when the subject is designated and the subject information that is periodically detected. This determination is repeated at a predetermined control cycle until the condition for starting FA zooming is satisfied.

  In step S205, the subject detection unit 123 detects a subject having the same characteristics as the reference subject information from the entire screen, that is, if the reference subject is a person, the face is detected, and if it is a thing, the same feature color is detected. It is determined whether or not. If the subject to be tracked is not detected, the process proceeds to S209. On the other hand, if the subject to be tracked is detected, the process proceeds to S206. In S206, it is determined whether or not the subject tracking frame of the subject to be tracked is included in the zoom-out area shown in FIG. If the tracking frame is included in the zoom-out area in S206, that is, if the subject is near the periphery of the screen and there is a risk of frame-out, the process proceeds to S208, and the start of FA zoom is determined. If the subject tracking frame is not included in the zoom-out area in S206, that is, if the subject is captured near the center of the screen, the process proceeds to S207.

In step S207, the subject size in the reference subject information is compared with the subject size detected in step S205. If the subject size in S205 becomes larger than the reference subject size by a predetermined factor or more, the process proceeds to S208, and the start of FA zoom is determined. When the FA zoom start determination is made in S208, the process proceeds to S101 in FIG. 6 to start the zoom-out operation.

On the other hand, when no subject is detected in S205, the FA zoom control unit 122 determines whether or not a predetermined time has elapsed in S209. If the predetermined time has not elapsed, the FA zoom control unit 122 determines whether or not the FA zoom operation switch has been pressed in S210. Also, when the subject detected in S205 is near the center of the screen and the subject size is less than a predetermined multiple of the reference subject size (no in S207), it is determined in S210 that the FA zoom operation switch has been pressed. If the FA zoom operation switch is not pressed in S210, the process returns to the subject detection process in S205, and the loop of S205, S209, and S210 is repeated. If a predetermined time has elapsed with no subject detected in S209, the process proceeds to S204 to perform subject specification processing again. If the FA zoom operation switch is pressed in S210, the process proceeds to S211.

  In S211, it is determined whether or not the FA zoom operation switch has been released within a predetermined time after being pressed. If the FA zoom operation switch is released within a predetermined time, the automatic zoom mode is canceled and the FA zoom function is terminated. On the other hand, if the switch is opened after a predetermined time has elapsed, the process proceeds to S202, and the manual search mode is stored. That is, in this embodiment, when the FA zoom operation switch is pressed for a predetermined time or more during the automatic tracking mode, the FA mode is changed to the manual search mode.

  FIG. 9A is a flowchart for explaining processing of the FA zoom-out operation in S101 of FIG. In S400, the FA zoom control unit 122 acquires the optical zoom position in the shooting preparation state from the CZ control unit 119, and acquires the electronic zoom position from the electronic zoom control unit 120. Further, the FA zoom control unit 122 stores the data of the optical zoom position and the electronic zoom position in the memory 118. The optical zoom position represents the position of the zoom lens corresponding to the zoom magnification that can be changed by the optical zoom function, and the electronic zoom position represents the control position corresponding to the magnification of image enlargement and reduction that can be changed by the electronic zoom function. . In the manual search mode, the zoom position stored here is set as the zoom return position.

  In step S <b> 401, the FA zoom control unit 122 acquires the zoom-out drive amount stored in the memory 118. The zoom-out drive amount in the automatic tracking mode is set according to the detected subject size. Specifically, the zoom-out drive amount is set smaller as the subject size is smaller. In consideration of the minimum size that can be detected by the subject, if the size of the subject is smaller than a predetermined size, the zoom-out is not performed. Further, the zoom-out drive amount in the manual search mode may be changed by the photographer by an operation from the setting menu. In S402, the FA zoom control unit 122 determines whether or not the zoom state in the shooting preparation state is the electronic zoom state. In a general zoom operation, when the zoom operation switch of the operation unit 117 is pressed, if the optical zoom position is between the wide end and the tele end, the optical zoom is driven under the control of the CZ control unit 119. . When the optical zoom position is at the telephoto end and an operation instruction in the telephoto direction is given, the electronic zoom control unit 120 drives the electronic zoom to enable super telephoto shooting. In order to ensure consistency between the zoom operation by the operation of the zoom operation switch and the FA zoom operation, even in the FA zoom operation, when the zoom state in the shooting preparation state is the electronic zoom state, the electronic zoom is driven first. That is, it is determined whether or not the zoom position stored in the memory 118 is within the zoom area in the zoom state to be prioritized. In this example, the electronic zoom is prioritized, and in S402, the zoom position is the electronic zoom area. It is determined whether or not there is.

  If the zoom state at the start of FA zoom is the electronic zoom state, the process proceeds to S403. In step S <b> 403, the FA zoom control unit 122 calculates the zoom-out position of the electronic zoom from the electronic zoom position acquired in step S <b> 400 and the zoom-out drive amount acquired in step S <b> 401, and sets the electronic zoom control unit 120. In step S404, the FA zoom control unit 122 instructs the electronic zoom control unit 120 to perform the scaling process up to the zoom-out position of the electronic zoom set in step S403. The electronic zoom control unit 120 performs a zoom-out operation by electronic zoom.

  If it is determined in S402 that the zoom position in the shooting preparation state is in the optical zoom area, or after an electronic zoom zoom-out operation is performed in S404, the process proceeds to S405. In step S <b> 405, the FA zoom control unit 122 determines whether zoom-out by optical zoom is necessary. That is, if the electronic zoom alone is not sufficient for the zoom drive with the set zoom-out drive amount, it is necessary to supplement the remaining zoom-out drive amount with the optical zoom. If it is determined that the zoom-out by the optical zoom is necessary, the process proceeds to S406. In step S <b> 406, the FA zoom control unit 122 calculates the zoom-out position of the optical zoom from the optical zoom position and the zoom-out drive amount, and sets the calculated position in the CZ control unit 119.

In step S407, the FA zoom control unit 122 instructs the CZ control unit 119 to perform zoom driving to the zoom-out position of the optical zoom set in step S406. The CZ control unit 119 controls the zoom lens driving unit 113 to perform a zoom-out operation of optical zoom.
When the FA zoom-out operation described above ends, the process proceeds to S102 in FIG. In S102, the FA zoom control unit 122 instructs the FA zoom frame control unit 121 to display the FA zoom frame 300 corresponding to the zoom return position. In the automatic tracking mode, the zoom position at the predetermined magnification telephoto side with respect to the current angle of view is stored in the memory 118 as a zoom return position, and the corresponding angle of view is displayed as an FA zoom frame. On the other hand, in the manual search mode, the angle of view corresponding to the zoom position at the start of FA zoom-out stored in S400 of FIG. 9A is displayed as the FA zoom frame. When the FA zoom frame is displayed, the zoom search position changing process of S103 is performed as the subject search state.

  FIG. 10 is a flowchart for explaining the zoom return position change process in S103 of FIG. In S500, it is determined whether the mode stored in S202 or S203 in the FA zoom start determination of FIG. 7 is the automatic tracking mode or the manual search mode. If the stored mode is the manual search mode, the process proceeds to S506. In the manual search mode, the zooming position (third zoom position) and the FA zoom frame 300 stored in S400 of FIG. 9A can be changed by the photographer operating the zoom lever.

  In S506, it is determined whether or not the zoom lever of the operation unit 117 has been operated in either the telephoto direction or the wide angle direction. If the zoom lever has been operated, the process proceeds to S507. If the zoom lever operation is not performed, this flow ends. In S507, the zoom return position (zoom-in position) stored in the memory 118 in S400 before the zoom-out operation is updated by a predetermined amount in the telephoto direction or the wide-angle direction according to the operation direction determined in S506, and the process proceeds to S508. In S508, the display of the FA zoom frame 300 is updated so as to indicate the angle of view corresponding to the zoom return position updated in S507, and the process proceeds to S509.

  In S509, it is determined whether or not the zoom lever of the operation unit 117 is opened. If the zoom lever is not opened, the processing of S507 to S509 is continued. When the zoom lever is released, this flow ends.

  With the above processing, even when the size of the subject displayed on the display unit 109 changes because the subject approaches after the zoom-out operation, the photographer can change the zoom return position with a simple operation, and the framing operation can be performed. It will be easier.

  If it is determined in S500 that the mode is the automatic tracking mode, the process proceeds to S501. Based on the subject size detected by the camera in the automatic tracking mode, the zoom return position (second zoom position) and the FA zoom frame 300 stored in the memory 118 are automatically stored so that the subject falls within an appropriate angle of view after the zoom-in operation. It is possible to change.

  The appropriate angle of view in the present embodiment is to hold an angle of view in which the ratio of the subject to the entire screen is approximately the same as the reference subject size specified in S204 of FIG. In S501, it is determined whether or not a subject having face information or color information corresponding to the reference subject information is detected. If a subject to be tracked is detected, the process proceeds to S502, and if not detected, the process proceeds to S510. In S510, the FA zoom control unit 122 determines whether or not a predetermined time has passed in a state where no subject is detected. If the predetermined time has not elapsed, the present flow is terminated. If the predetermined time has elapsed, the process proceeds to S204 in FIG. 7 to perform subject designation processing again.

  In S502, the ratio of the reference subject size to the entire screen is compared with the ratio of the subject detected in S501 to the FA zoom frame 300, that is, the angle of view after the zoom-in operation, and the difference between the two ratios is within a predetermined range. If it exceeds, the process proceeds to S503, and if it is within the predetermined range, this flow ends. In S503, the zoom return position stored in the memory 118 is changed. Specifically, the zoom return position is updated by a predetermined amount in the wide-angle direction when the subject size detected in S501 is larger than the reference subject size, and when it is smaller, the process proceeds to S504.

  In S504, the display of the FA zoom frame 300 is updated so as to show the same angle of view as the zoom return position updated in S503, and the process proceeds to S505. In step S505, it is determined whether the difference between the ratio of the reference subject size to the entire screen and the ratio of the subject to the FA zoom frame 300 indicating the updated zoom return position is within a predetermined range. If the difference between the ratio of the subject to the FA zoom frame 300 and the ratio of the reference subject exceeds the predetermined range even if the zoom return position is updated by a predetermined amount, the processing of S503 to S505 is performed so that the zoom return position is further changed. Continue. If the difference between the ratio of the subject to the FA zoom frame 300 and the ratio of the reference subject is within the predetermined range in S505, this flow ends.

  With the above processing, even when the subject approaches after the FA zoom-out operation and the size of the subject displayed on the display unit 109 changes, the zoom return position is automatically changed by the camera and the framing operation is easier. To be able to. FIG. 10 shows an example in which the zoom return position is changed by manual operation of the zoom lever in the manual search mode, and is automatically changed according to the subject size in the automatic tracking mode. It is good also as a structure which can be changed manually at the time of tracking mode.

  FIG. 11 is a flowchart for explaining the FA zoom end determination process in S104 of FIG. In S601, it is determined whether the mode stored in S202 or S203 in the FA zoom start determination of FIG. 7 is the automatic tracking mode or the manual search mode. When the mode is the manual search mode, the process proceeds to S605. In the manual search mode, the pressed state continues after detecting the pressing of the FA zoom operation switch in S200 or S210 during the subject search state.

  In S605, it is determined whether or not the FA zoom operation switch has been released from the long-pressed state. When the FA zoom operation switch is opened (third operation), the process proceeds to S604, and the end of the FA zoom is determined. On the other hand, if the FA zoom operation switch is not opened in S605, the subject search state continues, so the process returns to S500 in FIG. 10 to repeat the zoom return position change flow.

  If the mode is the automatic tracking mode in the determination of S601, the process proceeds to S602. In step S602, a subject having the same characteristics as the reference subject information specified in step S204 in FIG. 7, that is, a face is detected when the reference subject is a person, and a corresponding feature color is detected when the subject is a mono object. Determine. If the subject to be tracked is not detected, the process proceeds to S606.

  If the subject to be tracked is detected in S602, the process proceeds to S603. In step S603, it is determined whether or not the subject tracking frame of the subject to be tracked is included in the zoom-in area shown in FIG. If the tracking frame is included in the zoom-in area in S603, that is, if the subject is captured so that the subject size is near the center of the screen and within the angle of view at the zoom return position, the process proceeds to S604 and FA zoom is performed. The end is determined. If it is determined in step S604 that the FA zoom has ended, the process proceeds to step S105 in FIG. 6 to start the FA zoom-in operation.

  On the other hand, if no subject is detected in S602, the FA zoom control unit 122 determines whether a predetermined time has elapsed in S606. If the predetermined time has not elapsed, the FA zoom control unit 122 determines whether or not the FA zoom operation switch has been pressed in S607. Also, if the subject tracking frame of the subject detected in S602 is not included in the zoom-in area (no in S603), it is determined in S607 that the FA zoom operation switch has been pressed. If the FA zoom operation switch is not pressed in S607, the process returns to S500 in FIG. 10 to repeat the zoom return position changing process. If the predetermined time has passed in the state in which the subject is not detected in S606, the process proceeds to S204 in FIG. 7 to perform subject designation processing again. If the FA zoom operation switch is pressed in S607, the process proceeds to S608.

  In S608, it is determined whether or not the FA zoom operation switch has been released within a predetermined time after being pressed. If the FA zoom operation switch is released within a predetermined time, the automatic zoom mode is canceled and the FA zoom function is terminated. On the other hand, if the switch is opened after a predetermined time has elapsed, the process proceeds to S202 in FIG. 7 and the manual search mode is stored. That is, in this embodiment, when the FA zoom operation switch is pressed for a predetermined time or more during the automatic tracking mode, the FA mode is changed to the manual search mode.

  FIG. 9B is a flowchart for explaining the FA zoom-in operation in S105. In step S <b> 408, the FA zoom control unit 122 reads the stored zoom position (zoom return position) data from the memory 118. In step S409, the FA zoom control unit 122 determines whether the zoom state in the subject search state is the optical zoom state. In the case of the optical zoom state (Yes in S409), the process proceeds to S410 in order to perform zoom-in with priority on the optical zoom, and in the case of the electronic zoom state (no in S409), the process proceeds to S412 in order to perform zoom-in with only the electronic zoom. Proceed with the process.

  In S410, the FA zoom control unit 122 sets the zoom-in position by optical zoom in the CZ control unit 119 among the zoom return positions read in S408. In step S411, the FA zoom control unit 122 instructs the CZ control unit 119 to drive the zoom lens 102 to the zoom-in position by the optical zoom set in step S410. The CZ control unit 119 controls the zoom lens driving unit 113 to perform a zoom-in operation with optical zoom.

  When it is determined in S409 that the zoom position in the subject search state is within the electronic zoom area, or after the zoom-in operation is performed with the optical zoom in S411, the process proceeds to S412. In step S <b> 412, the FA zoom control unit 122 determines whether further zoom-in using electronic zoom is necessary. If zoom-in by electronic zoom is necessary, the process proceeds to S413, and if zoom-in by electronic zoom is not necessary, the process is ended in a shooting preparation state.

In S413, the FA zoom control unit 122 sets the electronic zoom control unit 120 to a zoom-in position by electronic zoom among the zoom return positions read in S408. In S414, the FA zoom control unit 122 instructs the electronic zoom control unit 120 to perform the scaling process up to the zoom-in position by the electronic zoom set in S413. The electronic zoom control unit 120 performs an electronic zoom-in operation, thereby returning to the zoom return position. When this operation ends, the shooting preparation state is set and the process ends.
(Other embodiments)
The object of the present invention can also be achieved as follows. That is, a storage medium storing a program code of software in which a procedure for realizing the functions of the above-described embodiments is stored is supplied to the system or apparatus. A computer (or CPU, MPU, etc.) of the system or apparatus reads out and executes the program code stored in the storage medium. In this case, the program code itself read from the storage medium realizes the novel function of the present invention, and the storage medium and program storing the program code constitute the present invention.

  Examples of the storage medium for supplying the program code include a flexible disk, a hard disk, an optical disk, and a magneto-optical disk. Further, a CD-ROM, CD-R, CD-RW, DVD-ROM, DVD-RAM, DVD-RW, DVD-R, magnetic tape, nonvolatile memory card, ROM, or the like can also be used.

  Further, by making the program code read by the computer executable, the functions of the above-described embodiments are realized. Furthermore, when the OS (operating system) running on the computer performs part or all of the actual processing based on the instruction of the program code, the functions of the above-described embodiments are realized by the processing. Is also included.

  Furthermore, the following cases are also included. First, the program code read from the storage medium is written in a memory provided in a function expansion board inserted into the computer or a function expansion unit connected to the computer. Thereafter, based on the instruction of the program code, the CPU or the like provided in the function expansion board or function expansion unit performs part or all of the actual processing.

  Further, the present invention is not limited to a device mainly intended for shooting such as a digital camera, and includes an imaging device such as a mobile phone, a personal computer (laptop type, desktop type, tablet type, etc.), a game machine, or the like. Applicable to any device to be connected. Therefore, the “imaging device” in this specification is intended to include any electronic device having an imaging function.

  As mentioned above, although preferable embodiment of this invention was described, this invention is not limited to these embodiment, A various deformation | transformation and change are possible within the range of the summary. The scene to be applied may be performed not only during angle adjustment for still image shooting but also during angle adjustment during moving image recording.

Claims (16)

A first operation unit for a user to instruct a change of a zoom position;
Subject detection means for detecting a subject from an image;
An image pickup apparatus having a control unit that controls a zoom position according to an operation of the first operation unit,
When the first operation is performed via the first operation unit, the control unit executes the first mode,
In the first mode, when the subject detected by the subject detection means is included outside the first region set in the image, the control means sets the zoom position to the first zoom position on the wide angle side. The zoom position before the zoom movement is set to the second zoom position, and the subject detected by the subject detection means in the first zoom position corresponds to the second zoom position. An image pickup apparatus that controls to move a zoom position to the second zoom position when included in a second area set in the area.   The ratio of the size of the first area to the image acquired before the zoom movement to the first zoom position corresponds to the second zoom position in the image acquired at the first zoom position. The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein the imaging device is larger than a ratio of a size of the second region to a region.   The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit sets the first zoom position according to a size of a subject detected by the subject detection unit.   The control means sets the first zoom position to the telephoto side when the size of the subject detected by the subject detection means is the first size as compared to the second size larger than the first size. The imaging apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the imaging apparatus is set as follows.   In the first mode, when the size of the subject detected by the subject detection unit is smaller than a predetermined size, the control unit controls not to perform zoom movement to the first zoom position. The imaging device according to any one of claims 1 to 4.   In the first mode, when the size of the subject detected by the subject detection unit is greatly changed by a predetermined factor or more, the control unit controls the zoom position to move to the first zoom position. The imaging device according to any one of claims 1 to 5.   2. The first zoom position according to claim 1, wherein the control unit changes the stored second zoom position in accordance with the size of the subject detected by the subject detection unit. The imaging device according to any one of 6.   In the first zoom position, the control means determines the ratio of the size of the subject to the image acquired in the first zoom position and the reference size for the image acquired before the zoom movement to the first zoom position. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the difference from the ratio exceeds a predetermined amount, the stored second zoom position is changed.   The imaging apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the reference size is set based on a size of a subject detected according to the first operation.   The said control means changes the said 2nd area | region according to the change of the said 2nd zoom position in the said 1st zoom position, The any one of Claim 7 thru | or 9 characterized by the above-mentioned. Imaging device. Having display means for displaying an image;
The control means controls the display means so as to perform a display showing an angle of view corresponding to the second zoom position by being superimposed on the image at the first zoom position. The imaging device according to any one of 1 to 10. The control means is an operation different from the first operation, and executes a second mode in response to a second operation via the first operation unit,
In the second mode, the control means controls to move the zoom position to the wide-angle side in accordance with the second operation, sets a third zoom position, and further passes through the first operation unit. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a zoom position is controlled to move to the third zoom position in accordance with the third operation performed. Having display means for displaying an image;
In the second mode, when the control unit moves the zoom position to the wide-angle side in response to the second operation, the control unit displays an angle of view corresponding to the third zoom position superimposed on the image. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the display unit is controlled to perform the operation.   The imaging device according to claim 12 or 13, wherein the control unit determines either the first operation or the second operation according to an operation time of the first operation unit. . A second operation unit for the user to instruct a change of the zoom position;
When the second operation unit is operated between the time when the second operation is performed on the first operation unit and the time when the third operation is performed, the control unit is configured to The imaging apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the third zoom position is changed according to an operation of the second operation unit. A method for controlling an imaging apparatus having a first operation unit for a user to instruct a change of a zoom position,
A detection step of detecting a subject from the image;
A control step for controlling a zoom position according to an operation of the first operation unit,
When the first operation is performed via the first operation unit, the first mode is executed in the control step;
In the first mode, when the subject detected in the detection step is included outside the first region set in the image, the zoom position is controlled to move to the first zoom position on the wide angle side. The zoom position before the zoom movement is set to the second zoom position, and at the first zoom position, the subject detected by the detection step is set in an area corresponding to the second zoom position. 2. A control method for an image pickup apparatus, wherein the zoom position is controlled to move to the second zoom position when included in the second area.

Images