JP3911423B2 - camera - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an improvement in a camera with a digital image monitor that allows a photographed image to be viewed on a screen such as a liquid crystal display (LCD).
[0002]
[Prior art]
In recent years, digital cameras have been widely used. However, with regard to focusing, it is difficult to obtain a photograph of the focus as expected by the user. For example, in a scene in which subjects with various spatial frequencies and distances are mixed in the screen as in the shooting scene 10 of FIG. 1, a miscellaneous subject different from the main subject may be in focus. In addition, it cannot be checked with a small monitor with a built-in camera, and it is important to focus on the surrounding subject only after printing the image or checking it on a large monitor after shooting. It was often found that the main subject of was not in focus. In view of the above, further improvements have been required so that focusing can be performed more correctly.
[0003]
Among such focusing techniques, a technique has been proposed that allows a user to check a focusing state by displaying a focusing state on a camera. As a technique for making it possible to confirm the state of focusing, there is a technique for superimposing and displaying a focusing point together with a distance measuring point in a finder screen like a camera disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-48733. is there.
[0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, the camera disclosed in the above-mentioned Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 10-48733 is not sufficient for confirming the focus state, so that it can be understood more directly at which position and how the focus is achieved. The technology that can be displayed on is required. In addition, since the superimposed display is performed in the finder screen, other displays in the finder screen may be difficult to see. Furthermore, since frames and the like that are not actually photographed are also displayed on the finder screen, there is a possibility of causing confusion for the user.
[0005]
The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a camera that is easy to confirm whether or not the user is in a focused state and has excellent operability.
[0006]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, a camera according to the present invention includes a focusing unit that selects and focuses on any of subjects existing at a plurality of points in a shooting screen, and a first image that is an image of the entire shooting screen. A second image including one image or an enlarged image of an area including the subject selected by the focusing means in the shooting screen and an enlarged image of an area other than the area including the selected subject in the shooting screen. Display means for displaying the first image and display control means for controlling the display of the first and second images.
[0007]
That is, the camera of the present invention can display the first image that is the image of the entire shooting screen and the second image that is the enlarged display image of the subject that has been focused and the other subject. The focus state can be confirmed, and the focus state can be easily confirmed by the enlarged display.
[0008]
In order to achieve the above object, a camera according to the present invention includes a distance measuring unit that measures a plurality of points in a shooting screen, an imaging unit that captures an image in the shooting screen, and a shooting lens. A display unit that digitally displays an image in the shooting screen captured by the imaging unit, and a subject that controls a part of the shooting lens based on the output of the ranging unit and the output of the imaging unit. A focus adjusting means for determining a background from points other than the focused point by the output of the distance measuring means, and the distance measuring means on the display means. Display control means for simultaneously displaying the digital image of the area including the focused point and the digital image of the area including the background by the output of And wherein the Rukoto.
[0009]
That is, the camera of the present invention can display the image of the main subject and the background image at the same time, so that the camera can take an image in consideration of the balance between the main subject and the background.
[0010]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
[0011]
[First Embodiment]
FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of an electronic circuit inside the camera according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
[0012]
A person 11a as a main subject is small as in the shooting scene 10 of FIG. 1, and what occupies most of the screen is a long-distance landscape, and one having a high or low spatial frequency such as a tree 11b or a mountain. If they are mixed, the camera may inadvertently focus on something other than the person 11a as the main subject (for example, the tree 11b).
[0013]
The electronic circuit in the camera according to the first embodiment includes an image sensor 3 that forms an image signal of a subject via the photographing lens 2, and after image processing such as compression is performed on the image signal. In addition, an image processing circuit 6 or the like that is stored in the memory 6a or displayed on the display (LCD) 8 is provided. The CPU 1 is an arithmetic control unit composed of a one-chip microcomputer or the like, and controls the sequence of the entire camera according to the operation of each of the switches such as the release button 9a and the focus position change switch 9b, and focuses on the output of the image sensor 3. Perform alignment control. That is, the photographing lens 2 is driven and controlled via the photographing lens drive circuit (LD) 4 in accordance with the output of the focus determination circuit 5 that extracts a predetermined spatial frequency component from the image signal of the subject and determines its contrast. I do. The CPU 1 also controls the LCD driver 7 to display an image on the LCD 8. In particular, when the focusing state confirmation function that is a feature of the present embodiment is activated, only a specific portion of the image sensor 3 is selected via the image processing circuit 6, and an image of the specific portion is cut out to be displayed on the LCD 8. The LCD driver 7 is controlled so as to be enlarged and displayed. In addition, when the exposure is insufficient at the time of shooting, the CPU 1 also performs control to supplement the light by causing the strobe light emitting unit 12 to emit light.
[0014]
FIG. 2A shows a state in which the user handles the camera having such a configuration. The LCD 8 is provided on the rear surface of the camera 30 and is controlled by the CPU 1 so as to switch display images in accordance with operations of the release button 9a, the focus position change switch 9b, the focus position adjustment switch 9c, and the like. The release button 9a is a button for storing an image captured by the image sensor 3 in the memory 6a. The focus position change switch 9b is a switch for changing a distance measuring point (focusing point). The focus position adjustment switch 9c is a switch for finely adjusting the focus position at the selected focusing point.
[0015]
The user can check whether the focus and composition are correct while viewing the screen displayed on the LCD 8. Here, the description will be continued assuming that the image pickup device 3 has three focus detection areas 3a, 3b, and 3c as shown in FIG. 3, but the number of areas is not limited to three and includes one central point. One or seven is acceptable. By using a plurality of focus detection areas in this way, the focus position can be detected not only when the subject is in the center but also in a scene where the subject is not at the center of the screen as shown in FIG. However, due to the side effects of such a configuration, a subject that was not originally intended to be focused will be brought into focus, and the main subject will be out of focus.
[0016]
The camera according to the present embodiment can display the main screen 8a and the enlarged screen 8b shown in FIGS. 2B and 2C on the LCD 8. FIG. The screen switching between the main screen 8a and the enlarged screen 8b may be configured such that the CPU 1 switches when the ON operation of the display switching switch is determined by providing a dedicated display switching switch for a predetermined time. The display may be switched every time. Further, the main screen 8a and the enlarged screen 8b may be displayed on one LCD 8 at the same time.
[0017]
Here, the camera of the present embodiment examines the focus with respect to three points in the screen, for example, 10L, 10C, and 10R in FIG. 1 (on the image sensor 3, areas 3a and 3a shown in FIG. 3 respectively). 3b, 3c), assuming that a point can be focused on any point, and an image of the selected point is displayed as the enlarged screen 8b. The main screen 8a displays all the images to be photographed. For this reason, the user can easily check the overall composition or the focusing state of the point automatically selected by the camera. In addition, the camera according to the present embodiment enlarges and displays the next focus candidate point (for example, the tree 11b) by operating the focus position change switch 9b when the user does not like the result of automatic selection of the focus point. 2 (D) image 8c), and further, the focus position adjustment switch 9c can be operated to finely adjust the focus position within the selected point.
[0018]
FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 are flowcharts for explaining a camera operation control program of the present embodiment. In order to simplify the explanation, this flowchart is based on the idea that, after taking a picture once, if the picture is not taken correctly, it is sufficient to take another picture, but when the release button 9a is pressed halfway, A configuration may be adopted in which the focus state confirmation function is operated together with the determination of the focus position, and the photographing is finished when fully pressed.
[0019]
When the operation of this flowchart is started by half-pressing the release button 9a, all images captured by the image sensor 3 are displayed on the LCD 8 as the main screen 8a (step S1). At this time, the photographic lens 2 is placed at the pan focus position, and any subject can be seen on the LCD 8 with some focus. Thereafter, the position of the taking lens 2 is initialized to, for example, a position at infinity (∞) (step S2), and the contrast of the predetermined spatial frequency components in the three areas of FIG. 3 is checked at this initial position. That is, first, the contrast check of the area 3a is performed (step S3), then the contrast check of the area 3b is performed (step S4), and then the contrast check of the area 3c is performed (step S5). Needless to say, the contrast check order of these areas may be changed. Thereafter, it is determined whether or not the photographing lens 2 has reached the end (step S6). If it is determined that the end has not yet been reached, the position of the taking lens 2 at this time is stored in the memory 6a, and the taking lens 2 is extended (step S7). Then, the process returns to step S3 and the contrast check is performed again. The operation of checking the contrast while extending the photographing lens 2 is continued until the photographing lens 2 reaches the end.
[0020]
When the photographic lens 2 reaches the end, the peaks in the respective contrast waveforms checked in the areas 3a, 3b, and 3c are detected (step S8). By detecting the contrast peak, the position of the photographing lens 2 corresponding to the peak becomes the optimum focus position in the area. However, since the optimum focus positions are different in the areas 3a, 3b, and 3c, the closest object is selected from the peaks detected in the areas 3a, 3b, and 3c, and this is selected as the first focus candidate. Points are set (step S9). Thus, an image in the vicinity of a point (corresponding to any of the areas 3a, 3b, and 3c) selected from 10L, 10C, and 10R in FIG. 1 is displayed on the enlarged screen 8b when necessary. In the next step S10 and subsequent steps, a sequence in which either a photo opportunity (when the captured image is immediately stored in the memory) or a focus position (when the image is stored after being adjusted to the correct focus position) is prioritized. .
[0021]
When giving priority to the photo opportunity over the focus position, the user does not operate the focus position change switch 9b and fully presses the release button 9a without stopping the half-press operation. The CPU 1 determines whether or not the focus position change switch 9b has been operated (step S20). If it is determined that the focus position change switch 9b is not operated, it is determined whether or not the captured image is stored in the memory 6a depending on whether or not the release button 9a is fully pressed (step S21). If it is determined not to store the image, it is determined whether or not the image display is performed as it is (step S22). This determination may be made, for example, by determining that there is no button operation by the user for a predetermined time, or by determining the state of a switch for switching ON / OFF of image display. If it is determined in step S22 that the image display is not finished, the process returns to step S20. If it is determined in step S22 that the image display is to be terminated, the display on the LCD 8 is turned off, and the process is immediately exited. On the other hand, if it is determined in step S21 that the image is to be stored, the currently selected point is focused (step S23). Then, after image processing such as compression is performed on the captured image, the image is stored in the memory 6a (step S24), and this flow is exited.
[0022]
On the other hand, the focus position is prioritized in a scene where the focus position is important, such as a portrait. In such a case, the user operates the focus position change switch 9b. The CPU 1 determines whether or not to confirm the focus state based on the state of the focus position change switch 9b (step S20). If it is determined that the focus state is to be confirmed, first, the photographing lens 2 is adjusted to the currently selected focus position (step S30). Then, the enlarged image 8b around the selected focus position is displayed on the LCD 8 (step S31). The user looks at the enlarged image 8b and confirms whether or not the subject he / she wants to shoot is displayed and whether or not the focus state is favorable to him / her. When the subject to be photographed is displayed but not in focus, the user operates the focus position adjustment switch 9c. Further, when the subject to be photographed is not displayed, the user operates the focus position change switch 9b again.
[0023]
Thus, the CPU 1 first determines the state of the focus position adjustment switch 9c, and determines whether or not to adjust the focus position (step S32). If it is determined that the focus position adjustment switch 9c has not been operated, the process proceeds to step S40. Then, it is determined whether or not to change the focus point according to the state of the focus position change switch 9b (step S40). If it is determined that the focus position change switch 9b is ON, that is, if the focus point is to be changed, a point with the best focus at the next closest distance is selected (step S41), and the process returns to step S20, and the next focus point is selected. The points are displayed on the LCD 8. If the focus point is not changed, the process returns to step S20 as it is.
[0024]
If it is determined in step S32 that the focus position adjustment switch 9c has been operated, that is, if the user performs fine focus adjustment at a desired position, it is better to check the focus conditions other than the selection unit. Since the adjustment is easy, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2E, other than the main subject is displayed, that is, the two enlarged images 8b and 8d are divided and displayed on the LCD 8. Thereby, the user can confirm whether the main subject is in focus or what other points are.
[0025]
That is, if it is determined in step S32 that the focus position adjustment switch 9c has been operated, it is determined whether or not the currently selected point is the center point (area 3b) (step S33). If the area 3b is determined, an enlarged image of the center point is displayed, and an enlarged image of the next focus candidate point (the point with the next highest contrast) is divided and displayed on the LCD 8 (step S34). . If it is determined that the area is not the area 3b, the enlarged image of the selected point is displayed and the enlarged image of the center point (area 3b) is divided and displayed on the LCD 8 (step S35). Thereafter, the CPU 1 determines whether or not the focus position adjustment switch 9c has been operated to the front pin side according to the state of the focus position adjustment switch 9c (step S36). When it is determined that the focus position adjustment switch 9c has been operated to the front pin side, drive control is performed in a direction in which the photographing lens 2 is extended according to the amount of operation of the focus position adjustment switch 9c (step S37). On the other hand, when it is determined that the focus position adjustment switch 9c has been operated to the rear pin side, drive control is performed in the direction in which the photographic lens 2 is retracted according to the amount of operation of the focus position adjustment switch 9c (step S38). After the photographing lens 2 is driven and controlled and the focus position is changed, the image currently displayed on the LCD 8 is changed accordingly (step S39), and the process returns to step S32.
[0026]
If the release button 9a is operated during the confirmation and adjustment of the focus state, the release sequence is immediately executed and the image in the current focus state is stored in the memory 6a.
[0027]
As described above, according to the present embodiment, the user can easily take a picture while confirming the focus of the main subject aimed at. Further, there is no unnecessary display other than the image on the LCD, and the subtle focus state can be confirmed by the enlarged image, and the user can determine whether or not the camera is correctly focused. In this way, it is possible to provide a camera that can shoot while correctly checking the focus, composition, facial expression of the subject, and the like.
[0028]
[Second Embodiment]
A second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. In the camera according to the present embodiment, focusing using the image sensor used in the first embodiment and image signals obtained by the sensor arrays 21a and 21b via the two light receiving lenses 20a and 20b are performed. This is used in combination with focusing using a so-called external light type triangulation method, in which distance measurement is performed using the position difference x generated by the parallax between the two light receiving lenses 20a and 20b. Image signals obtained by the sensor arrays 21 a and 21 b are converted into digital signals by an A / D converter (A / D) 22 and input to the CPU 1. The CPU 1 calculates the subject distance L from L = Bf / x, which is the principle formula of triangulation, by obtaining the aforementioned x by comparing these two digital image data. Here, B is the distance between the two light receiving lenses, and f is the distance between the light receiving lens 20a and the sensor array 21a or the distance between the light receiving lens 20b and the sensor array 21b. In this way, based on the obtained subject distance L, the CPU 1 focuses the photographing lens 2 via the LD 4. Thereafter, when actually capturing an image, the CPU 1 also performs light amount control of the strobe light emitting unit 12 based on the amount of light received by the photographing lens 2 and the amount of light received by the image sensor 3. The distance measuring device based on the principle of triangulation is a well-known technique and will not be described in detail. Further, the display drive control operations of the LCD 8 and the LCD driver 7 are the same as those in the first embodiment, and the description thereof will be omitted.
[0029]
Note that the range 23 monitored by the above-described triangulation sensor array in the photographing scene 10 is as shown in FIG. Therefore, it is possible to measure three points in the screen depending on which of 24L, 24C, and 24R of the sensor array 21a is used as a distance measuring point. Here, FIG. 6B shows only one of the sensor arrays 21a and 21b (for example, the sensor array 21a), and actually there is another same one. Thereafter, the description will be continued for the sensor array 21a, but the same description can be made for the sensor array 21b. In addition, the distance measurement area is not limited to the number of three areas as in the first embodiment, and can be five or seven points depending on how the area is divided.
[0030]
FIG. 7 is a front view of the camera having such a configuration. Although the basic appearance is the same as that of the first embodiment, a photometric window 25 that is a window for the light receiving lenses 20a and 20b is provided above the photographing lens 2, and the focus position change switch 9b and the focus are changed. The difference is that the position adjustment switch 9c is configured as one switch 31. The configuration of the switch 31 will be described with reference to FIG.
[0031]
The switch 31 includes a push switch unit 51 and a dial switch unit 52. A hole is opened at the center of the dial switch portion 52, and the push switch portion 51 is passed through the hole. When the push switch unit 51 is pushed down, the segment 57 is also pushed and is electrically connected to the electrode 58, and a signal output as a result is input to the CPU 1, thereby operating the confirmation function of the focusing state. (That is, it plays the role of the focus position change switch 9b). Further, by rotating the dial switch unit 52, the segment 53 is also rotated in conjunction with the movement. By this rotation state, the electrode 54 and the electrode 55 or the electrode 56 and the electrode 55 are brought into conduction, and a signal outputted as a result is input to the CPU 1 to finely adjust the focus position (that is, the focus position adjustment switch). 9c role). For example, when the electrode 54 and the electrode 55 are electrically connected, the photographing lens 2 is moved in the extending direction and adjustment to the front pin side can be performed, and when the electrode 56 and the electrode 55 are electrically connected, the photographing lens 2 is provided. Can move in the direction of retraction and adjust to the rear pin side.
[0032]
Next, a camera operation control program according to the present embodiment having the above-described configuration will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. In this embodiment, the release button 9a is configured in a two-step push-down type, the first release switch is turned on by half-pressing operation to start the operation of the focus state confirmation function, and the 2nd release switch is turned on by full-pressing operation. It is assumed that an operation for storing the captured image in the memory 6a is performed.
[0033]
The CPU 1 determines whether or not the release button 9a is half-pressed by the user, that is, whether or not the 1st release switch is turned on (step S50). If it is determined that the 1st release switch is not turned on, the system waits until the 1st release switch is turned on. If it is determined that the 1st release switch has been turned on, it is determined whether or not the 1st release switch has been turned on within a predetermined time since the previous 1st release switch was turned on (step S51). If it is determined that the 1st release switch has not been turned on within the predetermined time, the subject distance is measured by the above-mentioned triangulation (step S53). This subject distance is measured for the distance measuring areas 24L, 24C, and 24R in FIG. _L , L _C , L _R And After calculating the subject distance, the calculated L _L , L _C , L _R The closest distance is selected as the main subject distance, and the area that outputs this distance is selected as the main subject focus point (step S54). This is because, in general, the subject present at the closest distance is often the main subject, and it is not always necessary to select the main subject by this short distance selection method. Needless to say, the selection can be made with higher accuracy by detecting the image signal and the contour, but here, in order to simplify the description, the short distance selection method is used. After selecting the focusing point in step S54, the process proceeds to step S55. If it is determined in step S51 that the first release switch has been turned on within a predetermined time, the next point at which the subject distance is output is selected as the focus point (step S52). Proceed to step S55.
[0034]
When the user wants to check whether the selected focus point (subject) is correct and the focus position is correct, the user turns on the push switch unit 51 (that is, the focus position change switch 9b). Then, the CPU 1 determines whether or not the push switch unit 51 is turned on according to the state of the push switch unit 51 (step S55). If it is determined that the push switch unit 51 is OFF, the process directly proceeds to step S61. On the other hand, when it is determined that the push switch unit 51 is ON, the photographing lens 2 is driven and controlled to the currently selected focus position, and the subject is imaged by the image sensor 3 at that position (step S56). . And the background determination shown as step S57 is performed.
[0035]
Here, the background determination in step S57 will be described. Note that the “background” in this background determination is a subject that may be in focus other than the main subject at the time of shooting. In other words, areas with no shading such as the sky and the ground are not related to focusing, and are excluded from background candidates in this background determination (step S70). The CPU 1 determines whether two points other than the focusing point automatically selected by the camera from the ranging areas 24L, 24C, and 24R or the focusing point selected by the user are equidistant (step). S71). When it is determined that the two background points (the tree 11b and the tree 11c) are substantially equidistant as shown in FIG. 10B, the point with the change in shading is selected as the background subject point. (Step S72). In the example of FIG. 10B, the tree 11b has a higher contrast and is suitable as a background. On the other hand, the tree 11c has little shading and is not suitable as a subject for the user to check the focus state, that is, the background.
[0036]
If it is determined in step S71 that the two points are not equidistant, the focus point outputting the longest distance is set as the background (step S73). However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the focus point that outputs the next closest distance from the main subject may be used as the background. This is because in the scene as shown in FIG. 10A, the bright scenery at the center is often in focus.
[0037]
After the background determination in step S57 is completed, the image around the subject in the area currently selected as the focus point and the image around the subject in the area determined as the background are enlarged and displayed on the LCD 8 (step S58). The user who sees this operates the dial switch unit 52 (that is, the focus position adjustment switch 9c) to finely adjust the focus. The CPU 1 determines whether or not fine adjustment of the focus has been performed according to the state of the dial switch unit 52 (step S59). When it is determined that the dial switch unit 52 has been operated, the photographing lens 2 is driven and controlled according to the adjustment amount of the dial switch unit 52. Then, the adjusted image is displayed on the LCD 8 (step S60), and the process proceeds to step S61.
[0038]
In step S61, it is determined whether or not the user fully presses the release button 9a, that is, whether or not the 2nd release switch is turned on, in order to determine whether or not the captured image is stored in the memory 6a. If it is determined that the 2nd release switch is OFF, it is determined whether or not the 1st release switch remains ON (step S69). If it is determined in step S69 that the 1st release switch is still ON, the process returns to step S55. If it is determined that the 1st release switch is OFF, the process returns to step S50.
[0039]
On the other hand, if it is determined in step S61 that the 2nd release switch is turned on, the captured image is subjected to image processing such as compression, and the processed image is stored in the memory 6a (step S66). ), Exit this flow.
[0040]
Here, a modified example of the background determination according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.
[0041]
This modification is intended to make it easier to visually confirm the focused state. In the scene shown in FIG. 10C, the contrast on the window side is higher and the distance is shorter, so the right wall may be inadvertently focused. In the present embodiment, it is possible to confirm that the focus is inadvertently made before the actual shooting.
[0042]
First, the main subject distance L ₁ Is measured (step S80). This is the shortest distance among the three distances measured in step S53 of FIG. Next, it is determined whether or not the main subject is present in the central area (step S81). If it is determined that the area is not the central area, it is determined whether the contrast of the central area is high (step S82). If it is determined that the contrast in the central area is high, the position of the subject in the central area is determined as the background candidate point S. ₁ And select the distance of the subject in the center area as L ₂ (Step S83), the process proceeds to Step S85. On the other hand, if it is determined that the contrast in the central area is not high, the process proceeds to step S84.
[0043]
If it is determined in step S81 that the subject is within the central area, the position of the subject located at the next closest distance from the main subject is determined as the background candidate point S. ₁ And select the distance at that time as L ₂ (Step S84).
[0044]
Background candidate point S ₁ And background object distance L ₂ Is obtained, subject distance L ₁ , L ₂ Difference of reciprocal of 1 / L ₁ -1 / L ₂ Is greater than a predetermined value Δx (step S85). If it is determined that the difference is larger than the predetermined value Δx, the background candidate point S is assumed to be large enough to visually recognize the difference in focus position. ₁ Is set as the position of the background subject (step S87), and this flow is exited. On the other hand, if it is determined that the difference is equal to or less than the predetermined value Δx, the difference between the focus positions cannot be visually observed, and the area that outputs the longest distance among the three distances measured in step S53 is used as the background (step S86). Exit.
[0045]
Here, Δx is changed according to the zoom ratio and the enlargement magnification of the enlarged image. That is, if the zoom position is on the tele side, a smaller Δx can be used than on the wide side. Further, when the enlargement magnification of the enlarged image is large, Δx is reduced.
[0046]
As described above, according to the present embodiment, since the focusing point is selected at a high speed according to the result of the triangulation without lens scan, the selected position is imaged, and the enlarged image is displayed on the LCD 8. Focus determination is possible, and quicker shooting is possible. In addition, the user can view the main subject image and the background image while comparing the focus states, and can perform more advanced shooting.
[0047]
Although the present invention has been described based on the above embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications and applications are possible within the scope of the gist of the present invention. is there.
[0048]
Here, if the summary of this invention is summarized, in addition to what was described in the claim, the following things are included.
[0049]
(1) a determination unit that determines a focus area that is assumed to include a main subject from at least three areas in a shooting screen and a background area that is assumed to include a subject that is a background;
A focusing means for focusing the photographic lens on the focus area;
A camera comprising: a display unit configured to display an enlarged image of the focus area focused by the focusing unit and an enlarged image of the background area side by side.
[0050]
(2) The determination unit may determine the background area based on a contrast change in an area other than the focus area or a distance relationship between a plurality of subjects in an area other than the focus area. camera.
[0051]
(3) It further comprises a distance measuring means for measuring the subject distance at a plurality of points in the shooting screen,
The determination unit first determines a subject to be a background candidate, and determines the subject of the background candidate based on a difference between the inverse of the main subject distance measured by the ranging unit and the inverse of the subject distance of the background candidate. The camera according to (1), characterized in that either the area including or the area including the subject at the farthest distance among the plurality of areas is the background area.
[0052]
(4) an adjustment switch for finely adjusting the focus position focused by the focusing means;
Control means for causing the display means to update and display an image whose focus has been changed according to the operation of the adjustment switch;
The camera according to any one of claims 1, 3, and (1), further comprising:
[0053]
【The invention's effect】
As described above in detail, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a camera that can correctly focus on a main subject even on a screen in which subjects of various distances are mixed. In addition, it is possible to provide a camera that allows the user to easily recognize the subject to be focused and correctly check the focus of the subject on the enlarged display screen.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an electric circuit configuration of a camera according to a first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2A is a diagram showing a state in which the camera according to the first embodiment of the present invention is used, and FIGS. 2B to 2E are views of the camera. It is a figure which shows the example of a display of LCD.
FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a detection area of an image sensor.
FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a first half of a flowchart for explaining a camera operation control program according to the first embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a latter half of a flowchart for explaining a camera operation control program according to the first embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 6A is a block diagram showing an electric circuit configuration of a camera according to a second embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 6B is a diagram showing a detection area of a sensor array. is there.
FIG. 7 is an external configuration diagram of a camera according to a second embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 8 is a configuration diagram of a switch related to a focus state confirmation function of a camera according to a second embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 9 is a flowchart for explaining a camera operation control program according to the second embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining background determination;
FIG. 11 is a flowchart for explaining a modified example of the background determination of the camera according to the second embodiment of the present invention.
[Explanation of symbols]
1 CPU
2 Photo lens
3 Image sensor
4 Shooting lens drive circuit (LD)
5 Focus judgment circuit
6 Image processing circuit
6a memory
7 LCD driver
8 Liquid crystal display (LCD)
9a Release switch
9b Focus position change switch
9c Focus position adjustment switch
51 Push switch
52 Dial switch

Claims (4)

A focusing means for selecting and focusing on any of the subjects existing at a plurality of points in the shooting screen;
The first image, which is an image of the entire shooting screen, or an enlarged image of an area including the subject selected by the focusing means in the shooting screen and an area including the selected subject in the shooting screen. Display means for displaying a second image including an enlarged image of another area;
Display control means for controlling display of the first and second images;
A camera comprising: Further comprising a switch means for focus confirmation,
2. The camera according to claim 1, wherein the display control unit switches the first image displayed on the display unit to the second image when the switch unit is operated. 3. . A distance measuring means for measuring a plurality of points in the shooting screen;
Imaging means for capturing an image in the shooting screen;
Display means for digitally displaying an image in the photographing screen imaged by the imaging means via a photographing lens;
Focusing means for controlling a part of the photographing lens based on the output of the distance measuring means and the output of the imaging means to focus on the subject;
In a camera comprising
The background is determined from points other than the point that has been focused by the output of the distance measuring means, and the area including the point that has been focused by the output of the distance measuring means is displayed on the display means A camera further comprising display control means for simultaneously displaying an image and a digital image of an area including the background. The area determined as the background by the display control means is an area including a point at which the output of the distance measuring means at the plurality of points outputs the longest distance, or a focus selected in the photographing screen. The camera according to claim 3, wherein the camera includes an area including a point that outputs a distance that is most frequently focused other than the point.

Images