JP3978640B2 - Electronic camera - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an electronic camera, and more particularly to an electronic camera including an image display device such as a liquid crystal monitor that can be used as a viewfinder.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In recent years, solid-state imaging devices used in electronic cameras such as digital cameras tend to have a large number of pixels, and there are millions of pixels. On the other hand, the number of pixels of the liquid crystal monitor provided in the electronic camera is often about 60,000 to 100,000 pixels. Therefore, when a liquid crystal monitor with a small number of pixels is used as a viewfinder, it is not possible to check the focus state with the accuracy required for recording or print output, and manual focusing cannot be performed accurately. is there.
[0003]
Therefore, conventionally, an electronic camera has been proposed in which an enlargement switch that can enlarge and view a part of the image displayed on the liquid crystal monitor is provided, so that the focus state of the actually captured image can be accurately confirmed. (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-298791).
[0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, for example, if there is no remaining capacity of the memory card for recording image data and the warning display “CARD FULL!” Is displayed, zooming in with the zoom switch will cause the zoom display and warning display to overlap. Confirmation of display becomes difficult. Even if manual adjustment is performed using the enlarged display, the image cannot be written to the memory card after all.
[0005]
The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and it is an object of the present invention to provide an electronic camera that can improve the situation where an on-screen display (OSD) such as a warning display becomes difficult to see due to an enlarged display for focus confirmation. Objective.
[0006]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, an electronic camera according to the present invention includes an imaging unit having a solid-state imaging device that converts an optical image into an electric signal, and imaging that forms image light indicating a subject on a light-receiving surface of the solid-state imaging device. A lens, a recording unit that records an image acquired via the imaging unit on a recording medium, an image display unit having a smaller number of pixels than the number of pixels of the solid-state imaging device, and an image to be displayed on the image display unit. When an enlargement switch for giving an instruction for enlarging to a predetermined magnification and receiving an image enlargement instruction from the enlargement switch, a predetermined partial image is cut out from the photographed image acquired by the imaging means, and the cut-out part is and expansion processing means for the to enlarge the image display means so that the magnification, it is the situation that can not be recorded on a recording medium an image obtained by photographing When it is detected, a warning means for displaying a warning to that effect on the image display unit, in warning display by the warning means, the display restriction for controlling to prohibit the larger image due to the operation of the enlargement button Means.
[0007]
According to the present invention, since the simultaneous display of the enlarged display accompanying the operation of the enlargement switch and the warning display by the warning unit is excluded, the photographer can easily confirm the display content displayed on the screen of the image display unit. Can do. In particular, it is possible to continue to display an important warning display by prohibiting the enlarged display during the warning display by the warning means, and it is possible to cause the photographer to recognize the warning situation again.
[0010]
According to still another aspect of the present invention, the enlargement processing unit enlarges and displays the clipped partial image in a predetermined display area smaller than the display screen of the image display unit, and includes the original image before cropping. The enlarged partial image is inserted and synthesized. In this case, it is preferable to include an enlarged display frame output unit that displays a frame line that clearly indicates the display area of the enlarged display on the display screen of the image display unit.
[0011]
In the electronic camera of the present invention, the enlargement processing by the enlargement processing unit is not reflected in the image signal at the time of recording by the recording unit, and when an instruction to start shooting is given, the image signal obtained from the imaging unit Is output to the recording means without being subjected to enlargement processing by the enlargement processing means.
[0012]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Preferred embodiments of an electronic camera according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.
[0013]
1 to 3 are external perspective views of a camera according to an embodiment of the present invention. This camera 10 is a digital camera provided with a zoom lens as the photographing lens 12, and the photographer holds the lens portion 14 protruding forward from the camera body and the grip portion 22 on the side of the body, so It has a size and shape that can be prevented. For example, a 6 × optical zoom lens is used as the taking lens 12. When the camera power is turned on, the lens barrel 15 is extended forward from the lens unit 14, and is stored in the lens unit 14 when the power is turned off.
[0014]
A pop-up strobe 16 is provided at the top of the camera, and a strobe light control sensor 18 is provided beside the strobe light emitting unit. Reference numeral 40 denotes a strobe pop-up button that pops up the strobe 16 at a usable position. A shutter button 80 is disposed on the upper surface of the grip portion 22, and the self-timer lamp 20 is provided on the front surface of the grip portion 22.
[0015]
The lens unit 14 is provided with a focus ring 24. When the photographer manually rotates the focus ring 24 in the manual mode, manual focus adjustment can be performed.
[0016]
On the side surface of the camera 10, a focus mode changeover switch 30 for selecting an automatic focus adjustment (AF) mode or a manual focus adjustment (MF) mode, a zoom key 32, an information button 34, an exposure correction button 36, a white balance adjustment button 38, and the like. Is arranged. Each of these operation units is provided at a position where the photographer can operate with the thumb of the left hand holding the lens unit 14 of the camera 10.
[0017]
The zoom key 32 is an operation unit that is used both for adjusting the focal length of the photographing lens 12 and for instructing enlargement / reduction by the electronic zoom function. The zoom key 32 has a seesaw type switch structure that tilts in the front-rear direction of the camera 10, and can change the focal length of the photographing lens 12 to the tele side and the wide side according to the tilt direction. When the front part of the zoom key 32 (referred to as the TELE key) is pressed, zoom control is performed in the tele direction (enlargement direction), and when the rear part (referred to as the WIDE key) of the zoom key 32 is pressed, the wide direction (reduction direction) is selected. Zoom control. It is also possible to separate the TELE key and the WIDE key into separate keys.
[0018]
When the camera 10 of this example gives a zoom instruction in the tele direction further from the tele end of the optical zoom, the process proceeds to enlargement processing by electronic zoom. Further, when a zoom instruction in the wide direction is further given from the wide end (minimum magnification) of the electronic zoom, the operation shifts to a zoom operation in the wide direction by optical zoom.
[0019]
The information button 34 is a means for giving an instruction to display the shooting conditions at the time of shooting on the liquid crystal monitor of the camera 10 (not shown in FIG. 1, described as 68 in FIG. 2) with one touch. The exposure correction button 36 is used when instructing the exposure correction amount of the captured image, and the white balance adjustment button 38 is used when changing the white balance setting.
[0020]
When the terminal cover 42 provided on the side of the camera is opened, a communication connector (for example, a USB terminal) 44 for transmitting / receiving information to / from other electronic devices, a video output terminal 46 for transmitting / receiving video signals, and supplying power from the outside A power supply input terminal 48 is provided for use in the process.
[0021]
FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of the camera 10. A finder 50 and a liquid crystal monitor 68 are provided on the back of the camera. As operation units, a cross key 52, a menu / execution button 54, a cancel / return button 56, a display button 58, a shift button 60, a display switching button 62, an enlarge button 64, an AE fixing button 66 for inputting an AE lock instruction, and the like.
[0022]
Although the finder 50 is configured by an electronic view finder, an embodiment in which the finder 50 is replaced with an optical finder is also possible. The liquid crystal monitor 68 can be used as an electronic viewfinder for checking the angle of view at the time of shooting, and also displays a preview image of the shot image, a reproduced image read from a memory card (not shown in FIG. 2 and indicated by reference numeral 136 in FIG. 4), and the like. Display means for displaying. Further, menu selection using the cross key 52 and a command dial (reference numeral 96 in FIG. 3), which will be described later, and setting of various items in each menu are also performed using the display screen of the liquid crystal monitor 68. In addition, the LCD monitor 68 displays the number of shootable images (number of frames) and playback frame number, a zoom bar indicating the zoom variable range and the current zoom position, presence / absence of strobe light emission, macro mode display, recording image quality (quality) display, pixel Information such as number display can be displayed.
[0023]
The photographer can adjust the angle of view by viewing the image displayed on the finder 50 or the liquid crystal monitor 68. The display switching button 62 is an operation unit that inputs an instruction to switch between using the finder 50 and the liquid crystal monitor 68 as a display destination of images and information.
[0024]
The cross key 52 is a multi-function key configured to be able to input instructions in the corresponding four directions (up, down, left, right) by pressing any one of the upper, lower, left, and right edges. Is used as an operation key to select various setting items and to change the setting contents, focal length adjustment (tele / wide operation) of the photographic lens 12, electronic zoom magnification adjustment, zoom center movement instruction, playback This is used as a means for instructing frame advance / return. The cross key 52 may be of a type in which one operating member tilts up, down, left, and right, or four keys, up, down, left, and right may be provided separately.
[0025]
The menu / execution button 54 is used when transitioning from the normal screen to the menu screen in each mode, or when confirming the selection contents or instructing execution of processing. The cancel / return button 56 is a means for designating cancellation of processing or returning the processing to the previous state, and is used when canceling an item selected from the menu or returning to the previous operation state.
[0026]
The display button 58 is a means for turning on / off the liquid crystal monitor 68 and switching on / off display of an on-screen display (OSD) such as a frame number being reproduced. The display button 58 is also used as a means for switching between display / non-display of a composition auxiliary frame (reference numeral 154 in FIG. 7) to be described later and a used frame. The shift button 60 is a push switch for extending the function of a multifunction key such as the cross key 52. The enlargement button 64 is an operation button for giving an instruction to enlarge and display a part of the screen (for example, the center of the screen) in order to confirm the focused state with respect to the subject.
[0027]
Of the operation units provided on the back of the camera, the shift button 60 is provided at a position where the photographer can operate with the left hand in view of the necessity of simultaneous pressing with other operation buttons (keys). The operation units (52, 54, 56, 58, 62, 64, 66) other than 60 are provided at positions where the photographer can operate with the thumb of the right hand holding the grip unit 22.
[0028]
A slot cover 70 is provided on the side of the camera with the grip portion 22 so as to be freely opened and closed, and a media slot (not shown) for mounting the memory card 136 is provided inside the cover. Further, a battery cover 72 and a tripod screw hole 74 are provided on the bottom surface of the camera 10 to cover a portion where a battery (not shown) is mounted.
[0029]
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the camera 10 in a state in which the strobe 16 and the lens barrel 15 are housed. On the upper surface of the camera 10, a shutter button 80, a power switch 82, a mode lever 84, a flash button 86 for instructing the flash mode of the flash 16 or prohibiting flash, and a macro button for instructing to set or cancel the macro (short-distance shooting) mode. 88, a self-timer button 90, a continuous shooting button 92 for instructing to set or cancel the continuous shooting mode, a mode dial 94, and a command dial 96 for setting various modes.
[0030]
The shutter button 80 is a means for instructing the start of image recording. The automatic focus (AF) and automatic exposure control (AE) are activated in a “half-pressed” state in which the shutter button 80 is lightly pressed to stop. In this state, the image is taken in the state of “full press”. The shutter button 80 is also used as a recording button for instructing start / stop of recording at the time of moving image recording. The mode lever 84 is means for setting the camera 10 to each mode of photographing or reproduction. The mode lever 84 is configured by a lever switch that is rotatably supported on the outer periphery of the power switch 82, and can switch between the photographing mode and the reproduction mode depending on the stop position of the lever.
[0031]
The mode dial 94 is means for switching various shooting modes. By turning the mode dial 94 and aligning the mark of each mode drawn on the dial with the index, set the setup mode, manual shooting mode, aperture priority shooting mode, shutter speed priority shooting mode, and shooting conditions in advance. It is possible to select a mode such as a program shooting mode, a fully automatic shooting mode (normal shooting mode), a scene selection mode for setting a shooting scene such as a night view, a person, a distant view, and a moving image recording mode.
[0032]
The setup mode is a mode for setting, for example, the resolution, compression rate, sharpness, recording color, date, presence / absence of a beep sound, and the like of a recorded image. Note that the resolution, compression rate, and the like related to image recording can also be set from the menu screen in the shooting mode. When the manual shooting mode is set, exposure, strobe light emission, focus, etc. can all be set manually.
[0033]
FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the internal configuration of the camera 10 of this example. The light that has passed through the photographing lens 12 is incident on a CCD image sensor (hereinafter referred to as CCD) 104 after the amount of light is adjusted by the diaphragm 102. Photosensors are arranged in a plane on the light receiving surface of the CCD 104, and a subject image formed on the light receiving surface of the CCD 104 via the photographing lens 12 has an amount of signal charge corresponding to the amount of incident light by each photosensor. Is converted to The CCD 104 has a so-called electronic shutter function that controls the charge accumulation time (shutter speed) of each photosensor according to the timing of the shutter gate pulse.
[0034]
The signal charge accumulated in each photosensor is sequentially read out as a voltage signal (image signal) corresponding to the signal charge based on a pulse applied from the CCD driver 106. The image signal output from the CCD 104 is sent to the analog processing unit 108. The analog processing unit 108 includes signal processing circuits such as a sampling hold circuit, a color separation circuit, and a gain adjustment circuit. In the analog processing unit 108, the correlated double sampling (CDS) processing and the R, G, B color signals are processed. Color separation processing is performed, and signal level adjustment (pre-white balance processing) of each color signal is performed.
[0035]
The signal output from the analog processing unit 108 is converted into a digital signal by the A / D converter 110 and then stored in the memory 112. A timing generator (TG) 114 provides timing signals to the CCD driver 106, the analog processing unit 108, and the A / D converter 110 in accordance with instructions from the CPU 120, and each circuit is synchronized by this timing signal. .
[0036]
The data stored in the memory 112 is sent to the signal processing unit 124 via the bus 122. The signal processing unit 124 is an image processing unit configured by a digital signal processor (DSP) including a luminance / color difference signal generation circuit, a gamma correction circuit, a sharpness correction circuit, a contrast correction circuit, a white balance correction circuit, and the like. The image signal is processed according to the command.
[0037]
The image data input to the signal processing unit 124 is converted into a luminance signal (Y signal) and a color difference signal (Cr, Cb signal) and subjected to predetermined processing such as gamma correction and then stored in the memory 112. Is done. When the captured image is displayed and output, the image data is read from the memory 112 and transferred to the display circuit 126. The display circuit 126 converts the input image data into a predetermined signal for display (for example, an NTSC color composite video signal) and outputs it to a liquid crystal monitor (LCD) 68.
[0038]
The CCD 104 has a larger number of pixels than the liquid crystal monitor 68 and the finder 50, and the display circuit 126 matches the number of pixels of the input image signal in the horizontal and vertical directions with the number of pixels of the liquid crystal monitor 68. In this way, a process of reducing the pixel (a process of thinning out pixels at a predetermined rate) is performed, and the result is output to the liquid crystal monitor 68 and the viewfinder 50. Thus, the image content of the image data is displayed on the screen of the liquid crystal monitor 68 or the like.
[0039]
The same display content can be output to the liquid crystal monitor 68 and the viewfinder 50, and an image is displayed on one or both designated by the display switching button 62. In the following description, only the case of outputting to the liquid crystal monitor 68 will be described, and the description of the output to the viewfinder 50 will be omitted.
[0040]
The image data in the memory 112 is periodically rewritten by the image signal output from the CCD 104, and the video signal generated from the image data is supplied to the liquid crystal monitor 68, so that the image input via the CCD 104 is real-time. Is displayed on the liquid crystal monitor 68. The photographer can check the angle of view by using the image (through image) displayed on the liquid crystal monitor 68 or the viewfinder 50.
[0041]
The OSD signal generator 127 includes a character generator, can generate a signal for displaying character and symbol information such as shooting date / time, title, warning message, and the like. (Denoted as reference numeral 150 in FIG. 6) and assist lines (denoted as reference numeral 154 in FIG. 7, hereinafter referred to as composition assisting frame) that serve as a guide for determining the composition can be generated. A signal output from the OSD signal generator 127 is mixed with an image signal as necessary and supplied to the liquid crystal monitor 68. Thereby, a composite image in which characters and the like are combined with the captured image or the reproduced image is displayed.
[0042]
When the still image shooting mode is set by the mode lever 84 and the shutter button 80 is pressed, a shooting start instruction (release ON) signal is issued. The CPU 120 detects the release ON signal and executes a recording imaging operation. That is, the CPU 120 controls the lens driving unit 128 based on the evaluation value calculation described later to move the photographing lens 12 to the in-focus position, and controls the aperture diameter of the diaphragm 102 and the electronic shutter of the CCD 104. Perform exposure control. Further, the CPU 120 sends a command to the strobe control circuit 130 as necessary to control the light emission of the light emitting unit 131.
[0043]
Thus, in response to the pressing operation of the shutter button 80, the capturing of the recording image data is started. When the mode for compressing and recording image data is selected, the CPU 120 sends a command to the compression / decompression circuit 132. The compression / decompression circuit 132 compresses the image data taken into the memory 112 according to JPEG or another predetermined format.
[0044]
The compressed image data is recorded on the memory card 136 via the card interface 134. When the mode for recording non-compressed image data (non-compression mode) is selected, the compression processing by the compression / decompression circuit 132 is omitted, and the image data is recorded on the memory card 136 without being compressed.
[0045]
In the camera 10 of this example, for example, smart media (Solid-State Floppy Disk Card) is applied as means for storing image data. The form of the recording medium is not limited to this, and it may be a PC card, a compact flash, a magnetic disk, an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk, a memory stick, etc., and read / write according to an electronic, magnetic, optical, or a combination thereof. Various possible media can be used. A signal processing means and an interface corresponding to the medium to be used are applied. A configuration in which a plurality of media can be mounted regardless of different types or the same type of recording media may be adopted. The means for storing the image file is not limited to the removable medium that can be attached to and detached from the camera body, but may be a recording medium (internal memory) built in the camera 10.
[0046]
When the playback mode is set by the mode lever 84, the image file is read from the memory card 136. The read image data is decompressed by the compression / decompression circuit 132 as necessary, and is output to the liquid crystal monitor 68 via the display circuit 126.
[0047]
The CPU 120 is a control unit that performs overall control of each circuit of the camera system. The CPU 120 includes storage means such as a ROM 140 and a RAM 142. The ROM 140 stores programs processed by the CPU 120 and various data necessary for control. The RAM 142 serves as a work area when the CPU 120 performs various arithmetic processes. Used. The CPU 120 controls the operation of the corresponding circuit based on input signals received from the shutter button 80, the enlargement button 64 and other operation units, and also performs display control, autofocus (AF) control, and automatic exposure (AE) on the liquid crystal monitor 68. ) Perform control and so on.
[0048]
Here, the autofocus control will be described. The image signal converted into a digital signal by the A / D converter 110 is input to the AF calculation unit 144. The AF calculation unit 144 includes a high-frequency component extraction circuit and an integration circuit, samples G component data in the input image signal, and is an AF detection target area (hereinafter referred to as a focus area) set at the center of the screen. ) Is extracted and the absolute value thereof is taken, and the value (equivalent to the evaluation value) obtained by integrating the absolute value data in the focus area is provided to the CPU 120. Note that an aspect in which an evaluation value is calculated from a luminance signal (Y signal) may be used instead of the aspect in which the G component data is sampled.
[0049]
During the AF operation, the CPU 120 detects the contrast of the center portion of the image at a plurality of AF detection points (search points) while moving the photographic lens 12 from infinity to close (or close to infinity) in the focus adjustment region. The evaluation value is calculated. Then, by combining the evaluation values calculated at the respective points, the lens position where the evaluation value is maximized is determined as the in-focus position, and the lens driving unit 128 is moved so as to move the photographing lens 12 to the obtained in-focus position. Control.
[0050]
The photographing lens 12 can be focused by manually operating the focus ring 24 when the focus mode switch 30 is switched to the MF mode side.
[0051]
The partial enlargement / combination processing circuit 146 becomes operable when the enlargement button 64 is pressed (when turned on), and performs the following image processing. A mode in which the enlarged display processing by the partial enlargement / combination processing circuit 146 is activated when the MF mode is selected by the focus mode switch 30 and the enlargement button 64 is pressed is also possible.
[0052]
The partial enlargement / combination processing circuit 146 extracts the image signal of the partial image in the predetermined area 69A from the entire image signal input from the signal processing unit 124 as shown in FIG. 68, the image signal of the partial image is subjected to size conversion (enlargement) so as to be displayed in an area 69B on 68. Since the number of pixels of the CCD 104 is larger than the number of pixels of the liquid crystal monitor 68, image quality deterioration does not occur due to the enlargement process of the partial image. In other words, processing for reducing the thinning amount as compared with the normal display processing is performed within the range of the number of pixels of the CCD 104.
[0053]
The image signal of the enlarged partial image is overwritten on the image signal of the entire frame, and the image signal of the image obtained by inserting and synthesizing the partial image having a higher magnification than that image in the image of the entire frame is displayed on the display circuit 126. Output. In this way, a picture-in-picture image whose center is enlarged only while the enlargement button 64 is pressed is displayed on the liquid crystal monitor 68.
[0054]
At this time, the OSD signal generator 127 outputs a signal of a frame line 150 that surrounds the enlarged partial image display area 69B (hereinafter referred to as an enlarged display unit), so that the picture-in-picture image is displayed. A frame line (hereinafter referred to as an enlarged display frame) 150 is synthesized and displayed. The enlarged display frame 150 has a predetermined color (for example, yellow), and clearly shows the range of the enlarged display portion 69B.
[0055]
Next, the operation of the electronic camera 10 configured as described above will be described.
[0056]
When the still image shooting mode is selected and the enlargement button 64 is not pressed (when OFF), the entire frame image is displayed on the liquid crystal monitor 68 as shown in FIG. Is done. When the AF mode is switched to the MF mode by the focus mode switch 30, the focus ring 24 can be operated to focus. However, since the number of pixels of the liquid crystal monitor 68 is small, the current focus state can be accurately grasped. Can not.
[0057]
In such a situation, when the photographer presses the enlargement button 64, an image with an enlarged central portion is displayed on the liquid crystal monitor 68 as shown in FIG. As a result, the focus ring 24 can be operated while confirming the focus state with the enlarged image of the central portion of the liquid crystal monitor 68, and manual focusing can be performed with high accuracy.
[0058]
In this embodiment, the enlargement button 64 is a switch that is turned on only while being pressed, but it may be a switch that is alternately turned on / off every time one push is performed, or turned off if the ON state is continued for a certain period of time by a timer after pressing. The structure to do may be sufficient.
[0059]
Since the enlargement display process that is activated by pressing the enlargement button 64 is performed by a processing unit different from the image signal processing of the recording system, the shutter button 80 is pressed when the partial image is enlarged and displayed on the liquid crystal monitor 68. Even when shooting is performed by pressing the button, the original image of the entire frame is recorded on the memory card 136.
[0060]
FIG. 6A shows an example of a warning display presented on the liquid crystal monitor 68. When it is detected that the memory card 136 attached to the camera 10 has no free space and a new image cannot be recorded, a warning “CARD FULL!” Is displayed on the liquid crystal monitor 68.
[0061]
If the enlargement button 64 is pressed during the warning display and the enlarged display at the center of the screen described with reference to FIG. 5 is performed, the warning display and the enlarged display frame 150 overlap as shown in FIG. It is difficult to check the displayed contents.
[0062]
Therefore, in the camera 10 according to the present embodiment, control for prohibiting enlargement display in accordance with the operation of the enlargement button 64 is performed during warning display. Such control improves the visibility of the warning display. In addition, there is an advantage that even if the enlarge button 64 is pressed, an enlarged display is not performed so that the user can have an opportunity to re-recognize the warning.
[0063]
The content of the warning display is not limited to the example of FIG. In addition, a warning message “NO CARD!” Indicating that the memory card 136 is not installed or is installed in the wrong direction, and “CARD indicating that the memory card 136 is not formatted (initialized)” is displayed. There are various warning displays such as “NOT INITIALIZED!” Warning display and “PROTECTED CARD!” Warning display indicating that the memory card 136 is in the erroneous recording prevention state. I will not.
[0064]
FIG. 7 shows an example of the composition auxiliary frame 154 presented on the liquid crystal monitor 68. The camera 10 is provided with a photographing support function called best framing display. This is because a composition auxiliary frame 154 that serves as a guide for framing is displayed on the screen of the liquid crystal monitor 68 in accordance with the purpose of photographing, and the photographer can adjust the angle of view while referring to the composition auxiliary frame 154 to obtain a good composition. You can get a photo.
[0065]
When the display button 58 is pressed a predetermined number of times in the still image shooting mode screen, the display screen of the composition auxiliary frame 154 as shown in FIG. If the enlargement button 64 is pressed during the display of the composition auxiliary frame 154 and the enlarged display at the center of the screen described with reference to FIG. 5 is performed, the composition auxiliary frame 154 and the enlarged display frame are displayed as shown in FIG. 150 overlaps and it is difficult to confirm the display content.
[0066]
Therefore, in the camera 10 according to the present embodiment, control for prohibiting enlargement display in accordance with the operation of the enlargement button 64 is performed while the composition auxiliary frame 154 is being displayed. Alternatively, priority is given to the enlarged display accompanying the operation of the enlargement button 64, and there is an aspect in which the composition assisting frame 154 is controlled to be hidden during the enlarged display. In such a case, when the enlarged display is canceled, the composition auxiliary frame 154 is automatically returned to the display state.
[0067]
The form of the composition auxiliary frame 154 is not limited to the example of FIG. FIG. 8 shows another example of the composition assistance frame. Composition auxiliary frames F1 and F2 shown in FIGS. 8A and 8B are frames mainly used for landscape photography, and are horizontal and vertical such as structures extending in the horizon, horizontal, vertical or horizontal directions. This is a frame that will be used as a guideline in determining the composition so that you can shoot properly.
[0068]
The composition auxiliary frames F3 and F4 shown in FIGS. 8C and 8D are used for photographing one or two persons, and the frame F3 is a posture of the camera 10 in the lateral direction (normal posture). The frame F4 is a frame used for shooting when the camera 10 is held in a vertical posture (vertical shooting).
[0069]
Composition auxiliary frames F5 and F6 shown in FIGS. 8E and 8F are frames used when taking a group photo of people. Frame F5 is used for horizontal shooting and frame F6 is used for vertical shooting. Is done.
[0070]
As described above, the camera 10 is provided with a plurality of types of composition assistance frames 154, and the photographer can select a desired composition assistance frame 154 by operating the display button 58 or the cross key 52.
[0071]
In the above embodiment, an example in which the enlarge button 64 is pressed in the MF mode has been described. However, when the enlarge button 64 is pressed in the AF mode, the same enlarged display as in the MF mode can be performed. Thereby, the in-focus state by AF can be confirmed, and when a sufficient in-focus state is not obtained, the focus adjustment can be manually performed by switching to the MF mode.
[0072]
In the above-described embodiment, an example in which enlarged display is performed in the still image shooting mode has been described. However, a mode in which enlarged display is performed in the moving image shooting mode as in the still image shooting mode is possible.
[0073]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the electronic camera according to the present invention, since the configuration is such that the enlarged display for focus confirmation and the simultaneous display of the warning display are excluded, the photographer can easily display the contents displayed on the screen of the image display means. Can be confirmed. In particular, an important warning display can be re-recognized by the photographer by a mode in which the enlarged display is prohibited during the warning display by the warning means.
[0074]
In addition, according to the present invention, since the composition auxiliary frame display and the enlargement display accompanying the operation of the enlargement switch are excluded, the photographer can easily display the contents displayed on the screen of the image display means. Can be confirmed.
[Brief description of the drawings]
1 is a perspective view showing an appearance of a camera according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of the camera shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a front perspective view of the camera shown in FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the internal configuration of the camera of this example. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen of the liquid crystal monitor. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a warning displayed on the liquid crystal monitor. The figure which shows the example of the composition auxiliary | assistant frame displayed FIG. 8 The figure which shows the other example of the composition auxiliary | assistant frame displayed on a liquid crystal monitor
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Camera, 12 ... Shooting lens, 50 ... Finder (image display means), 64 ... Enlargement button (enlargement switch), 68 ... Liquid crystal monitor (image display means), 80 ... Shutter button, 104 ... CCD (solid-state image sensor) , 120... CPU (display restriction means), 127... OSD signal generator (warning means, composition auxiliary frame output means, enlarged display frame output means), 134... Card interface (recording means), 136. 146... Partial enlargement / combination processing circuit (enlargement processing means) 150. Enlargement display frame 154. Composition auxiliary frame

Claims (5)

An imaging means having a solid-state imaging device for converting an optical image into an electrical signal;
A photographic lens that forms image light indicating a subject on a light-receiving surface of the solid-state imaging device;
Recording means for recording an image acquired via the imaging means on a recording medium;
Image display means having a smaller number of pixels than the number of pixels of the solid-state image sensor;
An enlargement switch for giving an instruction to enlarge an image to be displayed on the image display means to a predetermined magnification;
When an image enlargement instruction is received from the enlargement switch, a predetermined partial image is cut out from the photographed image acquired by the image pickup means, and the image display means is enlarged to display the cut-out portion so as to have the predetermined magnification. Processing means;
Warning means for displaying a warning to that effect on the image display means when it is detected that an image obtained by shooting cannot be recorded on the recording medium;
Display restriction means for performing control to prohibit the enlarged display accompanying the operation of the enlargement button during warning display by the warning means;
An electronic camera characterized by comprising:   The contents of the warning display include a state in which the recording medium has insufficient free space, a state in which the recording medium is not installed, a state in which the recording medium is installed in an incorrect direction, and the recording medium is initialized. 2. The electronic camera according to claim 1, wherein the electronic camera indicates either a state in which the recording medium is not present or a state in which the recording medium is in an erroneous recording preventing state. The enlargement processing unit enlarges and displays the cut-out partial image in a predetermined display area smaller than the display screen of the image display unit, and inserts and synthesizes the enlarged partial image in the original image before cut-out. The electronic camera according to claim 1 , wherein the electronic camera is an electronic camera. The electronic camera according to claim 3 , further comprising an enlarged display frame output unit that displays a frame line that clearly indicates the display area of the enlarged display on a display screen of the image display unit. The enlargement processing by the enlargement processing means is not reflected in the image signal at the time of recording by the recording means, and when an instruction to start photographing is given, the image signal obtained from the imaging means is subjected to the enlargement processing by the enlargement processing means. electronic camera according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the be recorded in the recording unit without being.

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