JP5220054B2 - Digital camera - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a digital camera.

  There are various types of digital cameras, including compact types, single-lens reflex types, and those incorporated in electronic devices such as mobile phones. Various types of digital cameras have different functions depending on the type of digital camera. For example, some single-lens reflex digital cameras have a continuous shooting function for continuously performing a plurality of shootings. In addition, among digital cameras having such a continuous shooting function, one that performs strobe light emission in synchronization with each shooting during the continuous shooting is known (for example, see Patent Document 1).

  In the digital still camera and the continuous shooting control method described in Patent Document 1, the amount of light emission for proper exposure is obtained based on the shooting distance, aperture, and shooting sensitivity, and strobe light emission with this amount of light emission is possible. It is determined during continuous shooting based on the charging voltage of the main capacitor or the like. While the flash can be fired, flash photography is performed with the flash fired. After the flash fire is no longer possible, a combination of aperture, shutter speed, and shooting sensitivity is set so that proper exposure is obtained under available light. Set to to continue continuous shooting.

JP 2005-284166 A

  However, in the above-mentioned Patent Document 1, it is determined whether flash photography or non-flash photography is performed based on the charging voltage of the main capacitor, and the user's intention cannot be reflected on the presence or absence of the flash. In addition, the choice of which image to take, which is preferable between flash photography and non-flash photography, cannot be understood unless the photographed image is confirmed, so that both non-flash photography and flash photography can be photographed and compared. It is hoped that.

  The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and when performing non-flash shooting and flash shooting continuously, shooting is performed with an appropriate exposure setting, and images acquired by both shootings can be compared. An object is to provide a digital camera that can be used.

In order to achieve the above object, the digital camera of the present invention has a special continuous shooting mode in which non-flash shooting and flash shooting are continuously performed under a determined exposure setting according to one release operation. In the digital camera, when the special continuous shooting mode is selected, the determination of whether the subject brightness measured with the photometry sensitivity and shooting sensitivity being set is equal to or higher than a predetermined value, Sensitivity down determination means for determining whether or not to change the sensitivity to be lowered, and when the sensitivity down determination means determines that the sensitivity change is to be performed, the sensitivity change to lower the photometry sensitivity and the photographing sensitivity is performed, and Sensitivity setting means for setting low shooting sensitivity, and if the sensitivity change is not performed, subject brightness metering and exposure based on the metering sensitivity and shooting sensitivity being set The exposure setting for the non-flash shooting and the flash shooting performed at the shooting sensitivity being set is determined, and when the sensitivity is changed, the low photometry sensitivity and the low shooting sensitivity are determined. An exposure determining unit that performs subject brightness metering and exposure calculation to determine the non-flash shooting performed at the low shooting sensitivity and the exposure setting for the flash shooting. To

  It is preferable that the exposure determining unit increases the exposure setting for the non-flash shooting and the flash shooting when the sensitivity change is performed. Further, it is preferable that the exposure determining means determines an exposure setting different between the non-flash shooting and the flash shooting when the sensitivity change is performed. It is preferable that the sensitivity setting unit sets different sensitivity settings between the non-flash shooting and the flash shooting when the sensitivity change is performed. When the subject brightness is determined to be equal to or higher than a predetermined value, the sensitivity down determination unit calculates a sensitivity down value according to the subject brightness, determines whether the sensitivity down value exceeds a predetermined value, and When the sensitivity down value is equal to or higher than a predetermined value, it is preferable to determine that the sensitivity change is performed. When the sensitivity down determination means determines to change the sensitivity, the exposure setting means performs the subject brightness photometry and the exposure calculation under the low photometry sensitivity and the low photographing sensitivity. If the result of the calculation is such that the brightness is insufficient even at the wide aperture, it is preferable that the sensitivity setting means change the sensitivity to increase the photographing sensitivity. It is preferable that the sensitivity change is performed when the photometry sensitivity and the photographing sensitivity are automatically set, and the fixed sensitivity is set when the fixed value is set. In addition, it is preferable that the sensitivity down determination unit determines that the sensitivity change is not performed when a through image is not displayed.

According to the present invention, when the special continuous shooting mode is selected, the determination includes whether the subject brightness measured with the photometry sensitivity and the shooting sensitivity being set is equal to or higher than a predetermined value, If it is determined whether to change the sensitivity, and if it is determined that the sensitivity will be changed, change the sensitivity to lower the metering sensitivity and shooting sensitivity, and set it to low metering sensitivity and low shooting sensitivity. If low exposure metering and low shooting sensitivity are used, subject brightness metering and exposure calculation are performed, and exposure settings for non-flash shooting and flash shooting with low shooting sensitivity are set. Since it is determined, an image with an appropriate exposure setting can be obtained by non-flash shooting and flash shooting in the special continuous shooting mode.

1 is a front perspective view of a digital camera of the present invention. It is a back side external appearance perspective view of the digital camera of the present invention. It is a block diagram which shows the schematic structure of the digital camera of this invention. It is a program diagram when determining the exposure setting of 1st Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the main sequences of 1st Embodiment. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of the display of the confirmation image after imaging | photography. It is explanatory drawing which shows another Example of the display of the confirmation image after imaging | photography. It is explanatory drawing which shows another Example of the display of the confirmation image after imaging | photography. It is a program diagram when determining the exposure setting of 2nd Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the main sequences of 2nd Embodiment. It is a program diagram when determining the exposure setting of 3rd Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the main sequences of 3rd Embodiment. It is a program diagram when determining the exposure setting of 4th Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the main sequences of 4th Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the main sequences of the sensitivity down determination process of 4th Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the main sequences of the warning display process of 5th Embodiment. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of the warning display screen of 5th Embodiment. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of the structure of the image file memorize | stored in a memory card. It is explanatory drawing which shows another Example of the structure of the image file memorize | stored in a memory card. It is a block diagram which shows the schematic structure of the digital camera of 6th Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the main sequences of 7th Embodiment. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of the screen which displays imaging | photography information and warning information regarding both the 1st sheet and the 2nd sheet. It is explanatory drawing which shows another Example of the screen which displays imaging | photography information and warning information regarding both the 1st sheet and the 2nd sheet. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of the screen which displays imaging | photography information and warning information regarding only one imaging | photography. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of the screen which switches and displays imaging | photography information and warning information.

  Hereinafter, a digital camera to which the first embodiment of the present invention is applied will be described. A digital camera 10 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is provided with a photographing lens 12 and a strobe 13 on the front surface of a substantially rectangular parallelepiped camera body 11. Further, on the back surface of the camera body 11, an LCD panel 15 as display means for displaying an image is provided. Further, a touch panel (see FIG. 3) 19 is provided on the surface of the LCD panel 15 as described later. A release button 16, a power button 17, and a mode selection dial 18 are provided on the upper surface of the camera body 11. In the present embodiment, the release button 16 can be pressed into a half-pressed position and a fully-pressed position further pressed from the half-pressed position. Furthermore, a slot (not shown) in which a memory card 51 (see FIG. 3) in which image data is stored is detachably loaded is provided on the bottom surface of the camera body 11. The captured image data is written and stored in the memory card 51.

  The digital camera 10 can be switched between a normal shooting mode, a special continuous shooting mode, and a playback mode in which a shot image is played back and displayed on the LCD panel 15 by operating the mode selection dial 18. The digital camera 10 uses the user's finger or an attached operation pen (not shown) for the operation icons displayed on the LCD panel 15 except for the operation using the release button 16 and the power button 17. An operation is performed by touching the touch panel 19.

  The strobe 13 emits strobe light toward the subject in synchronization with the release when performing strobe shooting in the normal shooting mode and when performing strobe shooting in the special continuous shooting mode described later. The flash emission amount is determined according to the shooting distance, shooting sensitivity, and aperture value so that the exposure amount by the flash light is appropriate. Under the normal mode, strobe light is emitted when the subject brightness is lower than a predetermined level, and no strobe light is emitted when the subject brightness is higher than the predetermined level. In the normal mode, it may be possible to manually select whether or not the strobe light emission is necessary.

  In the present embodiment, when the special continuous shooting mode is selected, non-flash shooting is performed first without firing the flash for one release full-press operation, and then flash light is emitted in synchronization with the release. The flash shooting is performed continuously, and special continuous shooting for acquiring image data is executed.

  In FIG. 3 showing the configuration of the digital camera 10, the CPU 21 has a main body of the digital camera 10 via the I / O bus 23 in accordance with various operation signals input from the release button 16, the power button 17, the touch panel 19, and the like. Control each part.

  The zoom lens 12 as a photographic lens includes a lens 26 and a diaphragm 27. The lens 26 is driven by a lens driving mechanism 28 including a stepping motor, and the optical zoom magnification is changed and the focus is adjusted.

  The aperture 27 is step-driven by an aperture drive mechanism 29 including a stepping motor, and the aperture diameter is switched to one of a plurality of aperture values. For example, when the open aperture of the aperture 27 is F2.8 and the minimum aperture is F11, the target aperture value is F4, F5.6, and F8 including the open aperture F2.8 and the minimum aperture F11. The lens driving mechanism 28 and the aperture driving mechanism 29 are driven by motor drivers 31 and 32 controlled by the CPU 21.

  Behind the zoom lens 12, a CCD 35 is disposed as a solid-state imaging device. The CCD 35 is connected to the CPU 21 via a timing generator (TG) 36. In the shooting mode, the CPU 21 controls the TG 36 to generate a timing signal (clock pulse), and the CCD 35 is driven by the timing signal input from the TG 36.

  An optical image formed by the zoom lens 12 is formed on the light receiving surface of the CCD 35, and is photoelectrically converted to output an analog imaging signal. This imaging signal is input to a correlated double sampling circuit (CDS) 37 and output as R, G, B image data corresponding to the amount of accumulated charge in each cell of the CCD 35. The image data output from the CDS 37 is amplified by an amplifier (AMP) 38 and converted from an analog signal to digital image data by an A / D converter (A / D) 39.

  The image input controller 41 is connected to the CPU 21 via the I / O bus 23. An internal memory 43 is connected to the I / O bus 23. As the internal memory 43, for example, an SDRAM (Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory) is used. The CPU 21 controls the image input controller 41 to store the image data output from the A / D 39 in the internal memory 43. The image signal processing circuit 46 accesses the image data stored in the internal memory 43 and performs various image processing such as gradation conversion, white balance correction, and γ correction processing.

  In the shooting mode, the CCD 35 performs imaging processing at a predetermined frame rate, the image processing is performed on the acquired image data, and the processed captured image is displayed on the LCD panel 15 as a live image. The LCD panel 15 is driven by the LCD driver 48. The LCD driver 48 includes an image memory and a D / A converter. The processed image data temporarily stored in the image memory is converted into, for example, an NTSC analog signal by the D / A converter. The data is output to the LCD panel 15.

  When the release operation is performed, the CCD 35 acquires main image data having a larger number of pixels than the live image for through display. The main image data is subjected to the above-described image processing and is subjected to compression processing by a compression / decompression processing circuit 49 in a predetermined compression format (for example, JPEG format). The main image data subjected to the compression processing is stored in the memory card 51 via the media controller 50.

  In addition to the media controller 50 and the like, an AE detection circuit 53, an AF detection circuit 54, and a flash memory 55 are connected to the I / O bus 23. The AF detection circuit 54 extracts high-frequency component contrast data from the imaging signal output from the image input controller 41 and sends it to the CPU 21. The CPU 21 controls the lens driving mechanism 28 via the motor driver 27 to move the focusing lens back and forth in the optical axis direction and stop it at a position where the contrast of the high frequency component of the subject image is the highest.

  The AE detection circuit 53 integrates the luminance signal of the imaging signal output from the image input controller 41, detects a luminance integrated value (subject luminance value) as the obtained photometric data, and detects the type of the light source. The subject brightness value, the light source information, etc. are sent to the CPU 21. The CPU 21 determines exposure settings such as an appropriate aperture value, shutter speed, photographing sensitivity, and the like based on the subject luminance value. In the present embodiment, in the special continuous shooting mode, non-flash shooting and flash shooting are performed with the same exposure setting determined based on the subject luminance value. As this exposure setting, the program diagram 60 shown in FIG. 4 is stored as data in the flash memory 55, and the CPU 21 reads the program diagram 60 and sets the shutter speed and aperture value based on the subject luminance value. decide. Then, the CPU 21 controls the aperture driving mechanism 29 via the motor driver 32 so that a predetermined aperture value corresponding to the determined exposure setting is set in the aperture 27, and sets predetermined imaging sensitivity in the CDS 37 and the AMP 38. Further, the timing signal is generated by controlling the TG 36 so as to obtain a predetermined shutter speed. In the present embodiment, the CDS 37 and the AMP 38 are controlled so that the photographing sensitivity is always constant for both non-flash photography and flash photography.

  The flash memory 55 is a well-known non-volatile memory, and stores various programs and data, various control parameters, and the like.

  In order to perform special continuous shooting with the digital camera 10 configured as described above, as shown in the flowchart of FIG. 5, the power button 14 is pressed (st1) and the mode selection dial 15 is operated to select the special continuous shooting mode. Then, the image data output from the image input controller 41 is displayed on the LCD panel 15 as a through image via the LCD driver 48 (st3). Using the LCD panel 15 as an electronic viewfinder, the display image on the LCD panel 15 is observed to perform framing. When the user wants to perform special continuous shooting, first, when the release button 16 is half-pressed (lightly presses the release button 16) (st4), the AE process (st5) and the AF process (st6) start.

  In the AE process, the AE detection circuit 53 takes in the luminance signal of the imaging signal and performs an integration operation, and sends this luminance integrated value (subject luminance value) to the CPU 21. The CPU 21 reads the program diagram 60 and determines exposure settings such as an aperture value and a shutter speed based on the subject luminance value. In the example shown in FIG. 4, the subject brightness value at the time of shooting is 13 EV, and the shutter speed is determined as TV8 (1/250 S) and the aperture value is AV5 (F5.8) from the position intersecting with the timeline. It is done. Then, the CPU 21 drives the aperture driving mechanism 29 and the TG 36 so as to achieve the determined exposure setting (st7).

  In the AF process, the AF detection circuit 54 extracts high-frequency component contrast data from the imaging signal and sends it to the CPU 21. The CPU 21 controls the lens driving mechanism 28 via the motor driver 27 to move the lens 26 forward and backward in the optical axis direction to find and stop the position where the contrast of the high frequency component of the subject image is highest.

  The user confirms the through image displayed on the LCD panel 15 (st8), and depresses the release button 16 from the half-pressed position to a deeper fully pressed position (st9). At the next moment, first, non-flash shooting is performed (st10), and the image pickup signal is read from the CCD 35 in the charge accumulation time corresponding to the shutter speed based on the exposure setting. The image pickup signal output from the CCD 35 is input to the image input controller 41 via the CDS 37, the AMP 38, and the A / D converter 39. The non-flash image data output from the image input controller 41 is temporarily stored in the internal memory 43. When the first non-flash shooting is completed, the CPU 21 then reads the image pickup signal from the CCD 35 during the charge accumulation time corresponding to the shutter speed while synchronizing the light emission by the flash 13 so as to perform flash shooting with a predetermined light amount. It is performed (st11). Then, the image data is temporarily stored in the internal memory 43, and flash photography is completed. When the flash photography is completed, the CPU 21 reads out the image data acquired by the non-flash photography and the flash photography from the internal memory 43 and displays it on the LCD panel 15 (st12). These confirmation images are displayed as shown in FIG. First, the non-flash image 61 is displayed on the LCD panel 15 (the state shown in FIG. 6A), and then the flash image 62 is displayed (the state shown in FIG. 6B). After displaying these confirmation images, the CPU 21 compresses the image data by the compression / decompression processing circuit 44 to reduce the data capacity, and then stores it in the memory card 51 via the media controller 50 (st8). When the confirmation image shown in FIG. 6 is displayed, it may be stored in the memory card 21 at the same time. For example, this image is displayed while the non-flash image 61 is being displayed (the state shown in FIG. 6A). 61 data is written to the memory card 21, and when the writing is completed, the display on the LCD panel 15 is switched to the display of the image 62 of flash photography, and the data of this image 62 is further written to the memory card 51 ( st13). When the recording of the non-flash photographing and the image data of the flash photographing is finished, one special continuous photographing is finished, and the CPU 21 returns the display on the LCD panel 15 to the through image. The user presses the release button 16 a desired number of times to execute shooting, and shooting in the special continuous shooting mode ends.

  In this way, non-flash shooting and flash shooting are continuously performed with a single release operation, and those image data are acquired, so after shooting, check and compare images of non-flash shooting and flash shooting. You can select the image that is taking better.

  In the first embodiment, in the display of the confirmation image after the special continuous shooting, the non-flash shooting image and the flash shooting image are displayed separately, but the present invention is not limited to this, as shown in FIG. Both the image 61 acquired by non-flash photography and the image 62 obtained by flash photography may be displayed on the same screen of the LCD panel 15. This makes it easier to compare images acquired by both shootings.

  In the first embodiment, the timing for displaying the non-flash shooting and the post-view image (confirmation image) of the flash shooting after the special continuous shooting is not limited to the above example. For example, the special continuous shooting ends. Immediately after (acquiring the image data of the last frame), the confirmation image of each photographing may be switched and displayed at a predetermined time interval. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 8, when the switching buttons 63 a and 63 b are displayed in the screen of the LCD panel 15 and the switching buttons 63 a and 63 b are operated on the touch panel 19, the confirmation image 64 may be switched. Note that the operation means is not limited to that using the touch panel 19, and a switching operation member may be provided separately.

  In the first embodiment, after the special continuous shooting, the confirmation image is displayed before the non-flash shooting and the flash shooting are written to the memory card 51. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the memory card 51 is displayed. The confirmation image of each photographing may be displayed after writing. After the confirmation of the image, for example, by operating the button 65 (see FIG. 8) for inputting to return to the original display on the touch panel, the display of the confirmation image is changed to the original display screen (for example, the next display). It is only necessary to return to the through image display in preparation for shooting. Alternatively, after the confirmation image is displayed for a predetermined time, the original display screen may be restored.

  In the above embodiment, both the non-flash shooting and the non-flash shooting are performed in the special continuous shooting mode with the same exposure setting determined by the AE process when the release button is pressed. The present invention is not limited to this, and the second embodiment of the present invention described below shows an example in which non-flash shooting and flash shooting are executed with different exposure settings. As the configuration of the digital camera to which the second embodiment is applied, the same components as those in the first embodiment are used, and thus the description thereof is omitted.

  In the second embodiment, non-flash shooting and flash shooting program diagrams 71 and 72 shown in FIG. 9 are stored in the flash memory 55, and the CPU 21 performs the AE process in the special continuous shooting mode. The program diagrams 71 and 72 are read out, and exposure settings suitable for non-flash photography and flash photography are determined based on the program diagrams 71 and 72 and the subject luminance value, respectively. Then, the CPU 21 performs non-flash shooting and flash shooting with each exposure setting.

  In order to perform special continuous shooting with a digital camera to which this second embodiment is applied, as shown in the flowchart of FIG. 10, a through image is displayed after power on (st1) and special continuous shooting mode selection (st2). (St3), the user observes the display image on the LCD panel 15 and performs framing. When the user presses the release button 16 halfway (st4), the AE process (st5) and the AF process (st6) start. In the AE process, the AE detection circuit 53 takes in the luminance signal of the imaging signal and performs an integration operation, and sends this luminance integrated value (subject luminance value) to the CPU 21. The CPU 21 reads the program diagrams 71 and 72 and determines an exposure setting suitable for flash photography and non-flash photography based on the subject brightness value. In the example shown in FIG. 9, the subject brightness value at the time of shooting is 8 EV. At this time, from the program diagram 71 for non-flash shooting, the shutter speed is TV5 (1/30 S) and the aperture value is AV3 (F2. 8). Further, when the exposure setting is obtained from the flash program diagram 72, the subject brightness value (8EV) is too dark and thus deviates from the diagram, so that the shutter speed is set to the TV 6 (the brightest setting in the vicinity thereof. 1 / 60S), and the aperture value is obtained as AV3 (F2.8). Then, the CPU 21 drives the aperture driving mechanism 29 and the TG 36 so as to achieve the determined exposure setting (st7). The user confirms the through image displayed on the LCD panel 15 (st8), and depresses the release button 16 from the half-pressed position to a deeper fully pressed position (st9).

  When the release button 16 is fully pressed, at the next moment, first, non-flash shooting is performed with the exposure setting based on the program diagram 71 (st10), and the image data is temporarily stored in the internal memory 43. When the first non-flash shooting is completed, the CPU 21 then switches to the exposure setting based on the program diagram 72 (st11) and synchronizes the light emission by the flash 13 so as to perform flash shooting with a predetermined light amount. Shooting is performed (st12), and image data is temporarily stored in the internal memory 43. When the flash photography is completed, the CPU 21 reads out the image data acquired by the non-flash photography and the flash photography from the internal memory 43 and displays it on the LCD panel 15 (st13), and then compresses the image data by the compression / decompression processing circuit 49. After the data capacity is reduced, the data is stored in the memory card 51 via the media controller 50 (st14).

  In this way, non-flash shooting and flash shooting are continuously performed with a single release operation, and when acquiring those image data, shooting is performed with optimum exposure settings for non-flash shooting and flash shooting, respectively. In addition to the effects of the first embodiment, it is possible to obtain an image with further desirable exposure settings.

  In the first embodiment, the shooting sensitivity is always constant for both non-flash shooting and flash shooting. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and in the third embodiment of the present invention described below, the amount of light of the subject is set. An example of special continuous shooting with the shooting sensitivity changed accordingly will be shown. As the configuration of the digital camera to which the third embodiment is applied, the same parts as those of the first embodiment are used, and thus the description thereof is omitted.

  In the third embodiment, program diagrams 81 and 82 for non-flash shooting and flash shooting shown in FIG. 11 are stored in the flash memory 55, and the CPU 21 performs the AE process in the special continuous shooting mode. Then, the program diagrams 81 and 82 are read out, respectively, and based on these program diagrams 81 and 82 and the subject brightness value, the exposure setting composed of the shutter speed, the aperture value, and the photographing sensitivity suitable for the non-flash shooting and the flash shooting, respectively. To decide. Then, the CPU 21 performs non-flash shooting and flash shooting with each exposure setting. As shown in the program diagrams 81 and 82, when the subject brightness is low, the shooting sensitivity is increased to 1SV, 2SV, and 3SV, respectively.

  In order to perform special continuous shooting with a digital camera to which the third embodiment is applied, a through image is displayed after power on (st1) to special continuous shooting mode selection (st2) as shown in the flowchart of FIG. (St3), the user observes the display image on the LCD panel 15 and performs framing. When the user presses the release button 16 halfway (st4), the AE process (st5) and the AF process (st6) start. In the AE process, the AE detection circuit 53 takes in the luminance signal of the imaging signal and performs an integration operation, and sends this luminance integrated value (subject luminance value) to the CPU 21. The CPU 21 reads the program diagrams 81 and 82 and determines an exposure setting suitable for flash photography and non-flash photography based on the subject brightness value. In the example shown in FIG. 11, the subject brightness value at the time of shooting is 6 EV. At this time, from the program diagram 81 for non-flash shooting, the shutter speed is TV5 (1/30 S) and the aperture value is AV3 (F2. 8) Further, the photographing sensitivity is required to be increased by 3SV. Further, when the exposure setting is obtained from the program diagram 82 for flash, since the subject brightness value (6EV) is too dark and deviates from the diagram, the shutter speed is set to the TV 6 (the brightest setting in the vicinity thereof. 1 / 60S), the aperture value is AV3 (F2.8), and the imaging sensitivity is calculated to be 1 SV up. Then, the CPU 21 drives the aperture drive mechanism 29, the TG 36, the CDS 37, and the AMP 38 so as to achieve the determined exposure setting (st7). The user confirms the through image displayed on the LCD panel 15 (st8), and depresses the release button 16 from the half-pressed position to a deeper fully pressed position (st9).

  When the release button 16 is fully pressed (st9), the next moment, first, non-flash shooting is performed with the exposure setting based on the shutter speed, aperture value, and shooting sensitivity based on the program diagram 81 (st10), and the image data is internally stored. Temporarily stored in the memory 43. When the first non-flash shooting is completed, the CPU 21 then switches to the exposure setting including the shutter speed, aperture value, and shooting sensitivity based on the program diagram 82 (st11) so as to perform flash shooting with a predetermined light amount. Flash photography is performed while synchronizing light emission by the flash 13 (st12), and image data is temporarily stored in the internal memory 43. When the flash photography is completed, the CPU 21 reads out the image data acquired by the non-flash photography and the flash photography from the internal memory 43 and displays it on the LCD panel 15 (st13), and then compresses the image data by the compression / decompression processing circuit 49. After the data capacity is reduced, the data is stored in the memory card 51 via the media controller 50 (st14).

  In this way, when performing non-flash shooting and flash shooting continuously with a single release operation and acquiring those image data, the optimum exposure setting including changes in shooting sensitivity in non-flash shooting and flash shooting, respectively. In addition to the effects of the first and second embodiments, it is possible to obtain an image for which exposure setting is more desirable.

  In the first embodiment, the non-flash shooting and the flash shooting are continuously performed under the special continuous shooting mode, with the photometry sensitivity and the shooting sensitivity being always constant. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the following In the fourth embodiment of the present invention described in the above, an example of performing special continuous shooting by changing the shooting sensitivity and the photometry sensitivity according to the amount of light of the subject is shown. As the configuration of the digital camera to which the fourth embodiment is applied, the same components as those of the first embodiment are used, and thus the description thereof is omitted. In the case of this embodiment, the CPU 21 functions as a determination unit that determines sensitivity reduction.

  In the fourth embodiment, the program diagram 91 shown in FIG. 13 is stored in the flash memory 55, and when performing the AE process in the special continuous shooting mode, the CPU 21 reads out the program diagram 91, respectively. The exposure setting is determined based on the program diagram 91 and the subject luminance value. Then, the CPU 21 performs non-flash shooting and flash shooting with this exposure setting. As shown in these program diagrams 91, when the subject luminance is low, a solid line diagram 91a is used, and when the subject luminance is high, dotted line and dashed line diagrams 91b and 91c are used. Note that the diagrams 91b and 91c are exposure settings for non-flash photography and flash photography, and the exposure settings are increased in accordance with a decrease in photography sensitivity and photometry sensitivity. For example, ISO sensitivity is used as the sensitivity setting.

  In order to perform special continuous shooting with a digital camera to which the fourth embodiment is applied, a through image is displayed after power on (st1) to special continuous shooting mode selection (st2) as shown in the flowchart of FIG. (St3), the user observes and displays the display image on the LCD panel 15 and presses the release button 16 halfway (st4). Then, the CPU 21 performs a determination process for determining sensitivity reduction. As shown in FIG. 15, in the determination processing for determining the sensitivity reduction, first, it is detected whether the ISO sensitivity setting is automatically set or a fixed value is selected (st101). If the fixed value is set, the fixed sensitivity setting is used without performing the sensitivity reduction process. Then, whether or not a through image is displayed on the LCD panel 15 is detected (st102). When the through image is displayed, the CPU 21 extracts the last frame being displayed and sends it to the AE detection circuit 53. (St103) When the through image is not displayed, the sensitivity reduction process is not performed. The AE detection circuit 53 takes in a luminance signal from the extracted frame, performs an integration operation (st104), and sends this temporary luminance integrated value (temporary subject luminance value) to the CPU 21. The CPU 21 determines whether or not the provisional luminance integrated value exceeds a predetermined value (st105). When the integrated value is equal to or greater than the predetermined value, the CPU 21 calculates a sensitivity down value corresponding to the temporary subject luminance value (st106). It is determined whether or not the sensitivity down value exceeds a predetermined value (st107). When the sensitivity down value is equal to or higher than the predetermined value, the photometry sensitivity and the photographing sensitivity are switched to a setting to decrease (st108). Alternatively, if it is less than the predetermined value, the photometry sensitivity and the photographing sensitivity are left as they are (st109), and the determination process is terminated.

  When the sensitivity down determination process ends, the AE process (st5) and the AF process (st6) start. In the AE process, the AE detection circuit 53 takes in the luminance signal of the imaging signal and performs an integration operation, and sends this luminance integrated value (subject luminance value) to the CPU 21. When it is determined that the sensitivity is reduced in the sensitivity reduction determination process described above, the TG 36, the CDS 37, and the AMP 38 are driven so as to reduce the photographing sensitivity and the photometric sensitivity based on the setting. The CPU 21 switches from the exposure setting in the diagram 91a to the exposure setting in the diagrams 91b and 91c, and drives the aperture driving mechanism 29, the TG 36, the CDS 37, and the AMP 38 (st7). The user confirms the through image displayed on the LCD panel 15 (st8), and depresses the release button 16 from the half-pressed position to a deeper fully pressed position (st9).

  When the release button 16 is fully pressed, non-flash shooting is performed at the next moment, with the exposure setting including the shutter speed, aperture value, and shooting sensitivity based on the diagram 91a or diagram 91b (st10), and the image data is stored internally. Temporarily stored in the memory 43. When the first non-flash shooting is completed, the CPU 21 then switches to the exposure setting consisting of the shutter speed, the aperture value, and the shooting sensitivity based on the diagram 91c with the predetermined light amount while maintaining the exposure setting of the diagram 91a. Flash photography is performed while synchronizing light emission by the flash 13 so as to perform flash photography (st11), and image data is temporarily stored in the internal memory 43. When the sensitivity reduction is determined in the sensitivity reduction determination process described above, non-flash shooting and flash shooting are performed by driving the TG 36, the CDS 37, and the AMP 38 so as to reduce the shooting sensitivity of the CCD 25 based on the setting. . When the flash photographing is completed, the CPU 21 reads out the image data acquired by the non-flash photographing and the flash photographing from the internal memory 43 and displays it on the LCD panel 15 (st12), and then compresses the image data by the compression / decompression processing circuit 44. After the data capacity is reduced, the data is stored in the memory card 51 via the media controller 50 (st13).

  In this way, non-flash shooting and flash shooting are continuously performed with a single release operation, and when acquiring those image data, photometry sensitivity and shooting are determined when it is determined that sensitivity is reduced in non-flash shooting and flash shooting. Since the sensitivity is lowered and shooting is performed with the exposure setting according to them, in addition to the effects of the first and second embodiments, an image with a more desirable exposure setting can be obtained. In this way, when photometry / exposure calculation is performed with the sensitivity set to low, if the result of the calculation is that the brightness is insufficient even when the aperture value is wide open, the sensitivity is increased and non-flash shooting and Flash photography may be performed. In such a case, if the exposure setting differs between non-flash shooting and flash shooting, the photometry sensitivity and shooting sensitivity may be set to different settings according to the non-flash shooting and flash shooting. .

  In the fourth embodiment, the photographing sensitivity of the CCD 35 is switched in accordance with the calculation result of the exposure setting. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the first image has a higher photographing sensitivity. Thus, the second image may be shot by switching the shooting sensitivity according to the shooting order, such as lowering the shooting sensitivity. Accordingly, it is not necessary to perform sensitivity switching determination or calculation, and it is possible to reduce the time lag between the shootings.

  Further, in addition to the first to fourth configurations described above, a fifth embodiment in which a warning is given to the user by giving various warnings before shooting in the special continuous shooting mode is described below. I will explain it. In the present embodiment, the CPU 21 functions as a determination unit that performs a warning determination, and otherwise uses substantially the same components as those in the first embodiment. In addition, for example, “flash flash warning”, “camera shake warning”, “out-of-exposure range warning”, and “out-of-focus warning” are performed. Later, it is performed simultaneously with the AE process and the AF process. For example, a “camera shake warning” is compared with a through image frame, and when there is a large amount of change, it is determined as a camera shake state and a warning is given. In addition, the “out of exposure warning” indicates that the subject brightness is too dark and the exposure is insufficient even at the brightest exposure setting, and the “out-of-focus warning” indicates that the subject distance is The CPU 21 warns that it is out of the focusable range, and the CPU 21 makes these determinations.

  When the warning determination as described above is performed, the CPU 21 displays the warning content on the LCD panel 15 during the through image display. The flowchart of FIG. 16 shows the sequence of the CPU 21 when performing warning display. When the warning display process starts, the warning content at the time of the previous shooting is first initialized (st201), and then at least one of the shootings at the time of both non-flash shooting and flash shooting is judged as warning. The warning display is set (st202). When the same processing is performed for all warning contents (st203), warning display as shown in FIG. 17 is performed. In the warning display shown in FIG. 17, along with the display of the through image 101, marks 102a to 102d respectively indicating “flash emission warning”, “camera shake warning”, “out of exposure warning”, and “out-of-focus warning”. Are displayed. Note that these warnings cover both non-flash shooting and flash shooting, and at least one of them displays a warning when a warning judgment is made, so two warnings (non-flash shooting and flash shooting) It is not necessary to display the warning content for both shooting), and the display area can be reduced. Therefore, only by confirming these marks 102a to 102d, the user can grasp all the warning contents in both non-flash shooting and flash shooting. At this time, a mark 103 (consisting of marks 103a and 103b indicating non-flash and flash respectively) indicating that the camera is in the special continuous shooting mode within the same screen of the LCD panel 15, an aperture calculated by AE processing, Information such as shutter speed and shooting sensitivity may be displayed as information 104a for the first image (non-flash shooting) and information 104b for the second image (flash shooting). Note that the warning means is not limited to a configuration that displays warning information as in the above example, but warning may be performed using warning means such as voice or characters.

  In addition to the configurations of the first to fourth embodiments described above, the slow sync function, that is, the shutter speed is switched to a slower value than the normal time in the normal shooting mode of the digital camera 2, and the slow shutter speed is synchronized. In the case of providing the function of performing flash emission, it is preferable to perform control so that the slow sync function is stopped and shooting is performed when performing non-flash shooting and flash shooting in the special continuous shooting mode. As a result, during non-flash shooting and flash shooting, shooting is not performed at a slow shutter speed, and blurring can be prevented from occurring in both shootings.

  In addition to the configurations of the first to fourth embodiments described above, non-flash shooting and flash shooting are performed in the special continuous shooting mode, and when recording to the memory card 51, the non-flash shooting and flash shooting are performed. It is preferable to add additional information to the image data. In this case, the structure of the image file in which the additional information is added to the image data is as shown in FIG. As additional information, for example, data in Exif format is used, and information is written in the area of the Exif tag of the image data. In the image files 111 and 112 acquired in the special continuous shooting mode shown in FIG. 18, the image data 111a and 112a, information indicating that the non-flash shooting and the flash shooting were performed, respectively, and further calculated by the AE process at that time Exposure settings and the like are configured as additional information 111b and 112b, respectively, and such image files 111 and 112 are recorded in the memory card 51.

Note that the additional information added to the image data is not limited to the information described above, and may be information contents such as the image files 113 and 114 shown in FIG. The image files 113 and 114 acquired in the special continuous shooting mode shown in FIG. 19 are composed of image data 113a and 114a and common additional information 115 such as date and time at that time, respectively. Image files 113 and 114 are recorded on the memory card 51. As a result, it is possible to easily determine that the image data is obtained by continuously performing non-flash shooting and flash shooting in the same shooting, and it is easy for the user to distinguish from other images when reviewed later.

  In the above embodiment, non-flash shooting is performed first in response to a single release full-pressing operation, and then shooting is performed once each in the order of flash shooting. However, the present invention is not limited to this. Instead, the flash photography may be performed first, followed by the non-flash photography. Thus, non-flash shooting can be performed after recognizing that shooting is being performed on the user and the subject by light emission during flash shooting. Furthermore, when performing non-flash shooting in the order of flash shooting, a long time lag occurs after the non-flash shooting until a sufficient flash output is obtained with flash shooting. The time lag between both shootings can be shortened.

  Further, the order of non-flash photography / flash photography is not performed in a preset order, and the order may be changed according to the exposure setting determined before photographing. In this case, for example, among the non-flash shooting and the flash shooting, the shooting with the shorter shutter speed with the exposure setting determined by the CPU 21 may be performed first, and then the shooting with the longer shutter speed may be performed.

  In addition, as the number of times of shooting, non-flash shooting and flash shooting are performed at least once each and a total of two or more times, so that the images of non-flash shooting and flash shooting can be compared. Similar effects can be obtained.

  In addition to the configuration of the above-described embodiment, a digital camera including an auto strobe having a dimming control function can be used as a flash light emitting device. The block diagram of FIG. 20 shows the configuration of a digital camera to which the sixth embodiment of the present invention equipped with this auto strobe is applied. As for the digital camera 120 shown in FIG. 20, components using the same components as those in the above embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted. The auto strobe 121 built in the digital camera 120 includes a strobe light emission circuit 122, a discharge tube 123, a dimming circuit 124, and a dimming sensor 125. When performing flash photography, the main capacitor in the flash light emission circuit 122 is charged by a control signal from the CPU 21, and a sync signal is input to the light emission circuit 122 and the light control circuit 124 in synchronization with the release. The light emitting circuit 122 irradiates the subject with strobe light by causing the charge stored in the main capacitor to flow through the discharge tube 123 in response to the input of the sync signal. The dimming circuit 124 receives a luminance signal corresponding to the luminance of the strobe reflected light from the subject detected from the dimming sensor 125 when the sync signal is input and exposure of the subject by the CCD 35 is started. The luminance signal is integrated over time, and a stop signal is output to the light emitting circuit 122 when the integrated value reaches a preset threshold value. When the light emitting circuit 122 receives the stop signal from the dimming circuit 124, the light emitting circuit 122 cuts off the current flowing to the discharge tube 123 and stops light emission.

  In the present embodiment, the CPU 21 is configured to continuously perform at least one non-flash shooting and a plurality of flash shootings in the special continuous shooting mode, and to increase the shooting sensitivity of the CCD 35 during flash shooting. Take control. As a result, when flash photography is performed, the amount of light emitted by the auto strobe 121 can be reduced, that is, the charging of the main capacitor can be reduced. Therefore, when flash photography is performed continuously, the time lag between photography can be shortened.

  In the present embodiment, the timing at which the auto strobe 121 performs the light control is not limited to the timing according to the half-pressing or full-pressing of the release, and the shooting ends immediately after the special continuous shooting mode is selected. The dimming control may be started at any timing, for example, at a predetermined time interval after the start of the special continuous shooting mode, or at a predetermined time after the last shooting, etc. The dimming control may be started to perform flash photography, and the dimming control may be started in response to an input by an operating means other than the release button 16.

  However, the present invention is not limited to this. Temporary shooting is performed before main shooting (shooting when main image data having a large number of pixels is acquired), and dimming control is performed at this time so that dimming can be performed during main shooting. The time required for control can be shortened. In the seventh embodiment of the present invention to be described below, a configuration for performing dimming control before the actual photographing is illustrated. The component configuration and the like are the same as those of the digital camera 120 described above, and a description thereof will be omitted. When performing special continuous shooting with a digital camera that performs such dimming control, as shown in the flowchart of FIG. 21, when the special continuous shooting mode is selected after the power is turned on (st1) (st2), the LCD panel 15 A through image is displayed at (st3). When the release button 16 is depressed halfway (st4), non-flash provisional photographing (st5) and flash provisional photographing (st6) are started. Note that light emission for red-eye reduction may be performed immediately before the provisional photographing.

  In the non-flash provisional photographing (st5), the AE process and the AF process are performed without performing the flash emission of the auto strobe 121, and the luminance integrated value at this time, the position information of the lens 26 with the highest contrast, and the like are sent to the CPU 21. send. The CPU 21 determines an exposure setting for non-flash main photographing described later from these values. Then, in flash pre-shooting (st6), flash emission (pre-emission) controlled by the auto strobe 121 is performed, and the luminance integrated value at this time, the position information of the lens 26 with the highest contrast, and the dimming control are performed. Information of the luminance value (strobe reflected light from the subject) received by the light control sensor 125 is sent to the CPU 21. From these values, the CPU 21 calculates an exposure setting for flash main photographing described later and a light emission amount of the auto strobe 121 (st7). Note that when performing these provisional photographing, photographing may be performed with a smaller number of pixels than in the main photographing so as to shorten the time.

  When the user confirms the through image (st8) and depresses the release button 16 to the fully-pressed position (st9), at the next moment, the CPU 21 is based on the exposure setting determined at the time of the temporary shooting (st5) described above. Non-flash main photographing is performed by controlling the aperture and shutter speed (st10). Subsequently, the CPU 21 controls the aperture, shutter speed, and the like based on the above-described provisional shooting (st6) exposure setting, and causes the auto strobe 121 to emit light with the light emission amount based on the result of the light emission amount calculation (st7). Control is performed, and flash main photographing is performed in synchronization with the light emission (st11). Then, the confirmation images acquired in the non-flash main shooting and the flash main shooting are displayed (st12), and these images are written in the memory card 51 (st13). Then, when a predetermined number of pieces of image data have been acquired, shooting under the special continuous shooting mode is completed.

  In this way, under special continuous shooting mode, temporary shooting, dimming control, and calculation of flash output are performed before non-flash main shooting and flash main shooting, so between non-flash main shooting and flash shooting. There is no need to perform dimming control or the like, and the time lag can be shortened. In addition, since the light is emitted before the main photographing, it is possible to recognize that photographing has started for the user and the subject.

  When provisional photographing is performed before the main photographing, the flash light emission (pre-light emission) at the time of flash temporary photographing and the light emission for red-eye reduction may be combined. As a result, the difference between the red-eye reduction emission during temporary flash photography and the flash emission during main flash photography is increased, and sufficient time is taken to close the pupil, so a high red-eye reduction effect is obtained during main flash photography. In addition, since it is not necessary to provide another light emitting means for red-eye reduction light emission, the number of light emission times can be suppressed and the battery consumption of the digital camera can be reduced.

  In the above embodiment, only a real-time through image is displayed as an image displayed on the LCD panel 15 before shooting. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the special continuous shooting mode is used. Before performing the main shooting below, non-flash and flash temporary shooting may be performed, and the preview images acquired by the temporary shooting may be displayed on the LCD panel 15, respectively. As a result, the preview image can be confirmed before the actual photographing. In addition, a preview image can be quickly displayed by acquiring image data with a small number of pixels (low resolution) at the time of temporary shooting, and the number of pixels at the time of actual shooting is larger than that at the time of temporary shooting ( (High resolution) image data can be output and a high-definition image can be obtained.

  In the above embodiment, warning information displayed before shooting in the special continuous shooting mode is a warning display indicating that there is a warning in either non-flash shooting or flash shooting. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and warning display may be performed to indicate that there is a warning in non-flash shooting and flash shooting, respectively. In this case, for example, as shown in FIG. 22, the upper stage (the range enclosed by the dotted line 151a) is the information for the first image (non-flash photography), and the lower stage (the range enclosed by the dotted line 151b) is the second image (the range enclosed by the dotted line 151b). Note that reference numerals 152a and 152b are shooting information at the time of each shooting, and the adjacent marks 153a to 153d indicate the contents of each warning in this way. The shooting information and warning information can be displayed on the screen to inform the user.

  In the above example, the warning information is displayed on the through image display screen. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and as shown in FIG. 23, the first image (non-flash shooting) and the second image are displayed. (Flash photography) preview images are respectively acquired and partially enlarged images 156a and 156b obtained by enlarging a part thereof (for example, near the center) are respectively displayed, and photographing information 152a and 152b and warning information 153a are displayed in the same manner as in the above example. ˜153d may be displayed. As a result, before the actual shooting, the information on the first image (non-flash shooting) and the second image (flash shooting) can be known more reliably, and confirmation can be performed by viewing the partially enlarged image. .

  Further, the display of the shooting information and the warning information is not limited to these, and the shooting conditions and warning information relating to a predetermined order, for example, the first shooting (non-flash shooting in the above embodiment) are displayed. May be. As a result, the information content is small, the information can be notified even in a small display area, and the area for displaying the through image can be enlarged. Furthermore, instead of displaying shooting conditions and warning conditions related to shooting in a predetermined order as in the above example, when the CPU (exposure determining means) 21 determines the exposure setting, the shutter speed is set to be slower. The shooting conditions and warning information regarding the shooting may be displayed. By selecting the shooting with the slower shutter speed, it is possible to display the shooting conditions and warning information related to the shooting that is more likely to generate a warning (camera shake or the like is more likely to occur). Also, as shown in FIG. 24, when the CPU (exposure determining means) 21 determines the exposure setting, the shooting information 157 for which the shutter speed is set slower, the first image (non-flash shooting), and the second image are displayed. Warning information 158a to 158d (similar to the warning display in the fifth embodiment) when there is a warning in at least one of the two shootings (flash shooting) may be displayed.

  As timing for displaying the shooting information and the warning information, for example, as shown in FIG. 25, from the start of the special continuous shooting mode to the end of shooting of the first image (flash shooting), the first shooting information 161a and The warning information 162a is displayed (FIG. 25A), and immediately after the first image is taken, the second image information 161b and the warning information 162b may be displayed (FIG. 25B). )). As a result, only the information for the next shooting is displayed, so that the information content is small, the information can be notified even in a small display area, and the area for displaying a through image can be made large. In addition, in the case of shooting 3 or more images in one release in the special continuous shooting mode, the information for the third image is displayed immediately after the second image is completed, and the information is displayed in the same manner. Should be done.

  Also, the timing for displaying the shooting information and warning information is not limited to the above, but it can be displayed immediately after the first shooting, immediately after shooting each frame, or immediately after the end of special continuous shooting. May be performed. Alternatively, immediately after the CPU (exposure determining means) 21 determines the exposure setting, shooting information and warning information including the exposure setting may be displayed. As a result, before the exposure setting is determined, the display on the screen becomes simple and easy to check.

  In the above embodiment, the shooting information and the warning information are displayed in the screen of the LCD panel 15. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and other information may be provided to display the information.

10 Digital Camera 15 LCD Panel 21 CPU
35 CCD
31 Aperture Drive Mechanism 51 Memory Card 53 AE Detection Circuit

Claims (8)

  In a digital camera equipped with a special continuous shooting mode that continuously performs non-flash shooting and flash shooting under the determined exposure setting according to one release operation,
  When the special continuous shooting mode is selected, a determination is made as to whether or not the subject brightness measured with the photometry sensitivity and shooting sensitivity being set is equal to or higher than a predetermined value, and the sensitivity is changed to lower the photometry sensitivity and shooting sensitivity. Sensitivity down determination means for determining whether or not,
  Sensitivity setting means for setting the low photometric sensitivity and the low photographing sensitivity by changing the sensitivity to lower the photometric sensitivity and the photographing sensitivity when the sensitivity down judging means determines to change the sensitivity,
  When the sensitivity change is not performed, the non-flash shooting and the flash performed at the set shooting sensitivity are performed by performing the metering of the subject brightness and the exposure calculation based on the set photometry sensitivity and shooting sensitivity. When the exposure setting for shooting is determined and the sensitivity is changed, subject luminance measurement and exposure calculation are performed based on the low photometry sensitivity and the low shooting sensitivity, and the low shooting sensitivity is set. Exposure determining means for determining an exposure setting for the non-flash shooting and the flash shooting performed in
  A digital camera comprising:   2. The digital camera according to claim 1, wherein the exposure determining means increases the exposure setting for the non-flash shooting and the flash shooting when the sensitivity change is performed.   3. The digital camera according to claim 1, wherein the exposure determining unit determines different exposure settings between the non-flash shooting and the flash shooting when the sensitivity is changed.   4. The digital camera according to claim 3, wherein the sensitivity setting means sets different sensitivity settings between the non-flash shooting and the flash shooting when the sensitivity change is performed.   When the subject brightness is determined to be equal to or higher than a predetermined value, the sensitivity down determination unit calculates a sensitivity down value according to the subject brightness, determines whether the sensitivity down value exceeds a predetermined value, and 5. The digital camera according to claim 1, wherein when the sensitivity down value is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, it is determined that the sensitivity change is performed.   When the sensitivity down determination means determines to change the sensitivity, the exposure setting means performs the subject brightness photometry and the exposure calculation under the low photometry sensitivity and the low photographing sensitivity. The digital camera according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein when the result of the calculation is such that the brightness is insufficient even with an open aperture, the sensitivity setting means changes the sensitivity to increase the photographing sensitivity.   7. The method according to claim 1, wherein when the photometric sensitivity and the photographing sensitivity are automatically set, the sensitivity is changed, and when the fixed value is set, the sensitivity of the set fixed value is set. Digital camera.   The digital camera according to claim 1, wherein the sensitivity down determination unit determines that the sensitivity change is not performed when a through image is not displayed.

Images