JP7171252B2 - IMAGING CONTROL DEVICE AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING IMAGING CONTROL DEVICE - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an electronic device, an imaging control device, a control method, a program, and a storage medium capable of controlling setting of items.

Conventionally, in shutter speed priority mode (Tv mode) and aperture priority mode (Av mode), the user sets the setting values for some items related to exposure, and the camera side automatically determines other items. was going On the other hand, in auto mode, the camera automatically determines the shutter speed, aperture value, and ISO sensitivity based on photometry performed by the camera. Furthermore, in manual mode, the user sets the setting value of each item related to exposure.

There is a way to set the setting values of multiple items. Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2002-200001 discloses a method that enables setting of setting values for a plurality of items such as exposure range, exposure correction amount, and contrast priority. Further, as a method of setting the setting value of the item, there are a method of automatically setting the setting value by the device side and a method of setting the setting value by the user. In Patent Document 2, as a method for setting the set value of the ISO sensitivity, it is possible to set any one of the ISO sensitivity values displayed in the scale. is set to auto, which automatically determines the .

JP 2013-162190 A JP 2014-056470 A

In the method disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-200011, the setting of one item out of a plurality of items can be changed, but the setting of all items that can be set to Auto cannot be changed at once. In Patent Document 2, the ISO sensitivity setting can be set to auto with a single operation, but settings for items different from the ISO sensitivity cannot be set to auto during setting of the ISO sensitivity.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide an electronic device and an imaging control device that improve operability when setting a plurality of setting items.

In order to solve the above-described problems, an imaging control apparatus of the present invention includes imaging control means for controlling imaging of an image by an imaging means based on setting values of a plurality of setting items; selecting means for selecting a setting item, a plurality of setting values corresponding to the selected setting item, and a specific setting value automatically determined from among the plurality of setting values for the setting item selected by the selecting means. a changing means for changing to a setting value selected by a first operation from among the setting values; resetting means for changing to a specific setting value; and initialization means for changing a plurality of setting values including setting values of a plurality of setting items to initial values in response to a fourth operation, The initialization means changes the setting item to the initial value and changes the setting item selected by the selection means to a predetermined setting item, and the reset means changes the setting item to the initial value, The setting item selected by the selection means is not changed.

In addition, other features of the present invention will be further clarified by the description in the attached drawings and the following detailed description.

According to the present invention, it is possible to improve operability when setting a plurality of setting items.

(A) Front perspective view of the digital camera 100, (B) Rear perspective view of the digital camera 100. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a digital camera 100; FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the basic flow of exposure parameter change processing according to the shooting mode, which is executed by the digital camera 100; 4 is a flowchart of exposure parameter change processing (S305 in FIG. 3) for exposure adjustment mode. FIG. 5 is a flowchart of selection parameter position change processing (S402 and S413 in FIG. 4); 5 is a flowchart of parameter reset processing (S404 and S415 in FIG. 4); 4 is a flowchart of exposure parameter change processing (S307 in FIG. 3) for non-exposure adjustment mode; 5 is a flowchart of parameter change processing (S405 in FIG. 4) in non-photometry state in exposure adjustment mode; 5 is a flowchart of parameter change processing (S416 in FIG. 4) in the photometry state in the exposure adjustment mode; (A) to (D) are views showing tables of exposure parameters, (E) is a view showing a table of selection parameter positions. The figure explaining the change processing of a selection parameter position. FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining parameter reset processing; 4A and 4B are diagrams for explaining a parameter change process for an exposure adjustment mode; FIG. 4A and 4B are views for explaining camera setting initialization processing; FIG. The figure explaining a display setting screen in exposure adjustment mode.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that the technical scope of the present invention is determined by the claims and is not limited by the following individual embodiments. Also, not all combinations of features described in the embodiments are essential to the present invention. It is also possible to combine features described in separate embodiments as appropriate.

[First embodiment]
FIG. 1A is a front perspective view of a digital camera 100, which is an example of an electronic device (imaging control device), and FIG. 1B is a back perspective view of the digital camera 100. FIG. In FIGS. 1A and 1B, the display unit 28 is a display unit that displays images and various information. The display unit 28 is integrated with the touch panel 70a, and the user can intuitively select the position of an item or subject displayed on the display unit 28 by touching the surface of the display unit 28. FIG. The shutter button 61 is an operation unit for instructing shooting. The mode changeover switch 60 is an operation unit for switching between various modes. The terminal cover 40 is a cover that protects a connector (not shown) for a connection cable that connects the digital camera 100 and an external device. The main electronic dial 71 is a rotary operation member, and by rotating the main electronic dial 71, setting values such as shutter speed and aperture can be changed. The power switch 72 is an operation member for switching ON and OFF of the power of the digital camera 100 . The sub-electronic dial 73 is a rotary operation member for moving a selection frame, feeding an image, and the like. The cross key 74 is a four-direction key that can be pressed by pressing an up key 74a, a down key 74b, a left key 74c, and a right key 74d, respectively, and it is possible to instruct to move the cursor or the like in the pressed direction. The SET button 75 is a push button mainly used for determining selection items. The playback button 79 is an operation button for switching between shooting mode and playback mode. By pressing the playback button 79 during the shooting mode, the digital camera 100 can be shifted to the playback mode, and the latest image among the images recorded on the recording medium 200 (described later) can be displayed on the display unit 28. The shutter button 61 , the main electronic dial 71 , the power switch 72 , the sub electronic dial 73 , the cross key 74 , the SET button 75 and the playback button 79 are included in the operating section 70 . The finder 16 is a looking-in type finder for confirming the focus and composition of an optical image of a subject obtained through the lens unit 150 by observing a focusing screen 13 (described later). The grip part 90 is a holding part having a shape that allows the user to easily hold the digital camera 100 with his or her right hand.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of the digital camera 100 according to this embodiment. In FIG. 2, a lens unit 150 is a lens unit that mounts a photographing lens and is replaceable.

Although the lens 103 is normally composed of a plurality of lenses, only one lens is shown here for simplification. A communication terminal 6 is a communication terminal for the lens unit 150 to communicate with the digital camera 100 . The communication terminal 10 is a communication terminal for the digital camera 100 to communicate with the lens unit 150 . The lens unit 150 communicates with the system control section 50 via the communication terminals 6 and 10 . The lens unit 150 controls the aperture 102 through the aperture drive circuit 2 by the lens system control circuit 4, and displaces the position of the lens 103 through the AF drive circuit 3 to focus.

The AE sensor 17 measures the brightness of the subject imaged on the focusing screen 13 via the lens unit 150 and quick return mirror 12 .

The focus detection unit 11 (AF sensor) is a phase-difference detection AF sensor that captures an image incident through the quick return mirror 12 and a sub-mirror (not shown) and outputs defocus amount information to the system control unit 50. is. The system control unit 50 controls the lens unit 150 based on the defocus amount information to perform phase difference AF. Note that the AF method may not be the phase difference AF, and may be the contrast AF. Phase difference AF may be performed based on the defocus amount detected on the imaging surface of the imaging unit 22 without using the focus detection unit 11 (imaging surface phase difference AF).

The quick return mirror 12 is moved up and down by an actuator (not shown) according to an instruction from the system control unit 50 during exposure, live view shooting, and moving image shooting. The quick return mirror 12 is a mirror for switching the light flux incident from the lens 103 between the viewfinder 16 side and the imaging section 22 side. The quick return mirror 12 is normally arranged to reflect the light flux to the finder 16 , but in the case of shooting or live view display, the quick return mirror 12 guides the light flux to the imaging section 22 . , and retreats from the luminous flux (mirror up). Further, the quick return mirror 12 has a half mirror so that a part of the light can be transmitted through the central portion thereof, and transmits a part of the light flux so as to be incident on the focus detection section 11 for performing focus detection. .

By observing the image formed on the focusing screen 13 through the pentaprism 14 and the viewfinder 16, the user can check the focus state and composition of the optical image of the subject obtained through the lens unit 150.

The shutter 101 controls the exposure time of the imaging section 22 under the control of the system control section 50 . The image pickup unit 22 is an image pickup device configured by a CCD, a CMOS device, or the like that converts an optical image into an electric signal. The A/D converter 23 converts analog signals into digital signals. The A/D converter 23 is used to convert the analog signal output from the imaging section 22 into a digital signal.

The image processing unit 24 performs resizing processing such as predetermined pixel interpolation and reduction, and color conversion processing on the data from the A/D converter 23 or the data from the memory control unit 15 . Further, the image processing unit 24 performs predetermined arithmetic processing using captured image data, and the system control unit 50 performs exposure control and distance measurement control based on the obtained arithmetic results. As a result, TTL (through-the-lens) AF (autofocus) processing, AE (automatic exposure) processing, and EF (flash pre-emission) processing are performed. The image processing unit 24 further performs predetermined arithmetic processing using the captured image data, and also performs TTL AWB (Auto White Balance) processing based on the obtained arithmetic results.

Output data from the A/D converter 23 is written into the memory 32 via the image processing section 24 and the memory control section 15 or directly via the memory control section 15 . The memory 32 stores image data obtained by the imaging unit 22 and converted into digital data by the A/D converter 23 and image data to be displayed on the display unit 28 . The memory 32 has a storage capacity sufficient to store a predetermined number of still images, moving images and audio for a predetermined time.

The memory 32 also serves as an image display memory (video memory). The D/A converter 19 converts image display data stored in the memory 32 into an analog signal and supplies the analog signal to the display unit 28 . Thus, the image data for display written in the memory 32 is displayed by the display section 28 via the D/A converter 19 . The display unit 28 displays on a display such as an LCD in accordance with the analog signal from the D/A converter 19 . A digital signal that has been A/D converted once by the A/D converter 23 and stored in the memory 32 is converted to analog by the D/A converter 19, and is sequentially transferred to the display unit 28 for display. Realize and perform through image display (live view display).

The nonvolatile memory 56 is a memory that can be electrically erased/recorded by the system control unit 50, and an EEPROM or the like is used, for example. The nonvolatile memory 56 stores constants, programs, etc. for the operation of the system control unit 50 . The program here is a program for executing various flowcharts described later in this embodiment.

A system control unit 50 incorporates at least one processor and controls the entire digital camera 100 . By executing the program recorded in the non-volatile memory 56 described above, each process of this embodiment, which will be described later, is realized. A RAM is used for the system memory 52 . In the system memory 52, constants and variables for operation of the system control unit 50, programs read from the nonvolatile memory 56, and the like are developed. The system control unit 50 also performs display control by controlling the memory 32, the D/A converter 19, the display unit 28, and the like. The system timer 53 is a timer that measures the time used for various controls and the time of the built-in clock.

A mode switch 60 , a shutter button 61 , and an operation unit 70 are operation members for inputting various operation instructions to the system control unit 50 . The mode changeover switch 60 switches the operation mode of the system control unit 50 between a still image recording mode, a moving image recording mode, a reproduction mode, and the like. Modes included in the still image recording mode include an auto shooting mode, an auto scene determination mode, a manual mode, an aperture priority mode (Av mode), and a shutter speed priority mode (Tv mode). In addition, there are various scene modes, program AE modes, custom modes, etc., which are shooting settings for each shooting scene. A mode switch 60 allows direct switching to any of these modes contained in the menu screen. Alternatively, after switching to the menu screen once with the mode switching switch 60, any of these modes included in the menu screen may be switched using another operation member. Similarly, the moving image recording mode may also include multiple modes.

The first shutter switch 62 is turned on when the shutter button 61 provided on the digital camera 100 is pressed halfway (imaging preparation instruction), and generates a first shutter switch signal SW1. The system control unit 50 starts operations such as AF (auto focus) processing, AE (auto exposure) processing, AWB (auto white balance) processing, and EF (flash pre-emission) processing in response to the first shutter switch signal SW1.

The second shutter switch 64 is turned ON when the operation of the shutter button 61 is completed, that is, when the shutter button 61 is fully pressed (imaging instruction), and generates a second shutter switch signal SW2. In response to the second shutter switch signal SW2, the system control unit 50 starts a series of photographing processing operations from reading out signals from the imaging unit 22 to writing image data in the recording medium 200. FIG.

Each operation member of the operation unit 70 is appropriately assigned a function for each scene by selecting and operating various function icons displayed on the display unit 28, and acts as various function buttons. The function buttons include, for example, an end button, a return button, an image forward button, a jump button, a refinement button, an attribute change button, and the like. For example, when the menu button is pressed, the display unit 28 displays a menu screen on which various settings can be performed. The user can intuitively perform various settings by using the menu screen displayed on the display unit 28, the up, down, left, and right four direction keys (the cross key 74), the SET button 75, and the like.

The operation unit 70 is various operation members as an input unit that receives operations from the user. The operation unit 70 includes at least the following operation members. Shutter button 61 , main electronic dial 71 , power switch 72 , sub electronic dial 73 , cross key 74 , SET button 75 , playback button 79 .

The power control unit 80 is composed of a battery detection circuit, a DC-DC converter, a switch circuit for switching blocks to be energized, and the like, and detects whether or not a battery is installed, the type of battery, and the remaining amount of the battery. Also, the power supply control unit 80 controls the DC-DC converter based on the detection results and instructions from the system control unit 50, and supplies necessary voltage to each unit including the recording medium 200 for a necessary period.

The power supply unit 30 includes a primary battery such as an alkaline battery or a lithium battery, a secondary battery such as a NiCd battery, a NiMH battery, or a Li battery, an AC adapter, or the like. A recording medium I/F 18 is an interface with a recording medium 200 such as a memory card or hard disk. A recording medium 200 is a recording medium such as a memory card for recording captured images, and is composed of a semiconductor memory, a magnetic disk, or the like. The power switch 72 is a switch for switching the power of the digital camera 100 between ON and OFF.

The communication unit 54 connects to an external device wirelessly or via a wired cable, and transmits and receives video signals and audio signals. The communication unit 54 can be connected to a wireless LAN (Local Area Network) or the Internet. The communication unit 54 can transmit images (including through images) captured by the imaging unit 22 and images recorded on the recording medium 200, and can receive image data and other various information from an external device. can be done.

The orientation detection unit 55 detects the orientation of the digital camera 100 with respect to the direction of gravity. Based on the posture detected by the posture detection unit 55, whether the image captured by the imaging unit 22 is an image captured with the digital camera 100 held horizontally or an image captured with the digital camera 100 held vertically is determined. It is identifiable. The system control unit 50 can add direction information corresponding to the posture detected by the posture detection unit 55 to the image file of the image captured by the imaging unit 22, or can rotate and record the image. be. An acceleration sensor, a gyro sensor, or the like can be used as the posture detection unit 55 .

The digital camera 100 has, as part of the operation unit 70, a touch panel 70a (see FIG. 1B) capable of detecting contact with the display unit . The touch panel 70a and the display section 28 can be configured integrally. For example, the touch panel 70 a is configured so that the light transmittance does not interfere with the display of the display section 28 and is attached to the upper layer of the display surface of the display section 28 . Then, the input coordinates on the touch panel 70a and the display coordinates on the display unit 28 are associated with each other. This makes it possible to construct a GUI (Graphical User Interface) as if the user could directly operate the screen displayed on the display unit 28 . The system control unit 50 can detect the following operations or states on the touch panel 70a.
- A finger or pen that has not touched the touch panel 70a newly touches the touch panel 70a. That is, the start of touch (hereinafter referred to as Touch-Down).
- The touch panel 70a is in a state of being touched with a finger or a pen (hereinafter referred to as Touch-On).
- Moving while touching the touch panel 70a with a finger or pen (hereinafter referred to as touch-move).
- The finger or pen that has touched the touch panel 70a has been released. That is, the end of touch (hereinafter referred to as Touch-Up).
A state in which nothing is touched on the touch panel 70a (hereinafter referred to as Touch-Off).

When touchdown is detected, touchon is also detected at the same time. After touchdown, touchon continues to be detected unless touchup is detected. A touch-move is also detected when a touch-on is detected. Even if touch-on is detected, touch-move is not detected if the touch position does not move. After it is detected that all the fingers and pens that have touched have touched up, the touch is turned off.

These operations/states and the coordinates of the position where the finger or pen touches the touch panel 70a are notified to the system control unit 50 through the internal bus. The system control unit 50 determines what kind of operation has been performed on the touch panel 70a based on the notified information. As for the touch move, the moving direction of the finger or pen moving on the touch panel 70a can also be determined for each vertical component/horizontal component on the touch panel 70a based on the change in the position coordinates. Also, it is assumed that a stroke is drawn when touch-down on the touch panel 70a is touch-up after a certain touch-move. The operation of drawing strokes quickly is called a flick. A flick is an operation of quickly moving a finger to a certain distance while touching the touch panel 70a and then releasing the finger, in other words, an operation of quickly tracing the touch panel 70a as if flicking the finger. It is possible to determine that a flick has been performed when it is detected that a touch-move is performed over a predetermined distance at a predetermined speed or more, and a touch-up is detected as it is. Further, when it is detected that the touch-move is performed over a predetermined distance at a speed lower than the predetermined speed, it is determined that the drag is performed. The touch panel 70a may be any one of various types of touch panels such as a resistive film type, a capacitance type, a surface acoustic wave type, an infrared type, an electromagnetic induction type, an image recognition type, an optical sensor type, and the like. good. Depending on the method, there is a method that detects that there is a touch when there is contact with the touch panel, and a method that detects that there is a touch when there is a finger or pen approaching the touch panel, but either method is acceptable. .

The basic flow of the exposure parameter changing process according to the shooting mode executed by the digital camera 100 will be described below with reference to FIG. Unless otherwise specified, the processing of each step in this flowchart is implemented by the system control unit 50 expanding the program stored in the nonvolatile memory 56 into the system memory 52 and executing the program. This also applies to the flow charts of FIGS. 4 to 9, which will be described later. The processing of this flowchart starts, for example, when the power of the digital camera 100 is turned on.

In S300, the system control unit 50 determines whether or not the power switch 72 is in the ON state. If it is ON, the process proceeds to S301, and if it is OFF, the process of S300 is repeated.

In S<b>301 , the system control unit 50 acquires the current shooting mode (exposure setting mode) of the digital camera 100 . The shooting mode is recorded in the system memory 52 , and the system control section 50 reads the shooting mode from the system memory 52 .

In S302, the system control unit 50 determines whether or not the shooting mode acquired in S301 is the exposure adjustment mode. If it is the exposure adjustment mode, the process proceeds to S303, and if it is not the exposure adjustment mode, the process proceeds to S306.

In S<b>303 , the system control unit 50 acquires exposure parameters related to exposure control for the exposure adjustment mode from the nonvolatile memory 56 . In the following description, exposure parameters include shutter speed, aperture value, ISO sensitivity, and exposure correction value, but exposure parameters in this embodiment are not limited to these.

At S<b>304 , the system control unit 50 acquires the selected parameter position for the exposure adjustment mode from the non-volatile memory 56 .

In S320, the system control unit 50 displays a setting display screen 1502 displaying exposure parameters for exposure adjustment together with a live view image on the display unit 28, as shown in FIG. In this embodiment, the exposure parameters include shutter speed, aperture value, exposure compensation value, and ISO sensitivity. Therefore, the system control unit 50 displays a shutter speed setting value 1502_1, an aperture value 1502_2, an exposure correction value 1502_3, and an ISO sensitivity 1502_4 on the setting display screen 1502 .

In S321, the system control unit 50 displays a cursor 1502_5 on the setting display screen 1502 to identifiably indicate to the user the position of the selected parameter acquired in S304, that is, the parameter being selected. As a method of displaying the selected parameter position, instead of the cursor display, a display such as highlighting or distinguishing by color may be performed. Also, as the initial position of the selected parameter position, exposure correction is used in this embodiment. By setting the initial position of the selected parameter position to the exposure correction position, it is conceivable to provide the user with a shooting operation similar to that of the program mode.

Here, when the exposure adjustment mode is entered or exited, the exposure parameter and the selected parameter position for the exposure adjustment mode may be held so that the photographing operation in the exposure adjustment mode can be continued from the previous state.

In S<b>322 , the system control unit 50 displays guidance 1501 regarding the reset operation method on the display unit 28 .

Numeral 1501 denotes guidance regarding a reset operation method, which describes an operation for resetting selection items and an operation for resetting Tv, Av, exposure compensation, and ISO.

Also, as an example of the timing of displaying the guidance, it is conceivable to display the guidance at the timing of transition to the exposure adjustment mode and turn off the display after a certain period of time has elapsed. Alternatively, the display may be left as it is, and it is conceivable to reduce the display without erasing the display after a certain period of time has elapsed. Alternatively, the guidance may be displayed only when the digital camera 100 is switched to the exposure adjustment mode for the first time after the power is turned on.

In addition, if the function assigned to the operation member for the reset operation displayed in the guidance is changed and the reset function is no longer used, the guidance may not be displayed, and the display content of the guidance may be changed. good too.

Note that the guidance display of the present embodiment is not limited to these.

Although the processing of S320 to S322 has been described separately, the system control unit 50 simultaneously starts displaying the setting display screen 1502, cursor display 1502_5, and guidance 1501 as shown in FIG.

In S305, the system control unit 50 performs exposure parameter change processing for the exposure adjustment mode. Details of the change processing in the exposure adjustment mode will be described later with reference to FIG.

In S<b>306 , the system control unit 50 acquires exposure parameters for the non-exposure adjustment mode from the non-volatile memory 56 . Then, in S325, the system control unit 50 displays the exposure parameter acquired in S306 on the display unit 28 together with the live view display.

In S307, the system control unit 50 performs exposure parameter change processing in a mode different from the exposure adjustment mode. Modes different from the exposure adjustment mode include shutter speed priority mode, aperture value priority mode, program AE mode, manual mode (a mode in which the user selects a setting value from setting value candidates), auto mode, etc. . Details of the exposure parameter change processing in a mode different from the exposure adjustment mode will be described later with reference to FIG.

In S311, the system control unit 50 determines whether the power switch 72 is turned off. If the power switch 72 is turned off, the process proceeds to S308; otherwise, the process returns to S300.

At S<b>308 , the system controller 50 stores the exposure parameters and selected parameter positions for the exposure adjustment mode in the non-volatile memory 56 .

In S<b>309 , the system control unit 50 saves the exposure parameters set in each mode, which is different from the exposure adjustment mode, in the nonvolatile memory 56 .

In S<b>310 , the system control unit 50 powers off the digital camera 100 .

Next, with reference to FIG. 4, the details of the exposure parameter change processing for the exposure adjustment mode (S305 in FIG. 3) will be described.

In S400, the system control unit 50 determines whether or not the shooting mode has been switched. If the switching is performed, the processing of this flowchart ends. If switching has not been performed, the process proceeds to S401.

In S401, the system control unit 50 determines whether or not an operation to change the selected parameter position has been performed. The change operation is performed by operating the sub electronic dial 73, for example. If the change operation has been performed, the process proceeds to S402, and if the change operation has not been performed, the process proceeds to S403.

In S402, the system control unit 50 changes the position of the selected parameter. Details of the change processing will be described later with reference to FIG.

In S403, the system control unit 50 determines whether or not a parameter change operation has been performed. The change operation is performed by operating the main electronic dial 71, for example. If the change operation has been performed, the process proceeds to S405, and if the change operation has not been performed, the process proceeds to S404.

In S404, the system control unit 50 performs parameter reset processing. Details of the reset process will be described later with reference to FIG.

In S405, the system control unit 50 performs parameter change processing. Details of the change processing will be described later with reference to FIG.

In S406, the system control unit 50 determines whether or not the first shutter switch 62 is ON. If the first shutter switch 62 is ON, the process proceeds to S407; otherwise, the process proceeds to S400. Also, the photometry timer is started in response to the shutter switch 62 (SW1) being turned on. The processes of S407 and S408 are executed from when the shutter switch 62 is turned ON until the photometry timer expires, or until the photographing instruction is given and S417 becomes YES.

In S407, the system control unit 50 performs photometry (photometry processing) of the subject, and acquires a photometry value (subject brightness) and a photometry calculation value calculated from the subject brightness and the current set value. The photometry calculation value is a setting value determined according to the result of photometry processing, and is determined from a plurality of setting values selectable as each exposure parameter.

In S408, the system control unit 50 stores the photometry calculation value in the system memory 52 as a temporary set value of the exposure parameter. It should be noted that each of the exposure parameters has a specific setting value, "Auto", or a user-specified value, "1/2", for adapting the setting value automatically determined during operation in a given operating mode. A setting value indicating a specific numerical value such as "60 seconds" is set. Temporary setting values are stored for exposure parameters having "Auto" as the setting value. That is, the setting values for the items for which the setting values were set by the user before the photometry was performed before S406 are not changed, but the setting values for the items set to Auto are calculated based on the photometry results. , are recorded as temporary settings. Then, the system control unit 50 changes the exposure parameters for which "Auto" is set and for which "A" indicating that the set value is "Auto" is displayed on the setting display screen, from the display of "A" to , to switch to the display of the temporary set values. This display will be described in detail later with reference to FIG.

In S409, the system control unit 50 determines whether the photometry timer has expired. If the photometry timer has expired, the process proceeds to S410; otherwise, the process proceeds to S412.

In S<b>410 , the system control unit 50 determines whether or not temporary setting values are stored in the system memory 52 . If the temporary set value is saved, the process proceeds to S411; otherwise, the process proceeds to S400.

In S411, the system control unit 50 deletes from the system memory 52 the temporary set values calculated based on the photometric results in S407 and recorded in S408. The temporary set value is deleted from the system memory 52 when the photometry timer has expired, that is, when a predetermined time has elapsed since the SW1 was turned ON and the photometry process was started.

In this manner, the photometry state in which the photometry processing in S407 and S408 and the temporary setting value storage processing are continued for a predetermined time from when the SW1 is turned ON until the photometry timer is terminated is established. Then, when the photometry timer ends, the photometry processing ends, and the photometry state is changed to the non-photometry state having no provisional set value. Also, before the photometry process is executed (before the start), the photometry is also in the non-photometry state. That is, the photometric state is in the photometric state when the photometric processing is started and is being executed, and the non-photometric state is in the state before the photometric processing is started and after the photometric processing is finished. After the photometry state is changed to the non-photometry state, the processing of S407 and S408 is executed in response to the SW1 being turned ON again, and the photometry state is entered. Therefore, when photometry is performed next time, for those exposure parameters whose set values are "Auto" (for example, shutter speed), photometry calculation values are acquired again and new temporary set values are set.

By performing such processing, temporary setting values can be acquired by performing photometry processing for a certain period after SW1 is operated, and exposure parameters in the case of "Auto" can be acquired. In this embodiment, the photometric processing and the acquisition of the provisional set values are continuously performed for a predetermined period of time after the operation of SW1. However, the photometric processing and acquisition of the temporary set value may be performed only once in accordance with the operation of SW1. In this case, the provisional set value may be discarded and the acquired invalidation may be performed as in S411 in accordance with the elapse of a predetermined period of time.

In other words, in this embodiment, the photometry state is the state in which the photometry process is executed and a valid temporary set value is acquired, and the non-photometry process is before the photometry process is started or when the photometry process ends. After that, it shows a state in which it does not have a valid temporary set value.

In this manner, the system control unit 50 performs photometry during operation in the operation mode (predetermined operation mode) that is started when the first shutter switch 62 is turned ON, and the exposure parameters set to "Auto" are adjusted. Temporary setting values are saved (values are automatically set). When this operation mode ends, the system control unit 50 deletes the temporary setting values of the exposure parameters that have been automatically set from the system memory 52 and sets them as Auto. That is, for the shutter speed, any one of the table numbers N=0 to 54 (see FIG. 10A) is changed from the setting value to N=55. As a result, the exposure parameters set to "Auto" before (at the start of) photometry are set to "Auto" even after photometry ends, unless the set values are changed during photometry, as will be described later. state.

Here, by distinguishing the setting value from the temporary setting value, the configuration that enables the exposure parameter set to "Auto" to remain set to "Auto" even after the end of photometry will be described. did. However, the specific implementation is not particularly limited. For example, items set to Auto may be flagged, and there is no need to strictly distinguish setting values from temporary setting values. If the parameter set to "Auto" is automatically set to a specific value based on the results of photometry, and the parameter is set to "Auto" after photometry is completed, any configuration is possible. configuration can be employed.

Further, as will be described later with reference to FIG. 9, parameters that have been automatically set based on the results of photometry may be changed in the photometry state. In this case, the system control unit 50 may control parameters changed in the photometry state not to return to "Auto" after photometry is finished.

Referring to FIG. 4 again, in S412, the system control unit 50 determines whether or not an operation to change the position of the selected parameter has been performed, as in S401. If the change operation has been performed, the process proceeds to S413, and if the change operation has not been performed, the process proceeds to S414.

In S413, the system control unit 50 changes the position of the selected parameter as in S402. Details of the change processing will be described later with reference to FIG.

In S414, the system control unit 50 determines whether or not a parameter change operation has been performed, as in S403. If the change operation has been performed, the process proceeds to S416, and if the change operation has not been performed, the process proceeds to S415.

In S415, the system control unit 50 performs parameter reset processing, as in S404. Details of the reset process will be described later with reference to FIG.

In S416, the system control unit 50 performs parameter change processing in the photometry state. Details of the change processing will be described later with reference to FIG.

In S417, the system control unit 50 determines whether or not a shooting instruction has been issued (whether or not the second shutter switch 64 is ON). If the shooting instruction has been issued, the process proceeds to S418; otherwise, the process proceeds to S407.

In S418, the system control unit 50 performs imaging processing. In the shooting process, the system control unit 50 controls each unit of the digital camera 100 based on the set exposure parameters (set values of each setting item) for the exposure adjustment mode, and shoots an image.

Next, details of the selection parameter position change processing (S402 and S413 in FIG. 4) will be described with reference to FIG.

In S500, the system control unit 50 refers to the table shown in FIG. 10(E) and obtains the table number indicating the selected parameter position for the exposure adjustment mode obtained in S304. This table is stored in the non-volatile memory 56 and developed in the system memory 52 when the process of FIG. 5 is started.

In S501, the system control unit 50 refers to the table shown in FIG. 10(E) and acquires the table number (N_Min) indicating the lower limit selection parameter position.

In S502, the system control unit 50 refers to the table shown in FIG. 10E and acquires the table number (N_Max) indicating the upper limit selection parameter position.

In S503, the system control unit 50 determines whether or not the rotation direction of the sub electronic dial 73 is right. If the direction of rotation is right, the process proceeds to S504, and if the direction of rotation is left, the process proceeds to S505.

At S504, the system control unit 50 increments the table number (N) obtained at S500. That is, the table number is updated as N=N+1.

At S505, the system control unit 50 decrements the table number (N) acquired at S500. That is, the table number is updated with N=N-1.

In S506, the system control unit 50 determines whether the table number (N) incremented in S504 exceeds the maximum table number (N_Max) obtained in S502. If N>N_Max, the process proceeds to S508, otherwise the process proceeds to S510.

In S507, the system control unit 50 determines whether or not the table number (N) decremented in S505 is below the lower limit table number (N_Min) acquired in S501. If N<N_Min, the process proceeds to S509; otherwise, the process proceeds to S510.

In S508, the system control unit 50 substitutes the lower limit table number (N_Min) obtained in S501 for the table number (N) indicating the current selected parameter position.

In S509, the system control unit 50 substitutes the upper limit table number (N_Max) obtained in S502 for the table number (N) indicating the current selected parameter position.

In S510, the system control unit 50 sets a new selected parameter position based on the table number (N) indicating the current selected parameter position updated in S503 to S509 and the table shown in FIG. . Then, the system control unit 50 changes the display position of the cursor on the setting display screen according to the new selected parameter position. For example, consider a state in which a cursor 1101 points to the shutter speed as shown in FIG. 11(A). In this state, when the user repeatedly rotates the sub-electronic dial 73 to the right, the sequence shown in FIG. 11(A)→FIG. 11(B)→FIG. 11(C)→FIG. 11(D)→FIG. ) . . . , the setting display screen of the display unit 28 changes. In this way, the position of the selected parameter is newly set in accordance with the operation of the sub-electronic dial 73, thereby changing the parameter being selected and changing the display position of the cursor 1101 indicating the parameter being selected on the setting display screen. . In the setting display screens of FIGS. 11A to 11D, "A" means that the setting value is "Auto".

Note that the table number may not be changed if it is determined as Yes in S506 or S507.

Next, details of the parameter reset processing (S404 and S415 in FIG. 4) will be described with reference to FIG.

In S600, the system control unit 50 determines whether or not the left or top portion of the cross key 74 has been pressed (button pressed). If the left or top of the cross key 74 has been pressed, the process proceeds to S601; otherwise, the process proceeds to S603.

In S601, the system control unit 50 acquires the table number (N) indicating the current selection parameter position for the exposure adjustment mode based on the table shown in FIG. 10(E).

In S602, the system control unit 50 sets the setting value of the parameter indicated by the table number (N) obtained in S601 to the initial value "Auto", and displays the setting value on the setting display screen according to the change in the setting value. also update. For example, as shown in FIG. 12A, the shutter speed is "6" (meaning 1/6 second), the aperture value is "3.5" (meaning F3.5), and the ISO sensitivity is "A ' (meaning Auto) and the exposure compensation value is set to '0'. Here, a cursor 1201 points to the aperture value. When the process of S602 is performed in this state, the setting value of the aperture value is set to "Auto", and the setting display screen changes from FIG. 12(A) to FIG. 12(B).

Note that even if the setting value of the parameter is reset and changed to "Auto", the selected parameter position is not reset and is not changed from the current position. Therefore, the user can continue the previous parameter change operation after the reset operation.

By controlling in this way, it is possible to change only the selected aperture value to "Auto" (that is, setting values other than the selected setting item are not changed). In this example, it is possible to change the exposure setting to a state equivalent to the shutter speed priority mode simply by pressing the cross key 74 .

6 is executed as the process of S415 in FIG. 4, the exposure parameter set to "Auto" from the beginning has a corresponding provisional set value. Therefore, for example, in FIGS. 12A and 12B, a provisional set value is displayed instead of "A" in the portion corresponding to the ISO sensitivity. Also, for the exposure parameters set to "Auto" in S602, the corresponding provisional setting values are saved when the process of S408 is executed next time. Therefore, for example, in FIG. 12B, the borrow set value is displayed instead of "A" in the portion corresponding to the aperture value. This also applies to the process of S604, which will be described later. When the temporary setting value is displayed, if an instruction to change the setting to Auto is given, the setting will be changed to Auto once, but if photometry is in progress, the temporary setting value will be displayed immediately based on the photometry result. be done.

In S603, the system control unit 50 determines whether or not the right or bottom of the cross key 74 has been pressed. If the right or bottom of the cross key 74 has been pressed, the process proceeds to S605; otherwise, the process ends.

In S604, the system control unit 50 sets all exposure parameters to the initial value "Auto", and updates the display of the setting values on the setting display screen in accordance with the change of the setting values. However, since the exposure correction value cannot be set to "Auto" because there is no "Auto" setting value, the initial value "0" is set. For example, consider the state shown in FIG. In this case, not only the aperture value pointed by the cursor 1201 but also the shutter speed are changed to "Auto", and the setting display screen changes from FIG. 12(A) to FIG. 12(C).

Even if the setting value of the parameter is reset and changed to "Auto", the selected parameter position does not change from the current position. Therefore, the user can continue the previous parameter change operation even after the reset operation.

By controlling in this way, both the shutter speed and the aperture value can be changed to "Auto". In this example, it is possible to change the exposure setting to a state equivalent to the program AE mode simply by pressing the cross key 74 . Note that if the process of S604 is performed during photometry, the shutter speed, the aperture value, and the ISO sensitivity are set to temporary settings based on the photometry result after Auto. In the case of an item such as the exposure correction value that does not have an Auto setting, the initial value may be set, or a predetermined reference value may be set.

As described above, according to the reset process of FIG. 6, a selected exposure parameter or all exposure parameters can be selectively set to "Auto ” can be easily set.

Note that the determination in S600 or S603 may be made by a touch operation. In S600, if the touch time on the touch panel 70a is within a predetermined time such as 0.3 to 0.5 seconds or 0.4 to 1 second, it may be determined as Yes. In addition, in S603, if the touch time on the touch panel 70a is within a predetermined time (longer than the predetermined time in S600), such as 0.5 to 1 second or 0.8 to 2 seconds, it is determined as Yes. good too.

Furthermore, when an item is touched, the item being selected is set to Auto, an item for setting the whole to Auto may be displayed, and when that item is touched, the processing of S604 may be performed.

Further, instead of the cross key 74, a dedicated button may be provided, or the Auto function may be assigned to another button.

In this way, the determinations in S600 and S603 may be performed not only by operating the cross key 74, but also by touch operations. Note that the operation method described above is an example, and the operation for setting Auto is not limited to the above example.

As described above, the up key or left key of the cross key 74 is pressed to set the selected item to Auto, and the cross key 74 is pressed to set all items that can be set to Auto to Auto. Press the Down or Right key of . The cross key 74 is located near the grip portion 90 and can be operated while holding the grip portion 90 . Therefore, even if the camera is oriented horizontally or oriented vertically in the shooting standby state, the user can easily reach it. In addition, in both the landscape orientation and the portrait orientation, the positional relationship of the keys for instructing the selected item to be set to Auto and for instructing all items that can be set to Auto to be set to Auto is the same. Good nature. Specifically, in landscape orientation, the up key changes the selected item to Auto, and the down key changes all items that can be set to Auto to Auto. That is, with the camera held, pressing the cross key button on the top in the direction of gravity sets the selected item to Auto, and pressing the button on the cross key on the bottom in the direction of gravity sets all items that can be set to Auto. can be

In the vertical orientation, for example, even when the grip part 90 is held vertically with the grip part 90 downward in the direction of gravity, pressing the cross key (left key) on the top in the direction of gravity while holding the camera will select an item. can be changed to Auto. In addition, all items that can be set to Auto can be changed to Auto by pressing the cross key button (right key) located below in the direction of gravity. Since the grip part 90 is located on the right side of the digital camera 100 when viewed from the back, it is highly likely that the grip part 90 will be on the lower side in the direction of gravity when the digital camera 100 is held vertically. The operability will be improved if each is set.

Next, camera setting initialization processing will be described with reference to FIG. The camera setting initialization process is executed in response to selection of the camera setting initialization process on the menu screen.

In S1400, system control unit 50 determines whether or not power switch 72 is in the ON state. If it is ON, the process proceeds to S1401, and if it is OFF, the process of S1400 is repeated.

In S1402, the system control unit 50 determines whether or not a camera setting initialization operation has been performed. If it has been performed, the process proceeds to S1403, and if it has not been performed, the process proceeds to S1411.

In S1403, the system control unit 50 sets all the exposure parameters for the exposure adjustment mode to the initial value "Auto". However, since there is no "Auto" setting for the exposure correction value, the initial value "0" is set.

In S1404, the system control unit 50 sets the selected parameter position for the exposure adjustment mode to the initial position (exposure correction position).

In this embodiment, the initial position is the exposure compensation position, but other items may be used. In this way, in the camera setting initialization process, the selection parameter position for the exposure adjustment mode is set to the initial position. . In the reset operation described with reference to FIG. 6, only the exposure parameter is initialized without setting the selection parameter position for the exposure adjustment mode to the initialization position. On the other hand, in camera setting initialization processing, both the selected parameter position and the exposure parameter are processed. In the reset operation described with reference to FIG. 6, the exposure parameter setting display screen for the exposure adjustment mode is displayed, and the reset operation is accepted in a state in which the exposure parameter change operation is possible. Therefore, at the time of the reset operation, the selected parameter position is not changed without being initialized so that the previous parameter change operation can be continued even after the reset operation. In S1405, the system control unit 50 sets the exposure parameters for the non-exposure adjustment mode to initial values.

In S1411, the system control unit 50 determines whether the power switch 72 is turned off. If the power switch 72 is turned off, the process proceeds to S1408; otherwise, the process returns to S1400.

At S1408, the system controller 50 stores the exposure parameters and selected parameter positions for the exposure adjustment mode in the non-volatile memory 56. FIG.

In S1409, the system control unit 50 saves in the non-volatile memory 56 the exposure parameters set in each mode different from the exposure adjustment mode.

In S1410, the system control unit 50 powers off the digital camera 100. FIG.

In the above description, in the camera setting initialization process, the exposure parameters and selected parameter positions for the exposure adjustment mode and the exposure parameters for the non-exposure adjustment mode are initialized, but other settings are also processed. It may be changed to

Next, with reference to FIG. 7, the details of the exposure parameter change processing (S307 in FIG. 3) for a mode different from the exposure adjustment mode will be described.

In S700, the system control unit 50 determines whether or not the shooting mode is the shutter speed priority mode (Tv mode). If it is in Tv mode, the process proceeds to S701; otherwise, the process proceeds to S702.

In S701, the system control unit 50 sets the aperture value to "Auto".

In S702, the system control unit 50 determines whether the shooting mode is the aperture priority mode (Av mode). If Av mode, the process proceeds to S703; otherwise, the process proceeds to S704.

In S703, the system control unit 50 sets the shutter speed to "Auto".

In S704, the system control unit 50 determines whether or not the shooting mode is the program AE mode (program mode (P mode)). If it is P mode, the process proceeds to S705; otherwise, the process proceeds to S706.

In S705, the system control unit 50 sets the shutter speed and aperture value to "Auto".

In S706, the system control unit 50 determines whether or not the main electronic dial 71 has been operated. If the operation has been performed, the process proceeds to S707, and if the operation has not been performed, the process proceeds to S713.

In S707, the system control unit 50 determines whether the shooting mode is manual mode (M mode) or shutter speed priority mode. If M mode or Tv mode, the process proceeds to S708; otherwise, the process proceeds to S709.

In S708, the system control unit 50 changes the shutter speed.

In S709, the system control unit 50 determines whether the shooting mode is aperture priority mode or bulb mode. In the bulb mode, exposure is performed while the shutter button 61 is pressed, so the Av value setting is changed without setting the shutter speed. If Av mode or Bulb mode, the process proceeds to S710; otherwise, the process proceeds to S711.

In S710, the system control unit 50 changes the aperture value.

In S711, the system control unit 50 determines whether or not the shooting mode is the program AE mode. If P mode, the process proceeds to S712, otherwise the process ends.

At S712, the system control unit 50 changes the program shift value.

In S713, the system control unit 50 determines whether or not the sub electronic dial 73 has been operated. If the operation has been performed, the process proceeds to S714, and if the operation has not been performed, the process ends.

In S714, the system control unit 50 determines whether the shooting mode is manual mode or bulb mode. If M mode or Bulb mode, the process proceeds to S715; otherwise, the process proceeds to S716.

In S715, the system control unit 50 changes the aperture value.

In S716, the system control unit 50 changes the exposure correction value.

By controlling as described above, it is possible to set the set value in modes other than the exposure adjustment mode. In modes other than the exposure adjustment mode, the setting value set by the user for the setting item cannot be changed to "Auto" in the same mode. For example, when changing the Tv value from the value set by the user to Auto, it is necessary to switch the mode from Tv mode to Av mode. Furthermore, when setting Tv and Av to Auto from manual mode, it is necessary to switch to P mode.

Next, details of parameter change processing (S405 in FIG. 4) in the non-photometric state in the exposure adjustment mode will be described with reference to FIG. The system control unit 50 can change the parameters by the process of FIG.

In S800, the system control unit 50 refers to the table corresponding to the currently selected parameter among the tables shown in FIGS. 10A to 10D, and indicates the current set value of the currently selected parameter. Get the table number (N). For example, consider the case where the cursor 1301 points to the shutter speed as shown in FIG. 13A (that is, the currently selected parameter is the shutter speed). In this case, the system control unit 50 refers to the table shown in FIG. 10(A). Since the current set value of the shutter speed is "Auto", the system control unit 50 acquires "55" as the table number (N). The tables shown in FIGS. 10A to 10D are stored in the nonvolatile memory 56, for example.

In S801, the system control unit 50 refers to the table corresponding to the currently selected parameter among the tables shown in FIGS. 10A to 10D, and refers to the table number ( N_Min).

In S802, the system control unit 50 refers to the table corresponding to the currently selected parameter among the tables shown in FIGS. 10A to 10D, and sets the table number ( N_Max).

In S803, the system control unit 50 determines whether the rotation direction of the main electronic dial 71 is right. If the direction of rotation is right, the process proceeds to S804, and if the direction of rotation is left, the process proceeds to S810.

At S804, the system control unit 50 increments the table number (N) obtained at S800.

In S805, the system control unit 50 determines whether the currently selected parameter is the exposure correction value. If it is an exposure correction value, the process proceeds to S808; otherwise, the process proceeds to S806.

In S806, the system control unit 50 determines whether the table number (N) incremented in S804 exceeds the table number (N_Max)+1 obtained in S802. If N>N_Max+1, the process proceeds to S807; otherwise, the process proceeds to S813.

In S807, the system control unit 50 substitutes the table number (N_Max)+1 obtained in S802 for the table number (N) indicating the current set value of the currently selected parameter.

In S808, the system control unit 50 determines whether the table number (N) incremented in S804 exceeds the table number (N_Max) obtained in S802. If N>N_Max, the process proceeds to S809; otherwise, the process proceeds to S813.

In S809, the system control unit 50 substitutes the table number (N_Max) obtained in S802 for the table number (N) indicating the current set value of the currently selected parameter.

At S810, the system control unit 50 decrements the table number (N) obtained at S800.

In S811, the system control unit 50 determines whether the table number (N) decremented in S810 is less than the table number (N_Min) acquired in S801. If N<N_Min, the process proceeds to S812; otherwise, the process proceeds to S813.

In S812, the system control unit 50 substitutes the table number (N_Min) obtained in S801 for the table number (N) indicating the current set value of the currently selected parameter.

At S813, the system control unit 50 refers to the table corresponding to the currently selected parameter among the tables shown in FIGS. 10A to 10D, and updates the table number (N) Get the setting value corresponding to . Then, the system control unit 50 updates the setting value of the currently selected parameter with the acquired setting value and records it in the system memory 52 . Then, the updated setting value is displayed on the setting display screen. For example, consider the case where the main electronic dial 71 is clicked one leftward in the state of the setting display screen shown in FIG. 13(A). In this case, the set value of the shutter speed is changed from "AUTO" to "1/8000 seconds", and the setting display screen changes from FIG. 13(A) to FIG. 13(B). When the main electronic dial 71 is clicked once to the right in the state of the setting display screen shown in FIG. 13B, the set value of the shutter speed is changed from "1/8000 sec" to "AUTO". and the setting display screen transitions to FIG. 13(A). In this way, in the non-photometry state, it is possible to change to the "Auto" setting value, and it is possible to go back and forth between the setting value having a specific value and the "Auto" setting value.

Next, details of parameter change processing (S416 in FIG. 4) in the photometry state in the exposure adjustment mode will be described with reference to FIG.

In S900, the system control unit 50 refers to the table corresponding to the currently selected parameter among the tables shown in FIGS. Acquire the table number (N) indicating (see S408). If the currently selected parameter is an item that has been set to a value other than "Auto" before the start of photometry, the table number of the setting value already set by the user is obtained. Also, even if the currently selected parameter was set to "Auto" before the start of photometry, the set value is acquired even if the parameter change processing of FIG. 9 has already been performed. If a temporary setting value calculated based on the photometry result is set, the temporary setting value is acquired from the system memory 52 .

In S901, the system control unit 50 refers to the table corresponding to the currently selected parameter among the tables shown in FIGS. 10A to 10D, and refers to the table number ( N_Min).

In S902, the system control unit 50 refers to the table corresponding to the currently selected parameter among the tables shown in FIGS. 10A to 10D, and sets the table number ( N_Max).

In S903, the system control unit 50 determines whether the rotation direction of the main electronic dial 71 is right. If the direction of rotation is right, the process proceeds to S904, and if the direction of rotation is left, the process proceeds to S905.

At S904, the system control unit 50 increments the table number (N) acquired at S900.

At S905, the system control unit 50 decrements the table number (N) obtained at S900.

In S906, the system control unit 50 determines whether the table number (N) incremented in S904 exceeds the table number (N_Max) obtained in S902. If N>N_Max, the process proceeds to S908, otherwise the process proceeds to S910.

In S907, the system control unit 50 determines whether the table number (N) decremented in S905 is less than the table number (N_Min) acquired in S901. If N<N_Min, the process proceeds to S909, otherwise the process proceeds to S910.

In S908, the system control unit 50 substitutes the table number (N_Max) obtained in S902 for the table number (N) indicating the temporary set value of the currently selected parameter.

In S909, the system control unit 50 substitutes the table number (N_Min) obtained in S901 for the table number (N) indicating the temporary set value of the currently selected parameter.

At S910, the system control unit 50 refers to the table corresponding to the currently selected parameter among the tables shown in FIGS. 10A to 10D, and updates the table number (N) Get the setting value corresponding to . Then, the system control unit 50 updates the setting value of the currently selected parameter with the acquired setting value, and records it in the system memory 52 as the setting value instead of the temporary setting value. That is, when the user changes the setting value from the temporary setting value, the changed value is recorded in the system memory 52 as the setting value. Then, the system control unit 50 displays the updated setting values on the setting display screen.

For example, consider a case where the set values for the shutter speed, aperture value, and ISO sensitivity are "Auto" and the set value for the exposure correction value is "0." In this case, the setting display screen of the display unit 28 is in the state shown in FIG. 13A before the start of photometry. After that, when the photometry process is executed and the temporary setting values are stored in S408 of FIG. 4, the setting display screen transitions to, for example, FIG. Show the value of the value. Here, the temporary set value of the shutter speed is "8000" (meaning 1/8000), and the cursor 1301 points to the shutter speed. That is, the currently selected parameter is the shutter speed. The temporary set value of the aperture value is "2.0" (meaning F2.0), and the temporary set value of the ISO sensitivity is "5000". If the setting value is "Auto" and the temporary setting value is displayed, an underline is displayed below the temporary setting value as shown in FIG. 13(C). In this state, when the user clicks the main electronic dial 71 one leftward, in S905 N changes to "53" corresponding to 1/6400 second. Then, in S<b>910 , the set value of the shutter speed is updated from “Auto” to “1/6400 sec”, and the temporary set value (1/8000 sec) is deleted from the system memory 52 . Alternatively, the setting values are recorded as temporary setting values, but are not used for photographing because the setting values have been set. At this time, the setting display screen of the display unit 28 transitions from FIG. 13(C) to FIG. 13(D). In FIG. 13D, the display related to the shutter speed is changed from FIG. The underline indicating that the If the provisional setting values are displayed in the photometry state, it is possible to check the setting values used at the time of shooting even for the setting items for which "Auto" is set. However, it becomes unclear whether the displayed setting value is the setting value selected by the user or the provisional setting value calculated in the photometry process. Therefore, when displaying the value of the temporary setting value, it is displayed with an underline to indicate that "Auto" is set and the displayed setting value is the temporary setting value calculated in the photometry process. can be identified by the user. In this embodiment, the provisional set values are displayed with an underline. However, the display form may be changed by changing the display color or font of the set value without displaying the underline. In addition, by displaying other display items that are not underlined, it is possible to identify that the setting value being displayed is a temporary setting value ("Auto" is set). may By controlling in this way, exposure can be adjusted from a photometric calculation value (temporary set value) in the photometric state.

In the state of the setting display screen shown in FIG. 13D, when the user clicks the main electronic dial 71 to the right two times, the set value of the shutter speed changes from "1/6400 sec" to "1/8000 sec". ” but not “Auto”. In other words, in the photometry state, the change to the set value of "Auto" is disabled. If the set value is changed from other than "Auto" to "Auto" in the photometry state, photometry is performed again to determine a temporary set value. Therefore, in the photometry state, unlike the non-photometry state (see FIG. 8), the set value is not changed to "Auto" by operating the main electronic dial 71, but is changed to "Auto" by operating the cross key 74. FIG. This can reduce the possibility of recognizing that the user could not set the setting to Auto even though the setting was set to Auto (because the temporary setting value is displayed even though the setting is actually set to Auto).

Also, let us consider a case where the photometry timer has ended in the state shown in FIG. 13D and the process of S411 in FIG. In this case, the set value of the shutter speed has been updated to "1/6400 second" in S910, but the set value of the aperture value and ISO sensitivity for which the exposure has not been adjusted remains "Auto". Accordingly, in S411, the setting values of the aperture value and the ISO sensitivity are changed from the temporary setting values to Auto, and the setting display screen of the display section 28 changes from FIG. 13(D) to FIG. 13(E). In this way, when the photometry timer expires, the parameters other than the parameters changed in the photometry state return to "Auto", which is the set value before the photometry is started. This makes it possible to immediately start shooting from the same state as before the end of the previous shooting when shooting from the next time. When updating the set values in S910, the set values before the start of photometry may be stored, and all parameters may be returned to the set values before the start of photometry when the photometry timer expires. In other words, even if the item that was set to Auto is changed from the temporary set value to the set value, it may return to Auto after the photometry timer expires.

As described above, according to the first embodiment, the digital camera 100 sets a currently selected display item to Auto, and sets a plurality of display items to Auto. Both can be easily performed by the operation. The digital camera 100 controls the selected exposure parameter to be set to "Auto" in response to a first user operation (such as pressing the cross key 74 to the left) while displaying a plurality of display items. In addition, the digital camera 100 controls to set "Auto" to a plurality of exposure parameters according to a second user operation (such as pressing the right side of the cross key 74) while displaying a plurality of display items. .

For example, if the user manually changes parameter settings but does not obtain a desired photographing state, it is possible to instantly set all parameters that can be set to Auto to Auto. Since the setting value of any item can be set or set to Auto according to the shooting state, the desired exposure can be quickly set without switching the mode. This reduces the possibility that the setting of the setting value will not be the one desired by the user and that the user will miss an opportunity to take a picture while adjusting the setting value. Also, if the brightness of the subject suddenly changes, you can easily shoot with the appropriate exposure by setting all items that can be set to Auto to Auto without changing the setting values for each item. . In addition, basically, even if you want to shoot while changing the setting value of the shutter speed with the aperture value set to Auto (equivalent to Tv mode), you can easily set the shutter speed to an appropriate exposure (Auto), The setting values desired by the user can be quickly set.

As an effective example of the exposure adjustment mode, when shooting in manual mode, the subject being pursued is facing the sun and is in a bright state. There are cases where the settings for proper exposure are greatly different. In such a case, it is desirable to set the correct exposure and take a picture quickly. However, in order to set the correct exposure easily with one hand, the mode changeover switch 60 must be operated to switch to the P mode. For example, when the user wants to change the depth of field after setting the proper exposure, the Av value is fixed simply by moving the cursor to the Av value and turning the dial. The Tv value is fixed just by moving the cursor to the Tv value and turning the dial. In this way, it is possible to change the set value of the item selected by the user without performing an operation to change the mode after setting the appropriate exposure while quickly setting the appropriate exposure. In other words, in the exposure adjustment mode, without changing the mode, the user can make the movement equivalent to P mode with one action, and even without changing the mode from the state of proper exposure, the user can simply turn the dial. The set values of desired items can be changed.

Furthermore, if the brightness of the subject changes sharply during shooting again after changing the setting, the operation in the P mode is continued by switching to Auto, so it is possible to shoot with proper exposure. In this way, it is possible to switch between motion equivalent to P mode, equivalent to Av mode, equivalent to Tv mode, and equivalent to M mode. You can set it quickly without switching modes when you want to.

Also, if you want to change the shutter speed quickly without changing the aperture value from the current setting when the brightness changes suddenly, you can set only the shutter speed to Auto. can. For example, if the shutter speed is set to 1/2500, but the user wants to change the set value to around 1/320 when the brightness suddenly changes, the M mode will set the shutter speed to 1/2500 The dial needs to be rotated to 1/320 (eg 9 clicks). Here, in the exposure adjustment mode, it is possible to change to nearly 1/320 by setting Auto with one hand. For example, if the set value can be changed to 1/250 with one hand in Auto, the amount of operation can be reduced because the dial can be rotated by one click.

In this way, motion equivalent to all mode changes is possible without mode changes.

In the above-described embodiment, the dial rotation operation (first operation) for changing the setting value of the selection item and the button operation (second operation) for setting the item to Auto are the operation methods explained that they are different. Therefore, the user can distinguish and recognize whether to change the settings in detail or simply switch to Auto depending on the operation method. In the case of touch operation, there is a bar from which setting value candidates and Auto can be selected (for example, Auto corresponds to an end position), and the setting can be changed by touching the bar. Alternatively, an item for setting a selection item to Auto and an item for setting all items that can be set to Auto to Auto may be displayed, and the item may be set by touching the item.

Further, although it has been described that one of Auto and a plurality of setting value candidates can be set according to the dial operation, it is also possible not to set Auto according to the dial operation. That is, for example, it may be possible to set a setting value from a plurality of setting value candidates that do not include Auto according to a dial operation, and to set Auto according to a button operation. Furthermore, when touch operation is performed, a bar indicating setting value candidates without indicating Auto and an item indicating Auto may be displayed separately.

In the above description, exposure parameters (one or more setting items related to exposure control) are used as examples of setting items. However, the setting items of this embodiment are not limited to exposure parameters. For example, the setting item may be a setting item related to an autofocus distance measuring point. In this case, when the user operates the main electronic dial 71 during automatic distance measurement in autofocus, the control is performed to change the distance measurement point from the tracking distance measurement point to an arbitrary distance measurement point. It is possible to apply the configuration of the embodiment. Alternatively, the setting item may be a setting item related to auto white balance.

The various controls described above performed by the system control unit 50 may be performed by one piece of hardware, or may be performed by a plurality of pieces of hardware to control the entire apparatus. .

Moreover, although the present invention has been described in detail based on its preferred embodiments, the present invention is not limited to these specific embodiments, and various forms within the scope of the present invention can be applied to the present invention. included. Furthermore, each embodiment described above merely shows one embodiment of the present invention, and it is also possible to combine each embodiment as appropriate.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the case where the present invention is applied to the digital camera 100 has been described as an example, but this is not limited to this example, and any control device that controls setting items can be applied. . That is, the present invention can be applied to personal computers, PDAs, mobile phone terminals, portable image viewers, printers equipped with displays, digital photo frames, music players, and the like. The present invention can also be applied to game machines, e-book readers, tablet terminals, smartphones, projection devices, home appliances equipped with displays, vehicle-mounted devices, and the like.

[Other embodiments]
The present invention supplies a program that implements one or more functions of the above-described embodiments to a system or device via a network or a storage medium, and one or more processors in the computer of the system or device reads and executes the program. It can also be realized by processing to It can also be implemented by a circuit (for example, ASIC) that implements one or more functions.

17 AE sensor 22 imaging unit 28 display unit 50 system control unit 52 system memory 56 nonvolatile memory 70 operation unit 74 cross key 100 digital camera 101 shutter 102 aperture 103 lens 150 lens unit

Claims (10)

an image capturing control means for controlling image capturing by the image capturing means based on the set values of the plurality of setting items;
selecting means for selecting a setting item from among the plurality of setting items;
For the setting item selected by the selection means, a plurality of setting values corresponding to the selected setting item and a specific setting value to which the setting value automatically determined among the plurality of setting values is applied. a changing means for changing to a set value selected by a first operation from among;
resetting means for changing two or more setting items among the plurality of setting items to the specific setting value, which is an initial value, in response to a second operation;
initialization means for changing a plurality of setting values including the setting values of the plurality of setting items to initial values in response to a fourth operation;
The initialization means changes the setting item to an initial value, and changes the selected setting item selected by the selection means to a predetermined setting item,
The imaging control apparatus, wherein the reset means does not change the setting item selected by the selection means when changing the setting item to an initial value. The reset means changes settings of two or more of the plurality of setting items to initial values in response to the second operation, and selects by the selection means in response to the third operation. 2. The image pickup control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the set item that has been set is changed to an initial value. 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said initialization means initializes a plurality of setting values including setting values of setting items other than said plurality of setting items in accordance with said fourth operation. The imaging control device described. 4. The imaging control apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said fourth operation is an operation of selecting a predetermined item on a menu screen. and display control means for displaying a setting display screen for displaying the setting values of the plurality of setting items so that the setting item selected by the selection means can be identified. Item 1. The imaging control device according to item 1. 6. The imaging control device according to claim 5, wherein the second operation is an operation performed while the setting display screen is being displayed. 2. The imaging control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the specific set value is "auto" in which a set value calculated by performing photometric processing is applied. 2. The imaging control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of setting items include two or more of shutter speed, aperture value, exposure correction value, and ISO sensitivity. the plurality of setting items include shutter speed, aperture value, and exposure compensation value;
2. The imaging control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said predetermined setting item is an exposure correction value. an image capturing control step of controlling image capturing by the image capturing means based on setting values of a plurality of setting items;
a selection step of selecting a setting item from among the plurality of setting items;
For the setting item selected in the selecting step, a plurality of setting values corresponding to the selected setting item and a specific setting value to which the setting value automatically determined among the plurality of setting values is applied. a changing step of changing to a set value selected by a first operation from among;
a resetting step of changing two or more setting items among the plurality of setting items to the specific setting values, which are initial values, in response to a second operation;
an initialization step of changing a plurality of setting values including the setting values of the plurality of setting items to initial values in response to a fourth operation;
In the initialization step, the setting item is changed to an initial value, and the setting item being selected is changed to a predetermined setting item;
A control method for an imaging control device, wherein in the resetting step, a setting item being selected is not changed when the setting item is changed to an initial value.

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