JPH11242255A - Information input device and method for camera - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To change optional one out of shutter speed, diaphragm value and exposure correction amount regardless of an exposure mode by providing a selection means for selecting the optional one out of the candidates of the combination of exposure conditions shown by a display means. SOLUTION: In the case of performing the input operation of the exposure condition, a microcomputer 12 controls a selection input means 11 and the display means 13. In the case of photographing, it controls a photographing control means 14. The input means 11 is constituted to use a selection pointer. By displaying the selection pointer, the display means 13 informs a photographer on what candidate the selection pointer exists at present. The respective values of the shutter speed, the diaphragm value and the exposure correction amount are displayed so that they can be understood at a glance by the photographer concerning the candidate shown by the selection pointer by the display with a selection additional line and a frame. Then, the optional one is selected out of the candidates of the combination of the exposure conditions which are shown by simultaneously displaying the several candidates of the combination of the shutter speed, the diaphragm value and the exposure correction amount.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for inputting information for determining exposure in a camera.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional automatic exposure camera determines two of three parameters of a shutter speed, an aperture value, and an exposure correction amount for an automatically calculated exposure under the conditions of constant film sensitivity and subject brightness. By doing so, the third parameter is dependently determined. Therefore,
Conventionally, two of the three parameters are switched according to an exposure mode such as manual, aperture priority, or shutter priority.

Here, as a method of simultaneously setting the two parameters, a method capable of detecting displacements in two directions, for example, a method of inputting two parameters such as a shutter speed and an aperture value using a trackball. Has already been proposed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 08-114826. In this method, only two of some parameters can be directly set according to the exposure mode.

[0004]

In the conventional camera, different parameters may be changed depending on the exposure mode, or different operations may be required depending on the exposure mode, even if the same parameter is changed. For example, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 08-114826, there is a disadvantage that the operation of changing the aperture value is performed in the horizontal direction in the aperture priority mode and in the vertical direction in the manual mode.

The conventional method and the method disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No.
According to the method disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 14826, only one combination of the aperture value and the shutter speed can be input or displayed. For example, there is a problem that it is difficult to freely set the number of shots, the exposure condition, and the shooting order, and to confirm the settings during AEB shooting in which a plurality of shots are taken with different exposures.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above-described aspects, and it is possible to set information necessary for determining an exposure by a simple operation, and to use an exposure mode such as manual, aperture priority, or shutter priority. An attempt is made to unify the operations that are not performed, and to integrate exposure modes that allow any parameter among the shutter speed, the aperture value, and the exposure correction amount to be changed without switching the exposure mode.

Further, at the time of AEB photographing, it is possible to set an arbitrary number of exposure conditions desired by a photographer and a photographing order and confirm such AEB photographing settings by a simple operation. An object of the present invention is to obtain a camera information input device having excellent operability as described above.

[0008]

Therefore, in the present invention, the above object is achieved by providing an information input device or method according to any one of the following items (1) to (10). Things.

(1) Display means for simultaneously displaying a plurality of possible combinations of a shutter speed, an aperture value, and an exposure correction amount, and any of the combinations of exposure conditions indicated by the display means An information input device for a camera, characterized in that the information input device comprises a selection means for selecting a camera.

(2) In the information input device for a camera according to the above (1), the selecting means specifies a certain range on the display means for a plurality of times of shooting (AEB shooting) with shifted exposure. An information input device for a camera, wherein a plurality of exposure condition candidates within the range are selected by a single operation.

(3) In the information input device for a camera according to any one of the above items (1) and (2), the selecting means sequentially adds the newly selected candidates to the already selected exposure condition candidates. And a plurality of shootings (AEB) can be performed by repeating the selection operation.
A camera information input device configured to select different exposure condition candidates for each of the photographing).

(4) In the information input device for a camera according to any one of the above items (2) and (3), the display means is configured to display an order of photographing for each exposure condition candidate. Characteristic camera information input device.

(5) In the camera information input device corresponding to both of (3) and (4), the photographing order is determined in accordance with the order of the selection operation. Input device.

(6) A plurality of possible combinations of a shutter speed, an aperture value, and an exposure correction amount are simultaneously displayed, and an arbitrary one of the displayed combinations of exposure conditions can be selected. Camera information input method characterized by the following.

(7) In the information input method for a camera described in the above item (6), the selecting means specifies a certain range on the display means for a plurality of shootings (AEB shootings) with the exposure shifted. A camera information input method, wherein a plurality of exposure condition candidates within the range are selected by a single operation.

(8) In the camera information input method according to any one of the above items (6) and (7), the selecting means sequentially adds the newly selected candidates to the already selected exposure condition candidates. And a plurality of shootings (AEB) can be performed by repeating the selection operation.
(Camera) A method of inputting information of a camera, wherein different exposure condition candidates are selected for each.

(9) In the information input method for a camera according to any one of (7) and (8), the display means displays an order of photographing for each exposure condition candidate. Characteristic camera information input method.

(10) In the camera information input method corresponding to both of the above items (8) and (9), the photographing order is determined according to the order of the selection operation. input method.

Here, the display means is configured to display a candidate of a combination of three parameters for determining exposure on a plane using three axes, as shown in an example in FIG. 4 described later. It was done. The direction in which the axis corresponding to each parameter is arranged may be selectable by the photographer. Also, if necessary, A
It is preferable that the configuration is such that the imaging order when performing EB imaging can be displayed.

Further, the selecting means sequentially performs an operation of selecting one from a plurality of displayed candidates or an operation of selecting one from the candidates to select an arbitrary number of candidates. It has at least one of a function to select, or a function to select within a range and select several candidates at once. At this time, it is preferable that the selected candidate or range can be confirmed on the display means.

For example, in order to obtain the same effect as in the conventional exposure mode, the sensitivity to the shutter speed is reduced, and the selection means normally changes only one step by an operation equivalent to two steps of the shutter speed. For example, a function may be added such that a specific parameter does not change carelessly.

[0022]

According to the above-described apparatus configuration and method, a single operation of selecting one of the candidates shown on the display means using the selection means can be used to change the conventional shutter speed and aperture value. It is possible to perform information input equivalent to that input by separate operations.

Further, according to the present invention, the photographer can change any of the three parameters without switching the exposure mode. This eliminates the problem that, for example, different operations must be performed depending on the exposure mode to operate the same parameter.

Further, according to the present invention, when using a selecting means having a function of selecting a plurality of candidates, it is possible to set photographing according to an arbitrary condition and an arbitrary order of a photographer at the time of AEB photographing. Become. Also, it is easy to confirm such an AEB shooting setting.

[0025]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Embodiments of the present invention will be described below.
A detailed description will be given based on a plurality of embodiments with reference to the drawings.

[0026]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A first embodiment of a camera information input device according to the present invention will be described below.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view from the back of the camera to which the present invention is applied. The camera 2 exemplified here records a captured image in digital form on a card-shaped electronic medium or magnetic medium. . Here, FIG.
Will be described. On the back of the camera body 21, a display panel 22 as a display means using a liquid crystal display panel, a trackball 23 and a selection operation button 24 as selection means components, a viewfinder 2 for confirming a shooting range.
5 are provided. A release button 26 and a power switch 27 are provided on the upper surface of the camera body 21.

The display panel 22 is, for example, a liquid crystal display (LC).
D) An arbitrary figure or picture can be displayed as a group of fine pixels using a plate or the like. The display panel 22 displays an exposure condition candidate 47 based on a combination of a shutter speed, an aperture value, and an exposure correction amount using a graph 4 as shown in FIG. 4 during an exposure condition input operation. It should be noted that a graph in the format as shown in FIG. 4 is conventionally used to represent a program diagram of a camera. The display panel 22 may be configured to be usable for the purpose of confirming an already captured image.

Although the description of the other components and the like is omitted here, the camera 2 is appropriately provided with components and the like for satisfying the functions generally required as a camera as necessary.

FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of a main part configuration of an information input device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The microcomputer 12 in the figure controls the selection input means and the display means 13 in the exposure condition input operation, and controls the photographing control means 14 in the photographing. Reference numeral 15 denotes a photometric unit.

The display means 13 is realized by a display panel 22. As shown in FIG. 4, on the graph 4, a combination candidate 47 of these three parameters is expressed as an intersection group composed of a straight line group 44 representing a shutter speed, an aperture value 45, and an exposure correction amount 46. . For example,
47c, which is the intersection of the three straight lines 44a, 45c and 46c,
Shutter speed 1000, aperture value 5.6, exposure compensation amount -1
The combination is expressed. Here, the exposure correction amount is an exposure amount calculated from a shutter speed and an aperture value,
This is the difference from the standard exposure. The standard exposure amount is calculated based on the film sensitivity and the subject brightness measured by the photometry unit 15 in FIG.

The selection input means 11 has a configuration using a selection pointer. The details of the selection means will be described later,
The display means 13 displays the selection pointer 51 as shown in FIG.
Is displayed to inform the photographer which candidate is currently on. In addition, a selection auxiliary line such as reference numeral 52 in FIG.
For the candidate indicated by the selection pointer 51, the values of the shutter speed, the aperture value, and the exposure correction amount are displayed so that the photographer can see at a glance.

The processing sequence for inputting the exposure condition is shown in FIG.
The flow is as shown in the flowchart of FIG.
Hereinafter, description will be given with reference to FIG. 13; first, in step S1, a standard exposure amount Ev ₀ is obtained. Film sensitivity is obtained by electrically reading the DX code when loading the patrone. The subject brightness is observed by the photometric unit 15. The standard exposure amount Ev ₀ is obtained from the film sensitivity Sv and the subject brightness Bv (each an apex value), Ev ₀ = Sv +
It can be obtained from the relationship of Bv.

[0034] In step S2, determines the initial value of the display center candidates from the standard exposure value Ev ₀ determined in step S1. As in the case of the conventional program AE, one representative value is selected from a combination of the aperture value Av and the shutter speed Tv (each of which is an apex value) satisfying the condition of Ev ₀ = Av + Tv according to a certain program diagram, and the representative value is displayed. Let it be the initial value of the candidate. A plurality of program diagrams may be prepared and used by switching according to the purpose of photographing, for example, landscape, person, sports, and the like. The display center candidate is an exposure condition candidate serving as a reference for the range of the candidate displayed in step S3.

The details of step S3 will be described separately because it depends on the mounting method of the display means 13 (FIG. 1). In this step, a group of exposure condition candidates within the display range is displayed on the display means 13 based on the display center candidate. Is performed.

The details of step S4 will be described separately because it depends on the mounting method of the selection means. In this step, the input of a selection operation by the selection means is awaited. In addition, when the subject is changed or when the light amount is changed, the brightness of the subject is re-measured and the standard exposure amount is recalculated so that the exposure correction amount becomes a correct value. This is efficient if it is performed while waiting for the input of the selection operation.

In step S5, it is determined whether or not the exposure condition input has been completed. For example, release button 26 (FIG. 2)
, The exposure condition input is terminated, for example, when the operation is shifted to the release process by pressing the button or when the photographing is stopped. If not, the process returns to step S3 to repeat the process of updating the display and waiting for an input of a selection operation in step S4.

When the standard exposure amount changes or the display range of the exposure condition candidate changes due to the repetition of steps S3 to S5, the information appearing on the display means is updated and the consistency is maintained. . In addition, since the selection operation can be repeated, it is possible to correct an erroneous operation or to set a plurality of exposure conditions during AEB shooting.

Alternatively, the order of the processing may be changed to a flow as shown in a flowchart different from that of FIG. 13 in FIG. The flowchart of FIG. 14 will be described below. First, in step S1, the shutter speed and the aperture value of the display center candidate are determined by, for example, setting a fixed value each time, or setting the same value as the one shot last time. I do. Also, an initial value of the standard exposure amount is set. At this stage, the initial value is “Unknown” because the standard exposure has not been obtained.
And

Next, candidates are displayed in step S2.
When the standard exposure amount is “unknown” which is the initial value, the scale of the exposure correction amount is not displayed. This is because the standard exposure amount is obtained in step S3, but the exposure correction amount cannot be calculated until then.

The processing in step S3 is the same as step S4 in FIG. Waiting for an input of a selection operation, measurement of subject brightness and calculation of a standard exposure amount are performed during that time.

Step S4 is the same as step S5 in FIG. Judge whether the exposure condition input has been completed,
If the processing has not been completed, step S2 and subsequent steps in FIG. 14 are repeated.

Since it takes a certain amount of time to measure the luminance of the object, when the shutter speed and the aperture value are determined first, such as when the exposure amount is manually set, the method shown in FIG. 14 is efficient. It is. However, when setting the exposure amount automatically, it is necessary for the camera to determine the exposure amount and determine a proper exposure condition according to the exposure amount. Therefore, the method shown in the flowchart of FIG. 13 is used.

As shown in FIG. 3, the selection input means 11 (FIG. 1) of the present embodiment includes a trackball 23 which can be rotated in an arbitrary direction and information on the rotation of the There are provided a first axis rotation detecting means 32 and a second axis rotation detecting means 33 for converting the signals into electric signals for processing in step S1, and a switch SW1 which is closed by pressing the selection operation button 24 in FIG.

Here, it is assumed that the rotation detecting means 32 and 33 have a mechanism for generating a pulse when the trackball 23 rotates by a fixed amount about each axis, and a counter for counting the pulse. At this time, the rotation direction, that is, the normal rotation or the reverse rotation can be distinguished. Thus, the microcomputer 12 can obtain the rotation direction and the rotation amount for each axis.

The signals from the rotation detecting means 32 and 33 are processed by the microcomputer 12 and
The rotation direction and the rotation amount are obtained. Microcomputer 12
When a rotation exceeding a certain transition threshold value is detected, one of the candidates for the exposure condition, for example, the candidate indicated by the selection pointer 51 in FIG. The transition is made so as to indicate the candidate of the symbol 47y.

Here, when the selection pointer 51 attempts to move to the outermost candidate, for example, the candidate indicated by the reference numeral 47z in FIG. 5, the range of the displayed candidates is changed instead of moving the pointer over the reference numeral 47z. .

At this time, candidates corresponding to the exposure correction amount +2 or the shutter speed 30 are removed from the display, and a new shutter speed 1500 (a value one step higher than 1000) or an exposure correction amount -2.5 (- (One step smaller than 2) is displayed. By doing so, the range of selection is not limited to the range that can be displayed at one time. However, since there is a performance limit of a machine such as a shutter curtain, the pointer is not moved to a value exceeding the limit.

When the microcomputer 12 detects that the selection operation button 24 in FIG. 2 has been pressed,
At that time, the candidate indicated by the selection pointer 51 in FIG. 5, for example, the symbol 47y in FIG. 5 is selected, and information according to the selection, for example, the shutter speed 50
0, an aperture value of 5.6, and an exposure correction amount of 0 are passed to the photographing mechanism control unit 14 in FIG. As described above, the information input device of the camera in the present embodiment inputs the exposure condition.

When the standard exposure amount changes due to a change in the brightness of the subject before the input of the exposure condition, the exposure correction amount scale 43 in FIG. 4 is dealt with.
For example, when the exposure amount becomes one step darker, the display of +2 of reference numeral 43a in FIG. 4 is changed to +1 and +1 of 43b is changed to 0.
To maintain the consistency between the photometric result and the display.

When the standard exposure amount changes after the exposure condition is input, the display of the exposure correction amount scale 43 is changed in the manual exposure in which the photographer determines the exposure, as in the case where the standard exposure amount changes before the input. do it. However, when performing full automatic exposure control so as to maintain the standard exposure amount, the standard exposure amount must be maintained by changing the shutter speed or the aperture value. Which one to change is determined, for example, by comparing two values and changing a value changed by a more recent operation, or defining one set of a shutter speed and an aperture value for each exposure amount. It is good to decide to approach the standard program line.

Further, in this embodiment, as additional functions,
It is configured such that detailed information can be input at the time of AEB shooting. Here, the normal state and the AEB state are switched by providing a separate function selection switch. Although not adopted here, the A is automatically set by setting the first exposure condition by the above-described method and then automatically inputting the second image without distinction from the normal shooting state.
The specification for shifting to the EB state may be adopted.

In this embodiment, in order to inform the photographer that the camera is in the AEB state, the display method shown in FIG. The shape of the selection pointer 63 is also distinguished from the selection pointer 51 in FIG.

In the AEB state, when the exposure condition is input by the above-mentioned method, the position of the selection pointer at that time is changed as shown in FIG.
A mark indicating that the input has been received, such as the middle symbol 61a, is displayed. Thereafter, when the input operation is repeated, the exposure condition at the position where the selection pointer is present at that time is added to the AEB condition column 61 as indicated by reference numerals 61b and 61c in the figure. Here, the numbers in the frames indicate the order in which the selection operation is performed, and the photographing mechanism driving unit is controlled so that the order of photographing is the same as the order of selection.

In this embodiment, AEB is performed by the above method.
It is possible to specify an exposure condition and a photographing order in photographing, and at the same time, confirm the designation.

Also, by adjusting the sensitivity of transition of the selection pointer to each of the exposure correction amount, the shutter speed, and the aperture value, similar to the shutter-priority and aperture-priority exposure modes, specific parameters are not changed carelessly. It is possible to reproduce the operability such as selecting the combination of the shutter speed and the aperture value without changing the exposure amount unlike the program shift. At the same time, if desired by the photographer, any one of the shutter speed, aperture value, and exposure correction amount can be changed regardless of the exposure mode.

When the display means and the selection means are configured as described above, the processing A and the processing B in the flowcharts of FIGS. 13 and 14 are as shown in the sequence flowchart of FIG. Hereinafter, FIG. 15 will be described.

Steps S1 to S6 are portions for displaying exposure condition candidates on the display means. In step S1, the scales of the shutter speed, the aperture value, and the exposure correction amount, that is, reference numerals 42, 43, and 44 in FIG.
Display the line of.

In step S2, the shutter speed and the aperture value (reference numerals 41 and 42 in FIG. 4) are displayed on a scale based on the shutter speed Tv _C and the aperture value Av _C of the display center candidate.

In step S3, it is checked whether or not the standard exposure amount Ev ₀ has been obtained. If the standard exposure amount Ev ₀ has been obtained, the flow advances to step S4 to display the value of the exposure correction amount (reference numeral 43 in FIG. 4). Otherwise, step S4 is skipped. This is provided in case that the standard exposure amount is not obtained in FIG.

In step S5, a mark (reference numeral 47 in FIG. 4) indicating a candidate is displayed for each exposure condition candidate within the display range with reference to the display center candidate. At this time, for example, candidates that cannot be realized due to performance limitations or the like are not displayed, as indicated by reference numeral 64 in FIG. 6 when the lower limit of the aperture value is 3.5. In addition, as necessary, a display for distinguishing the state of the candidate such as the selected candidate (reference numeral 54 in FIG. 5) or the AEB photographing order (reference numeral 61 in FIG. 6) is displayed.

In step S6, a selection pointer is displayed. The display of the selection pointer is constituted by the selection cursor, the selection auxiliary line, and the highlighting of the value of the cursor position (reference numerals 51, 52, and 53 in FIG. 5, respectively). As a result, the selection pointer notifies the photographer of the information of the upper candidate. In the case of the AEB state, it indicates that the state is the AEB state (reference numeral 62 in FIG. 6).

Step S7 and subsequent steps are for selecting a candidate by the selecting means. In step S7, an input operation from the photographer is accepted. In addition, the subject brightness is measured while waiting for the input. In step S8, it is determined whether or not an operation has been performed.
Proceed to. If there is no operation, it is checked in step S9 whether or not the subject brightness has changed, and if there has been a change, the process proceeds to step S10. If not, the process returns to step S7, and waits for an input and re-measures the subject luminance.

In step S10, since the subject luminance has changed, the standard exposure amount is recalculated. The standard exposure is updated according to the result.

In step S11, since there is an input operation, a branch for performing a process according to the operation is performed. The operation branches to steps S12, S13, and S14 by moving the pointer, operating the selection button, and other operations.

In step S12, the selection pointer is changed by operating the trackball 23 shown in FIG. Details of this step will be described separately.

In step S13, when the selection operation button 24 is pressed, the state of the candidate indicated by the selection pointer is changed to the selected state. If the candidate indicated by the selection pointer is already a candidate in the selected state, the state may be returned to the non-selected state.

In step S14, if there is any other operation, a process is required to accept the exposure condition input without ending the operation. For example, an exposure condition input such as a self-timer or an operation of a strobe may be received here without interrupting the exposure condition input.

Step S15 corresponds to step S5 in the flowchart shown in FIG. 13 and step S4 in FIG. In step S7, when the release button 26 in FIG. 2 is pressed or when an operation to stop shooting is performed, the input of the exposure condition ends. Thereafter, if necessary, the process proceeds to the release process under the set conditions. If the input of the exposure condition is continued, the process returns to the process A to update the display contents, and then the process B waits for an input of an operation.

FIG. 16 is a detailed flowchart of the transition of the selection pointer in step S13 of FIG. Hereinafter, FIG. 16 will be described; in step S1, FIG.
The count values of the rotation detecting means 32 and 33 are read to obtain the rotation amount of the trackball 23 in FIG. The rotation amount of each axis is represented by a signed integer, and the rotation direction is distinguished by the sign. The rotation amount is the sum of the odd rotation amount that did not satisfy the threshold value in the previous pointer transition process and the rotation amount from that time to the present.

Here, a coordinate system (x, y) having an x-axis parallel to the equal exposure correction amount line 43 in FIG. 4 and a y-axis perpendicular thereto is set. At this time, the direction vectors e _T , e _A , and e of the respective axes of the equal shutter speed, the equal aperture value, and the equal exposure correction amount in the figure.
_E is e _T = (− 0.5, −√3) and e _A =
(−0.5, √3), e _E = (1, 0). Also,
The rotation amount of the track ball 23, when the rotation of the left-right direction is rotated r _Y of r _X vertical to the rotation amount vector _{r = (r X, r Y} ) and.

In step S2, the magnitude | r | of the rotation amount vector r is compared with the transition threshold value p _TH . If it is less than the threshold value, the process ends. If it is equal to or larger than the threshold value, the processing from step S3 is repeated. By providing the above threshold value, it is possible to prevent the pointer from changing due to a minute movement due to vibration or the like.

In step S3, the rotation amount vector r and
Inner product p _T = r with direction vector e _T , e _A , e _{E of} each axis
E _T , p _A = r · e _A , and p _E = r · e _E are obtained, respectively. As a result, a component in each axis direction of the rotation amount is obtained.

In step S4, the absolute values of p _T , p _A , and p _E obtained in step S3 are compared, and the largest one is selected. The point transitions along the axis corresponding to its maximum value. Here, of p _T , p _A , and p _E , the one having the largest absolute value is a corresponding axis if the sign of p _M is negative, and is positive if the sign of p _M is positive. With the direction as the transition direction, a transition direction vector e _M is obtained. The transition direction is closest to the direction of the rotation amount vector among the six adjacent exposure condition candidates.

In step S5, the rotation amount vector is updated. by _{r ← r-p TM e M} , subtracting the amount corresponding to the transition of the pointer from the rotation amount vector r.

In step S6, it is confirmed whether or not the transition destination is within the range of the performance limit, and if it is within the range, the selection pointer is updated. If it is out of the range, the selection pointer is not updated. By limiting the transition of the selection pointer in this way, it is possible to prevent an unexpected value from being set and causing a malfunction.

In step S7, it is determined whether or not the transition destination of the selection pointer is at the end of the display range. If it is at the end of the display range, the display center candidate is updated in step S8. Otherwise, return to step S2, and step S5
Then, it is compared whether or not the rotation amount after being updated still exceeds the threshold value.

In step S8, the display center candidate is updated to adjust the display range. Since the display range is determined by the display center candidate, the display range is changed accordingly. Display center candidates, from the display center candidates to date is changed to the transition direction vector e _M in the same direction of adjacent candidate. The selection pointer keeps the same position as before. As a result, by changing the display range, the selection pointer becomes
This indicates a candidate to be the original transition destination. In this way, by changing the display range, it is possible to select even a candidate for a range that cannot be displayed at once. Then, returning to step S2, the rotation amount is compared with the threshold value.

By repeating steps S2 to S8, when the amount of rotation of the trackball 23 is large, several steps can be changed at one time.

(Other Embodiments) Other embodiments of the present invention will be described below. In this embodiment, the selection operation button 24 (FIG. 2)
Change the function of and select a candidate by specifying a certain range. FIGS. 7 and 8 show two examples in which a selection means for simultaneously designating such a plurality of candidates is used. That is, the range is specified by the position of the selection pointer when the selection operation button 24 is pressed and when the selection operation button 24 is released. When the trackball 23 is operated while the selection operation button 24 is pressed, similarly to the case where the trackball 23 is not pressed, the selection pointer changes from one candidate to another candidate.

For example, as shown in FIG.
Is pressed, the candidate 71 indicated by the selection pointer is displayed.
If any one of the parameters 72 (in this case, the aperture value) is the same as the candidate 72 shown when the separation is performed, 2
This means that one candidate and its interval (in this case, the range of the reference numeral 73) are designated, and the candidates 7 on the range 73 including both ends are designated.
1, 72, 74 will be selected.

Otherwise, as shown in FIG. 8, for example, as shown in FIG. 8, when the selection operation button 24 is pressed, the candidate 71 indicated by the selection pointer and the candidate 72 indicated when released are released. And all parameters may be different. In such a case, a straight line connecting the two points is regarded as a diagonal line, and a parallelogram having a minimum area among parallelograms in which all sides are part of reference numerals 44, 45, and 46 in FIG. In this case, it is assumed that the range 81 is designated. In this figure, candidates 71, 72, and 74 inside and on the boundary of the range 81 are selected.

As described above, when a plurality of conditions are selected by specifying the range, AEB photographing is performed. The shooting order at this time is, for example, in the order of small exposure correction amount, and if the same, the order of aperture value is small,
It shall be determined according to a certain AEB priority order.

A new exposure condition can be added to the exposure conditions specified so far by performing the selection operation a plurality of times. In this case, it is preferable that the exposure condition newly specified at this time be later than the one already specified, regardless of the above-described AEB priority order. Then, it becomes possible for the photographer to override the above-mentioned AEB priority.

In the flowchart shown in FIG. 15, (1) in step S6, when the selection operation button 24 is pressed, the start point of the selection range, the selection range, and the candidates within the selection range (respectively, Reference numerals 71 and 7 in FIG.
(3, 74) is added. (2) Step S13 is changed to “A candidate indicating the selection pointer is set as the starting point of the selection range”. (3) A selection operation is performed as one of the steps S14. When the button 24 is released, a process of “adding the candidate indicated by the selection pointer to the end point of the selection range and adding the candidate within the selection range to the AEB condition sequence” is performed.

It is also possible to use a method that does not use a graph display as shown in FIG. 4 as the display means. 9 to 1
FIG. 2 shows an example of a different configuration of the display means and the selection means. Here, instead of the trackball 23, the selection operation button 24, and the display panel 22, a touch panel 91 capable of detecting a position touched by a photographer is used. The touch panel 91 has a function of performing a display as shown in FIG.
The touch panel 91 includes an exposure correction amount display area 93, a candidate display area 94, a shutter speed operation display area 95, an aperture value operation display area 96, and an exposure correction amount operation display area 97.

In the selecting means having such a configuration, for example, as shown in FIG. 10, one of the candidates displayed in the candidate display area 94 is selected, and the selection is made by touching the position where the candidate is displayed. I do. For example, when the user touches the position indicated by reference numeral 94b in FIG. 10, the candidate of the shutter speed 500, the aperture value of 8.0, and the exposure correction amount of -0.5 is selected. Here, for example, blinking display indicates to the photographer that the candidate has been selected.

When the candidate desired by the photographer is out of the display range, the display range is changed by touching any of the arrows indicated by reference numerals 95, 96, and 97 in FIG. be able to. In the example of FIG. 10, the shutter speed is 500, the aperture value is in the range of 4.0 to 8.0, and the exposure correction amount is in the range of −1 to +1. In FIG. 10, the horizontal axis represents the shutter speed, and the vertical axis represents the aperture value or the exposure correction amount (the other is determined by one of them).
A part of the table is displayed. Arrows 95, 96, and 97 in FIG. 10 are used to move the display range in the table.

For example, when the user touches a position on the touch panel 91 where the shutter speed decreasing arrow 95a is displayed, the shutter speed is switched to a candidate of 350, and at the same time, the aperture value is set so as not to change the range of the exposure correction amount. Is 4.5
To 11 range. When the user touches the position where the shutter speed increasing arrow 95a is displayed, the shutter speed is switched to a candidate of 750, and the range of the aperture value is changed accordingly.

The range of the aperture value can be changed by touching the position of the aperture value decrease / exposure increase arrow 96d or the aperture value increase / exposure decrease arrow 96e on the touch panel 91 in FIG. In this case, the range of the displayed aperture value is changed without changing the shutter speed, and the range of the displayed exposure correction amount is also changed accordingly.

The range of the exposure correction amount can be changed by touching the position of the exposure increasing arrow 97a or the exposure decreasing arrow 97b on the touch panel 91 in FIG. In this case, the range of the displayed exposure correction amount is changed while the range of the aperture value remains unchanged, and the displayed shutter speed also changes accordingly. At this time, the leftward arrow of the exposure increase arrow 97a corresponds to the arrow of the shutter speed decrease 95a, which means that the exposure is increased by decreasing the shutter speed.

According to the above method, when there is no desired candidate in the display range, the displayed candidate can be changed.

In the state of FIG. 10, candidates having the same shutter speed are displayed, but in the state of FIG. 10 or FIG.
By touching the exposure correction amount display area 93, as shown in FIG. 12, a state is displayed in which candidates having the same exposure correction amount are displayed. The value of the exposure correction amount at this time is a value displayed at the touched position in the exposure correction amount display area. Further, the range between the shutter speed and the aperture value is determined so that the candidate displayed at the center in the previous state is at the center.

Similarly, in the state of FIG. 10 or FIG.
When the user touches the position indicated by reference numeral 96b in each figure, as shown in FIG. 11, the state shifts to a state in which candidates having the same aperture value are displayed. In the state of FIG. 11 or FIG.
When the position is touched, the state is shifted to the state shown in FIG.

This makes it possible to meet the demand for securing the shutter speed because the subject moves rapidly, or for maintaining the aperture value for securing the depth of field.

FIG. 11 shows a state in which candidates having the same aperture value are displayed. In this state, by touching the position of the reference numeral 96a or 96c, the aperture value (and the range of the shutter speed accompanying it) changes. Here, the aperture value decrease / exposure increase arrow 96a is in the same direction as the exposure increase arrow 97a.
As a result, the aperture is changed to open (increase the exposure value) and the other aperture value is increased and the exposure value is decreased by the exposure decrease arrow 96c.

When the position indicated by reference numeral 95d or 95e is touched, the range of the displayed shutter speed (and the range of the exposure correction amount accompanying it) changes. When the position of reference numeral 97a or 97b is touched, the range of the displayed exposure correction amount (and the aperture value accompanying it) changes. As in the state of FIG. 10, when the candidate display area 94 is touched, the candidate displayed at the touched position is selected.

FIG. 12 shows a state in which candidates having the same aperture value are displayed. In this state, by touching the position of 95d or 96d, a candidate having the same exposure, a low shutter speed, and a large aperture value is displayed. By touching the position indicated by reference numeral 95e or 96e, a candidate having the same exposure, a high shutter speed, and a small aperture value is displayed. When the exposure correction amount is changed, a candidate with a large or small exposure correction amount is displayed by touching the position of the reference numeral 97a or 97b in FIG. Again, by touching the candidate display area 94, one of the displayed candidates is selected.

As described above, the display and selection means in this configuration is configured to select one from the candidates arranged in the table format.

[0100]

As described above, according to the camera information input apparatus and method according to the present invention, any one of the shutter speed, the aperture value, and the exposure correction amount can be changed regardless of the exposure mode. Can be configured.

Further, in the conventional method using two operating members, or in the method using a trackball disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 08-114826, two axes are used to set the shutter speed, the aperture value, and the exposure value according to the exposure mode. Since two of the parameters such as the correction amount were assigned, the operation was different depending on the exposure mode. However, according to the present invention, for example, the trackball was moved in the upper left direction. By rotating, regardless of the exposure mode,
The operation can be unified so that the shutter speed always becomes slow. Further, it becomes possible to intuitively understand how a parameter is changed by a certain operation. As described above, according to the camera information input device of the present invention, a camera having excellent operability can be obtained.

Further, at the time of AEB photographing, it is possible to simultaneously confirm the exposure conditions for a plurality of photographings. Further, it is possible to arbitrarily select an exposure condition desired by a photographer, which is difficult in the related art, to perform AEB photographing. As described above, according to the information input device for a camera according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a camera having not only excellent operability but also excellent functions.

In particular, many digital cameras are provided with a liquid crystal display panel for image confirmation. If this is used as the display means of the present invention, it is added to the display means for implementing the present invention. It is optimal because it does not require any cost. Also, with a digital camera, it is possible to delete a shot image and shoot without worrying about wasting film, so it is meaningful to select a good one from multiple shots with different exposure conditions by AEB shooting. large.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a main part configuration of an information input device according to an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of the camera according to the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a specific example of an input unit of the information input device of the camera according to the embodiment.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of display means of exposure condition candidates.

5 is an explanatory diagram of a display method of a selection pointer and a selection candidate of the display means of FIG. 4;

6 is an explanatory diagram of a display method of an AEB photographing order of the display means of FIG. 4;

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of an example in which the range is a line segment in the input method for specifying the range of the display means in FIG.

8 is an explanatory diagram of an example in which the range becomes a parallelogram in the input method of designating the range of the display means in FIG. 4;

FIG. 9 is an explanatory view of another display means of the exposure condition candidate.

10 is an explanatory diagram of a display method when candidates having the same shutter speed are displayed on the display unit of FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram of a display method when candidates having the same aperture value are displayed on the display unit of FIG. 9;

12 is an explanatory diagram of a display method when candidates having the same exposure correction amount are displayed on the display unit of FIG. 9;

FIG. 13 is a flowchart of an information input processing sequence of the camera according to the embodiment.

FIG. 14 is an information input processing sequence flowchart different from FIG. 13;

FIG. 15 is a processing sequence flowchart of displaying candidates (processing A) and receiving a selection operation (processing B) in FIGS. 13 and 14;

FIG. 16 is a sequence flowchart showing details of selection pointer transition (FIG. 15-S13) processing;

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Information input device 2 Camera (digital camera) 4 Exposure condition candidate graph 11 Selection input means 12 Microcomputer 13 Display means 14 Imaging mechanism drive means 15 Photometry means 22 Display panel 23 Trackball which is a part of input means 24 Input means Selection operation button 32, a rotation amount detection means for the first axis of the trackball 33, a rotation amount detection means for the second axis of the trackball 41 shutter speed value display 42 aperture value display 43 exposure correction amount display 44, etc. Shutter speed line 45 Iso-aperture value line 46 Iso-exposure correction amount line 47 Exposure condition candidate 51 Selection pointer display 52 Selection auxiliary line 53 Pointer indicated value highlight display 54 Selected candidate display 61 AEB shooting order display 63 AEB selection pointer display 64 Not displayed Candidate 71 Range selection start point candidate 72 Range Selection end point candidate 73 Selection range display (linear) 74 Selection range candidate 81 Selection range display (parallelogram shape) 91 Touch panel 93 Exposure correction amount display unit 94 Candidate display unit 95 Shutter speed operation unit 96 Aperture value operation unit 97 Exposure correction Quantity operation section

Claims (10)

[Claims] 1. A display unit for simultaneously displaying a plurality of possible combinations of a shutter speed, an aperture value, and an exposure correction amount, and selecting any of the combinations of exposure conditions indicated by the display unit. An information input device for a camera, comprising a selecting means for selecting. 2. An information input device for a camera according to claim 1, wherein said selection means specifies a certain range on said display means for a plurality of shootings (AEB shootings) with different exposures. An information input device for a camera, wherein a plurality of exposure condition candidates within the range are selected by a single operation. 3. The information input device for a camera according to claim 1, wherein said selection means is capable of sequentially adding a newly selected candidate to an already selected exposure condition candidate. An information input device for a camera, wherein a plurality of exposure condition candidates in each of the plurality of shootings (AEB shootings) are selected by repeating a selection operation. 4. The camera information input device according to claim 2, wherein said display means is configured to display a photographing order for each exposure condition candidate. Information input device. 5. A camera information input device according to claim 3, wherein the photographing order is determined in accordance with the order of the selection operation. 6. A plurality of possible combinations of a shutter speed, an aperture value, and an exposure correction amount are simultaneously displayed, and an arbitrary one of the displayed combinations of exposure conditions can be selected. Characteristic camera information input method. 7. The information input method for a camera according to claim 6, wherein the selection unit specifies a certain range on the display unit for a plurality of shootings (AEB shootings) with different exposures. A plurality of exposure condition candidates within the range are selected by a single operation. 8. The camera information input method according to claim 6, wherein said selecting means can sequentially add a newly selected candidate to an already selected exposure condition candidate. A camera information input method, which is configured as described above, and selects different exposure condition candidates in each of the plurality of shootings (AEB shootings) by repeating a selection operation. 9. The camera information input method according to claim 7, wherein said display means displays the order of photographing for each candidate of exposure condition. Information input method. 10. A camera information input method according to claim 8, wherein a photographing order is determined in accordance with an order of the selection operation.