Abstract: One objective of the present invention is to provide a digital camera wherein a shooting process mode can be set easily in a short period of time. The digital camera includes a lens, an image pickup device, a driver, an analog signal processor, an A/D converter, a digital signal processor, an output memory, a compressor/decompressor, a system controller, a media interface, an image monitor, and an operation unit including a shutter release button. The operating condition signal of the shutter release button, of a two-stage stroke type, is transmitted to the system controller, the halfway-pressed period is detected by a halfway-pressed period measuring unit, and the shooting process mode consonant with the halfway-pressed period is determined by a shooting process mode determination unit. Under the control of the system controller, the shooing process is performed in the determined shooting process mode.

Abstract: One objective of the present invention is to provide a digital camera wherein a shooting process mode can be set easily in a short period of time. The digital camera includes a lens, an image pickup device, a driver, an analog signal processor, an A/D converter, a digital signal processor, an output memory, a compressor/decompressor, a system controller, a media interface, an image monitor, and an operation unit including a shutter release button. The operating condition signal of the shutter release button, of a two-stage stroke type, is transmitted to the system controller, the halfway-pressed period is detected by a halfway-pressed period measuring unit, and the shooting process mode consonant with the halfway-pressed period is determined by a shooting process mode determination unit. Under the control of the system controller, the shooing process is performed in the determined shooting process mode.