Abstract: A camera which can obtain an image without image blur is disclosed. The camera which obtains a synthesized image whose exposure has been corrected by synthesizing a plurality of images obtained through successive image-taking, comprising: a detection unit which detects, with respect to a reference image, amounts of displacement on other images; a coordinate conversion unit which applies coordinate conversion to the other images based on the results of detection of the detection unit; and a synthesis unit which synthesizes the other images subjected to coordinate conversion and the reference image.

Abstract: A photographing device comprises a detecting unit for extracting at least one characteristic point in each image of multiple images and detecting movement of the characteristic point on another image as to a characteristic point on a reference image; a coordinate converting unit for performing coordinates conversion of the other image so as to match the characteristic point on the other image with the characteristic point on the reference image based on the detected results of the detecting unit; a synthesizing unit for synthesizing the reference image and the other image subjected to coordinates conversion by the coordinate converting unit; a determining unit for determining whether or not the characteristic points from the multiple images acquired by the image sensor can be extracted by the detecting unit; and a warning unit for warning users when the determining unit cannot extract characteristic points. A user-friendly photographing device can thus be provided.

Abstract: A photographing apparatus which realizes a taking lens barrel whose shape is not largely changed during panning or tilting shot, thereby being compact in size and easy to handle. In the photographing apparatus, an image pickup device (14i) outputs an electric signal from object light. A bending optical system (14) has a front lens (14f) and lens groups (14j, 14k, 14l, and 14m) and a mirror (14c) disposed between the front lens and the laminated lens 14j, to guide the object light to the image pickup device. A panning actuator (19) and a tilt actuator (15f) cause the mirror and the front lens or the lens groups to be pivotally moved in unison about respective different axes to thereby change a shooting direction.

Abstract: An image blur compensation apparatus includes first and second driving units (17a, 17b, 16a, 16b) having functionally equivalent members each other. A resultant force which acts on a holding unit (12) when in-phase driving signals of the same amount are applied to the first and second driving units differs in magnitude from a resultant force which acts on the holding unit when reverse-phase driving signals of the same amount are applied to the first and second driving units. The first and second driving units are arranged such that these resultant forces become perpendicular to each other.

Abstract: An image-taking apparatus which improves accuracy of taken images by correcting image blurring is disclosed. The image-taking apparatus comprises an image pickup element which photoelectrically converts an object image formed by an image-taking optical system; a detection sensor which detects vibration; and a control circuit which controls driving of a correcting lens unit being disposed in the image-taking optical system and correcting image blurring by moving within a plane substantially orthogonal to the optical axis.

Abstract: An image pickup apparatus includes a first detection unit for detecting a rotation shake, a first computation unit for processing a detection signal of the rotation shake into a rotation shake correction target value, a second detection unit for detecting a parallel shake in a plane surface perpendicular to an optical axis, a second computation unit for process a detection signal of the parallel shake into a parallel shake correction target value, a shake correction unit for correcting an image shake in the plane surface of the image pickup apparatus based on the rotation and parallel shake correction target values, an initialization unit for initializing the parallel shake correction target value, and a control unit for moving the shake correction unit based on an image pickup start instruction prior to an image pickup operation while initializing the parallel shake correction target value.

Abstract: An image sensing apparatus has a light flux splitter disposed between a lens that focuses light flux of an object image on an image sensing surface and that image sensing surface and that branches the light flux of the object image out of an image sensing light path, a light receiving unit that receives the light flux of the object image branched by the light flux splitter and obtains a signal for focusing control of the lens, and a holding unit that holds the light flux splitter at either an effective position within the image sensing light path or at a retracted position outside the image sensing light path. The image sensing apparatus automatically holds the light flux splitter at either the effective position or the retracted position depending on image sensing conditions.

Abstract: An image stabilizing system performs rotational-shake correction to increase focus precision so that shift shake correction can be performed with high precision based on highly accurate image magnification information obtained by the high focus precision.

Abstract: A camera which can obtain an image without image blur is disclosed. The camera which obtains a synthesized image whose exposure has been corrected by synthesizing a plurality of images obtained through successive image-taking, comprising: a detection unit which detects, with respect to a reference image, amounts of displacement on other images; a coordinate conversion unit which applies coordinate conversion to the other images based on the results of detection of the detection unit; and a synthesis unit which synthesizes the other images subjected to coordinate conversion and the reference image.

Abstract: An image stabilizing apparatus is disclosed which is capable of sufficiently correcting shift shakes even with a small and lightweight accelerometer. The apparatus includes an angular velocity detector which detects angular velocity generated by a shake, an angular velocity computing unit which processes an angular velocity signal, the unit processing the angular velocity signal with a first frequency characteristic, an acceleration detector which detects acceleration generated by the shake, an acceleration computing unit which processes an acceleration signal, the unit processing the acceleration signal with a second frequency characteristic having a signal processing band narrower than the first frequency characteristic, an adder which adds an output signal from the angular velocity computing unit to an output signal from the acceleration computing unit, and an image stabilizing mechanism which performs an image stabilizing operation based on an output signal from the adder.

Abstract: What is disclosed is an image stabilizing apparatus and an image pickup apparatus that can detect shift shake reliably with a simple configuration and make highly accurate image blur correction possible even at very short subject distances. The apparatus has angular velocity detection means for detecting angular velocity generated by shake of the apparatus, acceleration detection means for detecting acceleration generated by the shake, calculation means for calculating a correction value from the angular velocity, acceleration correction means for correcting the acceleration based on the shake correction value, and blur correction means for correcting image blur by decentering an optical axis based on an output of the acceleration correction means and an output of the calculation means.

Abstract: An image taking apparatus which takes a first and a second images by using an image pickup device is disclosed. The image taking apparatus comprises a controller which detects a displacement amount of the second image with respect to the first image which is a reference image and performs predetermined processing at stages of pre-exposure for object observation and exposure for image taking and a display unit which displays the first and the second images.

Abstract: An image sensing apparatus has a light flux splitter disposed between a lens that focuses light flux of an object image on an image sensing surface and that image sensing surface and that branches the light flux of the object image out of an image sensing light path, a light receiving unit that receives the light flux of the object image branched by the light flux splitter and obtains a signal for focusing control of the lens, and a holding unit that holds the light flux splitter at either an effective position within the image sensing light path or at a retracted position outside the image sensing light path. The image sensing apparatus automatically holds the light flux splitter at either the effective position or the retracted position depending on image sensing conditions.

Abstract: An optical apparatus is disclosed, which can take high-quality images by using light transmitted through a beam splitter. The optical apparatus comprises a light-receiving element and a beam splitter. The first surface of the beam splitter reflects part of incident light and transmits the other part of the incident light toward the light-receiving element. The second surface transmits other incident light other than the incident light to the first surface toward the light-receiving element. The transmittance of the second surface is set so that a light amount distribution on the light-receiving element may be substantially even in a case where the light is incident to the first and second surfaces from an object having a substantially even luminance.

Abstract: An image blur compensation apparatus includes first and second driving units (17a, 17b, 16a, 16b) having functionally equivalent members each other. A resultant force which acts on a holding unit (12) when in-phase driving signals of the same amount are applied to the first and second driving units differs in magnitude from a resultant force which acts on the holding unit when reverse-phase driving signals of the same amount are applied to the first and second driving units. The first and second driving units are arranged such that these resultant forces become perpendicular to each other.

Abstract: There is provided an optical apparatus that provides quick and precise TTL phase difference detection and pupil slicing focus detection. An optical apparatus includes a first optical element for splitting a first polarized light component contained in light that passes an exit pupil of a first optical system and directs to a photoelectric conversion element so that the first polarized light component direct to different light-receiving areas on the photoelectric conversion element. The optical apparatus may further include a second optical element for separating a second polarized light component contained in the light from said first optical element, from the first polarized light component.

Abstract: An image taking apparatus which takes a first and a second images by using an image pickup device is disclosed. The image taking apparatus comprises a controller which detects a displacement amount of the second image with respect to the first image which is a reference image and performs predetermined processing at stages of pre-exposure for object observation and exposure for image taking and a display unit which displays the first and the second images.

Abstract: A photographing apparatus which realizes a taking lens barrel whose shape is not largely changed during panning or tilting shot, thereby being compact in size and easy to handle. In the photographing apparatus, an image pickup device (14i) outputs an electric signal from object light. A bending optical system (14) has a front lens (14f) and lens groups (14j, 14k, 14l, and 14m) and a mirror (14c) disposed between the front lens and the laminated lens 14j, to guide the object light to the image pickup device. A panning actuator (19) and a tilt actuator (15f) cause the mirror and the front lens or the lens groups to be pivotally moved in unison about respective different axes to thereby change a shooting direction.

Abstract: An optical apparatus is disclosed, which can take high-quality images by using light transmitted through a beam splitter. The optical apparatus comprises a light-receiving element and a beam splitter. The first surface of the beam splitter reflects part of incident light and transmits the other part of the incident light toward the light-receiving element. The second surface transmits other incident light other than the incident light to the first surface toward the light-receiving element. The transmittance of the second surface is set so that a light amount distribution on the light-receiving element may be substantially even in a case where the light is incident to the first and second surfaces from an object having a substantially even luminance.

Abstract: An image-taking apparatus which improves accuracy of taken images by correcting image blurring is disclosed. The image-taking apparatus comprises an image pickup element which photoelectrically converts an object image formed by an image-taking optical system; a detection sensor which detects vibration; and a control circuit which controls driving of a correcting lens unit being disposed in the image-taking optical system and correcting image blurring by moving within a plane substantially orthogonal to the optical axis.