Abstract: When a hand shake reducing mode has been set for shooting a subject, an exposure is controlled in accordance with a program diagram (solid line) B for the shake reducing mode, which is different from a program diagram (broken line) A for a normal mode. In a state where a shutter speed is set to less than “ 1/80”, two-pixel addition and/or four-pixel addition is executed on an imaging signal to amplify subject luminance, raising ISO sensitivity. A shutter speed set to fall in a high speed range reduces deterioration in image quality due to hand shake and/or subject movement during a shooting operation.

Abstract: An electronic still camera has first and second gain controller circuits and a gain storage memory. The gain storage memory includes a first gain table for storing gains for an R amplifier and a B amplifier of the first gain controller circuit; and a second gain table for storing gains for an R amplifier and a B amplifier of the second gain controller circuit, during auto white balance control using light emission of a strobe. The gains of the second gain table are sequentially set to the second gain controller circuit to carry out white detection. Based on a result of the detection, a gain to be set to the first gain controller circuit is selected from the first gain table, and the selected gain is set to the first gain controller circuit.

Abstract: In a REC mode of an ordinary image pickup standby state, a main capacitor is connected to a side of a step-up/charging circuit via a switch, and the main capacitor is charged with electric power of a charging battery. When the REC mode is changed to other modes, the main capacitor is connected to a side of a step-down circuit by a switching operation of the switch. The step-down circuit steps down charging voltage of the main capacitor to 4.2 V to supply it to a power supply circuit of a camera, and steps down the charging voltage to 5 V to supply it to the charging battery which is a power supply of the camera. When it is no longer necessary to emit fill light, the electric power lost from the main capacitor due to natural discharge can automatically be utilized efficiently for operations other than the emission of the fill light.

Abstract: A camera comprises a lens and an LED array at its front. The LED array is composed of red, green and blue LEDs, which are individually turned on and off for light emitting purposes, as well as changeable in their quantities of red, green and blue lights to be emitted under control of an MPU. Thus, the LED array is capable of emitting light having any color having a different brightness by controlling the respective quantities of red, green and blue lights to be emitted by the corresponding LEDs. That is, the camera is capable of irradiating an object with light having a desired color for image pickup.

Abstract: A camera apparatus comprises an auto focus controller configured to control a focus lens to move to a focal position, a moving distance acquiring unit configured to acquire a moving distance of a main body of the camera apparatus after the focus lens is moved to the focal position by the auto focus controller, and a focus correction unit configured to correct a position of the focus lens based on the moving distance acquired by the moving distance acquiring unit.

Abstract: A first gain value table stores gain values set in R and B amplifiers of a first gain adjusting circuit, and a second gain value table stores gain values set in R and B amplifiers of a second gain adjusting circuit. The gain values from the second gain value table are sequentially set in the second gain adjusting circuit to detect white portions. Based on the detection of the white portions, a gain value to be set in the first gain adjusting circuit is selected from the first gain value table, to obtain an image that maintains white balance.

Abstract: In a digital camera 1, when the halfway depression operation of the shutter button is detected, the lens position which is in focus for each capture area is detected and stored. On the other hand, when instruction to record is detected, intensity of light is sequentially read out at the stored lens position from the capture area associated with the lens position and the image data is generated. Accordingly, it is possible to acquire image data which is in focus on all objects that have been imaged by the CMOS sensor 4.

Abstract: An image capturing apparatus comprises an image capturing unit, a first storage unit configured to store sample images and corresponding image capture frame rates, a display unit configured to display the sample images stored in the first storage unit at a predetermined frame rate, a detecting unit configured to detect a confirmation signal indicating an image capture frame rate corresponding to a sample image selected from the sample images, a driving unit configured to drive the image capturing unit at the image capture frame rate indicated by the confirmation signal, and a second storage unit configured to store image data captured by the image capturing unit.

Abstract: In quickview display processing, a counter N is set to an initial value of 1, and a counter L is set to 4 times the counter N. Then, from a storage memory, the Lth frame of image data in frame data recorded by high-speed consecutive photographing is extracted, and an image based on this extracted image data is displayed by a display device. Consequently, by iteratively executing the processing according to this flowchart, the fourth, eighth, twelfth, etc., frames of image data are read from the frame data, and as a result of the displaying of the extracted image and passage of a redetermined time, images based on these read image data, being every fourth frame of the frame data, are displayed at a predetermined time interval by the display device.

Abstract: In an imaging apparatus having LED 1j for emitting light toward an object, an imaging unit 1 having CCD id generates a first object image with LED 1j emitting light and a second object image with LED 1j emitting no light. Average brightness of the first object image and average brightness of the second object image are calculated. Brightness difference between the average brightness of the first object image and the average brightness of the second object image is calculated. Brightness difference of the object is obtained using the calculated brightness difference between the first and second object images, and under control of CPU 9, a process is executed for adjusting exposure conditions based on the brightness difference of the object.

Abstract: When picking up an image including an object, an imaging apparatus displays the picked-up image on a display unit, and stores the image in a first storage unit. Then, the imaging apparatus performs such control as to extract the contour of an object image in the image stored in the first storage unit, and to display the contour together with the object image on the display unit. A first correction unit then corrects the object image, from which the contour is extracted, into a circular shape, and the corrected object image is stored in a second storage unit.

Abstract: When an auxiliary emission auto focus has been set by operation and through image display is started, a CPU 9 starts an operation of acquiring a single frame among those sequentially picked up at a predetermined interval. Next, the CPU 9 calculates an EV value, judges whether a LED 16 state. If the LED 16 is in the ON state, the CPU 9 judges the calculated EV value. If the EV value is equal to or more than EV5, the CPU 9 images a single frame after temporarily turning OFF the LED 16, and then turns the LED 16 ON to judge whether the shooting scene is really dark. Next, the CPU 9 calculates the EV value. When judged that the EV value is not equal to or less than EV3, the CPU 9 judges that the shooting scene is not dark and turns OFF the LED 16.

Abstract: In a digital camera 1, when the halfway depression operation of the shutter button is detected, the lens position which is in focus for each capture area is detected and stored. On the other hand, when instruction to record is detected, intensity of light is sequentially read out at the stored lens position from the capture area associated with the lens position and the image data is generated. Accordingly, it is possible to acquire image data which is in focus on all objects that have been imaged by the CMOS sensor 4.

Abstract: An image capturing apparatus includes a power source controller for controlling a power supply to the image capturing apparatus to be in one of: (i) an on state, and (ii) an off state. A detector detects when any one of a plurality of operation members of the image capturing apparatus is operated when the power supply is in the off state. A brightness acquiring section controls an image capturing unit of the image capturing apparatus to acquire a brightness of an environment of the image capturing apparatus, when the detector detects that one of the operation members has been operated when the power supply is in the off state. A determining section determines whether or not the acquired brightness is above a predetermined level. And an image capturing controller permits the image capturing unit to capture an image of a subject only if the determining section determines that the acquired brightness is above the predetermined level.

Abstract: A camera comprises a lens and an LED array at its front. The LED array is composed of red, green and blue LEDs, which are individually turned on and off for light emitting purposes, as well as changeable in their quantities of red, green and blue lights to be emitted under control of an MPU. Thus, the LED array is capable of emitting light having any color having a different brightness by controlling the respective quantities of red, green and blue lights to be emitted by the corresponding LEDs. That is, the camera is capable of irradiating an object with light having a desired color for image pickup.

Abstract: When a hand shake reducing mode has been set for shooting a subject, an exposure is controlled in accordance with a program diagram (solid line) B for the shake reducing mode, which is different from a program diagram (broken line) A for a normal mode. In a state where a shutter speed is set to less than “ 1/80”, two-pixel addition and/or four-pixel addition is executed on an imaging signal to amplify subject luminance, raising ISO sensitivity. A shutter speed set to fall in a high speed range reduces deterioration in image quality due to hand shake and/or subject movement during a shooting operation.

Abstract: A data region is provided to a non-effective pixel region, which is not used in generating an image, that constitutes a photosensitive surface of a solid-state image sensor. On a micro lens in predetermined pixels of the data region, a black film is selectively formed. Pixels having the black film are recognized as “0”, and other pixels are recognized as “1”. Individual information of the image sensor is stored in the data region, as digital information. The image sensor outputs an imaging signal including the individual information under a predetermined condition. By determining the value of each pixel in the data region based on the imaging signal, the individual information is read. The read individual information is stored to a predetermined memory. In this way, the individual information can be obtained from the solid-state image sensor built into an imaging device, and set to the imaging device.

Abstract: Upon depression of a shutter key of a key input unit, a sensed image (DATA1) is captured by exposing a CCD for exposure time T1 with a mechanical shutter opened, and a dark frame image (DATA2) is captured by exposing the CCD for exposure time Ta with the mechanical shutter closed. A correction value corresponding to exposure time T1 is then determined by looking up a correction data table stored in a storage area of a data memory, and DATA2 is corrected using the determined correction value. By subtracting the corrected DATA2 from DATA1, a dark output component contained in DATA1 is removed.

Abstract: An image and sound recording operation is performed, and image data is successively recorded on a memory (S201). It is judged whether or not a current waveform has reached a threshold value to determine if the current waveform becomes ON (S202). When the current waveform is not ON, sound data detected by a microphone is stored in the memory at step S205 without performing processes at steps S203 and S204. When the current waveform is ON, and a zoom motor starts its rotation, zoom sound data previously stored in the memory is read out therefrom at step S203. Further, a subtracting process is performed at step S204 to subtracting a zoom sound from sound data of the surroundings obtained by the microphone and an audio signal processing circuit, and the resultant data is stored in the memory as sound data to be stored at step S205.

Abstract: There is provided an illumination apparatus used for imaging a moving picture made up of a plurality of frames, and for irradiating an auxiliary light from a light source constituted by one or a plurality of LEDs onto a photo-object. The one or plurality of LEDs are duty-driven by a duty ratio smaller than 100% during an imaging period (during a period for exposing a CCD) of a frame period. The heat releasing effect and-the light emitting efficiency can be improved as compared to a case where the LEDs are successively turned on during an imaging period. As a result, the light emitting intensity at the time the light emitting diodes are turned on can be heightened with the amount of consumed electricity unchanged, and the light emitting efficiency of the light emitting diodes can be improved.