Abstract: An object of the present invention is to generate an image which is prevented from being influenced by a movement while suppressing increase in noise components. When a movement is detected during exposure of an image capturing device to light, an image capturing apparatus stops the exposure of the image capturing device and amplifies an image signal obtained with the exposure, thereby compensating exposure shortage. Luminance information is extracted from a captured image, and color information is extracted from a live view image obtained at a timing different from a timing at which the captured image is obtained. By synthesizing the luminance information of the captured image and the color information of the live view image, noise components included in color information are reduced.

Abstract: An image capturing system comprises a camera body provided with an IC tag reader, and an interchangeable lens capable of being attached to and detached from the camera body. The interchangeable lens is provided with an IC tag storing information for example about shading correction of the interchangeable lens. When the interchangeable lens is attached to the camera body in this image capturing system, the IC tag reader reads the stored information from the IC tag for use in shading correction. Thus the use of the IC tag facilitates processing corresponding to an interchangeable lens.

Abstract: With an image capturing apparatus placed in a photographing condition specification mode, a controller sets a plurality of photographing conditions corresponding to a variable condition item in response to the selection of the variable condition item by a user. Thereafter, the user manipulates a rear manipulation part to specify a specific photographing condition regarding the variable condition item prior to an actual photographing operation. In response to a photographing start instruction given by a press of a shutter release button, a plurality of images corresponding to the respective photographing conditions regarding the variable condition item are acquired in time sequence and temporarily stored in a memory. Then, a single image that most satisfies the specific photographing condition specified prior to the actual photographing operation is automatically extracted from among the plurality of images temporarily stored in the memory, and is stored in a memory card.

Abstract: In a recording mode, when a shutter release button is pressed with a panning mode being selected as a result of press of a panning-mode button, plural pre-combined images are captured through continuous photographing using an image sensor. After continuous photographing, partial images (moving-subject images) each showing a moving subject which is located differently among the pre-combined images are detected in an image combiner. Then, the plural pre-combined images are combined such that respective positions of the detected moving-subject images in the pre-combined images are substantially identical to one another, to create one frame of composite image. In the created composite image, while the moving subject is frozen, a background (objects other than the moving subject) appears to flow because of differences in positional relationship between the moving subject and the background among the pre-combined images.

Abstract: In a photographing condition specification mode, a user manipulates or presses a rear manipulation part to select at least one variable condition item from among photographing condition items: “focusing,” “exposure,” “white balance” and the like. In an actual photographing operation, a plurality of images corresponding to respective stepwise different photographing conditions regarding the variable condition item are acquired in time sequence and temporarily stored in a memory. Then, an evaluation area is specified in accordance with user's manipulation or press of the rear manipulation part. The single image that most satisfies an appropriate condition regarding the variable condition item is extracted from among the images temporarily stored in the memory, and is stored in a memory card. The remaining images are, for example, deleted.

Abstract: The image capturing apparatus can perform image capturing at a high frame rate higher than a frame rate used for displaying a moving image. In image capturing with flashlight in the image capturing apparatus, the high frame rate is set and three images are successively captured while increasing the light emission amount of the flashlight in order. A region in the lower portion of the image captured first, a region in the center portion of the image captured second, and a region in the upper portion of the image captured third, the exposure level being proper in each of these regions, are extracted and combined. As a result, a high-quality synthetic image in which exposure is proper from the front side to the deep side in image capturing in a room can be generated.

Abstract: The image capturing apparatus can perform an image capturing operation at a frame rate which is three times as high as a frame rate for displaying a moving image. At the time of moving image capturing, an operation of capturing three kinds of frame images is repeated while changing a focus condition in three levels of, for example, a focus backward of an infocus position on a main subject, a focus in the infocus position, and a focus forward of the infocus position. With this operation, a moving image constructed by images in which focus is achieved on a backward car, a moving image constructed by images in which focus is achieved on a car in the center, and a moving image constructed by images in which focus is achieved on a forward car can be recorded. As a result, moving images with three kinds of different image capturing conditions can be easily captured by a single image capturing operation.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to generate an image which is prevented from being influenced by a movement while suppressing increase in noise components. When a movement is detected during exposure of an image capturing device to light, an image capturing apparatus stops the exposure of the image capturing device and amplifies an image signal obtained with the exposure, thereby compensating exposure shortage. Luminance information is extracted from a captured image, and color information is extracted from a live view image obtained at a timing different from a timing at which the captured image is obtained. By synthesizing the luminance information of the captured image and the color information of the live view image, noise components included in color information are reduced.

Abstract: A digital camera 1 comprises an EVF 22 whose frame rate is changeable. Image data captured by a CCD 41 are transferred to each processing part via a bus line 45. During continuous frame recording of the digital camera 1, the CCD 41, an image processing part 55, a video controller 56, a compression part 57 and a memory card controller 58 respectively perform the respective processing in parallel, and the volume of data transferred on the bus line 45 reaches a peak. Hence, during continuous frame recording, the video controller 56 reduces the frame rate of the EVF 22, to thereby suppress the volume of data transferred on the bus line 45. This lowers a load upon the digital camera 1.

Abstract: The present invention provides a digital camera capable of reducing its power consumption. A digital camera includes a microprocessor (central processing unit), peripheral processing circuits for executing a data process on image data so as to share with the microprocessor, and a clock supplying circuit for supplying clocks to the microprocessor. In the digital camera, when the microprocessor requests the peripheral processing circuits to perform at least a part of the data process, thereby satisfying a condition such that a process to be shared and executed by the microprocessor does not exist, the clock supplying circuit stops supplying clocks to the microprocessor.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a receiving device for receiving image data for an original image; a dividing device for dividing the image data into a plurality of small blocks, each of the small blocks containing a plurality of pixels; a first determining device for determining an attribute of each of the plurality of the small blocks; and a second determining device for determining an attribute of an area that includes the plurality of the small blocks based on the attributes of the small blocks.

Abstract: An image sensing device, such as an electronic camera, has different operating modes that are suited for sensing images of documents and sensing images of landscapes and the like. In the document mode, since information in the document is important, the image sensor is set at a maximum resolution. In the landscape mode, the resolution is varied in accordance with image brightness, to optimize the exposure conditions. Additional image processing is carried out in the document mode to enhance the sensed image and increase the efficiency with which memory is utilized.