Abstract: A photographing apparatus and method for recognizing an object such as a face in an image. The photographing apparatus includes: an optical system comprising a focus lens; a photoelectric transformation element transforming light information into an electrical signal; an image signal processor outputting the electrical signal as an image signal; a first distance measurer detecting face region data corresponding to a face from the image signal, comparing the face region data with standard face data, and obtaining a first object distance from the photographing apparatus to the face; a second distance measurer detecting a focus position for the face and obtaining a second object distance from the photographing apparatus to the face; and a face recognizer comparing the first and second object distances and recognizing that the face region data includes data corresponding to the face.

Abstract: An imaging device that can shorten focus searching search times and enable correct focusing in accordance with shooting conditions. An autofocus function operates when a shutter button of a digital camera is half-pressed. At this time, a current shooting mode, which was selected in advance by a photographer operating a variety of buttons, is acquired. In accordance with the acquired shooting mode, a focusing lens moves to a search start position. Also, a direction in which the focusing lens will move is decided in accordance with the shooting mode. The focusing lens is moved and an in-focus position is thereby found. Then the focusing lens is adjusted to the in-focus position.

Abstract: Provided are a color temperature compensating imaging apparatus and an method, which are used to acquire good image quality under mixed light (MIX light) conditions. The apparatus includes a gain acquisition unit for acquiring gains of color signals to control a white balance of an image of a subject; an illumination unit including a light source of which illumination color temperature is controlled when the subject is illuminated; and an illumination control unit that calculates the illumination color temperature based on the acquired gains, and adjusts the illumination device color temperature.

Abstract: An imaging device is provided. The imaging device can maintain a constant angle of view even if a focal distance of an entire lens system changes as a focusing lens moves. The imaging device includes an image sensor, a focusing lens, a lens driver, an image generator, a magnification changing rate obtaining unit, and a size changer. The image sensor shoots a snap shot of an object, and the focusing lens performs focusing on the object. The lens driver drives the focusing lens to a plurality of focal points for the object, and the image generator generates an image on the basis of a photograph signal from the image sensor. The magnification changing rate obtaining unit obtains a magnification changing rate for each focal point such that an angle of view for each image photographed at each focal point of the focusing lens is maintained constant. The size changer changes the size of the image on the basis of the magnification changing rate.

Abstract: An imaging device capable of sensing overall luminous intensity and determining whether to turn off an illumination device. The imaging device can capture a moving picture, and includes a light emitting unit for emitting light on a subject, a light measuring unit for detecting the brightness level of the subject, and a light emitting intensity controller for controlling the light emitting intensity from the light emitting unit. The light emitting intensity controller controls the light emitting unit to emit light having different intensities on the subject for a period of time corresponding to at least one frame, and reduces the light emitting intensity of the light emitting unit or adjusts the light emitting intensity to a value of ‘0’ based on the brightness level of the subject on which the light having different intensities is emitted.

Abstract: A photographing apparatus and method for recognizing an object such as a face in an image. The photographing apparatus includes: an optical system comprising a focus lens; a photoelectric transformation element transforming light information into an electrical signal; an image signal processor outputting the electrical signal as an image signal; a first distance measurer detecting face region data corresponding to a face from the image signal, comparing the face region data with standard face data, and obtaining a first object distance from the photographing apparatus to the face; a second distance measurer detecting a focus position for the face and obtaining a second object distance from the photographing apparatus to the face; and a face recognizer comparing the first and second object distances and recognizing that the face region data includes data corresponding to the face.

Abstract: It the image capturing apparatus, if AF control is carried out by illuminating an object with AF auxiliary light, then when the auxiliary light is emitted, exposure for the AF control is set according to an EV value determined by illuminating the object with the auxiliary light. Thus, even if the AF auxiliary light needs to be emitted, the AF control can be accurately carried out with the appropriate exposure setting.

Abstract: In a divisional process for determining which of a camera mode, an OFF mode, and an audio mode is set by a mode setting switch, a process to close a lens cover of a taking lens is performed when the audio mode is set for achieving an audio play function that is unrelated to functions of a camera.

Abstract: A digital camera has a plurality of shooting modes such as a day scenic shooting mode, a night scenic shooting mode and a person shooting mode and displays a composition assist frame selected from a plurality of composition assist frames on a liquid crystal monitor to assist composition. If a user sets the person shooting mode by a mode dial, one or more composition assist frames that are suitable for a person shooting are extracted from the plurality of the composition assist frames, and the user selects one of the extracted composition assist frames by a left key and a right key of a cross key. Therefore, the appropriate composition assist frame can be automatically or easily selected.

Abstract: An imaging device that can shorten focus searching search times and enable correct focusing in accordance with shooting conditions. An autofocus function operates when a shutter button of a digital camera is half-pressed. At this time, a current shooting mode, which was selected in advance by a photographer operating a variety of buttons, is acquired. In accordance with the acquired shooting mode, a focusing lens moves to a search start position. Also, a direction in which the focusing lens will move is decided in accordance with the shooting mode. The focusing lens is moved and an in-focus position is thereby found. Then the focusing lens is adjusted to the in-focus position.

Abstract: An imaging device is provided. The imaging device can maintain a constant angle of view even if a focal distance of an entire lens system changes as a focusing lens moves. The imaging device includes an image sensor, a focusing lens, a lens driver, an image generator, a magnification changing rate obtaining unit, and a size changer. The image sensor shoots a snap shot of an object, and the focusing lens performs focusing on the object. The lens driver drives the focusing lens to a plurality of focal points for the object, and the image generator generates an image on the basis of a photograph signal from the image sensor. The magnification changing rate obtaining unit obtains a magnification changing rate for each focal point such that an angle of view for each image photographed at each focal point of the focusing lens is maintained constant. The size changer changes the size of the image on the basis of the magnification changing rate.

Abstract: An imaging device that can shorten focus searching search times and enable correct focusing in accordance with shooting conditions. An autofocus function operates when a shutter button of a digital camera is half-pressed. At this time, a current shooting mode, which was selected in advance by a photographer operating a variety of buttons, is acquired. In accordance with the acquired shooting mode, a focusing lens moves to a search start position. Also, a direction in which the focusing lens will move is decided in accordance with the shooting mode. The focusing lens is moved and an in-focus position is thereby found. Then the focusing lens is adjusted to the in-focus position.

Abstract: An image taking apparatus comprises an angular velocity sensor for detecting a blur of the digital camera, an integration circuit for integrating output signals outputted from the angular velocity sensor during an integration duration associated with a predetermined blur detection duration, a decision circuit for deciding whether an integration result in the integration circuit is over a predetermined threshold, a warning issuing circuit for issuing warning image data representative of a warning image when the integration result is over the predetermined threshold, and a liquid crystal display screen for displaying a warning image together with the subject image, when the integration result is over the predetermined threshold, when the subject image based on the image data obtained through an image taking operation is displayed.

Abstract: It the image capturing apparatus, if AF control is carried out by illuminating an object with AF auxiliary light, then when the auxiliary light is emitted, exposure for the AF control is set according to an EV value determined by illuminating the object with the auxiliary light. Thus, even if the AF auxiliary light needs to be emitted, the AF control can be accurately carried out with the appropriate exposure setting.

Abstract: A user's point of departure (Airport A) and point of arrival (Airport B) are read from boarding-ticket information that has been recorded on an airplane boarding ticket. Areas indicating the departure and arrival points that have been read are displayed on a display screen and the user designates the airport at which printed images are to be picked up. The printing of the images is ordered at the point of departure. When the user reaches the airport that is the designated point of arrival, the ordered images will have already been printed and, hence, the user picks up the prints at the arrival point. This makes it possible to pick up prints immediately at a point along one's journey.

Abstract: A digital camera has a plurality of shooting modes such as a day scenic shooting mode, a night scenic shooting mode and a person shooting mode and displays a composition assist frame selected from a plurality of composition assist frames on a liquid crystal monitor to assist composition. If a user sets the person shooting mode by a mode dial, one or more composition assist frames that are suitable for a person shooting are extracted from the plurality of the composition assist frames, and the user selects one of the extracted composition assist frames by a left key and a right key of a cross key. Therefore, the appropriate composition assist frame can be automatically or easily selected.

Abstract: In a divisional process for determining which of a camera mode, an OFF mode, and an audio mode is set by a mode setting switch, a process to close a lens cover of a taking lens is performed when the audio mode is set for achieving an audio play function that is unrelated to functions of a camera.

Abstract: An imaging device that can shorten focus searching search times and enable correct focusing in accordance with shooting conditions. An autofocus function operates when a shutter button of a digital camera is half-pressed. At this time, a current shooting mode, which was selected in advance by a photographer operating a variety of buttons, is acquired. In accordance with the acquired shooting mode, a focusing lens moves to a search start position. Also, a direction in which the focusing lens will move is decided in accordance with the shooting mode. The focusing lens is moved and an in-focus position is thereby found. Then the focusing lens is adjusted to the in-focus position.

Abstract: A picture-taking system includes a film camera for capturing a photographic image of a subject on photosensitive film, and a video camera having a solid-state electronic image sensing device 12, for outputting a video signal representing the photographic image of the subject. Essentially the same photographic image of the subject is photographed by both the film camera and the video camera under a single strobe flash generated by a strobe light-emission device 40. To achieve this synchronized photography and simplify the synchronized photography control system, it is arranged so that the video camera responds to a photographic trigger signal from a shutter switch by generating, and applying to the film camera, a shutter release signal the vertical synchronizing signal of the video camera as a reference. The shutter of the film camera starts opening in response to the shutter release signal.