Abstract: A focus estimating device has an area setting unit which sets an area in which focusing of an image is determined and divides the area into a plurality of blocks, a block selecting unit which selects a block to be used for focus determination, a block focus determination unit which performs focus determination for each block from an edge in each color component of the block selected by the block selecting unit, and a focus determination unit which determines focusing of the area based on the focus determination.

Abstract: An image capture apparatus and control method thereof that improve focus detection accuracy in scenes that have low luminance, contrast, and the like is disclosed. The image capture apparatus has a focus detection mode suited to scenes that have low luminance, contrast, and the like. In this focus detection mode, the focus detection is carried out on the basis of a frequency component extracted from an image signal to which a coefficient for correcting intensity differences between color components is not applied, or to which a coefficient having a lower difference among color components than the computed coefficient has been applied.

Abstract: Systems and methods described herein can adjust a search range generated by a camera using depth-assisted autofocus based in part on measuring focus values in a first search range. For example, in some embodiments, a method includes estimating a depth of an object to be captured in an image, determining a first range of lens positions based at least in part on the estimating, moving the lens of the camera to a plurality of lens positions within the first range of lens positions, capturing a plurality of images, the plurality of images being captured at one or more of the plurality of lens positions, generating one or more focus values based on the plurality of images, and determining one or more additional lens positions or a second range of lens positions based at least in part on the one or more focus values.

Abstract: The imaging apparatus of the present disclosure comprises the following structural elements: an optical system including at least one lens; an imaging element configured to form an object image with light collected by the optical system, and produce first image data; and an image processing section configured to calculate a distance to an object for the image, and produce second image data by providing the first image data with image processing. The image processing section sets a depth of field based on the calculated distance to the object, and carries out the image processing by applying the depth of field.

Abstract: An image pickup apparatus includes: a lens holding frame; a fixed frame; driving magnets arranged at the fixed frame such that magnetic poles are alternately reversed along an optical axis; driving coils arranged at the lens holding frame so as to be opposed respectively to the driving magnets; first detection portions that detect a position of the lens holding frame by detecting a change of a magnetic force of the respective driving magnets; a second detection portion, wherein when it is detected that the lens holding frame has reached a predetermined position, an output signal from the second detection portion at the time of the detection is set as a reference position, and position detection of the lens holding frame after the detection is performed based on the output signal from the second detection portion.

Abstract: A passive auto-focus device and method are disclosed herein. An embodiment of the passive auto-focus device comprises: a focus-searching-range decision circuit operable to compare a range of a variation area of a current scene with a predetermined range and determine a focus-searching range, in which the variation area is defined according to the comparison between the current scene and a preceding scene; a focal-distance-variation decision circuit operable to compare the definition pertaining to the focus-searching range with a first predetermined definition and generate a current step setting value; an image record generating circuit operable to generate first step image records in connection with the focus-searching range while the current step setting value indicates a first step and to generate second step image records in connection with the focus-searching range while the current step setting value indicates a second step, in which the first step is shorter than the second step.

Abstract: A control method of a head mounted display (HMD) is disclosed. The control method includes detecting a first route of a first moving object and a second route of a second moving object in front of the HMD, detecting a third route along which a user's eye gaze moves, setting the first moving object as a reference object if the detected first route identical with the detected third route, setting the second moving object as the reference object if the detected second route identical with the detected third route, and setting a focus of the camera unit on the set reference object based on a route of the set reference object and the detected third route.

Abstract: An image pickup apparatus detachably mounting a lens unit including a plurality of optical members includes an image pickup unit that accumulates charge in synchronization with a vertical synchronizing signal to generate an image signal, and a control unit that generates control information for each of the plurality of optical members of the mounted lens unit and communicates the control information with the lens unit in synchronization with the vertical synchronizing signal. The control unit is configured to perform a first communication in synchronization with the vertical synchronizing signal, and to perform a second communication, for controlling an optical member different to the optical before a next first communication that is performed in synchronization with a next vertical synchronizing signal. The first communication and the second communication are predetermined packet communications in which optical members to be controlled among the plurality of optical members are different from each other.

Abstract: A macro lens system includes, in this order from an object side: a positive first lens group; a negative second lens group; a positive third lens group; a negative fourth lens group; a positive fifth lens group; and a negative sixth lens group. The first lens group is constituted by three lenses. The second lens group, the fourth lens group, and the fifth lens group are independently moved in the direction of the optical axes thereof when focusing from an object at infinity to an object at a most proximate distance. The second lens group moves toward the image side and the fourth lens group moves toward the object side when focusing from an object at infinity to an object at a most proximate distance.

Abstract: An automatic focus adjustment method for transmitting, from a camera main body side to a lens side, a driving amount of a focus operation member configured to drive a lens, the automatic focus adjustment method includes, when a driving amount according to defocus of an object is transmitted, transmitting a driving permissible time of the focus operation member according to a control method of automatic focus adjustment as well. On the camera main body side, the driving permissible time is acquired according to the set control method of the automatic focus adjustment. On the lens side, drive control of the focus operation member is switched so that a driving time of the focus operation member satisfies the driving permissible time.

Abstract: An imaging apparatus comprising an image sensor including a plurality of focus detection pixels for generating a focus detection image and a plurality of imaging pixels for generating a captured image, a color ratio detection unit detecting a color ratio based on a pixel value output from a pixel in a position surrounding a processing target pixel, a color conversion unit generating a first pixel value by applying color conversion with the color ratio to a pixel value output from a pixel that is located in the predetermined direction of the processing target pixel, and an adding unit generating a third pixel value by adding a second pixel value output from the processing target pixel with the first pixel value having the same color as the second pixel value.

Abstract: A photographing screen is divided into a plurality of blocks, for each of which a determination is made as to whether there is motion and then motion information is detected. At the same time, motion information of an image pickup apparatus is detected using an angular velocity sensor. From these motion information, the photographing screen is separated into a background region and a subject region, and contrast values in the background region are calculated. If the proportion of blocks determined to be high-contrast blocks in the background region is greater than a threshold, photographing conditions are set such that the exposure time increases as the amount of movement of the image pickup apparatus decreases. If the proportion described above is less than or equal to the threshold, photographing conditions are set such that a plurality of images are captured with different exposure times.

Abstract: An image pickup apparatus comprising an imaging element for capturing an object image, and a sensor dedicated to focus detection for receiving light reflected from the object to output a signal for focus detection is provided. The image pickup apparatus carries out continuous shooting that sequentially exposes an imaging element. The image pickup apparatus acquires mode related information used in the determination of a focus adjusting mode applied to an interval between each of the exposures during the continuous shooting, and based on the acquired mode related information, determines either a first focus adjusting mode for calculating a defocus amount based on a signal output by the imaging element or a second focus adjusting mode for calculating the defocus amount based on a signal for focus detection output by the sensor dedicated for focus detecting, to be the focus adjusting mode applied to the interval between each of the exposures.

Abstract: Disclosed is a focus-detection device capable of performing phase-difference detection type focus detection using outputs of an image sensor, and a method for controlling the same. Phase differences between image signals each of which based on a light beam that has passed through different partial regions of an exit pupil of an imaging optical system, and an image signal based on a light beam that has passed through the entire region of the exit pupil is detected. Then, a defocus amount of the imaging optical system is computed using the sum of the phase differences.

Abstract: An image pickup apparatus capable of performing proper image evaluation in photographing a moving image by changing the exposure condition. An image pickup unit picks up an image of an object and a driving unit drives a focus lens in an optical axis direction. A control circuit controls a focus state of the object by causing the driving unit to move the focus lens in the optical axis direction. A focus evaluation value is acquired from each image. The control circuit causes the image pickup unit to pick up images of a multistage exposure image group by changing exposure time, selects an image according to exposure time, updates a direction of driving the focus lens using the focus evaluation value acquired from the selected image, and causes the driving unit to move the focus lens in the updated driving direction.

Abstract: In an embodiment, an electronic device includes circuitry configured to automatically execute exposures at a photographing range including at least a first region and a second region, with different focuses by a camera, and acquire first images generated by the exposures, and display a second image on a display based on the first images. A number of exposures at the photographing range of a first photographing and a second photographing are different. The first photographing is a case when a difference between a distance from the camera to the first subject and a distance from the camera to the second subject is greater than or equal to a first value. The second photographing is a case when the difference is smaller than the first value.

Abstract: An optimum low-pass filter effect according to various photographing condition parameters related to photographing conditions is obtained with flexibility without forcing the user to perform a troublesome manual operation in a photographing apparatus which drives an image sensor to obtain an optical low-pass filter effect. The photographing condition parameter setters set parameters related to photographing conditions. The image sensor drive controller changes the drive range of the image sensor and the optical low-pass filter effect, which are defined by the image sensor driver, based on the photographing condition parameters set by the photographing condition parameter setters.

Abstract: An image processing device obtains a depth information image representing a distribution of depth information about an object on the basis of first and second images that have different degrees of blurring and that are captured by an image sensor including groups each including pixels that obtain different color information about the object. The image processing device includes an extracting unit configured to extract signals, each corresponding to one of the pixels of each group, from the groups and generate first and second extracted images respectively corresponding to the first and second images, and a calculating unit configured to calculate the depth information image from a difference in degree of blurring between the first and second extracted images. The signals each corresponding to one of the pixels of each group and extracted from the groups are signals corresponding to pixels that obtain the same color information.

Abstract: An image-capturing apparatus of the present disclosure includes a focus lens, an image sensor that captures an object image formed via the focus lens and generates image data, and a controller that calculates a value relating to an in-focus position based on (i) first image data generated by the image sensor when the focus lens is at a first position and (ii) second image data generated by the image sensor when the focus lens is moved from the first position by a first moving amount and located at a second position, and the controller changing a next moving amount of the focus lens from the first moving amount based on the calculated value relating to the in-focus position.

Abstract: An automatic focusing apparatus includes: a first focus detector that detects a first focus evaluation value based on a phase difference; a second focus detector that detects a second focus evaluation value using a signal from an image pickup element; a focusing mechanism; a focus controller that controls the focusing mechanism based on the first focus evaluation value obtained by the first focus detector and the second focus evaluation value obtained by the second focus detector; and a speed setting unit that sets, in a process obtaining an in-focus state by using the focus controller, a driving speed for the focus controller to drive the focusing mechanism based on a first data detected by the first focus detector and the second focus evaluation value.

Abstract: A surveying apparatus comprises an observation optical system having an image sensor for outputting a digital image signal and a zoom optical system, a reference-pattern projection optical system for making a reference pattern enter the observation optical system in an infinity state and for forming an image on the image sensor, a rotation mechanism capable of rotating in two directions, a horizontal angle detector and a vertical angle detector for detecting a horizontal angle and a vertical angle of rotation in the two directions of the rotation mechanism, and an arithmetic control unit. The arithmetic control unit measures the horizontal angle and the vertical angle of a sighting point based on detection results of the horizontal angle detector and the vertical angle detector and based on a difference between the reference pattern on the image sensor and the sighting point of the observation optical system.

Abstract: Automatic focusing system is provided which comprises a mirror or a plurality of mirrors with a translation device. Automatic focusing can be made by the translation of mirror because focal plane can be changed by the translation of mirror. The translation device makes its motion by the electrostatic, electromagnetic and/or electrothermal forces. The mirror is controlled by the electrical signal from the image processor to get an in-focus image. Also the mirror can be controlled discretely. The image shift by translation is compensated by tilt of mirror and/or image processing.

Abstract: In a focus identification method for identifying different focuses of an object, discrete image data is acquired from captured images of an object. The images are captured by a charge coupled device (CCD) in motion of a measurement machine at a predetermined time period. The discrete image data includes definitions of the images and Z-coordinates of the CCD when capturing the images. Maxima and minima of the discrete image data are computed to establish intervals within the discrete image data. The intervals are selected one by one, and a curve is fitted according to the discrete image data at the selected interval. A peak value of the fitted curve is computed as one of focuses of the object when a goodness of fit of the fitted curve meets a predetermined criterion.

Abstract: An imaging device, includes: an imaging element including imaging pixels and phase difference detecting pixels, a calculating unit which calculates numerical information corresponding to a defocus amount using an image signal obtained by imaging by the phase difference detecting pixels whenever the imaging is performed by the imaging element, a difference calculating unit calculating with respect to at least three times of imaging which is continuously performed, a difference between the numerical information obtained by arbitrary imaging and the numerical information obtained by the imaging which is continuously performed after the arbitrary imaging, and a control unit which moves a focus lens to a focus position using the obtained numerical information when a variance of the obtained differences is smaller than a threshold value and controls a position of the focus lens not to be changed when the variance is equal to or larger than the threshold value.

Abstract: An imaging apparatus according to the present disclosure includes an imaging unit configured to generate image data by imaging an object image; a displaying unit configured to display the image data and a focus area superimposed on the image data, the focus area being a set of a plurality of focus frames; a determination unit configured to determine a number and positions of arbitrary focus frames selected from the focus area; and a control unit configured to control the imaging unit and the determination unit, and to perform focus processing on an image. The control unit performs the focus processing according to a plurality of selected focus frames when the determination unit determines that the plurality of selected focus frames are located at positions not adjacent to each other.

Abstract: A rotation angle detecting apparatus comprises a bearing holder, a rotation shaft rotatably supported by the bearing holder, a shaft portion space formed in the rotation shaft, a bearing holder space formed in the bearing holder, an angle detection pattern in the shaft portion space, a reference pattern and an image sensor in the bearing holder space, an optical system which exists across the shaft portion space and the bearing holder space and forms a projection image of the angle detection pattern and a projection image of the reference pattern on the image sensor, a photodetection switching means for selectively projecting the projection images of the angle detection pattern and the reference pattern onto the image sensor, and an arithmetic device for calculating a rotation angle of the rotation shaft based on a deviation between the reference pattern and the angle detection pattern received by the image sensor.

Abstract: Several methods for operating a built-in digital camera of a portable, handheld electronic device are described. In one embodiment, the device receives a user selection (e.g., tap, tap and hold, gesture) of a region displayed on the display screen (e.g., touch sensitive screen). A touch to focus mode may then be initiated in response to the user selection and exposure and focus parameters determined and adjusted. Then, an automatic scene detection mechanism can determine whether a scene has changed. If the scene has changed, then the touch to focus mode ends and a default automatic focus mode initiates. This mode sets a new exposure metering area and focus area prior to determining and adjusting exposure and focus parameters, respectively.

Abstract: A collimator unit includes an on-axis collimator tube fixedly attached to at least two off-axis collimator tubes. The off-axis collimator tubes are angled relative to the on-axis collimator tube. Each collimator tube can include a lens, a light source, and a target placed at the lens' focal point. The collimator tubes can be positioned within a housing such that the on-axis collimator tube is coaxial and centered with respect to the housing.

Abstract: A driving method of an imaging device, and a driving method of an imaging system set the number of unit cells based on signals output from a plurality of unit cells in a phase difference detection area within an imaging area to a number larger than the number of unit cells based on signals output from a plurality of unit cells in a range other than the phase difference detection area within the imaging area.

Abstract: Provided is an image pickup apparatus, including: a lens portion including a focus lens unit and a magnification-varying lens unit; an image pickup element movable in an optical axis direction; a moving unit for moving the image pickup element in the optical axis direction; a memory unit for storing, as a reference position, a position of the image pickup element serving as a reference in the optical axis direction, the position corresponding to a zoom position; an operation unit for operating a defocus amount; and a controller for controlling the moving unit to move the image pickup element based on the reference position and the defocus amount operated by the operation unit.

Abstract: A detection apparatus configured to detect a focus state based on an output signal from an image pickup element capable of outputting an image pickup signal and a phase-difference detection signal includes, a first calculation unit configured to calculate information related to a first phase difference based on the phase-difference detection signal output from the image pickup element, a second calculation unit configured to calculate information related to a second phase difference based on the image pickup signal output from the image pickup element, and a detection unit configured to detect the focus state based on the information related to the first phase difference and the second phase difference.

Abstract: An image capturing apparatus comprising an image forming pixel and a focus detection pixel arranged on a portion of the image forming pixel, an image sensor that converts a subject image formed by an imaging lens into an image signal, and a control unit that switches between a first mode in which, after the image sensor has been exposed, pixels of the image sensor are sequentially read out in an order in which the pixels are arranged, and a second mode in which a signal from the focus detection pixel and a signal from peripheral pixels are read out first.

Abstract: An image pickup apparatus includes an imaging optical system, an image pickup element including a plurality of pixels, a lens array configured such that rays from the same position on an object plane are incident on pixels of the image pickup element different from each other depending on a pupil region of the imaging optical system through which the ray passes, an image processing unit configured to perform image processing for the input image acquired by the image pickup element to generate the output images, and a control unit configured to drive the imaging optical system to perform focus control, the image processing unit is configured to acquire information on a refocus control range, and the control unit is configured to perform the focus control based on the information on the refocus control range.

Abstract: A liquid crystal lens imaging apparatus includes a lens group containing at least a liquid crystal lens, a drive circuit, an image collecting unit, and an image processing unit. The drive circuit is connected to the liquid crystal lens to drive the liquid crystal lens into an out-of-focus state or into an in-focus state. The image collecting unit is configured to collect light signal passing through the liquid crystal lens and to generate an image according to the light signal. When the liquid crystal lens is in the in-focus state, the image collecting unit generates an in-focus image of the light signal and, when the liquid crystal lens is in the out-of-focus state, the image collecting unit generates an out-of-focus image of the light signal. Further, the image processing unit is connected to the image collecting unit to receive both the in-focus image and the out-of-focus image and to process the in-focus image using the out-of-focus image to obtain a processed in-focus image as a final generated image.

Abstract: An imaging apparatus includes a light emission unit, an instruction unit, and a light emission determination unit. The light emission unit moves between a light and a non-light emission position. The instruction unit changes, in response to a user's manual operation, to a first state giving an instruction to prepare for capturing a subject's image. In response to setting the instruction unit to the first state, the light emission determination unit makes a light emission determination based on a captured scene. In response to setting the instruction unit to the first state and where the light emission determination unit determines that the light emission unit does not emit light, the light emission determination unit determines that the light emission unit emits light, in response to a user's operation for moving the light emission unit to the light emission position while the instruction unit is kept in the first state.

Abstract: A single focal length lens system includes a front lens unit having a positive refractive power, and a rear lens unit. The front lens unit includes a first lens unit having a positive refractive power, a second lens unit having a negative refractive power, and a third lens unit having a positive refractive power, and both the first lens unit and the second lens unit include a positive lens and a negative lens. The rear lens unit includes a focusing lens unit and a first predetermined lens unit. The first predetermined lens unit has a refractive power having a sign different from a refractive power of the focusing lens unit, and does not move at the time of focusing. The front lens unit does not include a lens which moves, and the rear lens unit does not include a lens which moves except at the time of focusing.

Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosure permit automated focusing of a camera module during assembly. The camera module can include an imaging device and a lens assembly that is movably mounted to a housing of the camera module. In certain embodiments, the automated focusing can include iteratively imaging a fixed set of reference markings, and successively quantifying the focusing quality of the camera module based at least on a defocus metric defined as a difference between a current spacing and a calibrated spacing among two of the imaged reference markings. The magnitude and sign of the defocus metric can guide, respectively, a magnitude and direction of the movement of the lens assembly relative to the imaging device. After successive adjustments yield a desired focusing quality of the camera module, the lens assembly can be locked in position and can be further processed according to a suitable camera module integration flow.

Abstract: A photographing lens and an electronic device including the same are provided. The photographing lens includes a first lens, a second lens, a meniscus third lens, a meniscus fourth lens, and a fifth lens. The first lens has a positive refractive power and an object side lens surface that is convex toward the object side. The second lens has negative refractive power and an image side lens surface that is convex toward the image side. The meniscus third lens has a positive refractive power and an image side lens surface that is concave toward the image side. The meniscus fourth lens has a positive refractive power and an image side lens surface that is convex toward the image side. The fifth lens has a negative refractive power and an image side lens surface that is concave toward the image side around an optical axis.

Abstract: A change in a subject is quickly sensed and a focusing lens is driven with degradation in durability and out-of-focus states of output video images due to driving of the focusing lens more than necessary avoided. To achieve the object described above, the invention relates to an imaging apparatus that controls a focusing lens based on a contrast signal provided from a video signal and includes a controller that performs first evaluation based on comparison between the value of the contrast signal and the value of a main threshold, performs second evaluation after the first evaluation based on comparison between the value of the contrast signal and a sub-threshold that is greater or smaller than the main threshold and is set to decrease or increase with the lapse of time, and performs focus control on the focusing lens based on a result of the second evaluation.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a method for warning a user about a distance between the user's eyes and a screen. The method includes: acquiring an image containing the user's eyes; obtaining the number of pixels between the user's eyes from the image; comparing the number of the pixels between the user's eyes with a preset value; and warning the user if the number of the pixels between the user's eyes is larger than the preset value.

Abstract: By conventional method, it is not possible to check whether or not a target subject is included in a range in which refocus can be performed at the time of image capturing or at the time of editing a captured image. An image processing apparatus includes a subject of interest specification unit configured to specify a subject of interest within a parallax image obtained by performing image capturing from a plurality of different viewpoints, and a notification unit configured to notify a user of a focused state of the specified subject of interest in an image to be generated by performing image combination processing using the parallax image.

Abstract: A terminal device includes a communication state obtain unit that obtains a state of wireless communication, a travel locus information generation unit that generates travel locus information, a reference locus information obtain unit that obtains reference locus information, a measurement unit that obtains a position of a movable body along a travel direction based on a matching between the travel locus information and the reference locus information, a mismatch detection unit that detects at least one of (i) mismatch degree between the travel locus information and the reference locus information in the matching, and (ii) a cause of mismatch in the matching, and a filtering unit that filters at least one of the travel locus information and the reference locus information. The measurement unit performs the matching before the filtering, which increases the measurement accuracy of the terminal device.

Abstract: The apparatus and methods for providing automatic and focused camera view over objects in motion. Camera view stream from a camera system is displayed on a user's mobile device. The invented system recognizes and highlights candidate objects in the camera view. After a user selects one or multiple candidate objects as the target object for view following, the system continuously computes the position and motion of the target object and it controls the camera orientation motion such that the aimpoint of the camera system follows the target object closely and at substantially the same velocity. The system also controls the camera zoom to achieve a reference object presentation ratio during view following. Meanwhile, the camera view stream is transferred to connected mobile devices and display devices. The camera view stream can also be recorded in video file for playback review and for video sharing through internet.

Abstract: An image processing device comprising: a determination section that, based on a factor defining a depth representing a permissible range for acceptable state of focus and on parallax computed by a parallax computation section, determines an operation movement ratio for converting an operation amount, that instructs movement of a focusing lens, into a movement amount of the focusing lens by using a function including the operation movement ratio as a dependent variable and an independent variable determined according to the factor and the parallax; and a control section that controls a movement section to move the focusing lens by an amount equivalent to a movement amount determined based on an operation movement ratio determined by the determination section and the operation amount.

Abstract: Provided is a zoom lens, including, in order from object side to image side: first and second lens units having positive and negative powers, respectively; and three or more lens units. An interval between adjacent ones of the lens units is changed during zooming. An N-th lens unit, where 5?N holds, counted from object side has negative refractive power, and moves to image side during focusing from infinite object to a close distance object. The N-th lens unit includes, in order from object side to image side, negative, positive, negative, and positive lenses. A focal length (fN) of N-th lens unit, a focal length (fT) of an entire system at telephoto end, a distance (o1N) from a surface vertex of N-th lens unit on object side to a front principal point position of N-th lens unit, and a length (dN) on optical axis of N-th lens unit are appropriately set.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus is designed to process pixel outputs of an imaging element including imaging pixels and phase-difference detecting pixels. The apparatus includes a pixel mixing unit and an image processing unit. The pixel mixing unit mixes the pixel outputs. The image processing unit corrects the pixel outputs to prevent the phase-difference detecting pixels from degrading image quality, by using at least one of information selected from a group consisting of the number of mixed pixel outputs of phase-difference detecting pixels having the same opening direction and the number of mixed pixel outputs of imaging pixels having the same opening direction.

Abstract: The present invention proposes a camera module and a method for driving the same, the camera module including an image pick-up unit including a lens to photograph an object, a lens transfer unit configured to move the lens of the image pick-up unit, a focusing driving unit configured to operate the lens transfer unit, and an ISP (Image Signal Processor) configured to select, as an auto-focused image, an image of the object by dividing an image area of the object photographed by the image pick-up unit to a plurality of sections, controlling the focusing driving unit to allow each section to be auto-focused and photographed, detecting and comparing a focusing level of same pixel from each image of the object photographed from each auto-focused section.

Abstract: An imaging apparatus is provided that includes an image sensor that receives light from an object through an imaging lens, a lens driver that moves the imaging lens, and an automatic focus detector that determines an in-focus lens position based on imaging data obtained from the image sensor, the automatic focus detector being capable of performing a focus detection operation with a second switch that is different from a release switch in that it includes a dynamic-image focus detector and a still-image focus detector, and the dynamic-image focus detector further including a focus detection operation selector that varies a focus detection operation controlled by the second switch in accordance with whether a video is being recorded.

Abstract: An image pickup apparatus is configured such that if a monitoring unit detects that a focus evaluation value changes as much as or more than a predetermined threshold, a monitoring state caused by the monitoring unit transitions to a focus adjustment state by minute driving. The predetermined threshold in the monitoring performed in an in-focus position obtained by hill-climbing driving is greater than the predetermined threshold in the monitoring performed in an in-focus position obtained by the minute driving.

Abstract: A focus adjusting process and apparatus are described which can optimize a balance between AF performance and appearance of moving image, regardless of a position or size of an enlarged area to be recorded in a moving image.