Abstract: A method for determining the current camera aperture (working aperture) of lenses on digital cameras having a viewfinder eyepiece and internal exposure measurement through the lens is wherein a further external exposure measurement is carried out past the lens and the value of the working aperture is determined from a reference table stored in the digital camera from the difference ?BV between the two measured exposure values BV(int) and BV(ext). A digital camera suitable for carrying out the method wherein outside the region covered by the lens tube, the housing of the digital camera has an additional window for a further exposure meter with an upstream optics that is directed onto the subject and serves to restrict the shooting angle, and includes a memory for a reference table for determining the aperture value.

Abstract: A selectable threshold multimode gain control apparatus and method for a charge coupled device (CCD) or CMOS imaging system includes an automatic gain control (AGC) circuit which continuously controls gain in said CCD system to produce a mutually continuous combined target gain level. A processing system for an imager device includes a camera system for producing an imager signal, a correlated double sample (CDS) circuit for receiving data from an imager, a variable gain amplifier (VGA), an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) coupled to said CDS circuit, a digital gain circuit (DGC) coupled to said ADC, and an automatic gain control (AGC) circuit coupled to said DGC for controlling the CDS circuit and the DGC, as well as shutter timing for shutter gain.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for managing a DSS (Digital Slow Shutter) mode in a monitoring camera. When an iris of the monitoring camera is maximally opened and a shutter speed is minimum, the DSS mode is set. In the DSS mode, a video frame inputted in a predetermined cycle is stored in a memory. A plurality of video frames stored in the memory are synthesized into a monitoring video frame. The monitoring video frame is outputted irrespective of a luminance thereof. When the memory is full of the video frames, an oldest stored video frame is replaced with a newly inputted video frame. The monitoring video frame can be consecutively outputted in a predetermined cycle even though the monitoring camera operates in the DSS mode. The monitoring video frame based on a bright luminance level can be outputted, such that a monitoring function is enhanced.

Abstract: In a digital camera 1, in an automatic shooting stand-by state, when judged at Step S26 that an automatic shooting condition has been satisfied (N at Step S26), whether or not to issue an AE re-processing command is judged. In other words, whether or not the current shooting condition is similar to a condition where an automatic shooting condition is satisfied is judged. When judged to issue the AE re-processing command, exposure tracking in an aperture-priority mode is performed (S28), and shooting exposure conditions excluding the aperture value for still-image shooting in the aperture-priority mode are determined. Then, the storage is updated (Step 29), and the process returns to Step S26. When judged at Step S26 that an automatic shooting condition has been satisfied (Y at Step S26), record processing for still-image shooting is performed with the updated shooting exposure conditions without changing the aperture value (Step S30).

Abstract: An electronic imaging device includes a zoom lens that includes a plurality of lens groups and an imaging element that converts an optical image formed by the zoom lens into an electric signal. The zoom lens includes at least a first lens group having a negative focal length and a second lens group having a positive focal length sequentially from an object side, and a diaphragm on the object side of the second lens group. The diaphragm includes a first diaphragm having an aperture size A and a second diaphragm having an aperture size B, where A is greater than B, and the diaphragm is controlled such that the first diaphragm is effective on a long focus end and the second diaphragm is effective on a short focus end.

Abstract: Disclosed is a digital video camera performing white balance adjustment according to a photographing condition. The digital video camera with automatic exposure comprises an iris state detector for outputting an electrical signal with a predetermined magnitude corresponding to the status of an iris, a memory for saving a threshold value to be compared with the magnitude of the electrical signal, and a controller for comparing the magnitude of the electrical signal output from the iris state detector with the threshold value, determining the photographing condition after a predetermined determination time is elapsed, and adjusting the determination time according to the difference between the magnitude of the electrical signal and the threshold value.

Abstract: In some embodiments, images for the video conference may be white balanced and/or exposure controlled. White balancing may include dividing an image's pixels into multiple ranges according to their luminance and chrominance values. In some embodiments, blue and red analog gains may be modified to bring red and blue accumulations closer to green accumulations. In some embodiments, luminance values for an image may be adjusted by increasing or decreasing exposure. The decision whether to increase or decrease the exposure may be made by looking at statistics for luminance values of skin colored regions if there are sufficient skin colored regions on the image. Otherwise, luminance values for the entire image may be analyzed to determine whether to increase or decrease exposure.

Abstract: A digital camera for portable equipment includes a light emitting device; an electrically-driven light quantity controller for controlling a quantity of light emitted from the light emitting device; and a system controller which drives the light quantity controller and the light emitting device and controls operations of the light quantity controller and the light emitting device. In a state where the light emitting device is ON, the system controller turns the light emitting device OFF when the system controller drives the light quantity controller to capture an object image.

Abstract: The present invention provides an image-taking apparatus having an image-pickup device which accumulates charge in accordance with an amount of light received thereon, a light-shielding device which changes a light-shielded area in the image-pickup device by causing a light-shielding blade to travel, the light-shielding blade shielding a light-receiving surface of the image-pickup device, a scan circuit which performs first scan for starting accumulation of charge for each area of the image-pickup device and performs second scan for reading the accumulated charge for each area of the image-pickup device, and a control circuit which calculates a travel characteristic of the light-shielding device based on an amount of first charge accumulated in a time period between one of the first and second scans and the travel of the light-shielding device.

Abstract: A camera device and method for performing a shooting operation by converting image light into an electrical signal. The location of a dark distribution is determined, and a dark distribution histogram ratio is calculated. The location of a bright distribution is determined, and a high-brightness slice set value is set. A determination is made as to whether or not a subject is in a backlighted state based on whether a dark_ratio falls within a predetermined range. When the subject is not in a backlighted state, the previously-set high-brightness slice set value is used unchanged. On the other hand, when the subject is in a backlighted state, the dark_ratio is normalized, so that, for example, backlight correction is carried out so that a high-brightness component limiter value of an integration signal of a peak-value-detected output is decreased.

Abstract: In a digital camera having a red-eye reduction bracket photographing mode, a plurality of bracket photographing operations are carried out at a predetermined second interval, in which a strobe unit pre-emits strobe flash emission and, after the lapse of a predetermined first time from the pre-emission, emits main strobe flash emission to pickup an image by an image pickup unit. The image data obtained by each bracket photographing operation is written in a cache memory. Upon completion of the writing of the image data, the latter is read from the cache memory and is indicated in an image displaying LCD unit. A user can observe the indicated image data while switching the same by a selection switch. Consequently, only the image data selected by the user using an OK switch can be recorded in an image recording medium.

Abstract: There is provided an iris diaphragm device comprising: two blade members supported on two rotary shafts; a lamp optical path between the two blade members; a motor driving directly one of the rotary shafts; and a means of transmitting power from the one rotary shaft to the other, wherein the motor and the means are disposed off the lamp optical path, and the two blade members revolve respectively to the two rotary shafts whereby a blocked area of the lamp optical path is adjusted, and wherein a magnetic sensor including a plate-like magnetic sensing portion and a plate-like magnet and detecting a rotation angle of the rotary shafts is disposed on an axis line of one of the two rotary shafts and also off the lamp optical path such that facing surfaces of the magnetic detecting portion and the magnet are orthogonal to the rotary shafts.

Abstract: An image stabilizer for stabilizing an image against unexpected vibrations or shaking of a zoom lens includes a diaphragm arranged to vary its full-open-aperture diameter according to a magnification varying (zooming) action from a wide-angle end position to a telephoto end position of the zoom lens for the purpose of preventing variations in light quantity which more conspicuously take place in the peripheral part than in the central part of an image plane when an image stabilizing action is performed.

Abstract: The invention concerns with an exposure control mechanism for use in an image pickup apparatus in which a diaphragm aperture formed by a plurality of diaphragm blades moving straightforward in opposite directions is covered by an ND filter, and intends to prevent deterioration of image quality caused by diffraction even in an image pickup device having a small picture size and a short pixel pitch. The image pickup apparatus comprises an exposure control mechanism for adjusting the quantity of light flux entering a shooting lens system. The exposure control mechanism comprises a diaphragm made up of diaphragm blades movable on a plane perpendicular to an optical axis in opposite directions to define a diaphragm aperture, and an ND filter made up of at least two ND filter elements having different transmittances.

Abstract: A light-quantity adjusting apparatus which can temporarily suppress an MTF (contrast) from being deteriorated by small-aperture diffraction is disclosed. The light-quantity adjusting apparatus comprises a main body in which an opening is formed, a light-blocking member moved with respect to the opening to change an area of a light-passing aperture, an optical filter moved with respect to the opening to insert and remove with respect to a region opposed the light-passing aperture, an actuator serving as a drive source, a drive mechanism for driving the light-blocking member and the optical filter by drive force from the actuator.

Abstract: An electronic device includes a camera that includes an automatic exposure module. The automatic exposure module is configured to determine an exposure for a picture by automatically adjusting an aperture size, shutter timing, and/or an ISO setting. The automatic exposure module is further configured to automatically adjust at least one parameter in addition to the aperture size, shutter timing and/or ISO setting in determining the exposure for the picture.

Abstract: This invention discloses an optical apparatus including an image pickup optical unit, a light quantity adjustment unit inserted in the optical axis of the image pickup optical unit, the light quantity adjustment unit changing the aperture diameter to change the light quantity, and a controller for controlling a change of the aperture diameter by the light quantity adjustment unit. The controller changes the set value for the minimum aperture diameter of the aperture diameter of the light quantity adjustment unit in accordance with the form of the image pickup device of the image pickup apparatus on which the lens apparatus is mounted.

Abstract: A digital camera is provided with: a diaphragm for controlling an amount of incident light; a solid-state imaging element for receiving the incident light passing through the diaphragm, in which a plurality of pixels are arranged in an array shape, and each of the pixels is divided into a main pixel having a large area and a sub-pixel having a small area by an element separating band deviated from a center of the pixel; a synthesizing process unit for synthesizing a high-sensitivity image signal read from the main pixel of each of the pixels with a low-sensitivity image signal read from the sub-pixel; and controller for separately controlling a gain amount for the high-sensitivity image signal and a gain amount for the low-sensitivity image signal in response to a stop-amount of the diaphragm so as to cause the synthesizing process unit to execute the synthesizing operation.

Abstract: A lens apparatus capable of efficiently arranging a stop blade, an optical filter and a shutter blade to reduce the size of the apparatus is disclosed. The lens apparatus comprising a lens, a lens holding member which holds the lens, a stop blade which changes an area of a light-passing aperture, an optical filter which inserts and removes with respect to a region opposed to the light-passing aperture and a shutter blade which opens and closes the light-passing aperture. Here, at least one member of the stop blade, the optical filter and the shutter blade is arranged at one end side of the lens holding member and the other member is arranged at the other end side of the lens holding member.

Abstract: An image pickup apparatus includes: an image pickup unit configured to generate a long-exposure image signal and a short-exposure image signal from incident light and output the generated signals as image pickup signals, the long-exposure image signal being generated by exposure for a relatively long period and the short-exposure image signal being generated by exposure for a relatively short period; a signal processing unit configured to generate a combined image signal by combining the long-exposure image signal and the short-exposure image signal, the combined image signal having a dynamic range that is relatively wider than that of at least any one of the long-exposure image signal and the short-exposure image signal; a detection unit configured to obtain a luminance integrated value and a luminance histogram of the combined image signal; and a control unit configured to perform exposure correction control using the luminance integrated value and the luminance histogram.

Abstract: An image pick-up apparatus includes an image pick-up device which picks-up an image of a subject and outputs an image signal, a first-amplitude changing portion which varies an amplitude of the image signal outputted form the image pick-up device, a second-amplitude changing portion which varies the amplitude of the image signal to be outputted, a comparing portion which compares the amplitude of the image signal with a value of a target amplitude, and a control portion which controls the first- and second-amplitude changing portions based on the comparison result of the comparing portion and changes the amplitude of the image signal so that it is approximate to the target amplitude so that an observed image of the subject displayed on display means has a desired brightness.

Abstract: An image sensing apparatus in which time required before the apparatus becomes in an image-sensing possible status is reduced. The image sensing apparatus has a constituent element comprising a first image sensing unit as a main unit and a constituent element comprising a second image sensing unit as a sub unit, having a structure more simple than that of the first image sensing device. An aperture amount in an initial stage of an aperture unit when the first image sensing unit is enabled to perform image sensing is determined based on a light amount detected by a light amount detector in the second image sensing unit and an F value of the first image sensing unit.

Abstract: The invention relates to an electronic imaging system such a video camera or digital camera, whose thickness or size is reduced while performance degradation is reduced as much as possible. The system comprises a zoom lens system comprising a first G1, a second G2, a third G3 and a fourth lens group G4 and an aperture stop S, and an electronic image pickup device located on its image side I and covered with a cover glass CG. The image of a subject is formed on the photoreceptive surface of the electronic image pickup device for conversion into electric signals. The system satisfies the following conditions (1) and (2). a?4 ?m??(1) F>a??(2) Here a is the horizontal pixel pitch in ?m of the electronic image pickup device and F is the F-number of the zoom lens system at its wide-angle end.

Abstract: The invention makes a suitable selection from zoom modes and lens elements so thin that the thickness of each lens group can reduced, thereby slimming down a zoom lens with great thoroughness and, hence, an electronic image pickup system. The electronic image pickup system a zoom lens and an electronic image pickup device located on the image plane side of the zoom lens. The zoom lens comprises, in order from the object side, a first lens group G1 comprising two lens components and having generally negative power and a second lens group G2 comprising two lens components and having generally positive power. The focal length of the zoom lens can be varied by varying the air separation between the first lens group G1 and the second lens group G2. The zoom lens should satisfy at least one of conditions (a) to (n).

Abstract: The invention makes a suitable selection from zoom modes and lens elements so thin that the thickness of each lens group can reduced, thereby slimming down a zoom lens with great thoroughness and, hence, an electronic image pickup system. The electronic image pickup system a zoom lens and an electronic image pickup device located on the image plane side of the zoom lens. The zoom lens comprises, in order from the object side, a first lens group G1 comprising two lens components and having generally negative power and a second lens group G2 comprising two lens components and having generally positive power. The focal length of the zoom lens can be varied by varying the air separation between the first lens group G1 and the second lens group G2. The zoom lens should satisfy at least one of conditions (a) to (n).

Abstract: A lens barrel capable of, in a housed state of the photographing lens barrel, making an image pickup apparatus more compact than the conventional image pickup apparatuses, while protecting an image pickup element from harmful light. The lens barrel comprises a lens holding section adapted to hold a lens, a dimming filter adapted to be retractable to reduce light from an object, a shutter adapted to be opened and closed to shield the light from the object, and a control unit adapted to control the movement of the lens holding section, the dimming filter and the shutter. The control unit is adapted, in a non-image-pickup state, to close the shutter and to retreat the dimming filter, and adapted to move the lens or the lens holding section to a space formed by retreating of the dimming filter.

Abstract: The invention relates to an imaging system in which, while high image quality is maintained with the influence of diffraction minimized, the quantity of light is controlled, and which enables the length of the zoom lens to be cut down. The imaging system comprises a zoom lens comprising a plurality of lens groups G1 and G2 wherein the spacing between individual lens groups is varied to vary a focal length and an aperture stop located in an optical path for limiting at least an axial light beam diameter, and an electronic image pickup device I located on the image side of the zoom lens. The aperture stop has a fixed shape, and a filter S2 for performing light quantity control by varying transmittance is located on an optical axis of a space located at a position different from that of a space in which the aperture stop is located.

Abstract: A Charge Coupled Device (CCD) camera and a method for controlling the same. When a photographing command is input from the input unit by operation of user, the controller controls the iris drive unit so as to open and close the iris periodically for a preset time. Also, the control reads electric signals accumulated in the CCD imaging unit according to fields by light incident according to the opening of the iris, and then stores the read CCD data in the memory according to fields. Then, each CCD datum read from the CCD imaging unit is stored in the memory in the raw datum state without addition of an adjacent datum. Next, the controller generates a second odd field and a second even field by adding offset values, according to fields, to each CCD signal of the raw data state stored in the memory, and then forms a still image by combining the second odd field and the second even field.

Abstract: A liquid-crystal light-amount adjusting device in which the effective power of driving pulses for acceleration is optimized to improve response characteristics of optical transmittance, a method of driving the apparatus, and a camera including the apparatus. The liquid-crystal light-amount adjusting device according to the present invention includes a driving-pulse generating circuit (16) for generating driving pulses having pulsed voltages, a liquid-crystal light-amount adjusting unit (12) for changing the optical transmittance of a liquid crystal according to pulse shapes of the driving pulses, and a microcomputer (19) for controlling frequencies and duty ratios of the driving pulses.

Abstract: A digital camera including: an imaging device having a function to control a quantity of transmitted light of an imaging optical system and a function to subject the transmitted light to photoelectric conversion to generate a video signal; an area specifying portion specifying an area to control; an image data conversion portion converting the video signal generated by the imaging device to image data including a luminance signal and a color difference signal and outputting the image data; a luminance signal detection portion detecting the luminance signal from the video signal or the image data; a gradation assignment portion giving an instruction to the image data conversion portion on assignment of gradation based on information detected by the luminance signal detection portion; and a control device controlling the imaging device, the area specifying portion, the gradation assignment portion, the image data conversion portion, and the luminance signal detection portion.

Abstract: An aspect of the present invention provides an image taking device comprising an image pickup device which picks up an image in a field, a luminance measuring device which divides the image into the predetermined number of blocks to measure the luminance level of each block, a reference average luminance level calculating device which calculates an average luminance level in a predetermined reference area in the image, a bright block sampling device which compares the average luminance level in the reference area with the luminance level of each block to sample a bright block high in luminance level, a backlight determining device which determines whether the picked up image is backlit based on the average luminance level of the bright blocks and the average luminance level of the reference area, and an exposure controlling device which calculates an exposure value based on the result of the determination as to the backlight to control exposure.

Abstract: In an image pickup apparatus having an openable and closable shutter mechanism to protect an image pickup lens portion of a ultra-small and light-weight video camera, the shutter mechanism is composed of a drive mechanism 34 including an output shaft rotated by a motor 36 through a deceleration mechanism, a cam plate 24 engaged with the output shaft of the drive mechanism 34 to be rotated through a shaft mechanism coaxial with the output shaft, a shutter plate 23 engaged with a cam groove 27 of the cam plate 24 to be slidably lowered and elevated in the longitudinal direction of a video camera body portion to open and close the front surface of the image pickup lens portion and a clutch mechanism provided in the drive mechanism 34 to isolate a drive transmission system of the output shaft and the motor 36 when external force stronger than predetermined external force is applied to the shutter plate 23 which is being opened and closed.

Abstract: An image pickup apparatus capable of preventing a decline of resolution of a still image while keeping a dynamic range of exposure control. The image pickup apparatus capable of photographing with changing over a moving image and a still image, includes an iris mechanism for changing an amount of light input to an image pickup element by changing an aperture diameter, a filter unit, having a single density or a plurality of densities, for changing the amount of the light input to the image pickup element by its advancing towards and withdrawing from the aperture diameter of the iris mechanism, a unit for driving the iris mechanism and the filter unit independently, and a control unit for setting the filter unit in one of two types of states such as fully covering the aperture diameter of the iris mechanism and fully withdrawing from the aperture diameter in the still image photography.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods and devices for the irises of cameras. A non-mechanical or electro-optical camera iris includes a controlled material that is configured to change from substantially transparent to substantially opaque by changing the state of the controlled material to effectively adjust the size of the central window of the iris. Accordingly, the described electro-optical iris would add little or no additional bulk to a small mobile communication device camera. The controlled material can be electrically controlled or thermally controlled. The controlled material can be a set of separately controllable areas substantially surrounding the central window. The set can have an ordering from outer to inner so that outer separately controllable areas in the set substantially surround inner separately controllable areas in the set. Accordingly, by changing the opacity of the outer area from transparent to opaque, the size of the central window of the adjustable aperture is reduced.

Abstract: A method of automatic shooting, which is applied to a digital image capturing device, using an image recognition technology is disclosed. The method comprises: activating an automatic shooting process; capturing a gesture image of an object; determining whether the image is a predefined image or not by using the image recognition technology; and executing a predefined shooting procedure.

Abstract: Each shading plate comprises a rotating shaft and a driving shaft arranged vertically. First divided shading plate is loosely fitted to and supported by (not adhere to) the rotating shaft and rotates around the shaft. Second divided shading plates are fixed to the rotating shafts and rotate by rotating movement of the shafts. A driving shaft is connected longitudinally to (not adhere to) an edge of the first divided shading plate and supply power to rotate the first divided shading plates. Recesses are formed at the center of upper short side and at the center of lower short side of the first divided shading plate and the first divided shading plate and the second divided shading plates which form one and the same shading plate are so constructed that their short sides are overlapped each other.

Abstract: In accordance with the present invention a shutterless single lens digital still camera includes an internal processor and auto exposure algorithm that automatically adjusts the exposure of the camera in high and low ambient lighting conditions. The auto exposure algorithm causes the camera to generate a signature of a current ambient luminance level and then in response to the signature to generate automatically an exposure setting.

Abstract: Maximum and minimum aperture sizes are regulated with regard to a diaphragm in order to secure predetermined optical capability in an optical unit which includes a taking lens and the diaphragm. In a normal taking, the diaphragm is used within a normal taking range from the maximum to the minimum aperture sizes. In the present invention, an aperture size which is larger than the maximum size and a size which is smaller than the minimum size (extra aperture size or extra small size) are respectively set at outside the range that secures the capability. The aperture sizes of the diaphragm at outside the specified range are used at least for one of the following: automatic exposure (AE) adjustment, auto focus (AF) adjustment, electronic zoom, displaying a moving image, taking for recording the moving image, and taking under a low resolution by thinning out pixels.

Abstract: A video camera (10) includes a photographing device (16). The photographing device (16) generates an image signal corresponding to an optical image irradiated on a light-receiving surface, and a monitor (34) displays a moving image based on a generated image signal. An amount of incident light into the photographing device (16) is controlled by an aperture apparatus (14) having an aperture blade that moves to a direction perpendicular to a light axis. A moving amount of the aperture blade is restricted by a predetermined value, and this defines a minimum value of an F number. When the moving image is displayed on the monitor (34), it is prohibited to set to the minimum value of the F number.

Abstract: The photographing device includes an optical lens, a photographing unit for taking an image of a subject imaged through the optical lens and a light quantity adjustment unit for partially adjusting a light quantity of the image of the subject. The light quantity adjustment unit is provided in an optical path of light carrying the image of the subject and between the optical lens and the photographing unit.

Abstract: A digital camera including a photosensor with a plurality of picture elements that define an image resolution that is adjustable.

Abstract: An illumination and imaging system is provided with a co-axial illuminator that does not include a beamsplitter. The co-axial illuminator achieves efficiencies substantially in excess of those achieved with a beamsplitter. In one aspect, an optical stop is used to reflect illumination upon a target. The optical stop includes an aperture allowing light reflected from the target to pass to a detector. The aperture of the stop has an asymmetrical feature that facilitates operation on specular targets.

Abstract: A method for producing electronic signals representative of images on a source film includes the following steps: illuminating the film with a light source to obtain an illuminated frame; providing an electronic image sensor; providing a lens array for projecting the illuminated frame on the electronic image sensor, and providing an aperture in conjunction with the lens array for high spatial frequency cutoff in the image; and reading out image representative electronic signals from the electronic image sensor.

Abstract: An optical apparatus includes a photographic optical unit including a movable optical component for varying a focal length, a light amount adjusting unit disposed in an optical path of the photographic optical unit, the light amount adjusting unit varying an aperture to adjust an amount of light and changing an F-number by varying the aperture, an image pickup device for picking up an optical image formed by the photographic optical unit, a mode switching member for selecting a dynamic image taking mode and a static image taking mode, and a controller. The controller sets different values of the F-number of the light amount adjusting unit in accordance with a state selected by the mode switching member, or varies a moving range of the movable optical component in accordance with a state selected by the mode switching member.

Abstract: A diaphragm device of a lens for a CCTV camera includes a lens barrel, a diaphragm, a base plate which supports the diaphragm, a diaphragm driver for driving the diaphragm to adjust a size of an aperture formed by the diaphragm, an optical filter, and a filter driver for moving the optical filter into and out of an optical path of the lens; wherein each of the diaphragm and the optical filter lies on a corresponding surface of the base plate. The diaphragm, the base plate, the diaphragm driver, the optical filter, and the filter driver are provided in the lens barrel.

Abstract: A dual camera system uses a single lens and no moving parts in the optical path. A single lens directs a desired scene to a partially reflective beamsplitting mirror, thence to a pair of image sensors. For day/night operation, one sensor may be optimized for nighttime sensitivity, while the other is optimized for daytime operation. Alternatively, one optical path may have greater magnification, thus allowing electronic zooming with no resolution loss. The system may be enhanced with an image intensifier for nighttime operation; digital sensors for improved resolution, or orthogonal gyroscopic accelerometers for image stabilization. Additionally, the monochrome and color images may be produced simultaneously and ‘fused’ algorithmically, yielding an improvement in sensitivity and color resolution compared with a conventional color camera.

Abstract: The exposure control apparatus comprises screen divider which divides the screen into a many areas, and high luminance decider which decides, for each area of the screen, whether a main subject having a high luminance exists within that area. Further, average luminance calculator calculates average luminance in that area of the screen which is decided as including the main subject, and exposure value determiner determines the exposure value based on the calculated average luminance.

Abstract: A lens barrel includes an optical system including a short focal length for a wide angle of view; and an ND filter in the shape of a disc which is provided on an optical axis of the optical system. An optical density of the ND filter decreases in a direction radially outwards from a center of the ND filter.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a photographing apparatus having the function of preventing blur of a still image. A diaphragm unit controls the amount of light incident on a photoelectric transduction unit from a lens. A diaphragm driving unit controls an open/close operation of the diaphragm unit. When opening the diaphragm unit, a control unit outputs to the diaphragm driving unit a control signal for supplying a driving voltage in a direction of opening the diaphragm unit. When closing the diaphragm unit, the control unit outputs to the diaphragm driving unit a control signal for supplying the driving voltage in a direction of closing the diaphragm unit. Moreover, power supplied to the diaphragm unit is controlled without requiring a special mechanical shutter, thereby reducing the time from an open state to a close state of a diaphragm. As a result, it is possible to prevent a blur of the image generated due to movement of a subject or shaking of the photographer's hands.

Abstract: An image pickup apparatus comprising: right and left optical systems; shutters disposed in correspondence with each of the right and left optical systems, for time-divisionally switching between incident light; a micro computer for controlling an open/close timing of the shutters; and an image pickup element for picking up an image input via the right and left optical systems, wherein the microcomputer variably controls the open/close timing of the shutters in accordance with exposure timing information of the image pickup element.