Electronic still camera and method of image acquisition of electronic still camera

Abstract

A photography mode selecting section allows a photographer to select continuous photographing. An imaging section captures an image of a subject. An area setting section detects a photographic subject based on a photographic image captured by the imaging section for every photographing in the continuous photographing, and sets the size and position of a photographic subject area including the detected photographic subject, when the continuous photographing is selected by the photography mode selecting section. A memory section stores an image inside the photographic subject area as a photographic subject image. Consequently, in continuous photographing of a moving body, the size of the photographic subject area for every photographing in the continuous photographing can be changed according to change in the size of the image of the moving body with respect to an image screen of the imaging section, thereby preventing wasteful usage of a memory area of the memory section.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority from Japanese Patent Application No. 2004-060341, filed on Mar. 4, 2004, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] 1. Field of the Invention [0003] The present invention relates to an electronic still camera which has a continuous photographing function for performing successive photographing for a plurality of times in response to a request for photographing. [0004] 2. Description of the Related Art [0005] Recently, data size of a photographic image is showing a tendency to increase as the number of pixels of an electronic still camera increases, and it is a significant challenge to usefully use a memory area of an image storage medium for storing the photographic image. As a technique for saving the memory area of the image storage medium, a cropping function which cuts out a necessary part of the photographic ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The present invention provides an electronic still camera and a method of image acquisition that can avoid wasteful usage of memory area when performing continuous photographing. The camera allows the photographer to select continuous photographing mode and the area setting section detects the size and position of the photographic subject and sets the size and position of the photographic subject area based on the detected information. This results in a reduction of data size of the image to be stored in the memory and avoids wasteful usage of the memory. The camera can detect moving photographic subjects and change the size and position of the photographic subject area based on the movement of the subject. The camera also allows the photographer to set the size and position of the photographic subject area based on luminance or contrast information of the image. The position of the photographic subject area can be easily recognized by the camera. The camera can also change the shutter speed or photographing interval to increase the number of images storable in the memory. The focus detecting point decision section decides the focus detecting point of the next photographing in the continuous photographing, among a plurality of focus detecting points, in response to movement of the photographic subject.

Problems solved by technology

Recently, data size of a photographic image is showing a tendency to increase as the number of pixels of an electronic still camera increases, and it is a significant challenge to usefully use a memory area of an image storage medium for storing the photographic image.

However, applying the cropping function to continuous photographing is not considered according to the conventional electronic still camera, and hence it is impossible to change the size of an area to be cut out (cropping area) for every photographing in the continuous photographing.

As a result of this, when a moving body which moves away from a photographer is subjected to the continuous photographing, for example, the size of the moving body with respect to the image screen becomes smaller over time, and hence the memory area of the image storage medium is wastefully used.

Moreover, according to the cropping methods of the Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2001-236497 and the program “XV”, cropping of a characteristic part in the photographic image is possible, but cropping while paying attention to the moving photographic subject only is impossible.

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