Electronic camera

Abstract

The present invention relates to an electronic camera which images an object image and records image data. Particularly, the present invention relates to technology to record image data in a good shooting state, such as with little blurring due to hand shaking. The invention has an image pick-up means 1 which continuously images an object, a temporary memory means 2 which temporarily stores a plurality of frames of image data which are continuously imaged by the image pick-up means 1, a shooting evaluation means 3 which evaluates a good or bad shooting state of the image data imaged by the image pick-up means 1, a still image selection means 4 which selects the image data with the highest evaluation of the shooting evaluation means 3 among the image data which are stored in the temporary memory means 2, and an image saving means 5 which saves the image data which is selected by the still image selection means 4.

Description

[0001] This is a Division of application Ser. No. 09 / 149,001 filed Sep. 8, 1998. The entire disclosure of the prior application is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] 1. Field of the Invention [0003] The present invention relates to an electronic camera which photographs an object and records image data. In particular, the present invention relates to a technology for recording image data in a good shooting condition without hand shaking or the like. [0004] 2. Description of the Related Art [0005] Generally, when performing hand-held camera shooting, hand shaking often occurs. When this kind of hand shaking occurs, since an object field is exposed in a blurry condition, an entirely blurry image is shot. [0006] In a blurry image like this, the details of the entire image and the edge portions, which should be shot clearly, are lost. Therefore, the image does not give a good impression. [0007] A conventional camera with a hand sha...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0021] The present invention, in order to solve the aforementioned problems, has a purpose of providing an electronic camera which can reliably obtain image data in a good shooting condition, an electronic camera which can achieve minimum electric power consumption, an electronic camera which can decrease the worst value of release time lag by approximately one half, an electronic camera with a simplified structure, and an electronic camera which can decrease the memory capacity of the temporary storing means (later mentioned) or can increase the number of the samplings of image data.

[0022] Moreover, another purpose of the invention is to provide an electronic camera which can omit the temporary storing means (later mentioned), an electronic camera which can obtain good image data with little hand shaking, an electronic camera which can obtain good image data which has little object shifting or misfocus, an electronic camera which can effectively perform analysis of a spatial frequency component, and an electronic camera which can obtain good image data with little release time lag.

Problems solved by technology

Generally, when performing hand-held camera shooting, hand shaking often occurs.

Therefore, the image does not give a good impression.

Therefore, there is a problem in that the shooting lens 92 becomes large and heavy.

Moreover, the space to arrange the blur correction optical system 93 has to be kept in the shooting lens 92, and there is a problem in that the flexibility of design of the shooting lens 92 decreases.

Therefore, flaring easily occurs when performing back-lit shooting or the like.

Moreover, since electric power is consumed when driving the blur correction optical system 93, there is a problem in that the battery life becomes shorter.

Furthermore, there is a problem in that a small amount of noise occurs when driving the blur correction optical system 93.

On the other hand, a blurred image can occur due not only to the aforementioned hand shaking, but also due to object shifting and misfocusing.

However, since the conventional hand shaking correction mechanism only diminishes the vibration of the camera, there is a problem in that the mechanism cannot prevent object shifting and misfocusing at all.

In particular, along with the trend toward higher resolution and miniaturization of imaging elements in recent years, the light receiving area per one pixel is more and more reduced, and the effective sensitivity of the imaging element has become low.

Because of this, there is a tendency that the exposure time of the shooting element generally increases, and the chances of occurrence of hand shaking and object shifting become even higher.

Moreover, it was very difficult to accurately prevent misfocus accurately with conventional AF (automatic focus) shooting for an object which shows unpredictable movements, such as a flower which is swaying in the wind.

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