Image pickup apparatus, control method, program, and storage medium therefor

Abstract

The invention discloses an imaging apparatus, a control method, a program, and a storage medium thereof. The image pickup apparatus includes: a detection unit configured to detect flicker in an image; a setting member configured to set an exposure time of the image sensor; a calculation unit configured to calculate an exposure time for suppressing flicker; and a control unit configured to cause the display unit to display an operation object representing at least a part of a range of exposure times that can be set by the setting member.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Aspects of the embodiments relate to an imaging apparatus, a control method, a program, and a storage medium thereof, and more particularly to an exposure control technique for periodic light intensity variation (referred to as flicker). Background Art

[0002] In recent years, there has been an increase in live photography using light-emitting diode (LED) lighting and LED displays. Because LEDs repeatedly turn on and off at regular intervals, flicker can appear in captured images. Therefore, it is important to match the shutter speed of the camera to the on / off cycle of the LED light source to reduce flicker.

[0003] Some imaging devices are equipped with a graphical user interface (GUI) as a means of setting the shutter speed. The GUI displays a slider (slide bar) representing a portion of the range of adjustable shutter speeds along with the captured image. The user can operate the GUI to adjust the shutter speed while checking for flicker.

[0004] Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-301745 discloses that a set shutter speed value and a fixed shutter speed value and difference information between these values ​​are displayed on a slider. Summary of the Invention

[0005] According to a first aspect of the embodiment, there is provided an imaging device, comprising: an imaging component configured to capture an image; a setting component configured to set an exposure time of the imaging component; a detection component configured to detect flicker in the image; a control component configured to control the display of a display component; and a calculation component configured to calculate an exposure time for suppressing flicker, wherein the control component is configured to display an operation object on the display component, the operation object representing at least a portion of a range of exposure times that can be set, and wherein the control component is configured to display an indicator related to the calculated exposure time on the display component when the calculated exposure time is within the display range of the operation object.

[0006] Further features of the present disclosure will become apparent from the following description of embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0007] Figure 1 is a diagram showing a configuration example of an imaging apparatus.

[0008] Figure 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a shutter speed setting screen.

[0009] Figure 31 is a diagram showing an example of a table of shutter speeds that can be set when the fine adjustment button is operated.

[0010] Figure 4A and Figure 4B are diagrams each showing an example of a table of shutter speeds that can be set when the coarse adjustment button is operated.

[0011] Figure 5 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a process of displaying an indicator of a shutter speed that reduces the influence of flicker on a slider.

[0012] Figure 6A and Figure 6B An example of a screen in which an indicator of a currently set shutter speed and another indicator of a shutter speed for reducing the influence of flicker are displayed on a slider is shown.

[0013] Figure 7A and Figure 7B An example of a screen in which an indicator indicating that the shutter speed for reducing the influence of detected flicker is outside the display range is displayed at the end of the slider is shown.

[0014] Figure 8 is a graph showing the relationship between the currently set shutter speed and the shutter speed that reduces the influence of detected flicker.

[0015] Figure 9A 、 Figure 9B and Figure 9C An example of a screen showing a priority indicator on a slider is shown.

[0016] Figure 10 is a flowchart showing shutter speed setting processing.

[0017] Figure 11 : is a flowchart showing the coarse adjustment button display update process.

[0018] Figure 12 : is a diagram showing an example of a shutter speed setting screen on which the coarse adjustment button display update process has been performed.

[0019] Figure 13A 、 Figure 13B and Figure 13C 1 and 2 are diagrams each showing a modified example of the shutter speed setting screen.

[0020] Figure 14 This is a flowchart for changing the speed at which the shutter speed is changed based on the components operated by the user and the states thereof in the third embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0021] The embodiments will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the following embodiments are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. A plurality of features are described in the embodiments, but this is not intended to require disclosure of all such features, and a plurality of such features may be appropriately combined. In addition, in the accompanying drawings, the same reference numerals are given to the same or similar configurations, and redundant descriptions thereof are omitted.

[0022] First embodiment

[0023] Figure 1 1 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of a camera 10 as a digital video camera (camera) according to the first embodiment.

[0024] exist Figure 1 , components represented as blocks may be implemented by an integrated circuit (IC) such as an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) or a field programmable gate array (FPGA), by discrete circuits, or by a combination of a memory and a processor that executes a program stored in the memory. In addition, a single block may be implemented by multiple integrated circuit packages, or multiple blocks may be implemented by a single integrated circuit package. Furthermore, the same block may be implemented in different configurations depending on factors such as the operating environment and the required capabilities.

[0025] In the following embodiments, a case will be described where the present disclosure is implemented in an imaging apparatus such as a digital camera; however, the present disclosure can also be implemented in any electronic device having an imaging function.

[0026] In addition to camera equipment, such electronic devices include computer devices (personal computers, tablet computers, media players, personal digital assistants (PDAs), etc.), mobile phones, smartphones, etc. Note that these devices are merely examples, and the present disclosure can be implemented in other electronic devices.

[0027] The barrier 101 is a protective member for covering an imaging system including an imaging lens 106 of the camera 10 to prevent dust or damage to the imaging system.

[0028] The imaging lens 106 is a lens group including a zoom lens and a focus lens. The zoom lens changes the zoom ratio by changing the focal length. The zoom lens is controlled by the zoom control unit 102. The focus lens is a lens used for focusing. The focus lens is controlled by the distance measurement control unit 103.

[0029] The image sensor 104 is an imaging device for converting an optical image into an electrical signal, such as a charge coupled device (CCD) or a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) device. The exposure time of the image sensor 104 can be controlled according to a shutter speed that can be set as an exposure control value associated with the image sensor 104.

[0030] An analog-to-digital (A / D) conversion unit 105 performs processing such as sampling, gain adjustment, and A / D conversion on an analog image signal output from the image sensor 104 to obtain a digital image signal, and outputs the digital image signal.

[0031] The image processing unit 107 performs various types of image processing on the digital image signal output from the A / D conversion unit 105 and outputs the processed digital image signal (image data). For example, the image processing unit 107 can perform resizing processing such as interpolation and reduction of specific pixels, as well as color conversion processing, on the digital image signal output from the A / D conversion unit 105. The image processing unit 107 can also perform similar processing on the image data from the memory control unit 108. Furthermore, the image processing unit 107 uses the image data to perform specific calculations. Based on the calculation results obtained by the image processing unit 107, the system control unit 50 can perform flicker detection, exposure control, and distance measurement control. As a result, through-the-lens (TTL) autofocus (AF) processing, automatic exposure (AE) processing, and electronic flash (EF) (pre-flash emission) processing are performed.

[0032] The image data output by the A / D conversion unit 105 is written into the memory 109 through the image processing unit 107 and the memory control unit 108 .

[0033] The memory 109 stores image data obtained by the image sensor 104 and converted into digital data by the A / D conversion unit 105, as well as image data intended to be displayed on the display unit 110 described below. The memory 109 has a storage capacity sufficient to accommodate a specific number of still images, a specific duration of moving images, and audio data. In addition, the memory 109 is also used as a memory (video memory) for image display when displaying image data read from the recording medium 20 or on-screen display (OSD) data on the display unit 110.

[0034] The digital-to-audio (D / A) conversion unit 123 converts the digital image signal (image data) for image display stored in the memory 109 into an analog image signal and supplies it to the display unit 110. Thus, the image data for display written in the memory 109 is displayed by the display unit 110 through the D / A conversion unit 123.

[0035] The display unit 110 is configured with a liquid crystal display (LCD) or the like, and performs display corresponding to the analog image signal supplied from the D / A conversion unit 123. For example, the analog image signal supplied from the D / A conversion unit 123 is sequentially transmitted to the display unit 110 and displayed, thereby realizing the function of an electronic viewfinder (EVF) to display a live view image. The display unit 110 may be another type of display such as an organic electroluminescent (EL) display. In addition, although the display unit 110 is an electronic viewfinder, it may also be a small (e.g., 3.5-inch) liquid crystal monitor or a display such as a high-definition multimedia interface. or an external output of a serial digital interface (SDI), etc. In addition, the display unit 110 may include a plurality of these display outputs.

[0036] The nonvolatile memory 111 is a memory serving as an electrically erasable and recordable recording medium such as an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM). The nonvolatile memory 111 stores constants, programs, and the like used for the operation of the system control unit 50. The programs include programs for executing various flowcharts described below.

[0037] For example, a random access memory (RAM) is used as the system memory 113. The system memory 113 stores constants and variables used for operations of the system control unit 50, programs read from the nonvolatile memory 111, and the like.

[0038] The system control unit 50 controls the entire camera 10. The system control unit 50 reads programs stored in the nonvolatile memory 111, loads these programs into the system memory 113, and executes these programs, thereby realizing various processes as described later. The system control unit 50 also performs display control by controlling components such as the memory 109, the D / A conversion unit 123, and the display unit 110.

[0039] The system timer 114 measures time used for various types of control as well as time of a built-in clock.

[0040] The operation unit 115 is an operation unit for inputting various operation instructions to the system control unit 50. The operation unit 115 includes a set key, a cross key (up, down, left, and right), and buttons such as a menu button, a cancel button, and auto focus (AF) / manual focus (MF). For example, when the menu button is pressed, a menu screen for configuring various settings is displayed on the display unit 110. The user can intuitively configure various settings using the menu screen displayed on the display unit 110, the cross key, the set key, etc. In addition, the operation unit 115 may include not only buttons but also dials such as a main dial and a sub dial. For example, the user can perform an operation to set the shutter speed by using the dial.

[0041] The touch screen 116 is a touch sensor for detecting various touch operations on the display surface of the display unit 110 (the operation surface of the touch screen 116). The touch screen 116 and the display unit 110 can be integrally formed. For example, the touch screen 116 is configured to ensure that light transmittance does not interfere with the display of the display unit 110, and is installed on the upper layer of the display surface of the display unit 110. Then, the input coordinates of the touch screen 116 and the display coordinates on the display surface of the display unit 110 are associated. As a result, a graphical user interface (GUI) can be provided that enables the user to operate the screen displayed on the display unit 110 as if directly interacting with the screen.

[0042] The mode switch 117 is, for example, a switch for switching the operation mode of the camera 10. When the mode switch 117 is operated, the operation mode of the system control unit 50 can be switched to a video recording mode, a playback mode, or another mode.

[0043] The power switch 118 is a button for switching between power on and power off.

[0044] The power supply control unit 119 is configured with components such as a battery detection circuit, a direct current (DC)-DC converter, and a switch circuit for switching the energized block, and detects whether a battery is installed, the battery type, and the remaining battery power. In addition, the power supply control unit 119 controls the DC-DC converter based on the detection result and the instruction from the system control unit 50, thereby supplying the required voltage to the components including the recording medium 20 for the necessary duration.

[0045] The power supply unit 120 is composed of a primary battery such as an alkaline battery or a lithium battery, a secondary battery such as a NiCd, NiMH, and Li battery, and an alternating current (AC) adapter, thereby supplying power to the power supply control unit 119 .

[0046] A recording medium interface (I / F) 121 is an interface with the recording medium 20 such as a memory card or a hard disk.

[0047] The recording medium 20 is a recording medium composed of a semiconductor memory, a magnetic disk, or the like for recording captured image data.

[0048] An example of the basic configuration of the camera 10 according to the first embodiment has been described above.

[0049] Figure 21 is a diagram illustrating an example of a screen for setting the shutter speed on the camera 10. For example, the user can set the shutter speed via the operation unit 115 or the touch screen 116. The system control unit 50 controls the display unit 110 to display a screen 200 (shutter speed setting screen) for the user to set the shutter speed. The shutter speed setting screen 200 is a screen that allows the user to set the shutter speed to control the exposure time during image capture using the image sensor 104.

[0050] On the shutter speed setting screen 200, items such as the recordable time 201a, the recording status 201b, the recording time code 201c, the shutter speed setting menu 202, and the image data 203 are displayed. The recordable time 201a, the recording status 201b, the recording time code 201c, and the shutter speed setting menu 202 are on-screen display (OSD) data, and they are displayed superimposed on the image data 203. The image data 203 displayed on the display unit 110 is, for example, a live view image.

[0051] The shutter speed setting menu 202 includes a menu exit button 204, a current shutter speed display 205, a slider 206, fine adjustment buttons 207a and 207b, coarse adjustment buttons 208a and 208b, and a flicker-free automatic detection button 209. The menu exit button 204 is a button for closing the display of the shutter speed setting menu 202. The current shutter speed display 205 displays the value of the current shutter speed set on the camera 10. Figure 2 As an example, set 120.0Hz.

[0052] Slider 206 is displayed as a slider-like operating object. In the display of slider 206, the center portion indicates the current shutter speed set on camera 10, while the sides display a portion of the range of shutter speeds that can be set on camera 10. In addition, indicator 210 is displayed in the center of slider 206, allowing the currently set shutter speed to be identified. In this embodiment, the range from the current shutter speed set on camera 10 to ±5.5 Hz is displayed on slider 206. In this embodiment, indicator 210 is displayed at a position corresponding to 120.0 Hz, which is the current shutter speed set on camera 10. Furthermore, sub-indicators 211 are displayed at positions within ±5.0 Hz (specifically, at 115.0 Hz and 125.0 Hz). Furthermore, auxiliary indicators are displayed at regular intervals as more detailed indicators.

[0053] The user can set the shutter speed by flicking the slider 206 displayed on the display unit 110. The fine adjustment buttons 207a and 207b are buttons for finely adjusting the shutter speed and can be operated by the user, such as by touch, etc. In this embodiment, the shutter speed that can be set on the camera 10 can be adjusted by operating the fine adjustment buttons 207a and 207b.

[0054] Figure 3 207 Hz to 120.5 Hz. The figure shows an example of a table of shutter speeds that can be set when the fine-tuning button is operated (a table for fine-tuning). In this embodiment, it is described that the shutter speed can be set in increments of 0.5 Hz in a range from 23.0 Hz to 250.0 Hz. For example, when the fine-tuning button 207a is operated once, the shutter speed is changed to the value immediately to the left of the current value in the table. If the current setting value is 120.0 Hz, a single touch of the fine-tuning button 207a will change the shutter speed to 119.5 Hz. In addition, when the fine-tuning button 207b is operated once, the shutter speed is changed to the value immediately to the right of the current value in the table. If the current setting value is 120.0 Hz, a single touch of the fine-tuning button 207b will change the shutter speed to 120.5 Hz. In addition, a flick operation on the slider 206 will set the shutter speed within the table.

[0055] The coarse adjustment buttons 208a and 208b are used to adjust the shutter speed for reducing the influence of flicker in larger increments than the fine adjustment buttons 207a and 207b. In the present embodiment, by operating the coarse adjustment buttons 208a and 208b, the shutter speed can be set to N times and 1 / N times (N is a natural number) the shutter speed calculated by the flicker-free automatic detection as described later. Due to the characteristics of flicker, the influence of flicker can be reduced not only by using the shutter speed calculated by the flicker-free automatic detection, but also by setting the shutter speed to 1 / N times thereof. Therefore, a shutter speed other than the shutter speed calculated by the flicker-free automatic detection can be used as a shutter speed candidate (recommended value) for reducing the influence of flicker.

[0056] In this embodiment, to facilitate user operation, not only the shutter speed calculated by flicker-free automatic detection but also its N-fold shutter speed can be adjusted as a candidate.

[0057] Figure 4A and Figure 4B are diagrams each showing an example of a table (table for coarse adjustment) of shutter speeds that can be set when the coarse adjustment button is operated. Figure 4A and Figure 4B An example of a table showing shutter speeds that can be set when the coarse adjustment button is operated in a case where flicker-free automatic detection calculates 60.0 Hz and 50.0 Hz, respectively. Figure 4A and Figure 4BThe values ​​are shown as N times and 1 / N times (N is a natural number) of 60.0 Hz and 50.0 Hz, respectively.

[0058] When the coarse adjustment button 208a is pressed once, the shutter speed is changed to Figure 4A and Figure 4B The nearest shutter speed among the shutter speeds displayed that is slower than the currently set shutter speed. For example, if Figure 4A If the current setting value in is 60.0 Hz, a single touch of the coarse adjustment button 208a will change the shutter speed to 30.0 Hz.

[0059] On the other hand, when the coarse adjustment button 208b is pressed once, the shutter speed is changed to Figure 4A and Figure 4B The nearest shutter speed among the shutter speeds displayed that is higher than the currently set shutter speed. For example, if Figure 4A If the current setting value in is 60.0 Hz, a single touch of the coarse adjustment button 208b will change the shutter speed to 120.0 Hz.

[0060] The flicker-free automatic detection button 209 is a button for automatically detecting a shutter speed that reduces the effects of flicker. In this embodiment, the shutter speed that reduces the effects of flicker is calculated by detecting the difference in light intensity (bright and dark) in multiple images obtained through continuous camera shooting. However, the method for calculating the shutter speed that reduces the effects of flicker is not limited to this. In addition, in this embodiment, when the flicker-free automatic detection button 209 is executed, the calculated shutter speed is automatically set. In addition, the flicker-free automatic detection button 209 is not only displayed on the touch screen 116, but the camera 10 may also be provided with a separate button, etc.

[0061] Figure 5 This flowchart illustrates an example of processing for displaying a shutter speed indicator on a slider that reduces the effects of flicker. The processing of each step in this flowchart is implemented by the system control unit 50 loading a program stored in the nonvolatile memory 111 into the system memory 113 and executing the program. First, in response to a specific operation, such as a user operation based on a menu displayed on the display unit 110, the display process of the slider is started on the display unit 110, which serves as the display surface of the touch screen 116.

[0062] First, in step S501, the system control unit 50 displays shutter speeds within a specific range from the currently set shutter speed on the slider. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S502.

[0063] Next, in step S502, the system control unit 50 displays an indicator indicating the currently set shutter speed on the slider. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S503.

[0064] Next, in step S503, the system control unit 50 determines whether flicker automatic detection has been performed. Specifically, it determines whether the flicker-free automatic detection button 209 has been operated to perform flicker automatic detection. If it is determined that flicker automatic detection has been performed, the process proceeds to step S504. If it is determined that flicker automatic detection has not been performed, the process proceeds to step S506.

[0065] Next, in step S504, the system control unit 50 determines whether the shutter speed that reduces the influence of the detected flicker is included in the shutter speeds displayed on the slider in step S501. If the detected shutter speed is determined to be within the current display range, the process proceeds to step S505. On the other hand, if the flicker automatic detection is determined to be outside the display range, the process proceeds to step S506. Figure 6A and Figure 6B , it is described that the detected shutter speed is determined to be within the display range when it falls within the range of ±5.5 Hz from the currently set shutter speed of 120.0 Hz. Separately, if the shutter speed that reduces the effects of detected flicker is outside the display range, an indicator indicating that it is outside the display range may be displayed at the end of the slider.

[0066] Figure 7A An example of a screen in which an indicator indicating that a shutter speed for reducing the influence of detected flicker is outside the display range is displayed at an end of a slider is shown. Indicator 701 is an indicator indicating that a shutter speed for reducing the influence of detected flicker is outside the display range.

[0067] Region 702a indicates a region where the indicator 701 is displayed when the shutter speed for reducing the influence of detected flicker is smaller than the currently set shutter speed and is outside the display range of the slider. Region 702b indicates a region where the indicator 701 is displayed when the shutter speed for reducing the influence of detected flicker is larger than the currently set shutter speed and is outside the display range of the slider.

[0068] It can be expressed as Figure 8 The position where the indicator 701 is displayed is changed within the range of the area 702a and the area 702b by using a graph showing the relationship between the currently set shutter speed and the shutter speed at which the influence of the detected flicker is reduced. Figure 7B Shows that when the shutter speed that reduces the influence of the detected flicker is small compared to the currently set shutter speed and their difference is Figure 7A Here, in order to indicate the shutter speed and the shutter speed that can reduce the effect of flicker, the indicator 701 is displayed on the screen. Figure 7AThe situation in FIG is further from the currently set shutter speed, and the indicator 701 is displayed larger than Figure 7A More outward (to the left).

[0069] Next, in step S505, the system control unit 50 displays an indicator of the shutter speed that reduces the influence of the detected flicker on the slider. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S506.

[0070] Figure 6A and Figure 6B An example of a screen showing an indicator of a shutter speed for reducing the influence of flicker on a slider is shown. Figure 6A The shutter speed setting screen 600a shown corresponds to an example in which the indicator is displayed when the currently set shutter speed is 120.0 Hz and the shutter speed for reducing the influence of flicker is 115.0 Hz. In this case, since the shutter speed for reducing the influence of flicker is within the display range of the slider 206, the indicator 602 is displayed as a dotted line at the 115.0 Hz position on the slider.

[0071] Figure 6B The shutter speed setting screen 600b shown corresponds to an example in which the indicator is displayed when the shutter speed for reducing the effects of flicker is 230.0 Hz. When the shutter speed for reducing the effects of flicker is 230.0 Hz, one of the shutter speeds to be switched to when the coarse adjustment button (or buttons) is operated will be 115.0 Hz. Therefore, the indicator 603 is displayed at the 115.0 Hz position on the slider to correspond to the current display range of the slider.

[0072] Although the indicators 210, 602, and 603 have been described above, if they each indicate the same shutter speed, any one of the indicators may be displayed with priority. Figure 9A An example of a screen in which the indicator 210 is preferentially displayed is shown. Figure 9B An example of a screen in which the indicator 602 is preferentially displayed is shown. Figure 9C An example of a screen in which the indicator 603 is preferentially displayed is shown.

[0073] Next, in step S506, the system control unit 50 determines whether an operation for ending the slider display process has been performed in response to a specific operation, such as a manual operation by the user based on a menu display displayed on the display unit 110 or the like. If it is determined that an operation for ending the display process has been performed, the slider display process ends. If it is determined that an operation for ending the display process has not been performed, the process proceeds to step S501.

[0074] As described above, in this embodiment, an indicator indicating the shutter speed that reduces the influence of flicker is displayed on the slider. This allows the user to easily recognize the degree and direction of the deviation of the detected shutter speed when adjusting the shutter speed using the slider operation.

[0075] While this embodiment describes an example in which the shutter speed that reduces the effects of flicker is displayed as an indicator on the slider, the display method is not limited to that of this embodiment. For example, a numerical value representing the shutter speed may be displayed on the slider, with its text color changed to serve as an indicator. Alternatively, an icon may be displayed to indicate to the user the direction and degree of deviation between the detected shutter speed and the currently set shutter speed.

[0076] Furthermore, during the slider operation performed by the user in this flowchart, if the slider operation is performed at or below a specific speed, the slider operation can be stopped when a shutter speed that reduces the effects of flicker is reached. This allows the user to use the slider operation to adjust the shutter speed to a shutter speed that reduces the effects of flicker without exceeding the desired shutter speed.

[0077] Second embodiment

[0078] Next, a second embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. The second embodiment describes the display of the shutter speed to be changed when the coarse adjustment button is operated. Note that the functional configuration of the camera 10 in the second embodiment is described as being the same as that in FIG. Figure 1 Same as shown.

[0079] Figure 10 1 is a flowchart showing the shutter speed setting process in the second embodiment. This process is realized by the system control unit 50 loading a program stored in the nonvolatile memory 111 into the system memory 113 and executing the program.

[0080] In step S1001, the system control unit 50 controls the display unit 110 to display Figure 2 The shutter speed setting screen 200 is shown.

[0081] In step S1002, the system control unit 50 determines whether the user has operated the flicker-free automatic detection button 209 via the touch screen 116. Note that the camera 10 may be configured to be separately provided with an operating member corresponding to the flicker-free automatic detection button 209. In this case, the system control unit 50 may determine whether the operating member has been operated. If the system control unit 50 determines that the flicker-free automatic detection button 209 has been operated, the system control unit 50 controls the camera to proceed to step S1003; otherwise, the system control unit 50 controls the camera to proceed to step S1006.

[0082] In step S1003 , the system control unit 50 performs automatic detection of a shutter speed that reduces the influence of flicker.

[0083] In step S1004, the system control unit 50 controls to create a response to the first embodiment. Figure 4B The table shows the shutter speed to which the coarse adjustment button is to be switched from the shutter speed detected in step S1003 .

[0084] In step S1005 , the system control unit 50 controls the shutter speed to change to the shutter speed detected in step S1003 .

[0085] In step S1006, the system control unit 50 determines whether the user has operated the fine adjustment button 207 via the touch screen 116 or the like. If the system control unit 50 determines that the fine adjustment button 207 has been operated, the system control unit 50 controls the process to transition to step S1007; otherwise, the system control unit 50 controls the process to transition to step S1008.

[0086] In step S1007, the system control unit 50 performs the following operations based on the first embodiment. Figure 3 The table shown for fine adjustment is used to control the shutter speed.

[0087] In step S1008, the system control unit 50 determines whether the user has operated the coarse adjustment button 208 or the coarse adjustment button 1201 described later via the touch screen 116. If the system control unit 50 determines that the coarse adjustment button 208 or the coarse adjustment button 1201 has been operated, the system control unit 50 controls the transition to step S1009; otherwise, the system control unit 50 controls the transition to step S1015.

[0088] In step S1009, the system control unit 50 determines whether automatic detection of the shutter speed for reducing the influence of flicker in step S1003 has been performed at least once while the shutter speed setting menu 202 is displayed. If the system control unit 50 determines that automatic detection of the shutter speed for reducing the influence of flicker has been performed, the system control unit 50 controls the process to transition to step S1010; otherwise, the system control unit 50 controls the process to transition to step S1015.

[0089] In step S1010, the system control unit 50 performs the following operations based on Figure 4A or Figure 4B The table shown in FIG. 1 is used to control the shutter speed of the camera 10. Specifically, the shutter speed is set to the value determined in the coarse adjustment button display update process described later. Figure 12 The shutter speeds in the coarse adjustment values ​​1201a and 1201b are adjusted.

[0090] In step S1011, the system control unit 50 controls the display of the slider 206 to be updated. In this embodiment, a range of ±5.5 Hz relative to the current shutter speed set on the camera 10 is displayed on the slider 206.

[0091] In step S1012 , the system control unit 50 controls to display the current shutter speed value set on the camera 10 as the current shutter speed display 205 .

[0092] In step S1013, the system control unit 50 determines whether automatic detection of the shutter speed for reducing the influence of flicker in step S1003 has been performed at least once while the shutter speed setting menu 202 is displayed. If the system control unit 50 determines that automatic detection of the shutter speed for reducing the influence of flicker has been performed, the system control unit 50 controls the process to transition to step S1014; otherwise, the system control unit 50 controls the process to transition to step S1015.

[0093] In step S1014, the system control unit 50 controls to perform processing for updating the display of the coarse adjustment button (display update processing). The coarse adjustment button display update processing will be described in detail later.

[0094] Figure 12 12 is a diagram showing an example of a shutter speed setting screen on which processing has been performed for updating the coarse adjustment button displayed on the display unit 110. On the shutter speed setting screen 1200, a shutter speed setting menu 1202 is displayed. The shutter speed setting menu 1202 displays coarse adjustment values ​​1201a and 1201b.

[0095] Coarse adjustment values ​​1201a and 1201b respectively show the shutter speeds to be changed when the coarse adjustment buttons 208a and 208b are operated. Figure 12 , 60.0Hz has been pre-detected by flicker-free automatic detection, and a Figure 4A . Furthermore, if the current shutter speed set on the camera 10 is 120.0 Hz, and if the coarse adjustment button 208a is operated in this state, the shutter speed is changed to 60.0 Hz. Therefore, "60.0" is displayed at the coarse adjustment value 1201a. Similarly, if the coarse adjustment button 208b is operated, the shutter speed is changed to 180.0 Hz. Therefore, "180.0" is displayed at the coarse adjustment value 1201b.

[0096] In step S1015, the system control unit 50 determines whether the user has operated the menu exit button 204 via the touch screen 116. If the system control unit 50 determines that the menu exit button 204 has been operated, the system control unit 50 controls the transition to step S1016; otherwise, the system control unit 50 controls the return to step S1002.

[0097] In step S1016, the system control unit 50 clears the coarse adjustment table created in step S1004 and controls to close the shutter speed setting screen 1200. The above describes an overview of the flow of displaying the shutter speed to be changed to when the coarse adjustment button is operated in the second embodiment.

[0098] Figure 11 1 is a flowchart showing a coarse adjustment button display update process in the second embodiment. This process is realized by the system control unit 50 loading a program stored in the nonvolatile memory 111 into the system memory 113 and executing the program.

[0099] In step S1101, the system control unit 50 Figure 10 Initialization processing is performed on the table number i for referencing the coarse adjustment value in the coarse adjustment table created in step S1004, and control is performed so that i is set to 1. Here, as the value of i increases, a higher shutter speed is referenced from the table. For example, in Figure 4A In the coarse adjustment table shown, when i=1, 30.0 Hz is referenced, and when i=5 (which is the maximum value of the table number), 240.0 Hz is referenced.

[0100] In step S1102, the system control unit 50 determines whether the current shutter speed of the camera 10 is less than (slower than) the shutter speed in the coarse adjustment table [i]. If the system control unit 50 determines that the current shutter speed of the camera 10 is less than the shutter speed in the coarse adjustment table [i], the system control unit 50 controls the process to transition to step S1103; otherwise, the system control unit 50 controls the process to transition to step S1104.

[0101] In step S1103, the system control unit 50 controls to set a coarse adjustment value on the high-speed side to which the shutter speed is changed when the coarse adjustment button 208b is operated in the coarse adjustment table [i], which is a shutter speed higher (faster) than the current shutter speed of the camera 10.

[0102] In step S1104, the system control unit 50 determines whether the current shutter speed of the camera 10 is greater than (faster than) the shutter speed corresponding to the coarse adjustment table [i]. If the system control unit 50 determines that the current shutter speed of the camera 10 is greater than the shutter speed of the coarse adjustment table [i], the system control unit 50 controls the process to transition to step S1105; otherwise, the system control unit 50 controls the process to transition to step S1106.

[0103] In step S1105 , the system control unit 50 controls to set a coarse adjustment value on the slow side to which the shutter speed is changed when the coarse adjustment button 208 a is operated, which is a shutter speed slower than the current shutter speed of the camera 10 , in the coarse adjustment table [i].

[0104] In step S1106 , the system control unit 50 controls to increment the table number i.

[0105] In step S1107, the system control unit 50 determines whether the table number i is greater than the maximum value of the table number. If the system control unit 50 determines that the table number i is greater than the maximum value of the table number, the system control unit 50 controls the transition to step S1108; otherwise, the system control unit 50 controls the return to step S1102.

[0106] In step S1108, the system control unit 50 controls Figure 12 The coarse adjustment value 1201b of the shutter speed setting screen 1200 shown in FIG. 1 shows the coarse adjustment value of the high speed side set in step S1103. Figure 4A In the case of the coarse adjustment table shown, if the current shutter speed of the camera 10 is 120.0 Hz, 180.0 Hz is displayed. On the other hand, if the current shutter speed of the camera 10 is 241.0 Hz, no high-speed coarse adjustment value is set. Therefore, the coarse adjustment value 1201b is not displayed.

[0107] In step S1109, the system control unit 50 Figure 12 The coarse adjustment value 1201a of the shutter speed setting screen 1200 shown in FIG. 1 displays the coarse adjustment value of the slow speed side set in step S1105, and controls to end the coarse adjustment button display update processing. Figure 4A In the case of the coarse adjustment table shown, if the current shutter speed of the camera 10 is 120.0 Hz, 60.0 Hz is displayed. On the other hand, if the current shutter speed of the camera 10 is 29.0 Hz, no coarse adjustment value is set for the lower speed side. Therefore, the coarse adjustment value 1201a is not displayed.

[0108] As mentioned above, in Figure 11In the flowchart of FIG. 1 , when the current shutter speed of the camera 10 is consistent with the value set in the coarse adjustment table, or when it is different from the value set in the coarse adjustment table, the display of the coarse adjustment value may be updated.

[0109] By displaying the shutter speed to be changed when the coarse adjustment button is operated as described above, the user can visually recognize in advance how the shutter speed will be changed by the operation of the coarse adjustment button when setting the shutter speed that reduces the influence of flicker.

[0110] In this embodiment, the shutter speed to which the coarse adjustment button is to be changed is always displayed as a coarse adjustment value. However, it is also acceptable to display the shutter speed only when the shutter speed to which the coarse adjustment button is to be changed falls outside the display range of the slider. This is because, similar to the fine adjustment button, if the shutter speed to which the coarse adjustment button is to be changed falls within the display range of the slider, the user can easily predict the resulting changed value. With this specification, the display area of ​​the on-screen display (OSD) data on the shutter speed setting screen 1200 is reduced, while the display area of ​​the image data is increased, which provides the advantage of making it easier for the user to capture images.

[0111] Furthermore, in this embodiment, if automatic shutter speed detection for reducing the effects of flicker has not yet been performed, operating the coarse adjustment buttons 208a and 208b will not result in any change in shutter speed. However, this is not the only case. Even if automatic detection is not performed, operating the coarse adjustment buttons 208a and 208b can change the shutter speed currently set on the camera 10 to half or double its current value.

[0112] If automatic detection is not performed, or if the coarse adjustment value 1201 is not displayed even after automatic detection is performed, operating the coarse adjustment button 208 does not result in any change in shutter speed, although the display of the coarse adjustment button 208 may change. In addition, operating the coarse adjustment button 208 can change the shutter speed to twice or half the current shutter speed.

[0113] Figure 13A 、 Figure 13B and Figure 13C are diagrams each showing an example of a shutter speed setting screen in which the display of the coarse adjustment button has been changed.

[0114] Figure 13A An example of a hidden button is shown. On the shutter speed setting screen 1300a, a shutter speed setting menu 1301a is displayed. Figure 12 Compared to the illustrated shutter speed setting menu 1202, the shutter speed setting menu 1301a has the coarse adjustment buttons 208a and 208b and the coarse adjustment values ​​1201a and 1201b hidden.

[0115] Figure 13B An example is shown in which the coarse adjustment button on the low speed side is grayed out. On the shutter speed setting screen 1300b, a shutter speed setting menu 1301b is displayed. The shutter speed setting menu 1301b displays the current shutter speed 1302, a slider 1303, a coarse adjustment button 1304, and a coarse adjustment value 1305. Figure 13B In, it has been created Figure 4A , and the current shutter speed is 25.0 Hz. In this case, operating the coarse adjustment button 1304 does not result in any change in the displayed shutter speed. Therefore, the coarse adjustment button 1304 is grayed out and its corresponding coarse adjustment value is not displayed.

[0116] Furthermore, in this embodiment, if the current shutter speed set on the camera 10 is lower or higher than the lowest shutter speed or the highest shutter speed in the coarse adjustment table, respectively, operating the coarse adjustment button 208 does not result in any change in the shutter speed. In this case, the system control unit 50 may cycle through the table of shutter speeds that can be set in response to the operation of the coarse adjustment button 208. Specifically, in Figure 4A In the example shown, if the current shutter speed set on the camera 10 is 250.0 Hz, which exceeds the highest speed of 240.0 Hz in the table, the shutter speed may be set to the lowest speed of 30.0 Hz in the table. Figure 4A In the example shown, if the current shutter speed set on the camera 10 is 25.0 Hz, which is lower than the lowest speed of 30.0 Hz in the table, the shutter speed may be set to the highest speed of 240.0 Hz in the table.

[0117] Furthermore, although the present embodiment describes an example in which operations on the shutter speed setting screen are performed via the touch screen, similar operations may be performed using buttons or a dial provided on the operation unit 115 .

[0118] Figure 13C This example shows a coarse adjustment value displayed on a screen that allows fine and coarse adjustment using two dials. Shutter speed setting screen 1300c displays the recordable time 201a, recording status 201b, recording time code 201c, image data 203, and shutter speed setting menu 1301c. Shutter speed setting menu 1301c displays a menu exit button 204, current shutter speed display 205, fine adjustment dial icon 1306, coarse adjustment dial icon 1308, coarse adjustment values ​​1307a and 1307b, and flicker-free auto detection button 209.

[0119] On the shutter speed setting screen 1300c, when the dial corresponding to the fine adjustment dial icon 1306 provided on the operation unit 115 is rotated clockwise, the shutter speed changes to Figure 3Similarly, when the dial is operated counterclockwise, the shutter speed is changed to the value to the right of the current value in the table shown. Figure 3 The value to the left of the current value in the table shown in FIG. Furthermore, when the dial corresponding to the coarse adjustment dial icon 1308 provided on the operation unit 115 is operated clockwise, the shutter speed changes to the value of the coarse adjustment value 1307a. Similarly, when the dial is operated counterclockwise, the shutter speed changes to the value of the coarse adjustment value 1307b.

[0120] In this embodiment, although Figure 13C The fine adjustment dial icon 1306 and the coarse adjustment dial icon 1308 have similar display forms (dial-type icons), but they are not limited to such icons. For example, the fine adjustment dial icon 1306 and the coarse adjustment dial icon 1308 can have different display forms to make them easier to distinguish.

[0121] In this embodiment, the example in which the coarse adjustment value is displayed adjacent to the coarse adjustment button is described. However, this is not limited to this arrangement; for example, the coarse adjustment value may be displayed directly on the coarse adjustment button.

[0122] Third embodiment

[0123] Next, a third embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. The third embodiment describes a modification when the shutter speed is changed. Note that the functional configuration of the camera 10 in the third embodiment is described as being the same as that in the embodiment shown in FIG. Figure 1 Same as shown.

[0124] In the third embodiment, when the system control unit 50 displays the Figure 2 2 , which provides a modified example of the operation when the user selects the shutter speed setting via the operation unit 115 or the touch screen 116. In the third embodiment, usability is improved by changing the speed at which the shutter speed is changed based on the user operation member and its operation state.

[0125] Imaging devices such as the camera 10 may be equipped with a function that sequentially changes imaging parameters, such as shutter speed, based on the method of operation when these parameters are changed by user operation. For example, while the shutter speed can be changed by pressing a button on the imaging device, some imaging devices allow the shutter speed to be changed sequentially by pressing and holding the button for a specific period of time. Alternatively, while the shutter speed can be changed using a dial on the imaging device, some imaging devices allow the shutter speed to be changed automatically and sequentially by turning the dial several times. Furthermore, for example, some imaging devices allow the parameter change to be gradually accelerated based on the duration of the button press and hold operation. This function allows the user to sequentially change imaging parameters without having to repeatedly press a button or turn a dial multiple times, allowing the user to quickly change the imaging parameters to the desired settings.

[0126] With the above function, for example, when the fine adjustment button 207 is pressed and held, the shutter speed value is based on the following Figure 3 The fine adjustment table shown changes continuously. In addition, based on the duration of the pressing and holding operation, the time required to move to the next value in the fine adjustment table is gradually shortened. This allows the user to quickly change the shutter speed to a desired value without having to operate the fine adjustment button 207 multiple times. In addition, Figure 3 The fine adjustment table maintains a constant interval between adjacent shutter speeds (the minimum resolution of the settable shutter speed). Therefore, the shutter speed can be changed by pressing and holding the fine adjustment button 207 until the desired shutter speed is reached, and then further fine-tuning is performed using the fine adjustment button 207 to match the desired shutter speed.

[0127] In contrast, if the coarse adjustment button 208 is provided with a similar function, the shutter speed is based on the Figure 4A and Figure 4B The coarse adjustment table shown here changes continuously. Fundamentally, in the coarse adjustment table, the intervals between adjacent shutter speeds are not constant, and the differences are larger, compared to the fine adjustment table. That is, if the shutter speed is changed in response to pressing and holding coarse adjustment button 208 in a similar manner to the control in response to pressing and holding fine adjustment button 207, the shutter speed may be unexpectedly changed to a value not intended by the user, such as a sudden change in value.

[0128] Therefore, in this embodiment, the speed at which the shutter speed is changed is controlled to be different depending on whether the fine adjustment button 207 or the coarse adjustment button 208 is operated on the camera 10. Specifically, when the coarse adjustment button 208 is pressed and held on the camera 10, the shutter speed is changed more slowly than when the fine adjustment button 207 is pressed and held, or the shutter speed is prevented from being changed from the currently set shutter speed.

[0129] Figure 14 This flowchart shows the operation of changing the shutter speed based on the duration of pressing and holding the shutter speed when the button touched by the user to change the shutter speed is one of the fine adjustment buttons 207a and 207b or one of the coarse adjustment buttons 208a and 208b. This flowchart begins with the camera 10 powered on and the system control unit 50 in operation to display the shutter speed setting screen 200. While this embodiment describes the case where the fine adjustment buttons 207a and 207b and the coarse adjustment buttons 208a and 208b are operated using touch operations, the operations are not limited to touch operations; these operations can also be performed using buttons or dials included in the operation unit 115.

[0130] This processing is realized by the system control unit 50 loading the program stored in the nonvolatile memory 111 into the system memory 113 and executing the program. Figure 14 The processing of the flowchart can be completely implemented by hardware configuration. Alternatively, the processing can be partially performed by hardware configuration, and the remaining processing can be performed by software configuration through a program.

[0131] In step S1401, based on a user operation, the system control unit 50 displays the shutter speed setting screen 200 on the display unit 110. Note that the shutter speed setting screen 200 displayed here is merely an example. When the shutter speed setting screen 200 is displayed on the display unit 110, the process proceeds to step S1402.

[0132] In step S1402, the system control unit 50 determines whether the touch screen 116 has been operated. If an operation can be performed using an operating member other than the touch screen 116, the system control unit 50 may determine whether the operating member has been operated. For example, the system control unit 50 may determine whether the operating unit 115 has been operated.

[0133] If the system control unit 50 determines that the touch screen 116 has been touched and operated, the process advances to step S1403 ; if it determines that there has been no operation, the system control unit 50 executes the determination process in step S1402 again after a certain period of time has elapsed.

[0134] In step S1403, the system control unit 50 determines whether a fine adjustment button (fine adjustment button 207a or fine adjustment button 207b) has been touched and operated on the touch screen 116. If the fine adjustment button can be operated using an operating member other than the touch screen 116, the system control unit 50 may determine whether the operating member has been operated. For example, the function of the fine adjustment button may be assigned to the operating unit 115. If the system control unit 50 determines that the fine adjustment button has been operated, the process proceeds to step S1404; if the system control unit 50 determines that the fine adjustment button has not been operated, the process proceeds to step S1408.

[0135] In step S1404, the system control unit 50 determines whether the fine adjustment button 207b for increasing the shutter speed has been operated. If the system control unit 50 determines that the fine adjustment button 207b has been operated, the process proceeds to step S1405. If the system control unit 50 determines that the fine adjustment button 207b has not been operated, the system control unit 50 determines that the fine adjustment button 207a for decreasing the shutter speed has been operated, and the process proceeds to step S1406.

[0136] In step S1405, the system control unit 50 changes the current shutter speed set on the camera 10 to a larger value among the next selectable values. Figure 3 As described above, when the fine adjustment button provided on camera 10 is operated, the shutter speed can be changed in increments of 0.5 Hz. Therefore, in this step, the shutter speed change amount is set to x, and it is increased by 0.5 Hz each time this step is performed. After the change amount x is increased, the change amount x is added to the current shutter speed, and the shutter speed is changed to this value. After the change, step S1407 is performed.

[0137] In step S1406, the system control unit 50 changes the shutter speed currently set on the camera 10 to the next smaller value among the selectable values. Similar to step S1405, the shutter speed can be set in increments of 0.5 Hz. Therefore, in this step, the amount of change in the shutter speed is set to x, and it increases by 0.5 Hz in the negative direction each time this step is performed. After the amount of change x increases in the negative direction, the amount of change x is added to the current shutter speed, and the shutter speed is changed to that value. After the change, the process proceeds to step S1407.

[0138] In step S1407, the system control unit 50 starts time measurement using the system timer 114. In this embodiment, when time measurement starts, the waiting time n used in later steps is saved as 100 milliseconds in the system memory 113. Thereafter, the process advances to step S1413.

[0139] In step S1408, the system control unit 50 determines whether a coarse adjustment button (coarse adjustment button 208a or coarse adjustment button 208b) has been operated on the touch screen 116. If the coarse adjustment button can be operated using an operating member other than the touch screen 116, the system control unit 50 may determine whether the operating member has been operated. For example, the function of the coarse adjustment button may be assigned to the operating unit 115. If the system control unit 50 determines that the coarse adjustment button has been operated, the process proceeds to step S1409; if the system control unit 50 determines that the coarse adjustment button has not been operated, the process proceeds to step S1416.

[0140] In step S1409 , the system control unit 50 determines whether the coarse adjustment button 208 b for increasing the shutter speed among the coarse adjustment buttons has been operated.

[0141] If the system control unit 50 determines that the coarse adjustment button 208b has been operated, the process proceeds to step S1410; if the system control unit 50 determines that the coarse adjustment button 208b has not been operated, it determines that the coarse adjustment button 208a for reducing the shutter speed has been operated, and the process proceeds to step S1411.

[0142] In step S1410, the system control unit 50 changes the current shutter speed set on the camera 10 to a larger value among the next selectable values. In this embodiment, when the coarse adjustment button provided on the camera 10 is operated, the shutter speed can be set to a value that is N times or 1 / N times (N is a natural number) the shutter speed calculated by the above-mentioned flicker-free automatic detection. Therefore, in this step, the change amount x is set to a value that causes the current shutter speed to become N times the shutter speed calculated by the flicker-free automatic detection. The variable N causes the shutter speed after the change to be in Figure 4A The shutter speed is the closest to the current value among the shutter speeds shown in FIG4B. After the change amount x is determined, the change amount x is added to the shutter speed, and the shutter speed is changed to the value. After the change, step S1412 is performed.

[0143] In step S1411, the system control unit 50 changes the current shutter speed set on the camera 10 to a lower value among the next selectable values. Similar to step S1410, the shutter speed can be set to a value that is N times or 1 / N times (N is a natural number) the shutter speed calculated by the above-mentioned flicker-free automatic detection. Therefore, in this step, the change amount x is set to a value that causes the current shutter speed to become N times the shutter speed calculated by the flicker-free automatic detection. The variable N causes the shutter speed after the change to be in Figure 4A The shutter speed that is closest to the current value among the shutter speeds shown in FIG4B and lower than the current value is selected. After the change amount x is determined, the change amount x is added to the shutter speed, and the shutter speed is changed to the value. After the change, step S1412 is performed.

[0144] In step S1412, the system control unit 50 starts time measurement using the system timer 114. In this embodiment, when time measurement starts, the waiting time n used in the following steps is saved as 300 milliseconds in the system memory 113. After the waiting time n is saved, step S1413 is performed.

[0145] In step S1413, the system control unit 50 determines whether the waiting time n has elapsed at the system timer 114 and whether the fine adjustment button or the coarse adjustment button has been continuously touched and operated on the touch screen 116 during this time. If the fine adjustment button and the coarse adjustment button have been assigned to other operating members, the system control unit 50 may determine whether these operating members have been continuously operated. Specifically, the above determination corresponds to whether the pressing and holding state of the operating member (button) has continued for a specific period of time or whether the operating member (button) has been pressed and held for a specific duration.

[0146] When the fine adjustment button and the coarse adjustment button are operated by an operation other than a pressing and holding operation using an operating member such as a dial, the system control unit 50 can determine whether the operation of changing the shutter speed has been continuously performed for the duration of the waiting time n. If the system control unit 50 determines that the touch state is continuing, the process proceeds to step S1414; if it determines that the touch state is not continuing, the process returns to step S1402.

[0147] In step S1414, the change x determined in step S1405, S1406, S1410, or S1411 is added to the current shutter speed, and the shutter speed is changed to that value. After the change, step S1415 is performed. Note that when this step is performed after step S1410 or S1411, it is acceptable to set the change x to 0 and not change the shutter speed. In this case, step S1415 is performed after the change x is set to 0. In addition, when this step is performed after step S1410 or S1411, the system control unit 50 may display the change x on the display unit 110. This allows the user to see at a glance how much the shutter speed has changed by operating the coarse adjustment buttons 208a and 208b, allowing the user to change the shutter speed more comfortably.

[0148] In step S1415, the system control unit 50 restarts the system timer 114 started in steps S1407 and S1412. At this time, the waiting time n does not change. After the restart, S1413 is performed again.

[0149] In step S1416, the system control unit 50 determines whether the user has performed an operation to close the shutter speed setting screen 200. In this embodiment, the touch Figure 2 The operation of the menu exit button 204 in the menu is used as an operation to close the shutter speed setting screen 200. Note that the shutter speed setting screen 200 can be closed using an operation other than a touch operation using the operation unit 115. If it is determined that such a closing operation has been performed, step S1417 is performed. If it is determined that a closing operation has not been performed, step S1402 is performed again.

[0150] In step S1417, the system control unit 50 hides the shutter speed setting screen 200 displayed on the display unit 110. After hiding, the system control unit 50 ends the flowchart.

[0151] According to the above configuration, when the user performs an operation such as pressing and holding the fine adjustment buttons 207a and 207b on the shutter speed setting screen 200, the shutter speed can be changed sequentially, and any desired shutter speed can be set easily and quickly. In contrast, when the user performs an operation such as pressing and holding the coarse adjustment buttons 208a and 208b, the shutter speed can be changed more slowly. This allows the user to more comfortably change the shutter speed to the desired value when operating the coarse adjustment buttons.

[0152] Other embodiments

[0153] While the present disclosure has been described with reference to embodiments, it will be understood that the disclosure is not limited to the disclosed embodiments but rather is defined by the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A camera device comprising: a camera component configured to capture images; A setting component configured to set the exposure time of the imaging component; a detection component configured to detect flicker in the image; a control component configured to control the display of the display component; as well as a calculation component configured to calculate an exposure time for suppressing flicker, wherein the control unit is configured to display an operation object on the display unit, the operation object indicating at least a portion of a range of settable exposure times; and The control component is configured to display an indicator related to the calculated exposure time on the display component when the calculated exposure time is within the display range of the operation object.

2. The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein The operation object is a slider-shaped operation object.

3. The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein The control unit is further configured to display an indicator related to the exposure time of the imaging unit set by the setting unit.

4. The imaging device according to claim 3, wherein The control unit is configured to cause the display unit to display only the indicator related to the exposure time set by the setting unit when the indicator related to the exposure time calculated by the calculation unit is displayed at the same position as the indicator related to the exposure time set by the setting unit.

5. The imaging device according to claim 3, wherein The control unit is configured to cause the display unit to display only the indicator related to the exposure time calculated by the calculation unit when the indicator related to the exposure time calculated by the calculation unit is displayed at the same position as the indicator related to the exposure time set by the setting unit. The imaging device according to claim 3 , wherein: The calculation means is further configured to calculate, based on the calculated exposure time, separately from the calculated exposure time, a candidate for an exposure time for suppressing flicker in an image captured by the imaging means, and The control section is configured to control display of an indicator associated with the exposure time calculated by the calculation section and an indicator associated with the candidate.

7. The imaging device according to claim 6, wherein The control section is configured to cause the display section to display the indicator related to the candidate in a form different from the indicator related to the exposure time set by the setting section and the indicator related to the exposure time calculated by the calculation section.

8. The imaging apparatus according to claim 6, wherein When the exposure time calculated by the calculation component and the candidate fall outside the display range of the operation object, the control component is configured to display an indicator at the end of the operation object to indicate that the exposure time calculated by the calculation component and the candidate fall outside the display range of the operation object.

9. The imaging device according to claim 8, wherein The control component is configured to change a display position of an indicator for indicating that the exposure time calculated by the calculation component and the candidate fall outside a display range of the operation object based on a difference between the exposure time set by the setting component and the exposure time calculated by the calculation component and a difference between the exposure time set by the setting component and the candidate.

10. The imaging device according to claim 6, wherein When the operation on the operation object is at a specific speed or lower, the control section is configured to stop updating the indicator related to the exposure time when the exposure time calculated by the calculation section or the candidate is reached.

11. The imaging apparatus according to claim 6, wherein The setting component includes: a first operating unit configured to change the exposure time of the imaging component by a first change amount; and a second operating unit configured to change the exposure time of the imaging component by a second change amount different from the first change amount, and The second operation unit is used when changing the exposure time of the imaging section to the exposure time calculated by the calculation section and the candidate.

12. The imaging device according to claim 11, wherein The second change amount is greater than the first change amount.

13. The imaging device according to claim 11, further comprising: a determining unit configured to determine whether the first operating unit or the second operating unit is in a first state; as well as an adjusting unit configured to adjust the first variation and the second variation, The adjusting unit is configured to change the first change amount to a third change amount when the judging unit judges that the first operating unit is in the first state, and The adjustment unit is configured to stop changing the exposure time of the imaging component or change the second change amount to a fourth change amount when the determination unit determines that the second operating unit is in the first state.

14. The imaging device according to claim 13, wherein The first state is a state in which the first operating unit or the second operating unit is continuously operated.

15. The imaging device according to claim 13, wherein The third change amount and the fourth change amount increase with the duration for which the first state continues.

16. The imaging apparatus according to claim 11, wherein The control component is configured to control display of the setting component on the display component, and The first operating unit and the second operating unit are displayed in different display forms.

17. A method for controlling an imaging device, the method comprising: Capture images; detecting flicker in the image; Set exposure time; Calculate exposure time for flicker suppression; as well as performing control to display an operation object on a display unit, the operation object indicating at least a portion of a range of exposure times that can be set in the setting; Here, in the control, when the exposure time calculated in the calculation is within the display range of the operation object, an indicator related to the calculated exposure time is displayed on the display unit. 18 . A computer program comprising instructions for causing a computer to execute the control method according to claim 17 when the computer program is executed by the computer.

19. A computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon the computer program according to claim 18.

Images