Imaging apparatus

Abstract

To provide an imaging apparatus that allows a panning shot with a changed composition.SOLUTION: In a camera system 100 having: at least one sixth group lens 6 or eighth group lens 8 configured to be movable in a direction orthogonal to an optical axis OA; a first shift driving unit 11B or a second shift driving unit 12B that drives the sixth group lens 6 or the eighth group lens 8 in the direction orthogonal to the optical axis OA; a first shift position detection unit 11A or a second shift position detection unit 12A that detects the position of the sixth group lens 6 or the eighth group lens 8; a photographing condition control unit 50A that controls the photographing condition; a detection unit 62 that detects at least one of the moving speed and the moving direction of a subject; and a shift control unit 30B that controls the sixth group lens 6 or the eighth group lens 8 based on a signal from the detection unit 62, the photographing condition control unit 50A has a panning shot photographing mode for intermittently performing exposure and the drive of the sixth group lens 6 or the eighth group lens 8 with respect to the movement of the subject.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an imaging device. [Background technology]

[0002] One photography technique that expresses a sense of dynamism is panning, where you follow a moving subject and release the shutter at a slow speed, so that the subject appears still while the background moves. In panning, the camera is moved slowly while the shutter is released, so it is susceptible to the effects of camera shake, and taking a photo with little blurring depends on the photographer's skill.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for automatically performing panning while the camera is stationary, as a panning technique that does not depend on the skill of the photographer. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 2925150 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In Patent Document 1, panning begins when a subject appears at a preset position, so if the composition differs from the intended shot, the shot must be retaken, which may result in a missed opportunity.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide an imaging apparatus that enables panning photography with a changed composition. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention provides an imaging device having at least one shift optical member configured to be movable in a direction perpendicular to an optical axis, a drive unit that drives the shift optical member in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis, a position detection unit that detects a position of the shift optical member, a condition control unit that controls shooting conditions, a detection unit that detects at least one of a moving speed and a moving direction of a subject, and a shift control unit that controls the shift optical member based on a signal from the detection unit, wherein the condition control unit has a control mode that intermittently performs exposure and driving of the shift optical member in response to the movement of the subject. Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an imaging apparatus that enables panning photography with a changed composition. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a camera system 100 according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is an electrical configuration diagram of the camera system 100 according to the embodiment. [Diagram 3] 1A is a diagram showing a normal focus range, (B) is a diagram showing the Scheimpflug principle, and (C) is a diagram showing the application of Scheimpflug in an embodiment. [Figure 4(A)] FIG. 1 shows the configuration of a lens barrel 101 required for performing panning photography multiple times with different compositions. [Figure 4(B)] FIG. 1 shows a configuration of a camera body 102 required for performing panning photography multiple times with different compositions. [Diagram 5] 11 is a flowchart of a control method for performing panning photography multiple times with different compositions. [Figure 6] 1A to 1D are diagrams showing possible subject situations that may occur when performing panning. [Figure 7] 13A to 13H are diagrams showing the flow when performing multiple panning shots with different compositions. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a lens barrel 101 (lens device) and a camera body 102 that constitute a camera system 100 (imaging device) according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the drawings, the direction along the optical axis OA of the lens barrel 101 is defined as the X-axis direction, the pitch direction as the Y-axis direction, and the yaw direction as the Z-axis direction.

[0011] The camera body 102 has an imaging section 58 (image sensor). An image formed through the lens barrel 101 can be exposed to the imaging section 58 for any length of time and captured by controlling a shutter (not shown) by the camera CPU 50. The camera body 102 also has a display section 60 with a touch panel function that can display the captured image and change various settings of the camera system 100, and a finder 70 that can be looked into to check the captured image and input line of sight.

[0012] Lens barrel 101 has a first group lens 1, a second group lens 2, a third group lens 3, a fourth group lens 4, a fifth group lens 5, a sixth group lens 6, a seventh group lens 7, an eighth group lens 8, a ninth group lens 9, and a tenth group lens 10. An optical system made up of these lens groups has an optical axis OA. The focal length of lens barrel 101 changes by changing the positional relationship of each lens group in the direction of the optical axis OA. Lens barrel 101 also has an aperture mechanism 14 that changes the aperture diameter of the optical system by lens CPU 30.

[0013] Each lens group is held by a lens barrel having a cam follower, and the cam follower engages with a straight groove parallel to the optical axis OA of the guide barrel 15 and a groove inclined to the optical axis OA of the cam barrel 16. The cam barrel 16 engages with the zoom operation ring 20, and as the zoom operation ring 20 rotates, the cam barrel 16 rotates, so that the focal length can be changed by rotating the zoom operation ring 20. In addition, the focal length of the optical system can be detected by zoom position detection means (zoom operation ring rotation detection unit 20A) (not shown) that detects the amount of rotation of the zoom operation ring 20.

[0014] The second lens group 2 is a focus group that can adjust the focus by driving it in the direction of the optical axis OA. The focus unit 13 is composed of a guide bar (not shown) that guides the second lens group 2 in the direction of the optical axis OA, a focus drive section 13B (vibration actuator) that drives the second lens group 2, and a focus position detection section 13A (not shown) that detects the movement distance of the second lens group 2. The focus unit 13 is driven and controlled by the lens CPU 30.

[0015] By driving each of the sixth lens group 6 and the eighth lens group 8, or at least one of them, in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis OA, a tilt effect that tilts the focal plane relative to the imaging plane and a shift effect that moves the shooting range (angle of view) can be obtained. That is, each of the sixth lens group 6 and the eighth lens group 8 is a shift optical member configured to be movable in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis OA. Specifically, when the sixth lens group 6 and the eighth lens group 8 both have positive refractive power or negative refractive power, a tilt effect can be obtained by moving them in opposite directions, and a shift effect can be obtained by moving them in the same direction. When one of the sixth lens group 6 and the eighth lens group 8 has positive refractive power and the other has negative refractive power, a shift effect can be obtained by moving them in opposite directions, and a tilt effect can be obtained by moving them in the same direction. A first shift unit 11 is configured by a holding means for holding the lens movably in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis OA, a driving means, and a first shift position detection unit 11A (position detection unit) for detecting the moving distance, and drives the sixth group lens 6. Similarly, a second shift unit 12 is configured to drive the eighth group lens 8. At this time, the first shift unit 11 and the second shift unit 12 are driven and controlled by the lens CPU 30.

[0016] Lens barrel 101 is equipped with a mount 17, which is connected to a mount of camera body 102 (not shown) to fix lens barrel 101. Furthermore, lens barrel 101 and camera body 102 have lens side electrical contacts 21 and camera side electrical contacts 51 that connect lens CPU 30 and camera CPU 50, respectively, and settings set on the camera side can be reflected in lens barrel 101.

[0017] 2 is an electrical configuration diagram of camera system 100 including lens barrel 101 and camera body 102. First, the control in camera body 102 will be described. Camera CPU 50 is composed of a microcomputer. Camera CPU 50 controls the operation of each section in camera body 102. Furthermore, camera CPU 50 communicates with lens CPU 30 provided in lens barrel 101 via lens side electrical contacts 21 and camera side electrical contacts 51 when lens barrel 101 is attached.

[0018] The information (signals) transmitted from the camera CPU 50 to the lens CPU 30 includes drive amount information of the second group lens 2, focus shift information, an aperture drive command, and attitude information of the camera body 102 based on a signal from a camera attitude detection unit 52 such as an acceleration sensor. Also included is subject distance information and position information of the subject based on a signal from a TS instruction unit 61 that indicates a desired subject on which the photographer wants to focus, as well as shooting range information indicating a desired shooting range (field of view). The details of this TS instruction unit 61 will be described later.

[0019] The information (signal) transmitted from lens CPU 30 to camera CPU 50 includes optical information such as the imaging magnification of the lens barrel 101, and lens function information such as zoom and vibration isolation mounted on the attached lens barrel 101. It also includes attitude information from lens attitude detection unit 22 such as a gyro sensor or acceleration sensor.

[0020] It should be noted that the lens side electrical contacts 21 and the camera side electrical contacts 51 also include contacts for supplying power from the camera body 102 to the lens barrel 101 .

[0021] The power switch 53 is a switch that can be operated by the photographer, and can start the camera CPU 50 and start the power supply to each actuator, sensor, etc. in the camera system. The release switch 54 is a switch that can be operated by the photographer, and has a first stroke switch SW1 and a second stroke switch SW2. A signal from the release switch 54 is input to the camera CPU 50. In response to the input of an ON signal from the first stroke switch SW1, the camera CPU 50 enters a shooting preparation state. In the shooting preparation state, the luminance of the subject is measured by the photometry unit 55, and the focus detection unit 56 detects the focus.

[0022] The camera CPU 50 calculates the aperture value of the diaphragm mechanism 14 and the exposure amount (shutter time) of the imaging unit 58 based on the photometry result by the photometry unit 55. The camera CPU 50 also determines drive amount information (including drive direction) of the second group lens 2 to obtain a focused state for the subject based on focus information (defocus amount and defocus direction) which is the detection result of the focus state of the photographing optical system by the focus detection unit 56. The drive amount information of the second group lens 2 is transmitted to the lens CPU 30. The lens CPU 30 controls the operation of each component of the lens barrel 101.

[0023] In the lens barrel 101 of this embodiment, by driving each or at least one of the sixth lens group 6 and the eighth lens group 8 in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis OA, a tilt effect of tilting the focal plane relative to the imaging plane and a shift effect of moving the shooting range can be obtained. For this reason, the camera CPU 50 calculates a tilt drive amount for focusing on a desired subject instructed by the TS instruction unit 61. Also, the camera CPU 50 calculates a shift drive amount for changing the current shooting range to the shooting range instructed by the TS instruction unit 61. Information on these drive amounts is transmitted from the camera CPU 50 to the lens CPU 30, which controls the drive of the sixth lens group 6 and the eighth lens group 8.

[0024] Here, multiple subjects may be specified by the TS specifying unit 61. Even if multiple subjects are at different distances, it is possible to focus on at least one subject as long as there is at least one subject on the subject plane 202b (see FIG. 3(B)) tilted by the tilt effect described above. Details of shooting using the tilt effect by tilt operation will be described later.

[0025] In addition, the TS instruction unit 61 may be in the lens barrel 101 instead of the camera body 102, and its function may be assigned to an existing rotation operation unit, button, switch, etc. of the lens barrel 101 or the camera body 102.

[0026] Furthermore, when the camera CPU 50 enters a predetermined shooting mode, it starts controlling the decentering drive of the vibration-proof lens (not shown), i.e., the camera shake vibration prevention operation. Note that there is also a lens barrel 101 that does not have a vibration prevention function, in which case the decentering drive of this vibration-proof lens is not necessary.

[0027] When an ON signal is input from second stroke switch SW2 of release switch 54, camera CPU 50 sends an aperture drive command to lens CPU 30, and aperture mechanism 14 is set to the previously calculated aperture value. Camera CPU 50 also sends an exposure start command to exposure unit 57, causing it to perform a retraction operation of a mirror (not shown) (note that this operation does not exist in mirrorless cameras) and an opening operation of a shutter (not shown), and causes imaging unit 58 to perform photoelectric conversion of the subject image, i.e., an exposure operation.

[0028] The imaging signal from the imaging unit 58 is converted into a digital signal by a signal processing unit in the camera CPU 50, and then subjected to various correction processes before being output as an image signal. The image signal (data) is recorded and stored in an image recording unit 59, such as a semiconductor memory such as a flash memory, a magnetic disk, an optical disk, or the like.

[0029] Moreover, the display unit 60, which is a display using liquid crystal or organic electroluminescence technology, can display images captured by the imaging unit 58 during shooting and images recorded in the image recording unit 59. In recent years, this display has been equipped with touch operation technology, making it possible to select a subject on the display for live view shooting and adjust the focus. Note that a configuration in which the TS indication unit 61 is included in the display unit 60 is common.

[0030] A detection unit 62 and a distance measurement unit 63 are electrically connected to the camera CPU 50, and the control of the detection unit 62 and the distance measurement unit 63 will be described later.

[0031] Next, a description will be given of the control in the lens barrel 101. Note that the first shift unit 11, the second shift unit 12, the focus unit 13, and the aperture mechanism 14 are electrically connected to the lens CPU 30 of the lens barrel 101, and details of the control thereof will be described later.

[0032] First, each detection unit will be described. The first shift position detection unit 11A detects the position of the six-group lens 6 driven by the first shift driving unit 11B (driving unit) included in the first shift unit 11. Similarly, the second shift position detection unit 12A detects the position of the eight-group lens 8 driven by the second shift driving unit 12B (driving unit) included in the second shift unit 12.

[0033] The focus ring rotation detection unit 18A includes a sensor (not shown) that detects the rotation of the focus ring 18. The aperture ring rotation detection unit 19A includes a sensor (not shown) that detects the rotation of the aperture ring 19. The zoom ring rotation detection unit 20A includes a sensor (not shown) that detects the rotation of the zoom ring 20.

[0034] The lens attitude detection unit 22 is composed of a gyro sensor, an acceleration sensor, etc., and although not shown in FIG. 1, it is disposed and fixed inside the lens barrel 101 and is electrically connected to the lens CPU 30. The gyro sensor (lens attitude detection unit 22) detects the angular velocity of each of the vertical (pitch direction) shake and horizontal (yaw direction) shake, which are angular shake of the camera system 100, and outputs the detected values ​​as angular velocity signals to the lens CPU 30. The lens CPU 30 electrically or mechanically integrates the angular velocity signals in the pitch direction and yaw direction from the gyro sensor to calculate the pitch direction shake amount and yaw direction shake amount (collectively referred to as angular shake amount), which are the amounts of displacement in the respective directions.

[0035] The TS operation detection unit 23 includes a manual operation unit (control change unit) for preparing to obtain the tilt effect and the shift effect, and a sensor (not shown) for detecting the amount of operation. That is, when the sixth lens group 6 and the eighth lens group 8 are driven in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis OA, the TS operation detection unit 23 detects the amount of manual operation for moving the angle of view A (see FIG. 7A), which will be described later, by a sensor, and drives the sixth lens group 6 and the eighth lens group 8.

[0036] Next, each driving section will be described. The focus driving section 13B of the focus unit 13 drives the second lens group 2 in the direction of the optical axis OA according to driving amount information of the second lens group 2 performing the focusing operation. The driving amount information is determined based on a signal from the camera CPU 50 described above. Alternatively, the rotation of the manually operated focus ring 18 can be detected by the focus ring rotation detection section 18A, and the driving amount information can be determined from the signal that manually indicates the focus position.

[0037] The electromagnetic aperture driver 14B of the aperture mechanism 14 is controlled by the lens CPU 30 that receives an aperture drive command from the camera CPU 50, and drives the aperture mechanism 14 to an open state that corresponds to the specified aperture value. It also drives in the same way when the photographer specifies a desired aperture value by operating the aperture operation ring 19.

[0038] The IS driver 24 includes a drive actuator for the vibration-proof lens (not shown) that performs vibration-proofing operation and a drive circuit for the actuator. The lens CPU 30 controls the IS driver 24 based on the composite displacement amount of the angular shake amount and the translational shake amount described above to shift and drive the vibration-proof lens (not shown in FIG. 1) to perform angular shake correction and translational shake correction. Note that this structure and function are unnecessary in a lens barrel 101 that does not have a vibration-proof function. The lens CPU 30 also controls the focus driver 13B based on the focus shake amount to drive the second lens group 2 in the optical axis direction to perform focus shake correction.

[0039] The TS driver 25 receives subject distance information, position information, and shooting range information from the camera CPU 50, and performs a tilt operation to obtain the desired inclined focus plane (subject plane 202b, see FIG. 3(B)), and also performs a shift operation to obtain the desired shooting range. Here, it goes without saying that the TS driver 25 and focus driver 13B are controlled by the lens CPU 30 so that they operate optimally to obtain the desired focus. Furthermore, the lens barrel 101 of this embodiment has optical characteristics that change the focus even if the subject distance does not change due to a shift operation. However, it goes without saying that the TS driver 25 and focus driver 13B are optimally controlled in accordance with the characteristics.

[0040] In the lens barrel 101 of this embodiment, the lens CPU 30 controls the TS driver 25 based on the shake and displacement of the lens barrel 101 calculated based on the output from the lens attitude detector 22. For example, if camera shake occurs when taking a picture while holding the camera system 100 in the hand, the subject plane will shift relative to the subject. However, in the camera system 100 of this embodiment, the position of the subject is stored in the subject memory unit 26 described below, so it is possible to control the TS driver 25 to correct the shake and keep the subject plane aligned with the subject. To control this TS driver 25, a signal from an acceleration sensor mounted in the camera body 102 may also be used.

[0041] The subject storage unit 26 stores the spatial position in the shooting range of the subject designated by the TS designation unit 61 or the display unit 60. This position can be defined by the subject distance and its coordinates (X, Y) with the imaging surface as the XY axis plane, and details will be described later.

[0042] Next, the Scheimpflug principle will be described. Fig. 3(A) shows the so-called normal in-focus range when the optical axis OA of the optical system 201a is not tilted with respect to the imaging surface 200a. Fig. 3(B) shows the in-focus range according to the Scheimpflug principle when the optical axis OA of the optical system 201b is tilted with respect to the imaging surface 200b.

[0043] In the figure, imaging plane 200a, imaging plane 200b, optical system 201a, optical system 201b, in-focus object plane 202a, in-focus object plane 202b, principal plane 203a, and principal plane 203b of the optical system are shown. As shown in Fig. 3(B), when the optical axis OA of the optical system in lens barrel 101 and imaging unit 58 are inclined, the in-focus range on the object side is determined by Scheimpflug's principle. Scheimpflug's principle is that when an extension of a line tangent to imaging plane 200b and an extension of a line tangent to principal plane 203b of the optical system intersect at intersection 204b, an extension of a line tangent to object plane 202b also passes through intersection 204b.

[0044] When the subject to be photographed has depth, it is possible to focus from the foreground to the background of the subject by tilting the subject plane 202b to match the depth. When you want to focus on a deep part with a lens that does not have a tilt mechanism, it is common to narrow the aperture to deepen the depth of field, but with a tilt lens, it is possible to focus according to the depth by tilting the lens even if the aperture is open.

[0045] Conversely, by tilting the main surface 203b of the optical system 201b in the opposite direction to the inclination of the subject with depth, it is possible to make the subject surface 202b intersect with the subject's depth direction at an angle close to a right angle. In this case, the in-focus range can be made extremely narrow, making it possible to capture a diorama-style image.

[0046] FIG. 3C is a diagram showing that the Scheimpflug principle is applied in this embodiment. In this embodiment, the tilt θobj of the object plane 202c is generated by decentering the optical element to utilize the image plane tilt, rather than tilting the optical system 201c. However, if the Scheimpflug principle is applied to the principal plane 203c of the optical system 201c and the object plane 202c, which do not tilt, an image plane tilt of angle θimg should occur on the imaging plane 200c. Therefore, this angle θimg is corrected by decentering the optical system 201c, and the object plane 202c tilts without tilting the imaging plane 200c, so that the desired object can be focused on. With this configuration, the extension of the line tilted at angle θimg from the imaging plane 200c and the extension of the principal plane 203c of the optical system intersect at the intersection 204c, and the extension of the line tangent to the object plane 202c also passes through the intersection 204c, so that it can be seen that the Scheimpflug principle is applied.

[0047] On the other hand, if a predetermined imaging surface tilt correction effect is to be ensured, the amount of decentering of the optical system 201c increases, and the composition shift becomes large. Therefore, another lens designed to reduce aberration fluctuations during decentering is moved to prevent the composition shift from becoming large. That is, in this embodiment, the problem of the composition shift becoming large is solved by decentering at least one of the 6th group lens 6 or the 8th group lens 8 corresponding to the optical system 201c.

[0048] Next, a method of shifting the sixth lens group 6 and the eighth lens group 8, which are the main components of this embodiment, in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis OA to perform panning shots with different compositions in a single shooting operation will be described.

[0049] FIG. 4(A) shows the control mode of the lens CPU 30 when performing multiple panning shots with different compositions, and FIG. 4(B) shows the control mode of the camera CPU 50 when performing multiple panning shots with different compositions.

[0050] First, the control flow by the lens CPU 30 will be described with reference to Fig. 4(A). The lens CPU 30 includes a focus control unit 30A, a shift control unit 30B, and an aperture control unit 30C. The shift control unit 30B includes a first shift control unit 30B1 and a second shift control unit 30B2. The shift control unit 30B performs control based on a signal from the TS operation detection unit 23.

[0051] The first shift unit 11 includes a first shift position detector 11A and a first shift driver 11B. The first shift driver 11B drives the sixth lens group 6 in response to an instruction from the first shift controller 30B1. The first shift position detector 11A detects the position of the sixth lens group 6 and outputs the position to the first shift controller 30B1.

[0052] The second shift unit 12 includes a second shift position detector 12A and a second shift driver 12B. The second shift driver 12B drives the eighth lens 8 in response to an instruction from the second shift controller 30B2. The second shift position detector 12A detects the position of the eighth lens 8 and outputs the position to the second shift controller 30B2. The first shift driver 11B and the second shift driver 12B are included in the TS driver 25.

[0053] The focus unit 13 includes a focus position detector 13A and a focus driver 13B. The focus driver 13B drives the second lens group 2, which is a focus group, in response to an instruction from the focus controller 30A. The focus position detector 13A detects the position of the second lens group 2 and outputs the position to the focus controller 30A.

[0054] The diaphragm mechanism 14 includes an electromagnetic diaphragm driver 14B. The electromagnetic diaphragm driver 14B drives the diaphragm mechanism 14 in response to an instruction from the diaphragm control unit 30C, and sets the diaphragm mechanism 14 to an opening state corresponding to a specified diaphragm value.

[0055] Next, the control flow by the camera CPU 50 will be described with reference to Fig. 4(B). The camera body 102 includes a detection unit 62 and a distance measurement unit 63. The detection unit 62 includes a subject detection unit 62A that detects a subject that has entered the shooting range, a movement speed detection unit 62B that detects the movement speed of the subject moving within the shooting range, and a movement direction detection unit 62C that detects the movement direction of the subject. The distance measurement unit 63 measures the distance to the subject detected by the subject detection unit 62A.

[0056] Each subject information detected by the detection unit 62 and the distance measurement unit 63 is output to the camera CPU 50, which converts it into control information for the movement speed and movement direction of the first shift unit 11 and the second shift unit 12, and outputs it to the shift control unit 30B of the lens CPU 30.

[0057] The camera CPU 50 includes a photographing condition control unit 50A (condition control unit) that controls photographing conditions. The photographing condition control unit 50A has a normal photographing mode M1 and a panning photographing mode (control mode) in which exposure and driving of the first shift unit 11 and the second shift unit 12 are intermittently controlled in response to the movement of the subject to photograph. The panning photographing mode includes a panning mode M2 ​​(first mode) in which a panning shot of the subject is taken and a multiple panning mode M3 (second mode) in which a panning shot of the subject is taken multiple times. The photographing condition control unit 50A includes a panning control unit 50B that switches the photographing mode from the normal photographing mode M1 to the panning mode M2 ​​or multiple panning mode M3 by the photographer's selection. This switching is not limited to switching by the photographer's selection, and the photographing condition control unit 50A may switch between the panning mode M2 ​​and the multiple panning mode M3.

[0058] The panning mode M2 ​​and multiple panning mode M3 in this embodiment are panning shooting modes in which the photographer performs panning shots without shaking the camera system 100 by driving the first shift unit 11 and the second shift unit 12 to track a subject.

[0059] FIG. 5 is a flowchart of control when multiple panning shots are taken with different compositions in the multiple panning mode M3.

[0060] 6(A) to 6(D) are diagrams showing subject situations that may occur when performing panning. FIG. 6(A) shows a situation in which a subject O whose movement direction is predictable is photographed when the subject O enters the angle of view A from outside the angle of view A. FIG. 6(B) shows a situation in which a subject O whose movement direction is predictable is photographed within the angle of view A. FIG. 6(C) shows a situation in which a subject O whose movement direction is unpredictable is photographed when the subject O enters the angle of view A from outside the angle of view A. FIG. 6(D) shows a situation in which a subject O whose movement direction is unpredictable is photographed within the angle of view A. The angle of view A is movable within a movable range R.

[0061] 7(A) to (H) are diagrams showing a flow when performing multiple panning shots with different compositions on a subject O whose moving direction is predictable, as in Fig. 6(A), for example. The flow of the multiple panning shots with different compositions will be described below with reference to Fig. 5 and Figs. 7(A) to (H).

[0062] First, in step S1 of FIG. 5, the photographer selects a panning shooting mode (panning mode M2 ​​or multiple panning mode M3). Next, proceeding to step S2, the photographer determines whether the moving direction of the subject O is predictable or not. If the moving direction is predictable (Y), proceed to step S3, and if it is unpredictable (N), proceed to step S4. Examples of subjects O whose moving direction is predictable include trains, car races, horse races, cycle road races, foot races, and other subjects whose movements are in one direction or on a fixed course, as shown in FIG. 6(A) and FIG. 6(B). Examples of subjects O whose movements are unpredictable include animals such as birds and cats, children, and sports set pieces, as shown in FIG. 6(C) and FIG. 6(D), whose movements are irregular and do not follow a fixed course.

[0063] 7(A) to 7(H), which show an example in which a train is used as the subject O, a movable range R indicates a range in which the angle of view A can be moved by driving the first shift unit 11 and the second shift unit 12.

[0064] In step S3, the photographer operates the manual operation section of the TS operation detection section 23 to drive the first shift unit 11 and the second shift unit 12, and moves the initial angle of view A1 to a position (angle of view A) where the subject O enters the movable range R shown in FIG. 7A. Here, the photographer sets at least one of the 6th lens group 6 or the 8th lens group 8 to approach. The manual operation section can be operated on the display section 60 having a touch panel function. Since the multiple panning mode M3 is selected in step S1, the panning shooting mode is set to drive the first shift unit 11 and the second shift unit 12 intermittently. However, when the photographer operates the manual operation section of the TS operation detection section 23, the panning shooting mode is changed to a control to drive the first shift unit 11 and the second shift unit 12 by the TS operation detection section 23. In this way, the manual operation section moves at least one of the 6th lens group 6 or the 8th lens group 8 in a direction corresponding to the movement of the subject O. In step S3, the initial angle of view A1 is set to the angle of view A, thereby increasing the driving amount of the first shift unit 11 and the second shift unit 12 when performing panning. This setting makes it possible to perform panning more effectively.

[0065] In step S4, the first shift unit 11 and the second shift unit 12 are not driven, and the angle of view is not changed. That is, the photographer sets at least one of the sixth lens group 6 or the eighth lens group 8 of the shift group to be positioned at the center. By leaving the state in which the angle of view is not changed as shown in Fig. 6(C) and Fig. 6(D) in step S4, a constant amount of drive can be obtained for the first shift unit 11 and the second shift unit 12.

[0066] Next, the process proceeds to step S5, where the subject detection unit 62A detects the subject O. This is performed at the timing when a part of the subject O enters the angle of view A, as shown in FIG.

[0067] Next, the process proceeds to step S6, where distance measurement is performed by the distance measuring unit 63, and distance information to the subject O is obtained. Next, the process proceeds to steps S7 and S8. In step S7, the camera CPU 50 measures the subject brightness by the photometry unit 55 and detects the focus by the focus detection unit 56, and focuses on the subject O, that is, performs preparation for shooting such as exposure and focus adjustment. In step S8, the moving speed detection unit 62B and the moving direction detection unit 62C detect the moving speed and moving direction of the subject O. The detection of the moving speed and moving direction can be calculated from the time when the subject O is captured between two predetermined points in the angle of view A and the subject distance information obtained by the distance measuring unit 63, but is not limited thereto. In this embodiment, the moving speed of the subject O is calculated from the time from when the subject O is captured at point P1 in FIG. 7(A) until when the subject O is captured at point P2 in FIG. 7(B) and the subject distance information. Note that, if the moving direction of the subject is predictable, the detection unit 62 may detect at least one of the moving speed and moving direction of the subject.

[0068] Next, the process proceeds to step S9. In step S9, the photographing condition control unit 50A determines the driving speed and driving direction of the shift group based on the moving speed and moving direction of the subject O detected in step S8 in order to perform panning. The photographing condition control unit 50A calculates the driving speeds of the first shift unit 11 and the second shift unit 12 for moving the angle of view A in accordance with the movement of the subject O.

[0069] Next, the process proceeds to step S10, where the shift control unit 30B starts driving the first shift unit 11 or the second shift unit 12 to drive at least one of the sixth lens group 6 or the eighth lens group 8 based on the driving speed information calculated in step S9. The timing of starting the driving may be when the subject O enters a predetermined position such as the center AC of the angle of view A, or may be as soon as the calculation in step S9 is completed. Alternatively, the timing may be determined arbitrarily by the photographer.

[0070] Next, the process proceeds to step S11, where an ON signal is input from the second stroke switch SW2 while the first shift unit 11 or the second shift unit 12 is being driven. That is, the image sensor of the imaging section 58 performs photoelectric conversion (exposure operation) of the subject image. The ON signal may be input from the second stroke switch SW2 when the photographer actually presses the second stroke switch SW2, or may be input automatically at a preset timing. In Fig. 7(B) and Fig. 7(C), the driving of the angle of view A is started based on the moving speed of the subject O calculated at the timing when the subject O approaches the center AC of the angle of view A. Then, at the timing when the subject O reaches the center C of the initial angle of view A1 before the angle of view is changed, an ON signal is input from the second stroke switch SW2, and an exposure operation is performed. The first shift unit 11 and the second shift unit 12 continue to be driven in accordance with the subject O during the exposure operation, thereby obtaining a panning effect, and panning photography as shown in Fig. 7(G) is completed.

[0071] Next, the process proceeds to step S12, where the photographing condition control unit 50A determines whether or not panning photography with a changed composition is possible. At the timing when the first panning photography is completed in step S11, it is determined whether panning photography is possible based on the drive speed and exposure time for the remaining drive amount RD (see FIG. 7(C)) of the first shift unit 11 and the second shift unit 12. If panning photography can be continued (Y), the process proceeds to step S13, and if it is not possible (N), the process proceeds to step S17 and the photographing is ended. Also, if the multiple panning mode M3 for performing panning photography with a changed composition is not selected in step S1, the process proceeds to step S17 and the photographing is ended.

[0072] In step S13, the driving of the first shift unit 11 and the second shift unit 12, which are the shift driving, is stopped. By stopping the driving of the first shift unit 11 and the second shift unit 12, the movement of the angle of view A is stopped (see Figs. 7(C) to 7(D)). Alternatively, the driving speed may be slowed down as long as a delay can be generated in the movement of the angle of view A relative to the movement of the subject O.

[0073] Next, the process proceeds to step S14, where the driving of the first shift unit 11 and the second shift unit 12 is resumed. In FIG. 7(D), the movement of the angle of view A was stopped, but the subject O continues to move during that time, so the composition changes to one in which the subject O has moved in the direction of travel relative to the angle of view A. By resuming the driving of the first shift unit 11 and the second shift unit 12, the angle of view A moves again in accordance with the subject O as shown in FIG. 7(E), and the remaining drive amount RD decreases. This results in a composition in which the subject O has moved in the direction of travel relative to the angle of view A during the first shooting.

[0074] Next, proceeding to step S15, the exposure operation is performed again while driving the first shift unit 11 and the second shift unit 12, thereby completing the second shooting in which the composition has changed from the first shooting, as shown in Figure 7 (H).

[0075] Then, the process proceeds to step S16, and a determination is made again as to whether or not the panning photography can be continued multiple times with different compositions. If it is determined that the panning photography can be continued (Y), the process returns to step S13, and the panning photography is repeated until it is determined that the panning photography cannot be continued. If it is determined that the panning photography cannot be continued in step S16 (N), the process proceeds to step S17, and the panning photography is terminated. In FIG. 7(F), the angle of view A reaches the limit of the movable range R at the time when the second panning photography is completed, and the remaining driving amount RD is zero, so that the panning photography is determined to be unable to be continued and the panning photography is terminated. That is, in the panning photography mode of the photographing condition control unit 50A, exposure and driving of the sixth lens group 6 and the eighth lens group 8 are intermittently performed in response to the movement of the subject O. The panning photography mode is executed until the movement of the shift optical member is completed, based on the detected positions of the sixth lens group 6 and the eighth lens group 8 and the control state of the first shift driving unit 11B and the second shift driving unit 12B.

[0076] The above-described configuration and processing method enable panning photography that is not dependent on the photographer's skill, and allows multiple panning photography with different compositions in one shooting operation. According to this embodiment, it is possible to provide an imaging device that allows multiple panning photography with different compositions.

[0077] Although an example in which the moving direction of the subject O is predictable as shown in Fig. 6(A) has been described, the same determination is made in step S12 when performing panning multiple times with different compositions on a subject O whose moving direction is unpredictable as shown in Fig. 6(C) or 6(D). Also, focusing by the focus detection unit 56 in step S7 may be omitted by setting the focusing position in advance, for example.

[0078] Lens barrel 101 of this embodiment is configured to be detachably attached to camera body 102 as shown in FIG. 1, but camera body 102 and lens barrel 101 may also be configured as an integrated unit.

[0079] Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of the gist of the present invention.

[0080] The disclosure of this embodiment includes the following configuration. (Configuration 1) At least one shifting optical member configured to be movable in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis; a drive unit that drives the shift optical member in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis; a position detection unit that detects the position of the shifting optical member; a condition control unit for controlling imaging conditions; A detection unit that detects at least one of a moving speed and a moving direction of a subject; a shift control unit that controls the shift optical member based on a signal from the detection unit, The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the condition control section has a control mode for intermittently performing exposure and driving of the shift optical member in response to movement of the subject. (Configuration 2) The imaging device described in configuration 1, characterized in that the control mode is executed until movement of the shift optical member is completed based on the position of the shift optical member detected by the position detection unit and the control state of the shift control unit. (Configuration 3) 3. The imaging device according to configuration 1 or 2, wherein the control modes include a first mode in which a panning shot of the subject is performed and a second mode in which a panning shot of the subject is performed a plurality of times. (Configuration 4) 4. The imaging device according to any one of configurations 1 to 3, further comprising a control change unit that changes the control mode depending on whether the moving direction of the subject is predictable or not. (Configuration 5) 5. The imaging device according to configuration 4, wherein the control change unit moves the shift optical member in a direction corresponding to the movement of the subject when the movement direction of the subject is predictable. (Configuration 6) The imaging device according to any one of configurations 1 to 5, characterized in that by driving the shift optical member in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis, a tilt effect of tilting the focal plane relative to the imaging plane or a shift effect of moving the imaging range can be obtained. (Configuration 7) 7. The imaging device according to configuration 6, wherein the tilt effect is obtained by driving the two shifting optical members in opposite directions. (Configuration 8) 7. The imaging device according to configuration 6, wherein the shift effect is obtained by driving each of the two shifting optical members in the same direction. (Configuration 9) The imaging device according to any one of configurations 1 to 8, characterized in that a lens device including the shift optical member and an optical system that forms a subject image on an imaging element is detachably attached to the imaging device. [Explanation of symbols]

[0081] 6 6-group lens (optical components for shifting) 8 8-group lens (optical components for shifting) 11A First shift position detector (position detector) 11B First shift drive unit (drive unit) 12A Second shift position detector (position detector) 12B Second shift drive unit (drive unit) 30B Shift control section 50A Shooting condition control section (condition control section) 62 Detection unit 100 Camera system (imaging device) 101 Lens barrel (lens device) 102 Camera body O Subject OA optical axis M2 Panning Mode (First Mode) M3 Multiple Panning Mode (Second Mode)

Claims

1. A drive unit that moves an optical member; a first detector that detects at least one of a moving speed and a moving direction of the subject; a first control unit that controls imaging of the subject; a second control unit that controls the drive unit based on a signal from the first detection unit, The imaging apparatus, wherein the first and second control units are capable of executing a control mode in which exposure and movement of the optical member are intermittently performed in response to movement of the subject.

2. A second detection unit for detecting the position of the optical member, 2. The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein the first and second control units execute the control mode from the start to the end of movement of the optical member based on a signal from the first detection unit and a control state of the second control unit.

3. 2. The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein the control modes include a first mode in which the image of the subject is captured only once, and a second mode in which the image of the subject is captured a plurality of times.

4. 2. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a change unit that changes the control mode depending on whether the moving direction of the subject is predictable or not.

5. 5. The imaging device according to claim 4, wherein the change unit moves the optical member in a direction corresponding to the movement of the subject when the movement direction of the subject is predictable.

6. The imaging device described in Claim 1, characterized in that the drive unit moves the optical element in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis.

7. The imaging device described in Claim 6, characterized in that the driving unit generates at least one of a tilt effect that tilts the focal plane relative to the imaging plane and a shift effect that moves the shooting range by moving the optical element in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis.

8. 8. The imaging device according to claim 7, wherein the tilt effect is obtained by moving the two optical members in opposite directions.

9. 8. The imaging device according to claim 7, wherein the shift effect is obtained by moving the two optical members in the same direction.

10. An imaging device described in any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the lens device including the optical element is detachable.

Images