Imaging apparatus

Abstract

To solve a problem in which, in conventional automatic cameras, a shooting distance is set in advance, and a photograph is taken when the subject enters an allowable distance range according to the specified shooting distance, but it is difficult to confirm whether the allowable distance range is appropriate.SOLUTION: An imaging apparatus includes a setting unit that sets photography permission conditions that permit photography of a subject, a determination unit that determines subjects that satisfy the photography permission conditions, and a first display unit that displays subjects that have been determined to satisfy the photography permission conditions in a manner different from subjects that have not been determined to satisfy the photography permission conditions.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] Conventionally, an automatic photographing camera as described in Patent Document 1 has been known. In this mode, you can set the shooting distance in advance and capture the subject within the allowable distance range according to the specified shooting distance. When the body is in the frame, the image is captured. However, it is difficult to check whether the allowable distance range is appropriate. There is a problem that... [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2005-215373 Summary of the Invention

[0004] An imaging device according to one aspect of the present invention includes a setting unit that sets photography permission conditions that allow a subject to be photographed, a determination unit that determines subjects that satisfy the photography permission conditions, and a first display unit that displays subjects that have been determined to satisfy the photography permission conditions in a manner different from subjects that have not been determined to satisfy the photography permission conditions. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0005] [Figure 1] Fig. 1(a) is a diagram illustrating an example of a scene in which a camera according to an embodiment is used, and Fig. 1(b) is a diagram illustrating an example of a live view image captured by the camera. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating the configuration of a main part of a camera according to a first embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a transition diagram illustrating an example of a change in the operation mode of the camera. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a dedicated menu screen. [Figure 5]FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a setting screen (focus); [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a setting screen (focus); [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a setting screen (movement). [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a setting screen (face). [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a setting screen (area). [Figure 10] 10 is a flowchart illustrating the flow of processing of a program executed when the automatic shooting mode is on. [Figure 11] 10 is a flowchart illustrating the flow of processing in a setting and confirmation operation program. [Figure 12] 10 is a flowchart illustrating a processing flow of a program for setting an operation of setting a photographing-allowed area. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a setting screen (area). [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a setting screen (area). [Figure 15] 10 is a flowchart illustrating the flow of processing in a program for setting one focus point. [Figure 16] 10 is a flowchart illustrating the flow of processing in a program for setting two focus points. [Figure 17] 10 is a flowchart illustrating the flow of the second half of the processing of the program for setting one focus point and two focus points. [Figure 18] 10 is a flowchart illustrating the flow of processing in a motion detection setting operation program. [Figure 19] 10 is a flowchart illustrating the flow of processing of a face detection setting operation program. [Figure 20] 10 is a flowchart illustrating the flow of processing of an automatic photography operation program. [Figure 21] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a setting screen (focus); [Figure 22] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating limit photography. [Figure 23]FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating the configuration of the main part of a camera according to a second embodiment. [Figure 24] FIG. 2 is a transition diagram illustrating an example of a change in the operation mode of the camera. [Figure 25] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating program provision. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0006] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the invention will be described with reference to the drawings. (First embodiment) FIG. 1(a) is a diagram illustrating an example of a scene in which a camera 1 according to an embodiment is used. Camera 1, fixed to a tripod or the like, captures the finish scene of a sprint (e.g., 100 m) in track and field events. Participating athletes run from a start line 11 along a sprint track 10 used for sprints toward a finish line 12. Camera 1 is installed several tens of meters behind finish line 12 as viewed from start line 11, with its shooting direction facing the finish line 12 so as not to obstruct the athletes as they cross the finish line 12 after crossing the finish line.

[0007] Camera 1 automatically captures a subject determined to satisfy predetermined photographing permission conditions, such as capturing the moment a runner crosses the finish line. In this embodiment, when a subject enters a distance range (hereinafter referred to as the photographing permission range) from position 22, which is a distance β away from reference position 20 (described later) toward camera 1 (hereinafter referred to as the near side), to position 21, which is a distance α away from reference position 20 toward starting line 11 (hereinafter referred to as the far side), camera 1 determines that the subject satisfies the photographing permission conditions and begins photographing. Here, the distance from camera 1 to position 22 is referred to as the first photographing distance, and the distance from camera 1 to position 21 is referred to as the second photographing distance. The second photographing distance is longer than the first photographing distance.

[0008] FIG. 1(b) is a diagram illustrating a live view image captured by the camera 1. In the embodiment, as will be explained in detail later, focus detection is possible in the entire area of ​​the live view image, that is, in a plurality of focus detection areas (marks 101 in FIG. 9) arranged in a matrix across the entire area of ​​the shooting screen. Therefore, it is possible to measure the distance from the camera 1 to almost all subjects included in the shooting screen (i.e., to measure the distance). Then, automatic shooting is performed by targeting subjects that meet the shooting permission conditions.

[0009] A live view image is an image for a monitor that is repeatedly captured at a rate of several frames per second before actual shooting. The capture of an image for a monitor may also be referred to as preliminary shooting. The live view image shows an athlete sprinting across the finish line 12. The camera 1 of this embodiment can notify the user of a subject that has been determined to satisfy the shooting permission conditions. In other words, the user can check the subject that satisfies the shooting permission conditions by looking at the live view image. In the example shown in FIG. 1(b), multiple rectangular marks T are superimposed on the upper body of an athlete running in the third lane from the left on the screen (i.e., the fourth course of the sprint track 10). With this configuration, the user can confirm from the marks T that the subject that satisfies the shooting permission conditions is the area corresponding to the upper body of the athlete running in the fourth course. The multiple square marks T indicate subjects that meet the photography permission conditions. When no athletes are running, the live view image mainly shows only the course of the sprint track 10 and the finish line 12 .

[0010] In this embodiment, the following conditions (A) to (E) are set as shooting permission conditions in the automatic shooting mode. (A) A condition in which a subject is detected in a predetermined photography-permitted area. This condition will be referred to as the trigger area condition later. (B) A condition in which a subject is detected within a shooting distance before and after a predetermined reference shooting distance, that is, within the shooting permitted range from a first shooting distance to a second shooting distance. This condition will be referred to as the single-focus condition later. (C) A condition in which a subject having a shooting distance within a predetermined shooting allowable range from a first shooting distance to a second shooting distance is detected. This condition will be referred to later as the two-point focus condition, and the reference position is the midpoint between the first and second shooting distances. (D) Conditions under which subject movement is detected, i.e., motion detection conditions. (E) Conditions under which a face is detected as a specific object, i.e., face detection conditions. The above (A) to (E) may be set in combination. The photographing-permitted area refers to an area arbitrarily set within the range (called the photographing range) captured by the image sensor 261, which will be described later. The range captured by the image sensor 261 expressed as an angle is called the photographing angle of view. In the case of camera 1, one or more areas selected from the multiple focus detection areas (mark 101 in FIG. 9) can be set as the photographing-permitted area (area defined by multiple marks 102 in FIG. 9) in which automatic photographing is permitted. In the embodiment, an example is described in which the photographing-allowed area is selected from the focus detection area, but the photographing-allowed area may also be set independently within the photographing range, regardless of the focus detection area. In addition, in (B) and (C) above, automatic photography is performed within the permitted photography range, so the photography distance within this range can be called the permitted photography distance. The details of such a camera 1 will be explained in more detail below.

[0011] 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating the configuration of the main parts of a camera 1 according to a first embodiment of the invention. The camera 1 will be described as an example in which a detachable photographic lens (referred to as an interchangeable lens 3) is attached to a camera body 2, but the camera may also be one in which the camera body 2 and the photographic lens are integrated. In FIG. 1, the left direction along the optical axis O of the interchangeable lens 3 is the shooting direction of the camera 1.

[0012] <Camera body> The camera body 2 has a body side control unit 230, a body side communication unit 250, an imaging unit 260, a wireless communication unit 270, an operation member 280, and a display unit 290. The body side control unit 230 is connected to the body side communication unit 250, the imaging unit 260, the wireless communication unit 270, the operation member 280, and the display unit 290.

[0013] The imaging unit 260 includes an imaging element 261 and a signal processing unit 262. Light from a subject that has passed through the interchangeable lens 3 is guided to the imaging element 261 of the imaging unit 260. The imaging element 261 is a solid-state imaging element such as a CMOS image sensor or a CCD image sensor. In response to a control signal from the body-side control unit 230, the imaging element 261 captures an image of a subject formed on an imaging surface 261S by the interchangeable lens 3 and outputs a signal. The imaging unit 260 is capable of capturing moving images and still images. In addition to recording moving images, the moving image capturing includes continuous shooting and capturing the above-mentioned live view images for continuously displaying images for monitoring on the display unit 290.

[0014] The image sensor 261 has a photoelectric conversion unit for image generation and a photoelectric conversion unit for focus detection. Image capturing pixel signals based on charges generated in the image generating photoelectric conversion unit are used to generate image data in the signal processing unit 262. The signal processing unit 262 performs predetermined image processing on the image capturing pixel signals to generate image data. The image capturing pixel signals are further used by the body side control unit 230 for exposure calculation. A focus detection pixel signal based on the electric charge generated in the focus detection photoelectric conversion unit is sent to the body side control unit 230 via the signal processing unit 262.

[0015] The body side control unit 230 is composed of a microcomputer and its peripheral circuits, etc., and executes control programs, etc. The body side control unit 230 includes a display control unit 231, an exposure control unit 232, a distance measurement unit 233, a lens drive amount calculation unit 234, a determination unit 235, a face detection unit 236, a movement detection unit 237, a mode control unit 238, a condition setting unit 239, a recording control unit 240, and an information storage unit 241.

[0016] The display control unit 231 controls the display content to be displayed on the display unit 290. The exposure control unit 232 performs exposure calculation to determine the exposure. For example, the exposure control unit 232 detects brightness information (Bv value) of the subject based on the imaging pixel signals output from the imaging unit 260, and determines the aperture value (Av value), shutter speed (Tv value), and sensitivity (Sv value) based on the Bv value and information on the program diagram stored in the information storage unit 241.

[0017] The distance measurement unit 233 performs focus detection processing using a phase difference detection method using focus detection pixel signals output from the imaging unit 260 to calculate the defocus amount (the amount of deviation between the imaging position of the interchangeable lens 3 and the imaging surface 261S of the image sensor 261). The imaging position is the position where an image is formed when the focusing lens 361 of the interchangeable lens 3 is in its current position. The distance measuring unit 233 may be called a focus detection unit because it performs focus detection processing. In this embodiment, the distance measuring unit 233 not only performs focus detection processing but also calculates the shooting distance from the camera 1 to the subject based on the position of the focusing lens 361, that is, performs distance measurement, and is therefore called the distance measuring unit 233. The calculation of the focus detection processing performed by the distance measuring unit 233 is performed using AF (Auto It is also called the Focus operation.

[0018] Distance measurement is performed using information on the optical characteristics of the interchangeable lens 3. For example, the position of the focusing lens 361 in the direction of the optical axis O corresponding to the focal length and shooting distance is stored in the information storage unit 241 as information on the optical characteristics of the interchangeable lens 3. Once the position of the focusing lens that focuses on a certain subject has been determined, the distance measurement unit 233 can determine the shooting distance from the camera 1 to that subject by referring to the information storage unit 241.

[0019] The lens drive amount calculation unit 234 calculates the drive amount Δd for moving the focusing lens 361 of the interchangeable lens 3 from the current position to the in-focus position, based on the defocus amount calculated by the distance measurement unit 233.

[0020] The determination unit 235 determines whether or not the photographing permission conditions set by the condition setting unit 239 are satisfied. The photographing permission conditions will be described in detail later. The face detection unit 236 detects the face of the subject using image data output from the imaging unit 260. The detection target may be a predetermined specific object, such as a human face, a living thing represented by an animal face, or a vehicle such as a car or an airplane.

[0021] The motion detection unit 237 detects the motion of the subject using image data output from the imaging unit 260. The motion detection unit 237 may detect motion in all directions (directions of motion vectors) in the image, including horizontal, vertical, and diagonal directions, or may detect motion of the subject in a predetermined direction, such as detecting only the vertical direction, or not detecting only the vertical direction. The direction to be detected can be set, for example, by a menu operation performed via the operation member 280 (touch operation member 290A).

[0022] Mode control unit 238 controls the operation mode of camera 1. Camera 1 is configured to be switchable between an operation mode in which it automatically photographs a subject determined to satisfy predetermined photographing permission conditions (automatic photographing mode on), and a normal operation mode in which it photographs based on a release operation or the like (automatic photographing mode off).

[0023] The condition setting unit 239 sets the photographing permission conditions based on, for example, an operation signal from the operation member 280. In this embodiment, as described above, the conditions include (A) a trigger area condition, (B) a single focus point condition, (C) a two focus point condition, (D) a motion detection condition, and (E) a face detection condition.

[0024] The recording control unit 240 controls the recording and reading of data and information on a recording medium 500 such as a memory card. The recording control unit 240 converts image data output from the imaging unit 260 into a predetermined file format and records the converted data on the recording medium 500 such as a memory card. The recording control unit 240 also reads out image data recorded on the recording medium 500 and sends it to the display control unit 231. The recording medium 500 is detachable from a slot (not shown) provided in the camera body 2 .

[0025] The information storage unit 241 is a memory in which the recording and reading of data and information is controlled by the body-side control unit 230. The information storage unit 241 stores, for example, information indicating the optical characteristics of the interchangeable lens 3, information relating to the shooting permission conditions set by the condition setting unit 239, and information on a program diagram for exposure control.

[0026] The body side communication unit 250 performs predetermined communication with the lens side communication unit 340 of the interchangeable lens 3 . An operation member 280 including a release button, operation switches, etc. is provided on the exterior surface of the camera body 2. The operation member 280 sends an operation signal according to a user's operation to the body-side control unit 230. By operating the operation member 280, the user can switch the automatic shooting mode on and off, set shooting permission conditions when the automatic shooting mode is on, switch modes when the automatic shooting mode is on, and perform a release operation or set shooting conditions (such as exposure settings) when the automatic shooting mode is off.

[0027] The display unit 290 is configured with an organic EL display panel or a liquid crystal display panel. The display unit 290 displays images based on image data, operation menu screens, and the like, in response to control signals from the display control unit 231. The images displayed on the display unit 290 include live view images pre-captured before actual shooting and actual captured images. The display unit 290 may be provided with a touch panel, and the touch operation member 290A may be configured as part of the operation member 280.

[0028] The wireless communication unit 270 transmits and receives data and information to and from an external device 400 that has a wireless communication function. The wireless communication unit 270 has the body side control unit 230 control the transmission and reception of data and information.

[0029] <Interchangeable lenses> The interchangeable lens 3 has a lens side control unit 330, a lens side communication unit 340, a photographing optical system 360, a lens driving unit 370, and an aperture driving unit 380. The lens side control unit 330 is connected to the lens side communication unit 340, the lens driving unit 370, and the aperture driving unit 380.

[0030] The lens side control unit 330 is made up of a microcomputer and its peripheral circuits, etc. The lens side control unit 330 executes a control program stored inside and controls each part of the interchangeable lens 3, such as automatic focus adjustment control.

[0031] The lens side communication unit 340 performs predetermined communication with the body side communication unit 250. Through communication between the lens side communication unit 340 and the body side communication unit 250, instructions to move the photographic optical system 360 and the like are transmitted from the camera body 2 to the interchangeable lens 3. Furthermore, through communication between the lens side communication unit 340 and the body side communication unit 250, information such as the driving state of the photographic optical system 360 (for example, the position of the focusing lens 361) is transmitted from the interchangeable lens 3 to the camera body 2. Additionally, information indicating the optical characteristics of the interchangeable lens 3 can also be transmitted from the interchangeable lens 3 to the camera body 2.

[0032] The photographing optical system 360 includes a plurality of lenses and a diaphragm member 362, and guides subject light to the imaging surface 261S of the imaging section 260 of the camera body 2. The plurality of lenses includes a focusing lens 361. The focusing lens 361 is configured to be movable in the direction of the optical axis O by a lens drive unit 370. By moving the focusing lens 361, the position of the subject image formed by the photographing optical system 360 in the direction of the optical axis is changed. This allows the AF operation (focusing) to be performed.

[0033] The diaphragm 362 adjusts the amount of light incident on the imaging unit 260. The diaphragm 362 is configured so that the aperture diameter (aperture value) can be changed by driving the diaphragm blades using the diaphragm driving unit 380 or manually.

[0034] Drive instructions such as the direction, amount, and speed of movement of the focusing lens 361 are issued by the body-side control unit 230. Alternatively, instructions may be issued from the lens-side control unit 330 based on information from the body-side control unit 230.

[0035] The camera body 2 communicates with the interchangeable lens 3, sending, for example, a lens drive signal that is an instruction to drive the focusing lens 361, an aperture drive signal, and information about the camera body 2 (such as setting status and ISO sensitivity information) to the interchangeable lens 3. In response to the drive signal from the camera body 2, the interchangeable lens 3 drives the focusing lens 361 using a lens drive unit 370.

[0036] Meanwhile, the interchangeable lens 3 communicates with the camera body 2 to transmit, for example, information on the optical characteristics of the photographic optical system 360, position information of the focusing lens 361, and information on the aperture diameter of the diaphragm 362 to the camera body 2. As position information of the focusing lens 361, the number of steps, which will be described later, may also be transmitted.

[0037] <External device> The external device 400 has a wireless communication unit 401, a control unit 402, an operation member 403, and a display unit 404. The control unit 402 is connected to the wireless communication unit 401, the operation member 403, and the display unit 404.

[0038] The control unit 402 is made up of a microcomputer and its peripheral circuits, etc. The control unit 402 executes a control program stored inside and controls each part of the external device 400, such as sending remote control operation signals to the camera body 2 and receiving signals indicating the setting state and operating state of the camera body 2 and displaying them on the display unit 404.

[0039] The wireless communication unit 401 transmits and receives data and information to and from the wireless communication unit 270. The control unit 402 controls the wireless communication unit 401 to transmit command data and information and to receive data and information indicating a status.

[0040] The operation member 403 sends a remote control operation signal or the like in response to a user operation to the control unit 402. By operating the operation member 403, the user can perform, from the external device 400, switching the automatic shooting mode on and off, setting shooting permission conditions when the automatic shooting mode is on, switching modes when the automatic shooting mode is on, and performing a release operation and setting shooting conditions (such as exposure settings) when the automatic shooting mode is off.

[0041] The display unit 404 is configured with an organic EL display panel or a liquid crystal display panel. In response to a control signal from the control unit 402, the display unit 404 displays an operation menu screen, information indicating the status of the camera body 2, etc. The status of the camera body 2 may include mode information such as the operation mode, setting / check mode, and execution mode. The display unit 404 may be provided with a touch panel, which may be configured as the operation member 403 . The external device 400 may also be configured as a smartphone. The wireless communication unit 401 performs wireless communication based on the smartphone's communication standard. The display screen displayed on the display unit 290 of the camera body 2 can be displayed on the display unit of the smartphone.

[0042] <Operation mode transition> FIG. 3 is a transition diagram illustrating the transition of the operation mode of the camera 1. In this embodiment, the operation modes include a normal shooting mode and an automatic shooting mode. The automatic shooting mode includes a setting / check mode and an execution mode. The switching between these modes, i.e., the transition, is illustrated in FIG. 3. <Automatic Shooting Mode> As described above, the camera 1 is switched between automatic shooting mode on and off by the mode control unit 238. The automatic shooting mode on is also referred to as a special shooting mode. The automatic shooting mode off is also referred to as a normal shooting mode. The mode control unit 238 switches the automatic shooting mode on and off based on an operation signal from the operation member 280. The mode control unit 238 may switch the automatic shooting mode on and off based on a remote control operation signal sent from the external device 400 to the camera body 2.

[0043] <Settings / Checking Mode and Execution Mode> When the automatic shooting mode is turned on, the camera 1 is further switched by the mode control unit 238 between a setting / checking mode and an execution mode. The setting / confirmation mode is an operating mode (referred to as the second operating mode) in which the condition setting unit 239 sets the photographing permission conditions based on an operation signal from the operating member 280, and the user confirms the photographing permission conditions set by the condition setting unit 239 by looking at the display screen of the display unit 290. The execution mode is an operation mode (referred to as a first operation mode) in which the body side control unit 230 automatically causes the imaging unit 260 to start shooting when the determination unit 235 determines that the subject satisfies the shooting permission conditions. The mode control unit 238 switches between the setting / checking mode and the execution mode based on an operation signal from the operation member 280 .

[0044] When switching the automatic shooting mode from off to on, the mode control unit 238 can change the transition destination to the setting / confirmation mode or the execution mode depending on the button operated on the operation member 280. Conversely, when switching the automatic photography mode from on to off, the mode control unit 238 can turn off the automatic photography mode by operating the operation member 280 from either the setting / check mode or the execution mode.

[0045] <Display in setting / check mode> In this embodiment, in the setting / confirmation mode, the display control unit 231 causes the display unit 290 to display three screens: (1) a confirmation screen, (2) a dedicated menu screen, and (3) a setting screen. When switching from the confirmation screen to another screen, the display control unit 231 can switch to a dedicated menu screen or a screen in which the automatic shooting mode is turned off by operating a button on the operation member 280. Furthermore, when switching from the dedicated menu screen to another screen, the display control unit 231 can switch to a confirmation screen or a setting screen depending on which button on the operation member 280 is operated. Furthermore, when switching from the setting screen to another screen, the display control unit 231 can switch to a confirmation screen or a dedicated menu screen depending on which button on the operation member 280 is operated. If there is only one condition for permission to take pictures for automatic photography, there is no need to separate the confirmation screen, dedicated menu screen, and setting screen, and the system may be configured to be implemented using only the setting screen.

[0046] (1) Confirmation screen The screen shown in FIG. 1(b) is a confirmation screen 50. The confirmation screen 50 displays a live view image and also displays subjects that satisfy the photographing permission conditions determined by the determination unit 235. In FIG. 1(b), a mark T corresponds to the display indicating subjects that satisfy the photographing permission conditions. In other words, a mark T is not attached to subjects that do not satisfy the photographing permission conditions, and therefore subjects that satisfy the photographing permission conditions and subjects that do not satisfy the photographing permission conditions are displayed in different ways. For example, when the transition destination when the automatic shooting mode is switched from OFF to ON is the setting / confirmation mode, the display control unit 231 causes the display unit 290 to display the confirmation screen 50.

[0047] (2) Dedicated menu screen The screen shown in Fig. 4 is a dedicated menu screen 60. The dedicated menu screen 60 displays a menu for setting shooting permission conditions along with a live view image. In Fig. 4, four touch operation marks 61 to 64 correspond to the menu. (1-point / 2-point focus condition setting) The touch operation mark 61 is an operation mark for displaying the setting screen (focus). In this embodiment, the above conditions (B) and (C), under which automatic shooting is performed when a subject is detected whose shooting distance is within the allowed shooting range from the first shooting distance to the second shooting distance, i.e., the single-focus condition and the two-focus condition, are defined as one of the shooting permission conditions. The single-focus condition and the two-focus condition are collectively referred to as focus conditions. The focus condition can also be considered a condition for detecting that a subject located outside the range between the first and second shooting distances has entered the range between the first and second shooting distances, i.e., the allowed shooting range. The focus condition setting screen will be described in detail in the setting screen (focus) of FIG. 5.

[0048] (Motion detection condition settings) The touch operation mark 62 is an operation mark for displaying a motion setting screen. In this embodiment, the motion detection condition (D) above, that the motion of the subject is detected, is set as one of the shooting permission conditions. The shooting permission area is also called a trigger area. The motion detection condition setting screen will be described in detail in the setting screen (motion) of FIG. 7.

[0049] (Face detection condition settings) The touch operation mark 63 is an operation mark for displaying a face setting screen. In this embodiment, the face detection condition (E) above, that a face is detected, is set as one of the photographing permission conditions. The face detection condition setting screen will be described in detail in the setting screen (face) of FIG. 8.

[0050] (Trigger area setting) The touch operation mark 64 is an operation mark for displaying the trigger area setting screen. In this embodiment, the trigger area condition (A) above, that a subject is detected in a photographing-permitted area, is set as one of the photographing permission conditions. A photographing-permitted area set within the photographing range is called a trigger area. A trigger area is also simply called an area. The trigger area condition setting screen will be described in detail in the setting screen (area) of FIG. 9. Setting of the photographing-permitted area will be described later. The trigger area is enabled when "auto area" is selected as the AF area mode. When an AF area mode other than "auto area" (for example, "single point" or "dynamic") is selected, the trigger area follows the setting of that AF area mode. When "auto area" is selected, the distance measurement unit 233 automatically selects the distance measurement point for distance measurement. When a predetermined button on the operating member 280 is operated while the display unit 290 is displaying the confirmation screen 50 or the setting screen described below, the display control unit 231 displays a dedicated menu screen 60 instead of the confirmation screen 50 or the setting screen.

[0051] (3)Settings screen The setting screen is selected by touching one of the four touch operation marks 61 to 64, and the photographing permission conditions are set on the selected setting screen. In this embodiment, there are four types of screens: setting screen (focus) in Fig. 5, setting screen (movement) in Fig. 7, setting screen (face) in Fig. 8, and setting screen (area) in Fig. 9.

[0052] (Settings screen (focus) 70) The screen shown in Fig. 5 is a setting screen (focus) 70. The setting screen (focus) 70 displays a live view image, as well as an indication of subjects that satisfy the photographing permission conditions determined by the determination unit 235, and information on the photographing permission conditions that are set by the condition setting unit 239. In Fig. 5, the mark T corresponds to the indication of the subjects that are determined to satisfy the photographing permission conditions, and the indications with reference numerals 71 to 75 correspond to information on the photographing permission conditions. Details of the information on the photographing permission conditions will be described later. When the touch operation mark 61 is touched while the dedicated menu screen 60 is displayed on the display unit 290, the display control unit 231 causes a setting screen (focus) 70 to be displayed instead of the dedicated menu screen 60.

[0053] 5 illustrates an example in which a subject that is included in the photographing permission range from the first photographing distance to the second photographing distance and that is included in the photographing permission area is determined by the determination unit 235 to be a subject that satisfies the photographing permission conditions. A square mark T is displayed superimposed on the subject determined by the determination unit 235. The user can confirm that the subjects that satisfy the photographing permission conditions are almost the entire body of runner D running on course 4 within the photographing permission area, part of runner E running course 5, and finish line 12 that spans courses 3 and 4.

[0054] The position and range (area) of the photographing-permitted area may be changed as appropriate within the photographing range. The photographing-permitted area (area) will be described later with reference to FIG.

[0055] (Settings screen (focus) 70A) The screen shown in FIG. 6 is another setting screen (focus) 70A. In FIG. 6, the size of the photographing permission area is expanded compared to FIG. 5, and therefore, the determination unit 235 has determined that almost all of the subjects included in the photographing permission range from the first photographing distance to the second photographing distance meet the photographing permission conditions. Compared to FIG. 5, the subjects determined by the determination unit 235 include almost the entire bodies of Runner A running on the first course and Runner E running on the fifth course, as well as the finish line 12 that spans the first, second, and fifth, and sixth courses. Runner B running on the second course and Runner C running on the third course do not meet the photographing permission conditions because their photographing distances are not included in the photographing permission range. The runner on the sixth course is not visible in the live view image because he dropped out midway through the race.

[0056] The touch operation mark 61 on the dedicated menu screen 60 has been described as a button that is selected when setting the single-focus condition or the two-focus condition. If the single-focus condition and the two-focus condition are set as the initial setting items for the automatic shooting mode, the single-focus condition or the two-focus condition has already been determined by operating the touch operation mark 61. Therefore, when the touch operation mark 61 is touched, if the single-focus condition is set as the initial setting, the single-focus setting operation shown in FIGS. 15 and 17 is initiated. If the two-focus condition is set as the initial setting, the two-focus setting operation shown in FIGS. 16 and 17 is initiated. It is also possible to display touch operation marks for the single focus condition and the two focus condition on the dedicated menu screen 60 in Figure 4, rather than setting the single focus condition and the two focus condition as initial setting items for the automatic shooting mode.

[0057] (Settings screen (movement) 80) The screen shown in Fig. 7 is a setting screen (movement) 80. The setting screen (movement) 80 displays a live view image, as well as an indication of subjects that satisfy the photographing permission conditions determined by the determination unit 235, and information on the photographing permission conditions that are set by the condition setting unit 239. In Fig. 7, the multiple marks T correspond to the indication of the subjects, and the indications with reference numerals 73 to 74, 76 to 77 correspond to information on the photographing permission conditions. Details of the information on the photographing permission conditions will be described later. When the touch operation mark 62 is touched while the dedicated menu screen 60 is displayed on the display unit 290, the display control unit 231 causes the dedicated menu screen 60 to be replaced with a setting screen (movement) 80.

[0058] 7 illustrates a case where motion is detected and a subject included in the photographing permission area is determined by the determination unit 235 to be a subject that satisfies the photographing permission conditions. A square mark T is displayed superimposed on the subject determined by the determination unit 235. The user can confirm that the subjects that satisfy the photographing permission conditions are almost the entire bodies of Player D running on the fourth course and Player C running on the third course within the photographing permission area, and each half of the body of Player E running on the fifth course and Player B running on the second course.

[0059] Although not shown in the figure, the size of the photography permission area may be changed as needed within the photography range. For example, by expanding the size of the photography permission area to its maximum, it is possible to increase the number of subjects that meet the photography permission conditions to all runners except for the runner on course 6. As mentioned above, the runner on course 6 is not captured in the image.

[0060] (Settings screen (face) 90) The screen shown in Fig. 8 is a setting screen (face) 90. The setting screen (face) 90 displays a live view image, as well as an indication of a subject that satisfies the photographing permission conditions determined by the determination unit 235, and information on the photographing permission conditions that are set by the condition setting unit 239. In Fig. 8, the mark T corresponds to the indication of the subject, and the indications with the reference numerals 73 and 78 correspond to information on the photographing permission conditions. Details of the information on the photographing permission conditions will be described later. When the touch operation mark 63 is touched while the dedicated menu screen 60 is displayed on the display unit 290, the display control unit 231 causes the setting screen (face) 90 to be displayed instead of the dedicated menu screen 60.

[0061] 8 illustrates an example in which a face is detected and a face included in the photographing permission area is determined by the determination unit 235 to be a subject that satisfies the photographing permission conditions. A square mark T is displayed superimposed on the face determined by the determination unit 235. The user can confirm that the subjects that satisfy the photographing permission conditions are the face of runner D running on the fourth course within the photographing permission area, the face of runner C running on the third course, and the face of runner B running on the second course.

[0062] Although not shown in the figure, the size of the photography permission area may be changed as needed within the photography range. For example, by expanding the size of the photography permission area to its maximum, it is possible to increase the number of subjects that meet the photography permission conditions to include the faces of all players except for the player on course 6. As mentioned above, the player on course 6 is not captured in the image.

[0063] (Settings screen (area) 100) The screen illustrated in FIG. 9 is a setting screen (area) 100. The setting screen (area) 100 displays a live view image as well as information indicating the area within the shooting range where the ranging unit 233 performs focus detection processing using the phase difference detection method and the shooting-permitted area. In FIG. 9, each of the areas of a plurality of rectangular marks 101 drawn with thin lines corresponds to the area where focus detection processing is performed by the ranging unit 233. In other words, the ranging unit 233 can measure the distance at all positions of the marks 101. Of the areas corresponding to the plurality of marks 101, the area indicated by a thick rectangular mark 102 corresponds to the shooting-permitted area. The marks 101 (marks 102) indicate points where distance measurement is possible, and the points where distance measurement is possible are called distance measurement points or AF points, etc.

[0064] The user can set and check the position and range of the photographing-permitted area within the photographing range. Setting the photographing-permitted area will be described later. When the touch operation mark 64 is touched while the dedicated menu screen 60 is displayed on the display unit 290, the display control unit 231 causes the setting screen (area) 100 to be displayed instead of the dedicated menu screen 60.

[0065] <Display in execution mode> In this embodiment, in the execution mode, the display control unit 231 causes the display unit 290 to display a message indicating that the automatic shooting mode is on. The display control unit 231 may further cause the display unit 290 to display a message indicating that automatic shooting is being executed, or a message indicating that the determination unit 235 is waiting to determine a subject that satisfies the shooting permission conditions. When switching from the setting / checking mode to the execution mode, the display control unit 231 switches from the display of the confirmation screen 50, the dedicated menu screen 60, or the setting screens 70, 80, 90 to the display in the execution mode. Furthermore, when switching from the execution mode to the setting / checking mode, the display control unit 231 switches to displaying the confirmation screen 50.

[0066] (Processing procedure in automatic shooting mode) The processing procedure in the automatic shooting mode will be explained below with reference to the flowchart in Fig. 10. The procedure in the setting / checking mode selected in this automatic shooting mode will be explained with reference to the flowchart in Fig. 11. As described above, in the setting / confirmation mode, one of the trigger area condition, single focus condition, two focus point condition, motion detection condition, and face detection condition can be selected. The processing procedure for executing the shooting-enabled area setting operation will be explained using flowcharts in Fig. 12, the processing procedure for executing the single focus point setting operation will be explained using flowcharts in Fig. 15 and Fig. 17, the processing procedure for executing the two focus point setting operation will be explained using flowcharts in Fig. 16 and Fig. 17, the processing procedure for executing the motion detection setting operation will be explained using flowcharts in Fig. 18, and the processing procedure for executing the face detection setting operation will be explained using flowcharts in Fig. 19. Finally, the processing procedure for executing the automatic shooting mode will be explained using flowcharts in Fig. 20.

[0067] <Explanation of the flowchart> Fig. 10 is a flowchart illustrating the flow of processing of a program executed by the body side control unit 230 when the automatic shooting mode is on. When the automatic shooting mode is turned on by the mode control unit 238, the body side control unit 230 starts the processing shown in Fig. 10. The flow of processing of the program executed by the body side control unit 230 when the automatic shooting mode is off is well known, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted.

[0068] (Automatic shooting mode operation) As described above, in this embodiment, the following conditions (A) to (E) are met as shooting permission conditions in the automatic shooting mode. (A) Trigger area condition where a subject is detected in a predetermined photography permitted area. (B) A single focus condition in which a subject is detected within a shooting distance before and after a predetermined reference shooting distance, that is, within the shooting permitted range from a first shooting distance to a second shooting distance. (C) Two-point focus condition in which a subject having a shooting distance included in a predetermined shooting allowable range from a first shooting distance to a second shooting distance is detected. (D) Motion detection condition in which subject movement is detected. (E) Face detection condition where a face is detected as a specific object.

[0069] In step S10 of FIG. 10, the body side control unit 230 determines the photographing permission conditions in accordance with the menu operation performed via the operation member 280 (touch operation member 290A), and proceeds to step S20.

[0070] In step S20, the body side control unit 230 reads from the information storage unit 241 information about the shooting permission conditions that were previously set by the condition setting unit 239 and recorded in the information storage unit 241, and proceeds to step S30. Note that if information about the shooting permission conditions has not been previously recorded (if new) or if the interchangeable lens 3 has been replaced with a different type of lens, step S20 may be skipped.

[0071] In step S30, the body side control unit 230 starts the setting / checking mode using the mode control unit 238, and the process proceeds to step S40. In step S40, the body side control unit 230 executes the setting / checking operation, and the process proceeds to step S50. Details of the setting / checking operation will be described later with reference to FIG.

[0072] In step S50, the body side control unit 230 determines whether or not a mode change operation has been performed by the user. If a mode change operation has been performed via the operation member 280 (touch operation member 290A), the body side control unit 230 makes an affirmative judgment in step S50 and proceeds to step S60, but if a mode change operation has not been performed, the body side control unit 230 makes a negative judgment in step S50 and returns to step S40. If the process returns to step S40, the body side control unit 230 repeatedly executes the setting and confirmation operations.

[0073] In step S60, the body side control unit 230 determines whether the mode change operation is an execution operation. For example, if the video button that constitutes the operation member 280 has been operated, the body side control unit 230 will make a positive judgment in step S60 and proceed to step S70. If the mode change operation is an operation to turn off automatic shooting mode, the body side control unit 230 will make a negative judgment in step S60 and end the setting and confirmation operation, and will have the mode control unit 238 switch the automatic shooting mode from on to off, thereby ending the processing in FIG. 10.

[0074] In step S70, the body side control unit 230 ends the setting and confirmation operations, and causes the mode control unit 238 to start execution mode, and the flow proceeds to step S80. In step S80, the body side control unit 230 executes an automatic shooting operation, and the flow proceeds to step S90. Details of the automatic shooting operation will be described later with reference to FIG.

[0075] In step S90, the body side control unit 230 determines whether or not the user has performed an operation to exit the execution mode. If an operation to exit the execution mode has been performed via the operation member 280 (touch operation member 290A), the body side control unit 230 makes a positive judgment in step S90, ends the automatic shooting operation, and causes the mode control unit 238 to switch the automatic shooting mode from on to off, thereby ending the processing in FIG. If an operation to exit the execution mode has not been performed, the body side control unit 230 makes a negative decision in step S90 and returns to step S10. If the process returns to step S10, the body side control unit 230 repeats the above-described processing.

[0076] (Settings and confirmation operations) FIG. 11 is a flowchart for explaining the process flow of the setting and checking operations in step S40 of FIG. 10 (flowchart of the automatic shooting mode). In step S400, the body side control unit 230 causes the display control unit 231 to display a confirmation screen 50 (FIG. 1(b)) on the display unit 290. In step S402, the body side control unit 230 determines whether or not to set photographing permission conditions. For example, when a predetermined button on the operation member 280 (touch operation member 290A) is operated, the body side control unit 230 makes an affirmative decision in step S402, causes the display control unit 231 to display a dedicated menu screen 60 (FIG. 4) on the display unit 290, and proceeds to step S420. That is, a screen for setting photographing permission conditions is displayed. If a predetermined button on the operation member 280 (touch operation member 290A) is not operated during the fixed waiting time, the body side control unit 230 makes a negative decision in step S402, and proceeds to the confirmation mode procedures from step S404 onwards.

[0077] (Setting mode) - Trigger area setting - If the user performs a condition setting operation on the photographing permission condition setting screen within a certain period of time, in step S420, the body side control unit 230 determines the setting content in accordance with the screen operation. If the touch operation mark 64 on the dedicated menu screen 60 is touched, it determines that the setting content is a trigger area setting, and proceeds to step S430. In step S430, the display control unit 231 displays the setting screen (area) 100 on the display unit 290, and the body side control unit 230 causes the condition setting unit 239 to execute a photographing permission area setting operation. When the photographing permission area setting operation is completed, the body side control unit 230 ends the processing of the setting and confirmation operation shown in FIG. 11. Details of the photographing permission area setting operation will be described later with reference to FIG. 12.

[0078] - Single focus setting - When the touch operation mark 61 on the dedicated menu screen 60 is touched, if the shooting permission condition is determined to be the single focus condition in step S10 of FIG. 10 (flowchart of automatic shooting mode), the body side control unit 230 proceeds to step S440. In step S440, the display control unit 231 causes the display unit 290 to display the setting screen (TF) 70, and the body side control unit 230 causes the condition setting unit 239 to execute a single focus setting operation. When the single focus setting operation is completed, the body side control unit 230 ends the processing of the setting and confirmation operation of FIG. 11. Details of the single focus setting operation will be described later with reference to FIGS. 15 and 17.

[0079] -Two-point focus setting- If the shooting permission condition is determined to be the two-focus point condition in step S10 of Fig. 10 (flowchart of automatic shooting mode), the body side control unit 230 causes the display control unit 231 to display the setting screen (TF) 70 on the display unit 290, and the body side control unit 230 causes the condition setting unit 239 to execute a two-focus point setting operation. When the two-focus point setting operation is completed, the body side control unit 230 ends the setting and confirmation operation processing of Fig. 11. Details of the two-focus point setting operation will be described later with reference to Figs. 16 and 17.

[0080] -Motion detection condition settings- When the touch operation mark 62 on the dedicated menu screen 60 is touched, the body side control unit 230 determines that the setting content is a motion detection condition and proceeds to step S480. In step S480, the display control unit 231 causes the display unit 290 to display the setting screen (motion) 80, and the process proceeds to step S480. In step S480, the body side control unit 230 causes the condition setting unit 239 to execute a motion detection setting operation. When the motion detection setting operation is completed, the body side control unit 230 ends the setting and confirmation operation processing of FIG. 11. Details of the motion detection setting operation will be described later with reference to FIG. 18.

[0081] -Face detection condition settings- When the touch operation mark 63 on the dedicated menu screen 60 is touched, the body side control unit 230 determines that the setting content is a face detection condition and proceeds to step S500. In step S500, the display control unit 231 causes the display unit 290 to display the setting screen (face) 90, and the body side control unit 230 causes the condition setting unit 239 to execute a face detection setting operation. When the face detection setting operation is completed, the body side control unit 230 ends the processing in Fig. 11. Details of the face detection setting operation will be described later with reference to Fig. 19.

[0082] (Verify mode) As described above, in step S402, if a predetermined operation member is not operated within a certain period of time, a negative determination is made and the process proceeds to step S404. In step S404, the body side control unit 230 causes the face detection unit 236 to perform a face detection operation, and the process proceeds to step S406. The face detection unit 236 performs face detection using, for example, live view image data output from the imaging unit 260. Since the detection process is well known, a description of face detection will be omitted. Note that if the face detection condition is not included in the photographing permission conditions determined in step S10 of Fig. 10, step S404 is omitted. In other words, it is not essential to implement the face detection condition in the automatic photographing mode.

[0083] In step S406, the body side control unit 230 causes the motion detection unit 237 to perform a motion detection operation, and then proceeds to step S408. The motion detection unit 237 detects the motion of the subject using, for example, live view image data output from the imaging unit 260. Since the detection process is well known, a description of motion detection will be omitted. If the shooting permission conditions determined in step S10 do not include a motion detection condition, step S406 is omitted. That is, it is not essential to implement a motion detection condition in the automatic shooting mode.

[0084] In step S408, the body side control unit 230 causes the distance measurement unit 233 to perform an AF calculation operation, and then proceeds to step S410. The distance measurement unit 233 measures the distance at least at all positions in the area indicated by the thick rectangular mark 102 included in the photographing permitted area (trigger area) shown in FIG. 9, based on the focus detection pixel signals output from the imaging unit 260. 10 (flowchart of automatic shooting mode), if neither the single-focus condition nor the two-focus condition is included in the shooting permission conditions determined in step S10, step S408 may be omitted. In other words, it is not necessary to implement both or either of the single-focus condition and the two-focus condition in automatic shooting mode. Furthermore, if the photographing permission conditions determined in step S10 do not include a trigger area condition, the process using the photographing permission area (trigger area) shown in FIG. 9 may be omitted.

[0085] In step S410, the body side control unit 230 causes the determination unit 235 to determine whether or not the subject matches the photographing permission conditions. The determination unit 235 of this embodiment determines whether or not a subject that matches the photographing permission conditions determined in step S10 is detected. As described above, the photographing permission conditions used in this embodiment are (A) the trigger area condition, (B) the one-focus point condition, (C) the two-focus point condition, (D) the motion detection condition, and (E) the face detection condition. If the determination unit 235 determines that there is a subject that matches the photographing permission conditions, the body side control unit 230 makes an affirmative decision in step S410 and proceeds to step S412. If the determination unit 235 does not determine that there is a subject that matches the photographing permission conditions, the body side control unit 230 makes a negative decision in step S410 and ends the processing of the setting and confirmation operation in FIG.

[0086] In step S412, the body side control unit 230 instructs the display control unit 231 to extract a specific area that includes a subject that matches the shooting permission conditions from the marks 102 set as the shooting permission area, and displays mark T (Figure 1(b)) at a position corresponding to the specific area, thereby completing the processing of the setting and confirmation operation in Figure 11. In the trigger area condition, when a subject is detected within the photography-permitted area, a mark T is displayed at a position corresponding to the subject's area (see Fig. 1(b)). Under face detection conditions, when the face of a predetermined subject is detected, mark T is displayed in a position corresponding to the area of ​​that face (see Figure 1(b)). Under motion detection conditions, when a moving subject is detected, mark T is displayed in a position corresponding to the area of ​​that subject (see Figure 1(b)). Under two-point focus conditions, when a subject with a shooting distance within the permitted shooting range is detected, mark T is displayed in a position corresponding to the area of ​​that subject (see Figure 1(b)). The same is true under single-point focus conditions.

[0087] For example, when the above (C) and (D) are set as the photographing permission conditions and the determination unit 235 determines that the above conditions (C) and (D) are met, the display control unit 231 displays a mark T on the confirmation screen 50 at a position corresponding to a specific area that meets both of the above conditions (C) and (D). In the example of FIG. 1(b), the upper body of a player running in the third lane from the left on the screen is determined to meet both of the above conditions (C) and (D), and a square-shaped mark T is displayed superimposed on the upper body of this player. The user can confirm that the subject that meets the photographing permission conditions is the upper body of the player superimposed with the square-shaped mark T. Furthermore, when, for example, the above conditions (C), (D), and (E) are set as the photographing permission conditions and the judgment unit 235 judges that the above conditions (C), (D), and (E) are satisfied, the display control unit 231 displays a mark T on the confirmation screen 50 at a position corresponding to a specific area that satisfies all of the above conditions (C), (D), and (E). Furthermore, when, for example, only the above condition (E) is set as the photographing permission condition and the determination unit 235 determines that the above condition (E) is satisfied, the display control unit 231 displays a mark T at a position corresponding to the specific area that satisfies the above condition (E) on the confirmation screen 50. In FIG. 1(b), multiple marks T are displayed.

[0088] (Shooting permission area setting operation) FIG. 12 is a flowchart for explaining the flow of processing for the photographing-permitted area setting operation in step S430 of FIG. 11 (flowchart of the setting and confirmation operation mode). The photographing-allowed area shown in Fig. 9 can be set by, for example, selecting one or more areas from a plurality of focus detection areas 101 set within the photographing screen by a predetermined operation of a predetermined operating member and then confirming the selected areas. In Fig. 9, the photographing-allowed area is set as a collection of rectangular marks 102 drawn with thick lines. In describing the photographing-allowed area setting operation of Fig. 12, it is assumed that the photographing-allowed area is set in advance by a plurality of marks 102, as shown in Fig. 9. Below, a moving operation for moving the entire photographing-allowed area set by a plurality of marks 102 within the photographing screen and a scaling operation for reducing or enlarging the size of the area will be described, with the photographing-allowed area set by the plurality of marks 102 being treated as a single moving object.

[0089] In step S431, the body side control unit 230 causes the display control unit 231 to display the setting screen (area) 100 shown in FIG. 9 on the display unit 290. In step S432, the body side control unit 230 determines whether or not an operation to move the photographing permitted area (moving operation) has been performed. For example, a predetermined button operation on the operation member 280 (touch operation member 290A) is performed to designate one photographing permitted area set using a plurality of marks 102 and to designate its destination. For example, a photographing permitted area is designated by a touch operation, and the area designated by the touch operation is moved to the destination. If such a button operation has been performed, the body side control unit 230 makes a positive decision in step S432 and proceeds to step S433. If the predetermined button has not been operated for a predetermined time, the body side control unit 230 makes a negative decision in step S432 and proceeds to step S434.

[0090] When the destination of the designated photographing-allowed area is specified using a predetermined button, in step S433, the body-side control unit 230 sends an instruction to the condition setting unit 239 and performs processing to temporarily store the new position of the photographing-allowed area defined by the multiple marks 102. The condition setting unit 239 stores information identifying the multiple marks 102 that define the photographing-allowed area, such as the coordinate position within the photographing screen of each mark 102 and the coordinate position of the center of the photographing-allowed area. The body-side control unit 230 sends an instruction to the display control unit 231 to move the photographing-allowed area to the destination temporarily stored in the condition setting unit 239. This operation does not change the size of the photographing-allowed area. Therefore, when the photographing-allowed area is defined by multiple marks 102 as shown in FIG. 9, the photographing-allowed area can only be moved left and right on the photographing screen.

[0091] In step S434, the body side control unit 230 determines whether an operation to expand or contract the photographing permitted area has been performed. For example, if a predetermined button on the operation member 280 (touch operation member 290A) has been operated, the body side control unit 230 makes a positive judgment in step S434 and proceeds to step S435. If the predetermined button has not been operated, the body side control unit 230 makes a negative judgment in step S434 and proceeds to step S436. The photographing permission area can be enlarged or reduced by touching two diagonal corners of the photographing permission area and pinching out or in on the touch points, for example.

[0092] When the enlargement / reduction operation of the photographing permitted area is determined and the process proceeds to step S435, the body side control unit 230 sends an instruction based on the enlargement / reduction operation to the condition setting unit 239. The condition setting unit 239 temporarily changes the information of the mark 102 that constitutes the photographing permitted area, thereby enlarging or reducing the size of the area in response to the button operation. The body side control unit 230 sends the information of the mark 102 temporarily changed by the condition setting unit 239 to the display control unit 231, and the display control unit 231 controls the display of the thick rectangular mark 102 so that the displayed photographing permitted area has the size temporarily changed by the condition setting unit 239, thereby changing the area of ​​the photographing permitted area.

[0093] In step S436, the body side control unit 230 determines whether or not to store information about the photographing permitted area set by the condition setting unit 239, i.e., the position and size of the photographing permitted area after movement. If, for example, a predetermined button on the operation member 280 (touch operation member 290A) is operated, the body side control unit 230 makes a positive judgment in step S436 and proceeds to step S437. If the predetermined button on the operation member 280 (touch operation member 290A) is not operated, the body side control unit 230 makes a negative judgment in step S436 and ends the processing in FIG. 12 without storing information about the photographing permitted area.

[0094] In step S437, the body side control unit 230 records information about the photographing-permitted area set by the condition setting unit 239 in the information storage unit 241, and ends the processing in FIG.

[0095] (Modification of the operation for setting the photographing permission area) The position and size of the photographing permitted area may be changed based on an operation other than the movement operation and the enlargement / reduction operation using the operation member 280 (touch operation member 290A). Figures 13(a) and 13(b) are diagrams illustrating an operation of adding a plurality of square-shaped marks 101 to the photographing permitted area or removing them from the photographing permitted area one by one.

[0096] 13(a), the setting screen (area) 100A displays, together with a live view image, information indicating the area within the shooting range where the distance measuring unit 233 performs focus detection processing using the phase difference detection method, the shooting-allowed area, and a blinking display (pseudo cursor) 103 indicating a cursor. The area of ​​multiple square marks 101 is set across the entire shooting screen, and all of the areas of the marks 101 are areas where focus detection processing is performed by the distance measuring unit 233. Of the areas of the marks 101 set across the entire shooting screen, the area indicated by a thick square mark 102 is the shooting-allowed area. The area corresponding to the pseudo cursor 103 is indicated by a blinking square mark. The pseudo cursor 103 can be moved up and down and left and right within the shooting screen by operating the operation member 280 (touch operation member 290A).

[0097] When an operation to add a photographing permitted area is performed on the operation member 280 (touch operation member 290A) while the pseudo cursor 103 is located in the area of ​​the mark 101, the condition setting unit 239 adds the mark 101 corresponding to the pseudo cursor 103 to the photographing permitted area. As shown in FIG. 13(b), the display control unit 231 changes the display of the pseudo cursor 103 from the blinking mark 101 to the blinking thick rectangular mark 102. In FIG. 13(b), the setting screen (area) 100B displays, together with a live view image, information indicating the area within the photographing range where the distance measurement unit 233 performs focus detection processing using the phase difference detection method (mark 101), the photographing permitted area (mark 102), and the pseudo cursor 103.

[0098] Conversely, when an operation to exclude the mark 102 from the photographing permitted area is performed with the operation member 280 (touch operation member 290A) while the pseudo cursor 103 is pointing at the mark 102 that constitutes the photographing permitted area, the condition setting unit 239 excludes the pseudo cursor 103 from the photographing permitted area. The display control unit 231 changes the display of the pseudo cursor 103 from the blinking thick rectangular mark 102 to the blinking mark 101, as exemplified in FIG. 13(a).

[0099] 14(a) and 14(b) are diagrams illustrating an operation for adding or excluding multiple square marks 101 designated by a touch operation on the display screen to or from the photographing-permitted area. In FIG. 14(a), a setting screen (area) 100C displays a live view image as well as information indicating the area within the photographing range where the distance measuring unit 233 will perform focus detection processing using the phase difference detection method. The area of ​​the multiple square marks 101 corresponds to the area where the focus detection processing will be performed by the distance measuring unit 233. In FIG. 14(a), the photographing-permitted area has not yet been set, and the area indicated by the thick square mark 102 is not displayed. The user touches the operation member 290A with the finger 105 to select an area that the user wants to include in the photographing permitted area.

[0100] When a touch operation is performed on an area of ​​one or more marks 101, the condition setting unit 239 adds the area corresponding to the touch position to the photographing permitted area. As shown in FIG. 14(b), the display control unit 231 changes the display of the multiple marks 101 in the area corresponding to the touch position to a bold rectangular mark 102. In FIG. 14(b), the setting screen (area) 100D displays, together with a live view image, information indicating the area (mark 101) within the photographing range where the distance measuring unit 233 performs focus detection processing using the phase difference detection method and the photographing permitted area (mark 102). The photographing-permitted area does not have to be one area, and a plurality of island-like photographing-permitted areas may be set discretely.

[0101] Conversely, when a touch operation is performed on a photographing permission area defined by a plurality of marks 102, the condition setting unit 239 excludes the area of ​​the mark 102 corresponding to the touch position from the photographing permission area. Although not shown in the figure, the display control unit 231 changes the display of the thick rectangular mark 102 in the area corresponding to the touch position to the rectangular mark 101. When the photographing-permitted area is initially set, the entire photographing range may be set in a state where it is not set as a photographing-permitted area, or the entire photographing range may be set as a photographing-permitted area. 14(a), the initial state is that the entire shooting range is not the shooting-permitted area (square marks 101 are displayed in the entire area, and thick square marks 102 are not displayed), and the user is allowed to select an area to be added to the shooting-permitted area. The user touches the operation member 290A with his / her finger 105 to select an area to be included in the shooting-permitted area. Although not shown in the figure, the initial state is a state in which the entire shooting range is the shooting-permitted area (thick rectangular mark 102 is displayed in all areas, and rectangular mark 101 is not displayed), and the user is allowed to select an area to be excluded from the shooting-permitted area. The user touches operation member 290A with finger 105 to select an area to be excluded from the shooting-permitted area.

[0102] (One focus point setting operation) 15 and 17 are flowcharts illustrating the process flow of the single focus setting operation in step S440 of FIG. 11 (flowchart of the setting / checking operation mode). In step S441, the body-side control unit 230 causes the display control unit 231 to display the setting screen (TF) 70 shown in Fig. 5 (or Fig. 6) on the display unit 290. Note that since the setting screen (TF) 70 is a live view image that displays information, when no runners are running, it mainly shows only the course of the sprint track 10 and the finish line 12.

[0103] In FIG. 5, the displays marked with reference numerals 71 to 75 are information about the photographing permission conditions. The display marked with reference numeral 71 indicates, as a numerical value, a first photographing distance (unit: m), which will be described later. The display marked with reference numeral 72 indicates, as a numerical value, a second photographing distance (unit: m), which will be described later. The values ​​of the first photographing distance and the second photographing distance are displayed as values ​​read out in step S20 from the information storage unit 241 as information about the photographing permission conditions. If the previous values ​​are not recorded in the information storage unit 241, the values ​​of the first photographing distance and the second photographing distance set at the time of shipment may be displayed, or "---" may be displayed. The numerical display indicated by the reference numeral 71 may be the numerical value of the distance β, and the numerical display indicated by the reference numeral 72 may be the numerical value of the distance α.

[0104] The display labeled with reference numeral 73 is an icon indicating the first dial of the operation member 280. This indicates to the user that the value of the distance β can be changed by turning the first dial (i.e., the first shooting distance can be adjusted). Additionally, the display labeled with reference numeral 74 is an icon indicating the second dial of the operating member 280. This indicates to the user that the value of the distance α can be changed by turning the second dial (i.e., the second shooting distance can be adjusted). The screen shown in Fig. 21 is another setting screen (focus) 70B. In Fig. 21, the value of the distance α has been changed to a longer value than in Fig. 5 by operating the second dial, and the photographing permission range is therefore wider than in Fig. 5. As a result, the subjects that are determined by the determination unit 235 to satisfy the photographing permission conditions have increased compared to Fig. 5, including runner B running on the second course, runner C running on the third course, and the line separating runners 2 and 4. Note that runner A running on the first course is included in the photographing permission range but is not included in the photographing permission area, and therefore does not satisfy the photographing permission conditions.

[0105] The display labeled with the symbol 75 is a bar display that visually represents the relative positional relationship between the reference position 20 (for example, FIG. 1(a)) and the distances α and β. The minus (-) sign at the bottom of the bar display 75 corresponds to the closest possible shooting distance from the camera 1 (the closest is, for example, 0.1 m), and the plus (+) sign at the top of the screen corresponds to the infinity (∞) side. The frame display shown filled in black on the left side of the bar display 75 corresponds to the reference position 20. The closer the black frame display is to the bottom of the screen, the closer the reference position 20 is to the camera 1, and the closer the black frame display is to the top of the screen, the farther the reference position 20 is from the camera 1. Additionally, the number of white frame displays below the black frame displays corresponds to the distance β. The fewer the number of white frame displays below the black frame displays, the shorter the distance β (position 22 in FIG. 1(a) is closer to the reference position 20). The number of white frame displays above the black frame displays corresponds to the distance α. The fewer the number of white frame displays above the black frame displays, the shorter the distance α (position 21 in FIG. 1(a) is closer to the reference position 20).

[0106] (Setting the reference position) 15, the body side control unit 230 determines whether or not an operation has been performed to set the allowed shooting range from the first shooting distance to the second shooting distance. When a predetermined button on the operation member 280 (touch operation member 290A) is operated, for example, when the release button is half-pressed, the body side control unit 230 makes a positive judgment in step S442 and proceeds to step S443. When the predetermined button is not operated for a certain period of time, the body side control unit 230 makes a negative judgment in step S442 and proceeds to step S447. The body side control unit 230 can also handle manual focus operations. For example, if the user operates the OK button after manually adjusting the focus by turning a focus ring (not shown), the body side control unit 230 will make an affirmative decision in step S442 and proceed to step S444.

[0107] In step S443, the body side control unit 230 causes the distance measurement unit 233 to perform an AF calculation operation and sends a drive instruction for the focusing lens 361 based on the AF calculation result to the interchangeable lens 3. Specifically, the distance measurement unit 233 measures the distance at a position indicated by a rectangular mark 102 corresponding to a predetermined single point in the photographing-permitted area illustrated in FIG. 9, based on the focus detection pixel signal output from the imaging unit 260. For example, in FIG. 1(a), the distance measurement is performed using the goal line 20 as the reference position. The lens drive amount calculation unit 234 calculates a drive amount Δd for moving the focusing lens 361 of the interchangeable lens 3 from its current position to the in-focus position, based on the defocus amount calculated by the distance measurement unit 233. The drive amount Δd is transmitted to the interchangeable lens 3 via the body side communication unit 250.

[0108] In step S444, the body side control unit 230 causes the condition setting unit 239 to set the shooting distance corresponding to the position of the focusing lens 361 that has been moved to the in-focus position as the reference position 20 in the distance range from the first shooting distance to the second shooting distance. As shown in FIG. 1(a), the reference position 20 is a position between the close-up position 22 and the infinity position 21.

[0109] In step S445, the body side control unit 230 causes the condition setting unit 239 to set a position 21 that is a distance α away from the reference position 20 on the rear side. The distance α is a predetermined value. The distance from the camera 1 to the position 21 becomes the second shooting distance (unit: m). In step S446, the body side control unit 230 causes the condition setting unit 239 to set a position 22 that is a distance β closer to the camera than the reference position 20. The distance β is a predetermined value. The distance from the camera 1 to the position 22 is the first shooting distance (unit: m). In the case of a single focus setting operation, when the reference position 20 is set by the condition setting unit 239, the display control unit 231 updates the information shown by the bar display 75 corresponding to the new reference position 20. In addition, a display 71 indicating a first shooting distance corresponding to the changed distance β and a display 72 indicating a second shooting distance corresponding to the changed distance α are displayed. The order of the processes in steps S445 and S446 may be reversed.

[0110] In step S447, the body side control unit 230 determines whether an adjustment operation has been performed on the distance α or the distance β. For example, if a predetermined dial on the operation member 280 has been operated, the body side control unit 230 makes a positive judgment in step S447 and proceeds to step S450 in Fig. 17. If the predetermined dial has not been operated, the body side control unit 230 makes a negative judgment in step S447 and proceeds to step S454 in Fig. 17.

[0111] (Setting the positions on the closest and infinity sides from the reference position) 17, the body side control unit 230 determines whether or not the operation member that adjusts the rear position 21 has been operated. For example, if the second dial of the operation member 280 has been operated, the body side control unit 230 makes an affirmative decision in step S450 and proceeds to step S451. If the second dial has not been operated within a certain period of time, the body side control unit 230 makes a negative decision in step S450 and proceeds to step S452.

[0112] In step S451, the body-side control unit 230 increases or decreases the value of the distance α according to the direction in which the second dial is operated and the amount by which the second dial is operated. Then, the body-side control unit 230 sends an instruction to the condition setting unit 239 to change the information stored as the rear position 21 according to the changed value of the distance α, and also sends an instruction to the display control unit 231 to change the frame display shown in white above the frame display shown in black in the bar display 75 to match the changed position 21. The body-side control unit 230 also causes a display 72 to be displayed indicating the second shooting distance corresponding to the changed distance α.

[0113] In step S452, the body side control unit 230 determines whether or not an operation member that adjusts the front position 22 has been operated. For example, if the first dial of the operation member 280 has been operated, the body side control unit 230 makes an affirmative decision in step S452 and proceeds to step S453. If the first dial has not been operated, the body side control unit 230 makes a negative decision in step S452 and proceeds to step S454.

[0114] In step S453, the body side control unit 230 increases or decreases the value of the distance β according to the direction in which the first dial is operated and the amount by which the first dial is operated. The body side control unit 230 then sends an instruction to the condition setting unit 239 to change the information stored as the near side position 22 according to the value of the distance β after the change, and also sends an instruction to the display control unit 231 to change the frame display shown in white below the frame display shown in black in the bar display 75 to match the position 22 after the change. The body side control unit 230 also causes a display 71 to be displayed that indicates the first shooting distance corresponding to the changed distance β. The order of the processing in steps S450-S451 (adjusting the rear position) and the processing in steps S452-S453 (adjusting the front position) may be reversed.

[0115] In step S454, the body side control unit 230 causes the distance measurement unit 233 to perform an AF calculation operation, and the flow proceeds to step S455. The distance measurement unit 233 measures the distance at least at all positions in the area indicated by the thick rectangular mark 102 included in the photographing permitted area (= trigger area) shown in FIG. 9, based on the focus detection pixel signals output from the imaging unit 260.

[0116] In step S455, the body side control unit 230 causes the determination unit 235 to determine whether or not the subject in the photographing permitted area is included in the photographing permitted range from the first photographing distance to the second photographing distance. The body side control unit 230 causes the display control unit 231 to display a square mark T superimposed on the subject determined by the determination unit 235 on the setting screen (TF) 70. The user can confirm that the subject with the rectangular mark T superimposed on it is a subject that has been determined to be included in the photography-permitted range from the first photography distance to the second photography distance in the photography-permitted area.

[0117] In step S456, the body side control unit 230 determines whether or not a TF condition setting operation has been performed again. If an operation has been performed again, the body side control unit 230 makes a positive decision in step S456 and returns to step S442 in Fig. 15. After returning to step S442, the body side control unit 230 repeats the above-mentioned processing. If an operation has not been performed, the body side control unit 230 makes a negative decision in step S456 and proceeds to step S457.

[0118] In step S457, the body side control unit 230 determines whether or not to store information related to the photographing permitted range set by the condition setting unit 239, i.e., information about the changed front position 22 and rear position 21. If, for example, a predetermined button on the operation member 280 (touch operation member 290A) is operated, the body side control unit 230 makes an affirmative decision in step S457 and proceeds to step S458. If the predetermined button on the operation member 280 (touch operation member 290A) is not operated for a certain period of time, the body side control unit 230 makes a negative decision in step S457 and ends the processing in FIGS. 15 and 17 without storing information related to the photographing permitted range.

[0119] In step S458, the body side control unit 230 records the setting information set by the condition setting unit 239, that is, information related to the photographing permission conditions, in the information storage unit 241, and ends the processing in FIGS.

[0120] (Two-point focus setting operation) 16 and 17 are flowcharts illustrating the process flow of the two-focus point setting operation in step S460 of FIG. 11, which is the flowchart for the setting and checking operation mode. In the two-focus point setting, the first and second shooting distances are set by selecting two different ranging points within the screen as the near side and the far side, respectively. For example, the user decides on the composition of the shot with the course line without runners, performs an operation to select a ranging point slightly behind the finish line (step S462 described later), and then performs an operation to select a ranging point slightly before the finish line (step S465 described later). In step S461, the body side control unit 230 causes the display control unit 231 to display the setting screen (TF) 70 exemplified in Fig. 5 (or Fig. 6) on the display unit 290. The displays denoted by reference numerals 71 to 75 are information on shooting permission conditions, and are the same as those described with reference to Fig. 15. As described above, the setting screen (TF) 70 is a live view image that displays information, so when no runners are running, it mainly shows only the course of the sprint track 10 and the finish line 12.

[0121] (Setting the second shooting distance farther from the camera) In step S462, the body side control unit 230 determines whether an operation has been performed to set a second shooting distance that is farther from the camera, i.e., that is located on the far side of the photographing-permitted range. When the camera is pointed at a subject at the second shooting distance and a predetermined button on the operation member 280 (touch operation member 290A) is operated, for example, when the release button is half-pressed, the body side control unit 230 makes a positive judgment in step S462 and proceeds to step S463. If the predetermined button is not operated for a certain period of time, the body side control unit 230 makes a negative judgment in step S462 and proceeds to step S465.

[0122] In step S463, the body side control unit 230 causes the distance measurement unit 233 to perform an AF calculation operation, and sends a drive instruction for the focusing lens 361 based on the AF calculation result to the interchangeable lens 3. This is the same as the processing in step S443 in FIG.

[0123] In step S464, the body side control unit 230 causes the condition setting unit 239 to set the shooting distance corresponding to the position of the focusing lens 361 that has been moved to the in-focus position as the second shooting distance. The second shooting distance is the distance from the camera 1 to position 21 on the far side, as shown in FIG. 1(a).

[0124] (First shooting distance setting, close to the camera) In step S465, the body side control unit 230 determines whether an operation has been performed to set a first shooting distance that is closer to the camera than the second shooting distance, i.e., that is located on the near side of the shooting-permitted range. When the camera is pointed at a subject at the first shooting distance and a predetermined button on the operation member 280 (touch operation member 290A) is operated, for example, the AF-ON button, the body side control unit 230 makes a positive judgment in step S465 and proceeds to step S466. If the predetermined button is not operated for a certain period of time, the body side control unit 230 makes a negative judgment in step S465 and proceeds to step S468.

[0125] In step S466, the body side control unit 230 causes the distance measurement unit 233 to perform an AF calculation operation, and sends a drive instruction for the focusing lens 361 based on the AF calculation result to the interchangeable lens 3. This is the same as the processing in step S443 in FIG.

[0126] In step S467, the body side control unit 230 causes the condition setting unit 239 to set the shooting distance corresponding to the position of the focusing lens 361 that has been moved to the in-focus position as the first shooting distance. The first shooting distance is the distance from the camera 1 to a position 22 on the near side, as shown in FIG. 1(a).

[0127] In the case of a two-focus-point setting operation, the condition setting unit 239 sets the intermediate position between positions 21 and 22 in FIG. 1A as reference position 20. Therefore, when either position 21 or position 22 is changed, the condition setting unit 239 newly calculates reference position 20, distance α between reference position 20 and position 21, and distance β between reference position 20 and position 22. When the condition setting unit 239 calculates reference position 20, distance α, and distance β, the display control unit 231 updates the information shown by bar display 75 to correspond to the newly calculated values. In addition, the display unit 231 displays display 71 indicating a first shooting distance corresponding to the changed distance β, and display 72 indicating a second shooting distance corresponding to the changed distance α.

[0128] In step S468, the body side control unit 230 determines whether an adjustment operation has been performed on the distance α or the distance β. For example, if a predetermined dial on the operation member 280 has been operated, the body side control unit 230 makes a positive judgment in step S468 and proceeds to step S450 in Fig. 17. If the predetermined dial has not been operated, the body side control unit 230 makes a negative judgment in step S468 and proceeds to step S454 in Fig. 17.

[0129] The subsequent processing is the same as in the case of the single focus setting operation, so a description thereof will be omitted. However, if the determination in step S456 in Fig. 17 is affirmative, the process returns to step S462 in Fig. 16. After returning to step S462, the body side control unit 230 repeats the above-described processing. The order of the processes in steps S462-S464 (adjusting the rear position) and steps S465-S467 (adjusting the front position) may be reversed.

[0130] (Modified Control) In the above description, an example has been described in which, when setting the one-focus point condition and the two-focus point condition, reference position 20, position 21, and position 22 are controlled based on the shooting distance from camera 1. That is, distance measurement unit 233 determines the shooting distance from camera 1 to a certain subject by referring to information storage unit 241 based on the position of focusing lens 361 that focuses on that subject. The distance measurement unit 233 may be configured to set the one-focus point condition and the two-focus point condition based on the position of the focusing lens 361, instead of setting the one-focus point condition and the two-focus point condition.

[0131] (Lens position control by pulse number) As an example of control based on the position of the focusing lens 361, an example using the number of unit drive signals (also called the number of steps or the number of pulses) supplied to the stepping motor that constitutes the lens drive unit 370 will be described. When the lens driver 370 moves the focusing lens 361 in the direction of the optical axis O using a stepping motor, the position of the focusing lens 361 can be represented by the number of pulses supplied to the stepping motor. For example, the position of the focusing lens 361 corresponding to the shooting distance at infinity (∞) is represented by the number of pulses P1, and the position of the focusing lens 361 corresponding to the closest shooting distance is represented by the number of pulses P2 (P2 > P1). The position of the focusing lens 361 corresponding to the reference position 20 and the positions of the focusing lens 361 corresponding to positions 21 and 22 are also represented by the number of pulses between P1 and P2. By representing the position of the focusing lens 361 by the number of pulses in this way, it is possible to control the conditions (focus point 1, focus point 2) without converting it into a shooting distance.

[0132] When displaying bar display 75 on display unit 290, display control unit 391 displays the frame displays shown in black to the left of the bar lower on the screen as the pulse number indicating the position of focusing lens 361 increases, based on the position of focusing lens 361 corresponding to reference position 20, and displays the frame displays higher on the screen as the pulse number decreases. Regarding the number of frame displays shown in white above and below the frame displays shown in black, the smaller the difference between the pulse number of focusing lens 361 corresponding to positions 21 and 22 and the pulse number of focusing lens 361 corresponding to reference position 20, the fewer the frame displays are displayed, and the greater the difference, the more the frame displays are displayed. Display control unit 391 displays the pulse number of focusing lens 361 corresponding to position 22 on display 71, and displays the pulse number of focusing lens 361 corresponding to position 21 on display 72.

[0133] Note that even when the display control unit 391 sets the one-focus condition and the two-focus condition based on the position of the focusing lens 361, the display 71 and the display 72 may be displayed as a numerical value (unit: m) converted into a shooting distance. This is because a numerical value (unit: m) converted into a shooting distance is easier for the user to understand than a display of the number of pulses. Specifically, even if the number of pulses is the same, the number of meters when converted into a shooting distance differs between the close-up side and the infinity side, so it is easier for the user to understand if the number of meters is used.

[0134] (Motion detection setting operation) FIG. 18 is a flowchart illustrating the process flow of the motion detection setting operation in step S480 of FIG. 11, which is the flowchart for the setting and checking operation mode. In step S481, the body-side control unit 230 causes the display control unit 231 to display the setting screen (movement) 80 shown in Fig. 7 on the display unit 290. Note that since the setting screen (movement) 80 is a live view image that displays information, when no runners are running, it mainly shows only the course of the sprint track 10 and the finish line 12.

[0135] The displays marked with reference numerals 73-74, 76-77, 79A and 79B indicate information on the shooting permission conditions. The display marked with reference numeral 76 indicates the "speed" of the movement to be detected. "Speed" is the magnitude of the vector indicating the movement to be detected. The display marked with reference numeral 77 indicates the "object size" of the object whose movement is to be detected. "Object size" is the size of the subject in the live view image. The arrow mark in the display marked with reference numeral 79A indicates the "direction" of the movement to be detected. "Direction" is the direction of the vector indicating the movement to be detected. The values ​​of "speed" and "object size" and the "direction" of movement are displayed as values ​​read in step S20 from the information storage unit 241 as information related to the shooting permission conditions. If the previous values ​​are not recorded in the information storage unit 241, a predetermined value may be displayed, for example.

[0136] The display labeled with reference numeral 73 is an icon showing the first dial of the operation member 280. This indicates to the user that the "speed" can be changed by turning the first dial. Moreover, the display with reference numeral 74 is an icon showing the second dial of the operation member 280. This suggests to the user that the "object size" can be changed by turning the second dial. Furthermore, the display marked with reference numeral 79B is an icon showing the multi-selector of the operation member 280. This suggests to the user that the "direction" of the detected movement can be changed by operating the multi-selector.

[0137] The "direction" of the movement to be detected can be set to, for example, eight directions (up, upper left, left, lower left, down, lower right, right, upper right). Each of these eight directions corresponds to an angle range of 45 degrees (360° ÷ 8 = 45°). For example, if the "direction" of the movement is set to "up," movement with a direction of -22.5° < angle ≦ +22.5° is detected, and if the direction is set to "upper left," movement with a direction of +22.5° < angle ≦ +67.5° is detected. The same applies to other "directions." The "direction" of the movement to be set may be one direction or multiple directions. When multiple directions are set, the movement detection unit 237 detects the movement of the subject that matches each of the set "directions" (angle ranges). In the embodiment, an example is described in which all of (I) the "direction" of the movement to be detected, (II) the "speed" of the movement to be detected, and (III) the "object size" of the object whose movement is to be detected are set, but this is not limiting, and only (I) / only (II) / only (III) may be set. Also, (I), (II), and (III) may be set in appropriate combination. For example, only (I) and (II) or only (II) and (III) may be set.

[0138] In step S481A, the body side control unit 230 determines whether or not an operation has been performed to set the "direction" of the movement to be detected. For example, if the multi-selector of the operation member 280 has been operated, the body side control unit 230 will make a positive decision in step S481A and proceed to step S481B. If the multi-selector has not been operated, the body side control unit 230 will make a negative decision in step S481A and proceed to step S482.

[0139] In step S481B, the body side control unit 230 sends an instruction to the condition setting unit 239 to set the "direction" of the movement in accordance with the operation of the multi-selector, and also sends an instruction to the display control unit 231 to display an arrow mark 79A indicating the set "direction." The display format of the "direction" of the detected movement should be such that it can be easily distinguished from the "direction" that is not detected. Like the arrow mark 79A on the setting screen (movement) 80, arrows indicating all directions may be displayed at all times, and when, for example, "up" and "left" are set, only the set direction may be emphasized by making it thicker, by increasing the brightness, by changing the color, or by blinking.

[0140] In step S482, the body side control unit 230 determines whether an operation has been performed to set the "speed" of the movement to be detected. For example, if the first dial of the operation member 280 has been operated, the body side control unit 230 makes an affirmative decision in step S482 and proceeds to step S483. If the first dial has not been operated, the body side control unit 230 makes a negative decision in step S482 and proceeds to step S484.

[0141] In step S483, the body side control unit 230 sends an instruction to the condition setting unit 239 to change the "speed" in, for example, five stages in response to the dial operation, and also sends an instruction to the display control unit 231 to display 76 indicating the set "speed."

[0142] In step S484, the body side control unit 230 determines whether or not an operation has been performed to set the "object size" of the object whose movement is to be detected. For example, if the second dial of the operation member 280 has been operated, the body side control unit 230 makes a positive judgment in step S484 and proceeds to step S485. If the first dial has not been operated, the body side control unit 230 makes a negative judgment in step S484 and proceeds to step S486.

[0143] In step S485, the body side control unit 230 sends an instruction to the condition setting unit 239 to change the "object size" in, for example, five stages in response to the dial operation, and also sends an instruction to the display control unit 231 to display 77 indicating the set "object size."

[0144] In step S486, the body side control unit 230 causes the motion detection unit 237 to detect the motion of the subject at least in the photographing permitted area shown in Fig. 9 based on the image data output from the imaging unit 260, and the process proceeds to step S487. The set values ​​of "speed" and "object size" are used as the minimum value of "speed" and the minimum value of "object size", respectively.

[0145] In step S487, the body side control unit 230 causes the display control unit 231 to display a picture showing the subject whose movement has been detected within the photographing permitted area. This causes the determination unit 235 to determine the subject whose movement has been detected within the photographing permitted area. The display control unit 231 displays a square mark T superimposed on the subject determined by the determination unit 235 on the setting screen (movement) 80. The user can confirm that the subject overlaid with the square mark T is a subject whose movement has been detected within the photography-permitted area.

[0146] In step S488, the body side control unit 230 determines whether or not an operation has been performed again. If an operation has been performed again, the body side control unit 230 makes a positive decision in step S488 and returns to step S481A. After returning to step S481A, the body side control unit 230 repeats the above-mentioned processing. If an operation has not been performed again, the body side control unit 230 makes a negative decision in step S488 and proceeds to step S489.

[0147] In step S489, the body side control unit 230 determines whether or not to store information related to the photographing permission conditions set by the condition setting unit 239, i.e., the changed "speed" and "object size." If, for example, a predetermined button on the operation member 280 has been operated, the body side control unit 230 makes an affirmative decision in step S489 and proceeds to step S490. If the predetermined button on the operation member 280 has not been operated, the body side control unit 230 makes a negative decision in step S489 and ends the processing in FIG. 18 without storing information related to the photographing permission conditions.

[0148] In step S490, the body side control unit 230 records the setting information set in the condition setting unit 239, that is, information related to the photographing permission conditions, in the information storage unit 241, and ends the processing in FIG. The order of the processes in steps S482-S483 (setting of "speed") and steps S484-S485 (setting of "object size") may be reversed.

[0149] (Face detection setting operation) FIG. 19 is a flowchart illustrating the process flow of the face detection setting operation in step S500 of FIG. 11, which is the flowchart for the setting and checking operation mode. In step S501, the body-side control unit 230 causes the display control unit 231 to display the setting screen (face) 90 shown in Fig. 8 on the display unit 290. Note that since the setting screen (face) 90 is a live view image that displays information, when no runners are running, it mainly shows only the course of the sprint track 10 and the finish line 12.

[0150] The displays marked with the symbols 73 and 78 are information on the photographing permission conditions. The display marked with the symbol 78 indicates the "size" of the face to be detected. The value of "size" displays the value read out as information on the photographing permission conditions from the information storage unit 241 in step S20. If the previous value is not recorded in the information storage unit 241, a predetermined value, for example, may be displayed. The display labeled with reference numeral 73 is an icon showing the first dial of the operation member 280. This indicates to the user that the "size" can be changed by turning the first dial.

[0151] In step S502, the body side control unit 230 determines whether an operation to set the "size" of the face to be detected has been performed. For example, if the first dial of the operation member 280 has been operated, the body side control unit 230 makes a positive judgment in step S502 and proceeds to step S503. If the first dial has not been operated, the body side control unit 230 makes a negative judgment in step S502 and proceeds to step S504.

[0152] In step S503, the body side control unit 230 sends an instruction to the condition setting unit 239 to change the "size" in, for example, five stages in response to the dial operation, and also sends an instruction to the display control unit 231 to display 78 indicating the set "size."

[0153] In step S504, the body side control unit 230 causes the face detection unit 236 to detect all faces, from large to small, throughout the entire shooting range based on the image data output from the imaging unit 260, and then proceeds to step S505. The set "size" value is used as the minimum value for the face "size."

[0154] In step S505, the body side control unit 230 causes the display control unit 231 to display only the faces detected within the photographing permitted area that satisfy the "size" condition. As a result, the determination unit 235 determines the subjects whose faces have been detected in the photographing permitted area. The display control unit 231 displays a square mark T superimposed on the face of the subject determined by the determination unit 235 on the setting screen (face) 90. The user can confirm that the face with the square mark T superimposed on it is the subject detected within the photography-permitted area. The user can also review the composition so that the face they want to detect meets the conditions, or conversely, fix the composition and change the "size."

[0155] In step S506, the body side control unit 230 determines whether or not an operation has been performed again. If an operation has been performed again, the body side control unit 230 makes a positive decision in step S506 and returns to step S502. After returning to step S502, the body side control unit 230 repeats the above-described processing. If an operation has not been performed again, the body side control unit 230 makes a negative decision in step S506 and proceeds to step S507.

[0156] In step S507, the body side control unit 230 determines whether or not to store information related to the shooting permission conditions set by the condition setting unit 239, i.e., the changed "size." If, for example, a predetermined button on the operation member 280 has been operated, the body side control unit 230 makes a positive judgment in step S507 and proceeds to step S508. If the predetermined button on the operation member 280 has not been operated, the body side control unit 230 makes a negative judgment in step S507 and ends the processing in FIG. 19 without storing the setting information, i.e., information related to the shooting permission conditions.

[0157] In step S508, the body side control unit 230 records the setting information set by the condition setting unit 239, that is, information about the photographing permission conditions, in the information storage unit 241, and ends the processing in FIG.

[0158] (Automatic shooting operation) FIG. 20 is a flowchart illustrating the process flow of the automatic shooting operation in step S80 of the flowchart of the automatic shooting mode in FIG. In step S81, the body side control unit 230 causes the face detection unit 236 to perform a face detection operation, and the process proceeds to step S82. The face detection unit 236 detects the face of the subject using live view image data output from the imaging unit 260, for example. If face detection is not included in the photographing permission conditions determined in step S10, step S81 may be omitted.

[0159] In step S82, the body side control unit 230 causes the motion detection unit 237 to perform a start motion operation, and the process proceeds to step S83. The motion detection unit 237 detects the motion of the subject using live view image data output from the imaging unit 260, for example. If the photographing permission conditions determined in step S10 do not include motion detection, step S82 may be omitted.

[0160] In step S83, the body side control unit 230 causes the distance measurement unit 233 to perform an AF calculation operation, and the process proceeds to step S84. The distance measurement unit 233 measures the distance based on the focus detection pixel signals output from the imaging unit 260. Unlike in step S408, the distance measurement positions are not based on all positions in the area indicated by the thick rectangular mark 102 included in the shooting permission area (= trigger area) shown in FIG. 9, but rather on preset shooting conditions. For example, in the case of single-point AF, the distance is measured at one point in the area indicated by the rectangular mark 102. For example, in the case of auto-area AF, the distance is measured at multiple points selected by the distance measurement unit 233 from the area indicated by the rectangular mark 102. Furthermore, if the shooting permission conditions include face detection, the distance is measured at multiple points corresponding to faces detected by the face detection unit 236. Furthermore, if the shooting permission conditions include motion detection, the distance is measured at multiple points corresponding to moving subjects detected by the motion detection unit 237.

[0161] In step S84, the body side control unit 230 causes the determination unit 235 to determine whether or not the subject matches the photographing permission conditions. As in the case of step S410, the determination unit 235 performs the necessary determination among the following (A) to (E) based on the photographing permission conditions determined in step S10. (A) Trigger area condition where a subject is detected in a predetermined photography permitted area. (B) A single focus condition in which a subject is detected within a shooting distance before and after a predetermined reference shooting distance, that is, within the shooting permitted range from a first shooting distance to a second shooting distance. (C) Two-point focus condition in which a subject having a shooting distance included in a predetermined shooting allowable range from a first shooting distance to a second shooting distance is detected. (D) Motion detection condition in which subject movement is detected. (E) Face detection condition where a face is detected as a specific object. If the determination unit 235 determines that the subject matches the shooting permission conditions, the body side control unit 230 makes an affirmative decision in step S84 and proceeds to step S85. If the determination unit 235 does not determine that the subject matches the shooting permission conditions, the body side control unit 230 makes a negative decision in step S84 and proceeds to step S87. If the determination unit 235 makes a negative decision in step S84, automatic shooting does not start.

[0162] In step S85, the body side control unit 230 sends a drive instruction for the focusing lens 361 based on the AF calculation result to the interchangeable lens 3. Specifically, the lens drive amount calculation unit 234 calculates a drive amount Δd for moving the focusing lens 361 of the interchangeable lens 3 from its current position to the in-focus position based on the defocus amount calculated by the distance measurement unit 233. The drive amount Δd is sent to the interchangeable lens 3 via the body side communication unit 250.

[0163] In step S86, the body side control unit 230 issues an instruction to the imaging unit 260 to start automatic shooting, and the process proceeds to step S87. In step S87, the body side control unit 230 determines whether or not to repeat the automatic shooting operation. For example, if the user has not performed an operation to end the automatic shooting operation, the body side control unit 230 makes a positive decision in step S87 and returns to step S81. If the process returns to step S81, the body side control unit 230 repeats the above-mentioned processing. If an operation to end the automatic shooting operation has been performed via the operation member 280 (touch operation member 290A), the body side control unit 230 makes a negative decision in step S87 and ends the processing in FIG. In the above explanation, an example has been given in which the subject determined by the determination unit 235 and the display (mark 102 on a thick rectangle) when setting the photography-permitted area are displayed in the same manner, but the display manner of these does not necessarily have to be the same. Furthermore, examples of a display that shows a subject determined by the determination unit 235 in a manner different from that of a subject not determined by the determination unit 235 include not only displaying the mark T by superimposing it, but also other display manners, such as peaking the determined subject, inverting the determined subject, or displaying the determined subject in a different color, as long as it is clear that the subject has been determined.

[0164] According to the first embodiment described above, the following advantageous effects can be obtained. (1) Camera 1, which is an example of an imaging device, includes a condition setting unit 239 that sets photography permission conditions that allow a subject to be photographed, a judgment unit 235 that judges subjects that satisfy the photography permission conditions, and a display unit 290 that displays subjects that have been judged to satisfy the photography permission conditions in a manner different from subjects that have not been judged to satisfy the photography permission conditions. With this configuration, the user can easily recognize whether or not the subject has been determined to satisfy the photography permission conditions. For example, on the confirmation screen 50 displayed on the display unit 290, a rectangular mark T is displayed superimposed on the subject determined by the determination unit 235, while the mark T is not displayed on the subject not determined by the determination unit 235. The user can check which subject satisfies the photographing permission conditions by looking at the mark T displayed on the display unit 290.

[0165] (2) In camera 1, the photography permission condition is the photography permission distance that is set based on the photography distance from camera 1 to the subject. With this configuration, the user can easily check the permitted photographing distance based on the display on the display unit 290.

[0166] (3) In camera 1, the permitted photographing distance is a distance range that is set based on the first photographing distance and the second photographing distance. With this configuration, the user can easily check the set distance range based on the display on the display unit 290.

[0167] (4) The camera 1 includes an operating member 280 for adjusting the first and second shooting distances. With this configuration, the user can easily set the desired first and second shooting distances in the condition setting unit 239 by operating the operation member 280. For example, the first and second shooting distances in the single focus condition and the dual focus condition can be changed using the operation member 280, and the changed settings can be easily confirmed by the display on the display unit 290.

[0168] (5) The camera 1 is provided with a display unit 290 that displays a bar indicator 75 that indicates the relationship between the distance from the camera 1 and the permitted photographing distance. With this configuration, the user can visually confirm the relative positional relationship between the distance from camera 1 (from closest to infinity) and the permitted photographing distance, using bar display 75 that is different from the display showing the subject determined by determination unit 235. As a result, the user can concretely imagine the set permitted photographing distance.

[0169] (6) The camera 1 includes a display unit 290 that displays the display 71 and the display 72 that indicate the first and second shooting distances. With this configuration, the user can see the numerical displays 71 and 72 displayed on the display unit 290 and know the specific first and second shooting distances.

[0170] (7) In the camera 1, the photographing permission conditions are set based on the photographing permission area set within the photographing range. With this configuration, it is possible to easily check, based on the display on the display unit 290, the subjects that satisfy the photographing permission conditions within the photographing permission area.

[0171] (8) In camera 1, the photographing permission conditions are set based on whether or not the object is a specific one. With this configuration, the user can easily check a specific object based on the display on display unit 290.

[0172] (9) In camera 1, the photographing permission conditions are set based on the size of the object. With this configuration, the user can easily check the specific object having the set size based on the display on the display unit 290.

[0173] (10) In camera 1, when the subject is a moving object, the shooting permission conditions are set based on at least one of the direction of the moving object's movement, the magnitude of the moving object's movement ("speed" in the above description), and the size of the area in which the moving object continues to move in the same manner ("object size" in the above description). With this configuration, it is possible to easily check, based on the display on the display unit 290, moving objects that have at least one of the direction of movement, the magnitude of movement, and the area of ​​the same movement.

[0174] (11) The camera 1 includes an imaging unit 260 that captures an image of a subject, and a mode control unit 238 that controls a first operation mode and a second operation mode. When the determination unit 235 determines that a subject satisfies the shooting permission conditions in the first operation mode, the body side control unit 230 causes the imaging unit 260 to perform actual shooting, and when the determination unit 235 determines that a subject satisfies the shooting permission conditions in the second operation mode, the body side control unit 230 displays the determined subject on the display unit 290 in a different manner from subjects that have not been determined. This configuration allows for appropriate separation between a first operating mode in which a subject determined by the determination unit 235 is photographed, and a second operating mode in which the user checks the subject that satisfies the photographing permission conditions by looking at the display unit 290.

[0175] (12) In camera 1, when the shooting permission conditions are changed by the condition setting unit 239 in the second operating mode, the display control unit 231 displays on the display unit 290 subjects that have been determined to satisfy the shooting permission conditions after the change in settings in a manner different from that of subjects that have not been determined to satisfy the shooting permission conditions. With this configuration, in the second operation mode, the user can, for example, look at the mark T displayed on the display unit 290 and confirm which subjects satisfy the changed photographing permission conditions.

[0176] (13) In camera 1, the first display unit displays a preliminary image of the subject captured by the imaging unit before actual photography, along with a subject determined to satisfy the photography permission conditions. With this configuration, it is possible to confirm which subjects in the auxiliary image satisfy the photographing permission conditions, along with the auxiliary image display. The following modifications are also within the scope of the present invention, and one or more of the modifications may be combined with the above-described embodiment.

[0177] (Variation 1) In the first embodiment described above, when the automatic shooting mode is on, the image capture unit 260 repeats automatic shooting as long as the determination unit 235 continues to determine that the subject meets the shooting permission conditions. In other words, continuous shooting is continuously performed. In the first modification, a first time (referred to as Duration) is set as the upper limit of the duration for which the image capture unit 260 continues continuous shooting when the determination unit 235 determines that the subject meets the shooting permission conditions, and a second time (referred to as Interval) is set as the pause time from when Duration has elapsed until the determination unit 235 resumes the above determination. This automatic shooting with a limited number of frames captured when the automatic shooting mode is on is referred to as "limited shooting." The first and second times are set, for example, by a menu operation performed via the operation unit 280 (touch operation unit 290A).

[0178] FIG. 22 is a diagram for explaining limit photography, illustrating the first time and second time. The horizontal axis of the diagram represents time. The upper part of the diagram indicates whether or not there is a subject that has been determined by the determination unit 235 to satisfy the photography permission conditions. If the determination unit 235 has determined that there is a subject that satisfies the photography permission conditions, this is indicated as "Yes," and if there is no subject that has been determined to satisfy the photography permission conditions, this is indicated as "No."

[0179] The middle part of the figure shows the timing of shooting by the imaging unit 260 in the above-described embodiment, i.e., when the first and second times are not set. The vertically elongated white display indicates the shooting timing for each frame, and indicates that a total of 19 frames will be automatically shot during the first half of the "Yes" display. Also, it indicates that a total of 6 frames will be automatically shot during the second half of the "Yes" display.

[0180] The lower part of the diagram shows the timing of shooting by the imaging unit 260 in Modification 1, that is, when the first and second times are set. The body-side control unit 230 instructs the imaging unit 260 to start shooting only during the first time of "Yes". Furthermore, the body-side control unit 230 does not instruct the imaging unit 260 to start shooting during the second time of "Yes" or during the period between "No". With this configuration, automatic shooting is performed in two sessions of six frames each during the first half of "Yes", and automatic shooting of six frames is performed during the second half of "Yes".

[0181] Modification 1 is effective, for example, for automatic photography when a competition is held repeatedly at regular intervals. For example, if multiple sprint races are held at five-minute intervals, the first time is set to the competition time per race, and the second time is set to 5 minutes minus the first time. This configuration reduces wasted images and allows automatic photography to be performed appropriately.

[0182] Note that instead of setting the first time period as a time such as 10 seconds in Modification 1, the first time period may be set as the number of frames to be continuously shot, such as 60. When set as the number of frames to be continuously shot, it is determined that the first time period has elapsed when continuous shooting of the set number of frames has ended. The above explanation has been given with reference to an example of taking still images in automatic shooting mode, but it can also be applied to taking moving images. When taking moving images, it is better to set the first time period as a time period rather than as the number of frames to be taken continuously.

[0183] (Variation 2) When the automatic shooting mode is on, the determination unit 235 may be configured to start the execution mode at the start time set by a timer and to end the execution mode at the end time set by the timer. The start time and end time are set by, for example, a menu operation performed via the operation member 280 (touch operation member 290A).

[0184] When the set start time arrives, the body side control unit 230 starts up the camera 1 in a sleep state and causes the determination unit 235 to start a determination operation. The sleep state is a power-saving state in which the minimum necessary processing, such as timer timing, is performed. When the determination unit 235 determines that the subject matches the photographing permission conditions, the body side control unit 230 causes the imaging unit 260 to repeatedly perform automatic photographing.

[0185] When the set end time arrives, the body side control unit 230 causes the determination unit 235 to end the determination operation. For example, the body side control unit 230 waits until the determination unit 235 no longer determines that a subject matches the photographing permission conditions, and then returns the camera 1 to the sleep state.

[0186] Modification 2 is effective for automatic photography when the user cannot easily access the installation location of camera 1, such as the ceiling of a competition venue. For example, if the state of the venue is to be photographed at the same time every day, the start time can be set to 7:00 PM and the end time can be set to 10:00 PM. By configuring in this way, automatic photography can be performed appropriately at the same time every day. Furthermore, unnecessary images can be avoided. Furthermore, power consumption of camera 1 can be reduced.

[0187] (Variation 3) In the case of a single focus setting operation, the setting of either the position 21 on the far side of the reference position 20 or the position 22 on the near side of the reference position 20 may be omitted, in other words, either the distance α or the distance β may be set to 0. For example, if the far side position 21 is omitted, the condition setting unit 239 sets a distance range from the position 22 on the near side of the reference position 20 to the reference position 20. Conversely, if the near side position 22 is omitted, the condition setting unit 239 sets a distance range from the reference position 20 to the position 21 on the far side of the reference position 20. Distances included in these distance ranges are called photographing permitted distances. The setting of whether or not to perform the operation of Modification 3 is performed by, for example, a menu operation performed via operation member 280 (touch operation member 290A). The above-described third modification provides the following advantageous effects: Since the setting of either the position 21 on the back side of the reference position 20 or the position 22 on the front side of the reference position 20 is omitted, the setting operation can be simplified for the user.

[0188] (Variation 4) In the case of a single focus setting operation, the setting of both the position 21 behind the reference position 20 and the position 22 in front of the reference position 20 may be omitted. In Modification 4, the condition setting unit 239 sets, for example, the distance range from the camera 1 (closest distance) to the reference position 20 as the allowed shooting distance. In this setting, shooting starts when the subject is detected between the reference position 20 and the camera. Shooting may end when a predetermined number of frames have been shot, or when a predetermined time has elapsed since the start of shooting. Alternatively, conversely, the condition setting unit 239 sets the allowed shooting distance to the distance range from the reference position 20 to infinity (∞). Distances included in these distance ranges are called allowed shooting distances. In the former setting of Modification 4, shooting begins when the subject is detected between reference position 20 and the camera, and ends when a predetermined number of frames have been shot or when a predetermined time has passed since the start of shooting. In the latter setting of Modification 4, shooting begins when the subject is detected behind reference position 20, and ends when the shooting distance of the subject falls below the reference position. The setting of whether or not to perform the operation of Modification 4 is performed by, for example, a menu operation performed via the operation member 280 (touch operation member 290A).

[0189] The above-described fourth modification provides the following advantageous effects: Since the photographing permitted distance of camera 1 is set within a distance range based only on reference position 20, it becomes easy for the user to set a wide photographing permitted distance.

[0190] (Second embodiment) In the first embodiment described above, the camera body 2 is not a single-lens reflex type, but the invention can also be implemented with a single-lens reflex type camera 1A. 23 is a schematic diagram illustrating the configuration of the main parts of a camera 1A according to a second embodiment of the invention. The same components as in FIG. 2 are given the same reference numerals and their description will be omitted, and the following description will focus on the components that differ from those in FIG. 2. <Camera body> Compared to the non-SLR camera body 2, the SLR camera body 2A additionally includes reflecting mirrors 211 and 212, a distance measurement module 219, a photometry sensor 217, a signal processing unit 218, and an optical viewfinder as an observation optical system. The observation optical system includes a focusing screen 213, a display unit 214, a pentaprism 215, and an eyepiece 216. The reflecting mirrors 211 and 212 constitute a so-called quick return mirror.

[0191] The reflecting mirrors 211 and 212 are provided rotatably between an observation position (the state shown in FIG. 23 ) located on the optical path from the interchangeable lens 3 to the imaging unit 260 along the optical axis O, and a retracted position outside the optical path. The reflecting mirror 211 reflects the incident light beam upward (toward the focusing screen 213) at the observation position. A semi-transmitting region that transmits part of the incident light beam is formed in part of the reflecting mirror 211. The reflecting mirror 212 reflects the incident light beam that has transmitted through the semi-transmitting region of the reflecting mirror 211 toward the distance measurement module 219.

[0192] A subject image is formed on a focusing screen 213 by a light beam reflected upward by the reflecting mirror 211. The focusing screen 213 is also called a finder screen, and is provided at a position optically equivalent to the image sensor 261. A user observes the subject image on the focusing screen 213 through an eyepiece 216. The pentaprism 215 and the eyepiece 216 allow the subject image to be observed as an erect image.

[0193] A display unit 214 configured by, for example, a transparent organic EL display panel is disposed near the focusing screen 213. The display unit 214 displays rectangular marks superimposed on the viewfinder at positions corresponding to distance measurement points where distance measurement is possible by the distance measurement unit 233. By displaying the marks superimposed on the subject image, the user can visually recognize a mark similar to the mark T shown in FIG. 1(b), 5 to 9, etc. in the viewfinder through the eyepiece 216.

[0194] The subject image formed on the focusing screen 213 is re-imaged on the photometry sensor 217. The photometry sensor 217 outputs an imaging pixel signal based on the charge generated in the photoelectric conversion unit for image generation. The imaging pixel signal is used to generate image data in the signal processing unit 218 and is also used for exposure calculation in the body side control unit 230 (exposure control unit 232). The image data generated in the signal processing unit 218 is used for motion detection in the body side control unit 230 (motion detection unit 237) and for face detection in the body side control unit 230 (face detection unit 236).

[0195] When the body-side control unit 230 outputs a command to start shooting, the reflecting mirrors 211 and 212 rotate and retreat to retreat positions outside the optical path, and a shutter (not shown) opens, thereby directing the light beam from the subject to the imaging unit 260.

[0196] The ranging module 219 has multiple line sensors arranged to correspond to the ranging points. On the multiple line sensors, subject images are formed by light beams that have passed through different pupils of the imaging optical system 360 of the interchangeable lens 3. The line sensors photoelectrically convert the subject images and output focus detection pixel signals that correspond to the luminance distribution of the subject images. The body side control unit 230 (ranging unit 233) uses the focus detection pixel signals output from the ranging module 219 to perform focus detection processing using a phase difference detection method and calculate the amount of defocus.

[0197] <Operation mode transition> 24 is a transition diagram illustrating the change in the operation mode of the camera 1 A. As in the first embodiment, the mode control unit 238 switches the automatic shooting mode of the camera 1 A between on and off.

[0198] <Settings / Checking Mode and Execution Mode> When the automatic shooting mode is turned on, the camera 1A is switched between the setting / checking mode and the execution mode by the mode control unit 238, in the same way as in the first embodiment.

[0199] When switching the automatic shooting mode from off to on, the mode control unit 238 can change the transition destination to the setting / confirmation mode or the execution mode depending on the button operated on the operation member 280. Conversely, when switching the automatic photography mode from on to off, the mode control unit 238 can turn off the automatic photography mode by operating the operation member 280 from either the setting / check mode or the execution mode.

[0200] <Display in setting / check mode> In this embodiment, in the setting / confirmation mode, the display control unit 231 causes the display unit 214 to display two screens: (1) a confirmation screen and (2) a setting screen. When switching from the confirmation screen to another screen, the display control unit 231 can switch to a setting screen or a screen in which the automatic shooting mode is turned off, depending on which button on the operation member 280 is operated. Furthermore, when switching from the setting screen to another screen, the display control unit 231 can switch to a confirmation screen by operating the buttons on the operation member 280.

[0201] (1) Confirmation screen The display control unit 231 causes the display unit 214 to display the mark superimposed on the subject image, and the user sees a mark similar to mark T shown in Figures 1(b), 5 to 8, etc. in the viewfinder through the eyepiece 216.

[0202] (2)Settings screen The display control unit 231 causes the display unit 214 to display the mark superimposed on the subject image, so that the user can visually recognize a mark similar to the mark 102 in FIG. 9, etc., in the finder through the eyepiece 216.

[0203] According to the second embodiment described above, in addition to the same effects as those of the first embodiment, the following effects can be obtained. Display unit 214 of camera 1A is provided in the observation optical system (focusing screen 213, pentaprism 215, eyepiece 216) that can observe the image of a subject, and displays a mark (corresponding to mark T) indicating a subject that satisfies the photographing permission conditions superimposed on the image observed by the observation optical system. With this configuration, the user can check which subject satisfies the photographing permission conditions by looking at the mark displayed on display unit 214 in the optical finder that serves as the observation optical system.

[0204] <Program> A program for executing the processes illustrated in Figures 10-12 and 15-20 may be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium, and the program recorded on this recording medium may be supplied to the camera body 2 or 2A (body-side control unit 230) of the camera 1 or 1A via, for example, a personal computer 10. The term "computer-readable recording medium" refers to portable recording media such as flexible disks, magneto-optical disks, optical disks, and memory cards, as well as storage devices such as hard disks built into computer systems. A computer system is a computer system that runs an operating system (OS), such as the illustrated personal computer 10. This includes hardware such as the System and peripherals.

[0205] Furthermore, the term "computer-readable recording medium" may include a medium that dynamically stores a program for a short period of time, such as a communication line when transmitting a program via a network such as the Internet or a communication line such as a telephone line, or a medium that stores a program for a certain period of time, such as a volatile memory within a computer system that serves as a server or client in such a case. The above-mentioned program may be one that realizes part of the above-mentioned functions, or may realize the above-mentioned functions in combination with a program already stored in the computer system.

[0206] 25 is a diagram illustrating the supply of a program to the camera 1 or 1A (camera body 2 or 2A). The camera 1 or 1A can receive the program recorded on, for example, a CD-ROM 953 via a personal computer 10 that can be connected to the camera 1 or 1A by a cable or the like. The camera 1 or 1A can also receive the program via a communication line 900. Computer 952 is a server computer that provides the above-mentioned program, and stores the program on a recording medium 954 such as a hard disk. Communication line 900 is a communication line such as the Internet or personal computer communication, or a dedicated communication line. Computer 952 reads the program from recording medium 954 and transmits the program to personal computer 10 via communication line 900. That is, the program is carried as a data signal by a carrier wave and transmitted via communication line 900. Camera 1 or 1A receives the program from personal computer 10 via a cable or the like. In this manner, the program can be supplied as a computer-readable computer program product in various forms such as a recording medium or a carrier wave.

[0207] Although various embodiments and modifications have been described above, the present invention is not limited to these. Aspects in which the configurations shown in the embodiments and modifications are used in combination are also included within the scope of the present invention. Other aspects conceivable within the scope of the technical concept of the present invention are also included within the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0208] 1, 1A... camera, 2, 2A... camera body, 3... interchangeable lens, 214... display unit, 219... ranging module, 230... body side control unit, 231... display control unit, 233... ranging unit, 234... lens drive amount calculation unit, 235... determination unit, 236... face detection unit, 237... motion detection unit, 238... mode control unit, 239... condition setting unit, 241... information storage unit, 260... imaging unit, 270... wireless communication unit, 280... operation member, 290... display unit, 360... photographing optical system, 361... focusing lens, 370... lens drive unit, 400... external device, (213, 214, 215, 216)... observation optical system

Claims

[Claim 1] a setting unit that sets photographing permission conditions for permitting photographing of a subject; a determination unit for determining a subject that satisfies the photographing permission conditions; an imaging device including a first display unit that displays a subject that has been determined to satisfy the photographing permission condition in a manner different from that of a subject that has not been determined to satisfy the photographing permission condition;

Images