Lens system and program

Abstract

To provide a technique capable of smoothly changing the state of a lens optical system.SOLUTION: A lens optical system (30), at least one operation member (21) that receives at least an actuation operation that is an operation for changing a state of the lens optical system, at least one memory (22), and at least one processor (11,23), the at least one processor controls the lens optical system such that an operation sensitivity, which is a ratio of a change amount of the state of the lens optical system to an operation amount of the actuation operation input to the at least one operation member, changes in accordance with a difference between a stored state and a current state, the stored state being a state of the lens optical system stored in advance in the at least one memory, the current state being a current state of the lens optical system.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a lens system and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] With the spread of video sharing sites such as TikTok (registered trademark) and YouTube (registered trademark), there is an increasing need for technology for shooting videos using cameras such as mirrorless single-lens cameras, and technology for controlling the lenses attached to the cameras.

[0003] As a lens control technology, for example, Patent Document 1 describes a lens system that controls the portion of a virtual screen displayed on a touch display in response to a user's scrolling operation and controls the lens optical system so that the state of the lens optical system is linked to the portion of the virtual screen displayed on the touch display. Patent Document 1 also describes a technology that limits the portion of the virtual screen that can be displayed on the touch display to a portion of the virtual screen based on information representing the position of a limiting edge set by the user, thereby controlling the lens optical system so that it is linked to the portion displayed on the touch display. With this technology, for example, when manually adjusting the focus position as the state of the lens optical system, it is possible to reliably stop the lens optical system at a position corresponding to the limiting edge. Therefore, it is possible to reliably achieve the focus position desired by the user and corresponding to the stopped focus position. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2023-175426 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In the technology described in Patent Document 1, for example, when operating the focus of the lens optical system, the change in focus suddenly stops when the focus reaches a position corresponding to the limit end, and the change in focus of the captured video also suddenly stops. As a result, the captured video may lack the emotional impact that viewers feel or may be straining to the eyes of the viewer.

[0006] Therefore, there is a demand for mitigating sudden stops in changes to the state of the lens optical system, for example, from the perspective of realizing emotional focus shifting.

[0007] An object of one aspect of the present invention is to realize a technique that enables smooth changes in the state of a lens optical system. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to solve the above problem, a lens system according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a lens optical system, at least one operating member that receives at least an actuation operation, which is an operation for changing the state of the lens optical system, at least one memory, and at least one processor, and the at least one processor controls the lens optical system so that an operation sensitivity, which is the ratio of the amount of change in the state of the lens optical system to the amount of the actuation operation input to the at least one operating member, changes depending on the difference between a stored state, which is the state of the lens optical system that is pre-stored in the at least one memory, and a current state, which is the state of the lens optical system that is the current state.

[0009] Furthermore, a program according to one aspect of the present invention is a program for controlling a lens system including a lens optical system, at least one operating member that receives at least an actuation operation that is an operation for changing the state of the lens optical system, at least one memory, and at least one processor, and causes the at least one processor to execute a process for controlling the lens optical system so that an actuation sensitivity, which is the ratio of the amount of change in the state of the lens optical system to the amount of the actuation operation input to the at least one operating member, changes depending on the difference between a stored state, which is the state of the lens optical system that is pre-stored in the at least one memory, and a current state, which is the state of the lens optical system that is the current state. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to one aspect of the present invention, a technique can be realized that enables smooth changes in the state of a lens optical system. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a lens system according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 2A and 2B are schematic diagrams for explaining an outline of the control process of the lens system shown in FIG. 1, in which (A) shows the display and virtual screen configuration of the operation terminal, and (B) shows the focus configuration of the lens optical system. [Figure 3] 2 is a flowchart showing the flow of processing for controlling the lens optical system executed by a processor of the operation terminal shown in FIG. [Figure 4] 2A and 2B are schematic diagrams illustrating a sensitivity determination process executed by the operation terminal shown in FIG. 1, in which (A) shows the display and virtual screen configuration of the operation terminal, and (B) shows the correspondence relationship between the difference and operation sensitivity. [Figure 5]2 is a schematic diagram illustrating the screen scroll amount calculation process executed by the operating terminal shown in FIG. 1, in which (A) shows the direction of the input scroll operation and the direction of the screen scroll linked to the operation, (B) shows the screen scroll amount calculated based on the scroll operation, and (C) shows the relationship between the cumulative operation amount and focus. [Figure 6] 2A and 2B are schematic diagrams illustrating the enlargement magnification factor determination process executed by the operation terminal shown in FIG. 1, in which (A) shows a display by the operation terminal, and (B) shows the correspondence relationship between operation sensitivity and enlargement magnification factor. [Figure 7] 2 is a flowchart showing the flow of control processing executed by a processor of the lens shown in FIG. [Figure 8] 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of processing executed by a processor of the operation terminal shown in FIG. 1 for storing a storage state in a memory. [Figure 9] 2A and 2B are schematic diagrams illustrating the restoration process performed by the processor of the operation terminal and the processor of the lens shown in FIG. 1, where (A) shows the change in display by the operation terminal during the restoration process, and (B) shows the correspondence between the difference and the change speed during the restoration process. [Figure 10] 4B shows a modified example of the correspondence relationship between the difference and the operation sensitivity shown in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] [Embodiment 1] Hereinafter, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail.

[0013] (Lens System 100) The configuration of a lens system 100 according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the lens system 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. The lens system 100 is a system for controlling a lens optical system to obtain a suitable image of a subject in at least one of still image capture and video capture. In this specification, the term "lens optical system" refers to a lens unit having at least one single lens and a support member that supports the at least one single lens.

[0014] 1, the lens system 100 includes a lens 10 and an operation terminal 20. The lens 10 and the operation terminal 20 are connected to each other via a communication means so that they can communicate with each other. In this embodiment, the lens 10 and the operation terminal 20 are connected by a USB (Universal Serial Bus) cable via a communication interface 12 included in the lens 10 and a communication interface 24 included in the operation terminal 20.

[0015] In this embodiment, a USB cable is used as the communication means connecting the lens 10 and the operation terminal 20, but the present invention is not limited to this. The communication means connecting the lens 10 and the operation terminal 20 may be either a wired communication means or a wireless communication means as long as it is capable of transmitting and receiving electronic data between the lens 10 and the operation terminal 20. Specific examples of wireless communication means include Wi-Fi (registered trademark) communication, NFC (Near Field Communication), and Bluetooth (registered trademark) communication. The communication means may directly or indirectly connect the lens 10 and the operation terminal 20. Examples of networks that may be present between the lens 10 and the operation terminal 20 include a local area network (LAN) and camera mount communication. In an embodiment using camera mount communication, mount communication is realized by, for example, attaching the lens 10 to a camera mount and connecting the operation terminal 20 to the camera so that the camera can communicate with the lens 10.

[0016] (Operation terminal 20) The operation terminal 20 is configured to allow a user to input operations as instructions to the lens system 100 and to display the state of the lens optical system to the user. In this embodiment, a smartphone is used as the operation terminal 20. As shown in FIG. 1 , the operation terminal 20 is separate from the lens 10 and includes a touch display 21, a memory 22, a processor 23, and a communication interface 24.

[0017] The touch display 21 functions as an operation member through which the user inputs operations, and also functions as a display member that displays information related to the control of the lens optical system 30 to the user. In this embodiment, the touch display 21 is an electronic component that integrally combines a touch sensor that detects touch operations input by the user and a display that displays the state of the lens optical system 30 to the user. The conversion method used in the touch sensor can be any known method, such as a resistive film method, a capacitance method, a surface acoustic wave method, an infrared method, an electromagnetic induction method, an image recognition method, or an optical sensor method. The display can be any known display, such as a liquid crystal display or an organic electroluminescence (EL) display.

[0018] The touch display 21 has a display area. The display area is at least a part of the display of the touch display 21, and is an area for displaying a part of the virtual screen as a physical screen area. In this specification, the term "virtual screen" refers to graphics generated in a virtual space by the processor 23 through electronic calculations. Furthermore, the term "physical screen area" refers to a part of the virtual screen that is displayed in the display area of ​​the touch display 21. The configurations of the display area and virtual screen will be described later with reference to different drawings. The configurations described in Patent Document 1 may be used for the display area and virtual screen according to this embodiment, to the extent that they do not contradict the configuration of this embodiment described later.

[0019] The memory 22 is configured to store the memory state and thresholds. In this embodiment, the memory 22 includes a primary memory and a secondary memory. The primary memory has a function of volatilely storing the memory state and thresholds. The secondary memory has a function of nonvolatilely storing the control processing program P20. In this embodiment, a DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory) is used as the primary memory, and a flash memory is used as the secondary memory. Note that the memory state and thresholds stored in the primary memory may be saved in a nonvolatile memory such as an EEPROM (registered trademark, Electronically Erasable and Programmable Read Only Memory) when the power is off so that they are retained even when the memory 22 is powered off, and may be restored from the EEPROM to the primary memory when the power is on.

[0020] The processor 23 is a component for controlling the overall operation of the operation terminal 20. The processor 23 is, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), or a combination thereof. The processor 23 mainly executes control processes S20 and S30 of the operation terminal 20 by deploying and executing a control processing program P20 stored in the memory 22 of the operation terminal 20. The control processes S20 and S30 executed by the processor 23 will be described later with reference to different drawings.

[0021] The communication interface 24 is configured to control the transmission of various data from the operation terminal 20 and the reception of various data by the operation terminal 20. In this embodiment, a USB interface is used as the communication interface 24.

[0022] (Lens 10) The lens 10 is a component for forming an image of a subject on an image sensor provided in the camera. In this embodiment, a lens that is detachably attached to the camera is used as the lens 10. As shown in FIG. 1, the lens 10 includes a processor 11, a communication interface 12, and a lens optical system 30.

[0023] The processor 11 is configured to control the overall operation of the lens 10. The processor 11 mainly executes a control process S10 for the lens 10 by expanding and executing a control process program P10 stored in the memory of the lens 10 and receiving a command signal from the processor 23 of the operation terminal 20. In this embodiment, a CPU is used as the processor 11. The control process S10 executed by the processor 11 will be described later with reference to different drawings.

[0024] The communication interface 12 is configured to control transmission of various data from the lens 10 and reception by the lens 10. In this embodiment, the communication interface 12 is a USB interface.

[0025] The lens optical system 30 is a group of optical elements arranged on an optical axis OA that passes through a subject. As shown in Fig. 1, the lens optical system 30 has a focus group 31 as an optical element.

[0026] The focus group 31 is an optical element for changing the focus position of the entire lens optical system 30 included in the lens 10. The focus group 31 changes its focus position to change the focus position. Herein, the focus position refers to the position of at least one single lens included in the focus group 31 within the lens optical system 30, and is distinguished from the focal position, which is the position at which the lens is in focus on the optical axis OA. Hereinafter, in this specification, the "focus position of the entire lens optical system 30 included in the lens 10" may be referred to as the "focus of the lens optical system 30" or simply as "focus." In this embodiment, the focus is controlled by driving the single lens included in the focus group 31 along the optical axis OA. In this specification, "controlling the lens optical system 30" includes changing or maintaining any one or more states of the lens optical system 30.

[0027] (Control process S100 of lens system 100) The control process S100 of the lens system 100 will be described below. The control process S100 is a process for controlling the lens optical system 30 so that the operation sensitivity, which is the ratio of the amount of change in the state of the lens optical system 30 to the amount of operation input to the touch display 21, changes depending on the difference between a stored state, which is a state of the lens optical system 30 that is stored in advance in the memory 22, and a current state, which is the current state of the lens optical system 30. In this embodiment, focus is controlled as the state of the lens optical system 30.

[0028] In this embodiment, the control process S100 includes a control process S10 for the lens 10 and a control process S30 for the operation terminal 20 for controlling the focus. The processor 23 of the operation terminal 20 refers to the storage state and executes the control process S30, The processor 11 of the lens 10 executes the control process S10 in conjunction with the control process S30. The control process S100 further includes a control process S20 of the operation terminal 20 for storing the storage state in the memory 22.

[0029] (Overview of control process S100) Before describing in detail each process included in the control process S100, an overview of the control process S100 will be described with reference to Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating an overview of the control process S100 of the lens system 100 shown in Fig. 1, in which Fig. 2(A) shows the display by the operation terminal 20 and the configuration of the virtual screen V1, and Fig. 2(B) shows the configuration of the focus of the lens optical system 30.

[0030] As shown in FIG. 2(A), the touch display 21 of the operation terminal 20 has a display area R1 that extends over the entire display of the touch display 21. A portion of a virtual screen V1 is displayed in the display area R1. The virtual screen V1 is a rectangular graphic that has the same width (horizontal direction) as the display area R1 and a longer length (vertical direction) than the display area R1. In addition, a pointer G1 is also displayed in the display area R1 at a fixed position independent of the virtual screen V1. The pointer G1 indicates the current state, which will be described later.

[0031] In the control process S30 of the operating terminal 20, when the user slides the touch position HB, i.e., when a scroll operation is input to the touch display 21, the portion of the virtual screen V1 displayed in the display region R1 scrolls so that the graphic generally follows the touch position HB. As an example, when the touch position HB slides upward, the portion of the virtual screen V1 displayed in the display region R1 scrolls downward. In this embodiment, the scrolling of the portion of the virtual screen V1 displayed in the display region R1 is referred to as "scrolling the screen," etc.

[0032] In FIG. 2B, the upper end of the axis passing through the focus group 31 of the lens optical system 30 represents the near end (MOD) of the focus, and the lower end of the axis represents the infinity end (INF) of the focus. The virtual screen V1 shown in FIG. 2A corresponds to the axis shown in FIG. 2B, and the pointer G1 shown in FIG. 2A corresponds to the current position of the focus shown in FIG. 2B. As an example, the more the screen is scrolled downward in the control process S30 of the operation terminal 20, the more the lens optical system 30 is controlled in the control process S10 of the lens 10 in conjunction with the scrolling so that the focus moves further in the INF direction. As another example, when the pointer G1 is superimposed on the lower end of the virtual screen V1, the lens optical system 30 is controlled so that the focus is at INF.

[0033] (Control process S30 of operation terminal 20) The control process S30 of the operation terminal 20 will be described with reference to Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a flowchart showing the flow of the process S30 for controlling the lens optical system 30, which is executed by the processor 23 of the operation terminal 20 shown in Fig. 1. The control process S30 is a process for controlling the focus in response to an operation for changing the state of the lens optical system 30, which is input to the touch display 21. As shown in Fig. 3, the control process S30 includes an actuation operation standby process S31, a difference calculation process S32, a sensitivity determination process S33, a screen scroll amount calculation process S34, a display area update process S35, a magnification factor determination process S36, and a command transmission process S37. In this embodiment, these processes are executed mainly by the processor 23 of the operation terminal 20.

[0034] (Activation operation standby process S31) The activation operation standby process S31 is a process in which the processor 23 waits for a user's operation (activation operation) on the touch display 21 to change the state of the lens optical system 30. While the touch sensor of the touch display 21 has not detected a user's activation operation ("NO"), the processor 23 loops the activation operation standby process S31. When the touch sensor of the touch display 21 accepts the activation operation ("YES"), the touch sensor transmits a signal to the processor 23 notifying the amount and direction of the activation operation, and upon receiving the signal, the processor 23 starts the subsequent difference calculation process S32. In this embodiment, the activation operation is a vertical scroll operation input within the display region R1 of the touch display 21.

[0035] (Difference calculation process S32) The difference calculation process S32 is a process in which the processor 23 calculates the difference between the stored state and the current state.

[0036] The memory state is information relating to at least one predetermined focus state, i.e., focus position, as a state of the lens optical system 30. In this embodiment, the memory state is information representing at least one predetermined coordinate on a coordinate axis extending in the vertical direction of the virtual screen V1, and this information can be converted into information representing at least one predetermined focus by a conversion formula defined in the control processing program P10 or P20. Note that the present invention is not limited to this, and the memory state may be information itself representing at least one predetermined focus. Alternatively, the memory state may be any information convertible into information representing at least one predetermined focus. The memory state is pre-stored in the memory 22.

[0037] The current state is information relating to the current focus state, i.e., the current focus position, as the state of the lens optical system 30. In this embodiment, the current information is information representing the coordinates of the pointer G1 on coordinate axes extending in the vertical direction of the virtual screen V1, and this information can be converted into information representing one focus by a conversion formula defined in the control processing program P10 or P20. Note that the present invention is not limited to this, and the current state may be information representing at least one determined focus itself. Alternatively, the current state may be any information that can be converted into at least one determined focus.

[0038] Regarding the current state, the processor 23 may generate the current state by referring to a signal that notifies the current focus state detected by a sensor of the lens optical system 30 and that is received by the processor 23 from the sensor. In this case, the processor 23 determines, based on the generated current information, the portion of the virtual screen V1 to be displayed in the display region R1 so that the coordinates of the pointer G1 on the coordinate axes extending in the vertical direction of the virtual screen V1 match the current state.

[0039] In this embodiment, the processor 23 calculates the absolute value of the difference between the coordinates represented by the memory state and the coordinates represented by the current state on a coordinate axis extending in the vertical direction of the virtual screen V1 as the difference between the memory state and the current state. However, the processor 23 may calculate a difference having a positive or negative value along the upward or downward direction of the coordinate axis as the coordinate difference. Furthermore, when the memory state and the current state represent the focus itself, the processor 23 may calculate the difference between the focus represented by the memory state and the focus represented by the current state as the difference between the memory state and the current state. When one of the memory state and the current state represents the coordinate and the other represents the focus, the processor 23 may convert one piece of information representing the coordinate into information representing the focus and calculate the difference between the converted one piece of focus and the other piece of focus. The processor 23 may also perform the reverse conversion and calculate the difference.

[0040] (Sensitivity determination process S33) The sensitivity determination process S33 is a process in which the processor 23 determines the operation sensitivity by referring to the difference calculated in the difference calculation process S32. In this embodiment, the operation sensitivity refers to the ratio of the amount of change in focus to the sliding distance of the touch position in the scroll operation input to the touch display 21, i.e., the scroll operation amount. The sensitivity determination process S33 will be described with reference to Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating the sensitivity determination process S33 executed by the operation terminal 20 shown in Fig. 1, in which Fig. 4(A) shows the display by the operation terminal 20 and the configuration of the virtual screen V1, and Fig. 4(B) shows the correspondence relationship between the difference and the operation sensitivity.

[0041] As shown in FIG. 4A, the display area R1 of the touch display 21 displays the memory state as a marker M1 representing coordinates. The display area R1 displays the current state as a pointer G1 representing coordinates. The display area R1 displays an area including the marker M1 on a coordinate axis extending in the vertical direction of the virtual screen V1 as a variable area VR, and displays two thresholds as two ends Th (upper and lower ends) of the variable area VR. This display allows the user to easily recognize the memory state and the current state, further improving the operability of the lens system 100 for the user. In addition, in this embodiment, the touch display 21 functions as a display member as described above and also has the function of accepting a scroll operation as an actuation operation. This further improves the operability of the lens system 100 for the user. The marker M1, the two ends Th, and the variable area VR are components of the virtual screen V1. The two thresholds are pre-stored in the memory 22, and the area sandwiched between the two ends Th is displayed as the variable area VR. Furthermore, in the present invention, the display region R1 is not limited to the configuration shown in FIG. 4(A), and for example, only one of the marker M1 and the two ends Th may be displayed.

[0042] FIG. 4(B) shows the correspondence relationship between the difference between the stored state and the current state and the operation sensitivity according to this embodiment, and this correspondence relationship is pre-stored in the memory 22 of the operation terminal 20. Hereinafter, the correspondence relationship between the difference and the operation sensitivity may be referred to as a "sensitivity profile." As shown in FIG. 4(B), the operation sensitivity changes depending on the difference. As the operation sensitivity changes depending on the difference, the operation sensitivity in a specific range of difference becomes smaller than the difference in other ranges. Therefore, even if the user continues to input a scrolling operation at a constant speed, the speed of change of the focus decreases in the specific range where the operation sensitivity becomes smaller. Therefore, even when scrolling at a constant speed, it is possible to smoothly control the focus.

[0043] In this embodiment, the operation sensitivity is constant when the difference is equal to or greater than the threshold, and is lower when the difference is less than the threshold compared to when the difference is equal to or greater than the threshold. This enables smooth focus control in a range where the difference is less than the threshold. When the difference is less than the threshold, the smaller the difference, the smaller the operation sensitivity. This means that the smaller the difference, i.e., the closer the current state is to the stored state, the slower the focus change speed becomes. Therefore, even with a constant-speed scroll operation, it becomes possible to control the focus more smoothly near the stored state. The sensitivity profile is symmetrical about the operation sensitivity axis, and the operation sensitivity is uniquely determined according to the absolute value of the difference.

[0044] The sensitivity profile is associated with the display and virtual screen of the operation terminal shown in Fig. 4(A). As a specific example, when the marker M1 representing the memory state in the display shown in Fig. 4(A) coincides with the pointer G1 representing the current state, this corresponds to a difference of 0 in the sensitivity profile shown in Fig. 4(B).

[0045] In the sensitivity determination process S33, the processor 23 refers to the calculated difference and the sensitivity profile, and determines the operation sensitivity as a response variable by introducing the difference into the sensitivity profile as an explanatory variable. As an example, in Figures 4(A) and (B), the processor 23 determines the operation sensitivity to be the sensitivity corresponding to point A.

[0046] (Screen scroll amount calculation process S34) The screen scroll amount calculation process S34 is a process in which the processor 23 calculates a screen scroll amount and a screen scroll direction by referring to the operation amount and operation direction of the activation operation (scroll operation) notified in the activation operation waiting process S31 and the sensitivity determined in the sensitivity determination process S33. In this embodiment, the screen scroll amount and the screen scroll direction respectively refer to the scroll amount and scroll direction while the screen is being scrolled in the display area update process S35 described later. The screen scroll amount calculation process S34 will be described with reference to FIG. 5. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating the screen scroll amount calculation process S34 executed by the operation terminal 20 shown in FIG. 1, in which FIG. 5(A) shows the direction of the input scroll operation and the direction of the screen scroll linked to the operation, FIG. 5(B) shows the screen scroll amount calculated based on the scroll operation, and FIG. 5(C) shows the relationship between the accumulated operation amount and the focus.

[0047] The processor 23 determines the screen scroll direction as the opposite direction to the operation direction of the scroll operation. The processor 23 also calculates the screen scroll amount by multiplying the determined operation sensitivity by the operation amount and operation direction of the scroll operation. As an example, a case will be described in which the touch position HB slides in the direction from the marker M1 toward the pointer G1, i.e., a scroll operation is input, as shown in FIG. 5(A). In this case, the processor 23 determines the screen scroll direction as the opposite direction to the operation direction of the scroll operation, i.e., the direction from the pointer G1 toward the marker M1, in other words, the direction in which the difference approaches 0. The processor 23 integrates, along the sensitivity profile, an amount corresponding to the operation amount of the scroll operation from the determined operation sensitivity (point A) as a starting point in the screen scrolling direction (the direction in which the difference approaches 0), and calculates the integral amount as the screen scroll amount, as shown in FIG. 5(B).

[0048] As will be understood from the explanation below, the amount of screen scrolling is proportional to the amount of change in focus. Therefore, the relationship between the cumulative amount of scrolling operation and the focus (easing curve) realized from the sensitivity profile shown in FIG. 4(B) has four stages: two linear stages, an ease-out stage, and an ease-in stage, as shown in FIG. 5(C). The behavior in each stage when a scrolling operation is continuously input at a constant speed is described below. In the two linear stages, the speed of focus change is also constant, and the focus moves to follow the operation. In the ease-out stage, the speed of focus change gradually decelerates, and therefore, the speed of change is minimized near the memorized state. In the ease-in stage, the speed of focus change gradually accelerates, and therefore, the focus smoothly moves away from the memorized state.

[0049] (Display area update process S35) In the display area update process S35, the processor 23 updates the graphics displayed in the display area R1 by referring to the screen scroll amount and screen scroll direction calculated in the screen scroll amount calculation process S34. The processor 23 updates the graphics so that the portion of the virtual screen V1 displayed in the display area R1 scrolls in the calculated screen scroll direction by the calculated screen scroll amount. As a result, the display area R1 of the touch display 21 displays an image that scrolls in conjunction with the scroll operation amount and scroll operation direction of the scroll operation input to the touch display 21. Displaying the synchronized image allows the user to operate the lens system 100 more intuitively and easily, further improving the operability of the lens system 100 for the user.

[0050] (Enlargement ratio determination process S36) In the enlargement factor determination process S36, the processor 23 determines the enlargement factor by referring to the operation sensitivity determined in the sensitivity determination process S33. The enlargement factor determination process S36 is performed simultaneously with the display area update process S35, and the determined enlargement factor refers to the enlargement factor of the image displayed in the display area R1. The determination of the enlargement factor will be described with reference to Fig. 6. Fig. 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating the enlargement factor determination process S36 executed by the operation terminal 20 shown in Fig. 1, where Fig. 6(A) shows the display by the operation terminal 20 and Fig. 6(B) shows the correspondence between the operation sensitivity and the enlargement factor.

[0051] 6(A), in the enlargement magnification determination process S36, when the difference between the stored state and the current state is less than the threshold, i.e., when the pointer G1 is within the variable region VR, the processor 23 displays an enlarged region SR in a part of the display region R1. The enlarged region SR is an area that displays an enlarged version of the virtual screen V1, superimposed on the front side of the virtual screen V1. The position of the enlarged region SR in the display region R1 is arbitrary, and the enlarged region SR may or may not include the coordinates of the pointer G1.

[0052] FIG. 6B shows the correspondence relationship between the magnification factor and the operation sensitivity when the enlarged area SR displays the virtual screen V1. This correspondence relationship is pre-stored in the memory 22 of the operation terminal 20. Hereinafter, the correspondence relationship between the magnification factor and the operation sensitivity may be referred to as a "magnification profile." The magnification factor increases as the operation sensitivity decreases, or remains constant. If the magnification factor remains constant regardless of the operation sensitivity, the ratio of the screen scroll amount to the scroll operation amount also changes when the operation sensitivity changes depending on the difference between the stored state and the current state. As a result, the image scrolling in conjunction with the scroll operation amount and scroll operation direction may not be able to follow the scroll operation, which may impair the intuitive operation feel. However, by further enlarging the image when the operation sensitivity decreases, the scrolling image can maintain its followability to the operation, thereby maintaining the intuitive operation feel.

[0053] In this embodiment, the magnification is inversely proportional to the operation sensitivity, and therefore the product of the magnification and the operation sensitivity is constant. Here, the apparent screen scrolling amount within the enlarged area SR is proportional to the product of the magnification and the screen scrolling amount, i.e., the product of the magnification, the operation sensitivity, and the scrolling operation amount. Therefore, in this embodiment, where the product of the magnification and the operation sensitivity is constant, the apparent screen scrolling amount within the enlarged area SR is always proportional to the scrolling operation, and an intuitive operating feel is more appropriately maintained.

[0054] In the present invention, the magnification profile is not limited to that shown in Fig. 6(B), and can be set arbitrarily within a range in which the magnification increases as the operation sensitivity decreases or remains constant. For example, the magnification may take two values, and be constant at a lower value in a range in which the difference is equal to or greater than a threshold, and constant at a higher value in a range in which the difference is less than the threshold.

[0055] In the enlargement magnification determination process S36, the processor 23 determines the enlargement magnification as a response variable by referring to the determined operation sensitivity and magnification profile and introducing the operation sensitivity as an explanatory variable into the magnification profile. As an example, as shown in FIG. 6, when the operation sensitivity is the sensitivity corresponding to point A, the processor 23 determines the enlargement magnification to be the magnification corresponding to point B.

[0056] (Command transmission process S37) The command transmission process S37 is a process in which the processor 23 transmits a command signal to the processor 11 of the lens 10. The processor 23 calculates the coordinates of the pointer G1 on the coordinate axes extending in the vertical direction of the virtual screen V1 for the display region R1 updated by the display region update process S35. The processor 23 transmits information representing the coordinates of the pointer G1 as a command signal to the processor 11 of the lens 10 via the communication interface 12 of the lens 10 and the communication interface 24 of the operation terminal 20.

[0057] When the processor 23 transmits the command signal to the processor 11, the processor 23 returns the control process S30 to the operation standby process S31.

[0058] (Lens 10 control process S10) The control process S10 of the lens 10 will be described with reference to Fig. 7. Fig. 7 is a flowchart showing the flow of the control process S10 executed by the processor 11 of the lens 10 shown in Fig. 1. The control process S10 is a process for controlling the focus of the lens optical system 30 in conjunction with the control process S30 of the operation terminal 20. As shown in Fig. 7, the control process S10 includes a command waiting process S11, a focus calculation process S12, and a focus group driving process S13. In this embodiment, these processes are executed mainly by the processor 11 of the lens 10.

[0059] (Instruction waiting process S11) The command waiting process S11 is a process in which the processor 11 waits for a command signal transmitted from the processor 23 of the operation terminal 20 in the command transmission process S37. The processor 11 of the lens 10 loops the command waiting process S11 while it has not received a command signal ("NO"). When the processor 11 receives a command signal ("YES"), it starts the subsequent focus calculation process S12.

[0060] (Focus calculation process S12) In the focus calculation process S12, the processor 11 refers to the coordinate of the pointer G1 in information representing the coordinate of the pointer G1 on coordinate axes extending in the vertical direction of the virtual screen V1 as a command signal received in the command wait process S11, and calculates the focus as a target to move the focus group 31 in the subsequent focus group drive process S13. In this embodiment, the correspondence between the coordinate of the pointer G1 and the focus is determined by a conversion formula defined in the control process program P10 stored in the memory of the lens 10. The processor 11 calculates the focus from the coordinate of the pointer G1 based on the conversion formula defined in the control process program P10. In this embodiment, the correspondence between the coordinate of the pointer G1 and the focus is linear, and therefore the amount of change in focus is directly proportional to the amount of screen scrolling.

[0061] (Focus group drive process S13) In the focus group drive process S13, the processor 11 drives the focus group 31 by referring to the focus determined in the focus calculation process S12. The processor 11 sends a command signal to a motor associated with a single lens included in the focus group 31 to drive the motor, thereby driving the single lens. As a result, the focus calculated in the focus calculation process S12 is realized in the focus group 31.

[0062] When the driving of the single lens is completed, the processor 11 returns the control process S10 to the command waiting process S11.

[0063] (Control process S20 of operation terminal 20) The control process S20 of the operation terminal 20 will be described with reference to Fig. 8. Fig. 8 is a flowchart showing the flow of the process S20 executed by the processor 23 of the operation terminal 20 shown in Fig. 1 for storing a storage state in the memory 22. The control process S20 is a process for storing the focus as a storage state in the memory 22 in accordance with an operation input to the touch display 21. As shown in Fig. 8, the control process S20 includes a storage operation standby process S21 and a storage process S22. In this embodiment, these processes are executed mainly by the processor 23 of the operation terminal 20.

[0064] (Storage operation standby process S21) The storage operation waiting process S21 is a process in which the processor 23 waits for an operation (storage operation) by the user on the touch display 21 to store the storage state in the memory 22. While the touch sensor of the touch display 21 has not detected a storage operation by the user ("NO"), the processor 23 loops the storage operation waiting process S21. When the touch sensor of the touch display 21 accepts a storage operation ("YES"), the touch sensor transmits a signal notifying the processor 23 of the detection of the storage operation, and upon receiving the signal, the processor 23 starts the subsequent storage process S22. In this embodiment, a tap operation on a predetermined graphic user interface (GUI) displayed on the touch display 21 is adopted as the storage operation.

[0065] In this embodiment, the processor 23 executes the storing operation waiting process S21 simultaneously with the above-described activation operation waiting process S31. Therefore, the processor 23 executes the storing process S22 when it receives a signal notifying that a storing operation (a tap operation on a predetermined GUI) has been detected, and executes the difference calculation process S32 when it receives a signal notifying that an activation operation (a scroll operation) has been detected.

[0066] (Amnestic S22) The storage process S22 is a process in which the processor 23 stores the focus as a storage state in the memory 22. This process allows the state desired by the user to be set as the storage state and can be referenced in the control process S30. The focus to be stored as the storage state is determined by any method. For example, the focus to be stored may be the focus when the touch sensor of the touch display 21 detects the storage operation, or may be determined by the processor 23 according to the content of the detected storage operation, such as the type of GUI that was tapped.

[0067] The storage process S22 may be a process in which the processor 23 stores at least one of the difference between the stored state and the current state and the correspondence between the operation sensitivity, i.e., the sensitivity profile, and the threshold value, in the memory 22. This process allows the user to set a desired sensitivity profile and threshold value, which can be referenced in the control process S30. Which of the sensitivity profile and threshold value is stored may be determined in any manner, and may be determined by the processor 23 according to the content of the detected storage operation, for example.

[0068] The storage process S22 may be a process in which the processor 23 stores the correspondence between the magnification and the operation sensitivity, i.e., the magnification profile, in the memory 22. This process allows the magnification profile desired by the user to be set and can be referenced in the control process S30.

[0069] The storage process S22 may combine the above-mentioned (1) process by which the processor 23 stores the focus as a storage state in the memory 22, and (2) process by which the processor 23 stores at least one of the sensitivity profile and the threshold value in the memory 22. In this case, which of the process (1) and the process (2) is to be executed may be determined in any manner, and may be determined by the processor 23 according to the content of the detected storage operation, for example. The storage state, sensitivity profile, and threshold value stored in the memory 22 in the storage process S22 are referenced in the control process S30 of the operating terminal 20 for controlling the focus.

[0070] When the processor 23 stores the predetermined information in the memory 22 in the storage process S22, the processor 23 returns the control process S20 to the storage operation standby process S21.

[0071] (Additional Control Processing of Lens System 100) In this embodiment, the control process S100 of the lens system 100 further includes a restoration process S40. The restoration process S40 is executed by the processor 11 and the processor 23 in response to an operation input to the touch display 21 as a process independent of the above-described control processes S10, S20, and S30.

[0072] In the restoration process S40, the processor 23 of the operation terminal 20 refers to the stored information and updates the graphics displayed in the display area R1, and in conjunction with the update, the processor 11 of the lens 10 controls the lens optical system 30 so that the focus matches the stored state. The restoration process S40 will be described with reference to Fig. 9. Fig. 9 is a schematic diagram illustrating the restoration process S40 executed by the processor 23 of the operation terminal 20 and the processor 11 of the lens 10 shown in Fig. 1, where Fig. 9(A) shows the change in the display by the operation terminal 20 in the restoration process S40, and Fig. 9(B) shows the correspondence between the difference and the rate of change in the restoration process S40.

[0073] When the touch sensor receives a predetermined operation (restoration operation) by the user on the touch display 21 and the processor 23 of the operation terminal 20 receives a signal notifying the detection from the touch sensor, the processor 23 starts the restoration process S40. In this embodiment, the restoration operation is a tap operation on a predetermined graphic user interface (GUI) displayed on the touch display 21. As shown in FIG. 9A, the processor 23 scrolls the portion of the virtual screen V1 displayed in the display region R1 and updates the graphic so that the pointer G1 representing the current information coincides with the marker M1 representing the stored information. During the scrolling, the processor 23 transmits information representing the coordinate of the pointer G1 on the coordinate axes extending in the vertical direction of the virtual screen V1 to the processor 11 of the lens 10 as a command signal. Upon receiving the command signal, the processor 11 controls the focus of the lens optical system 30 in the same manner as the focus calculation process S12 and the focus group drive process S13 described above. As a result of these processes, the focus changes to match the stored state.

[0074] The speed of change of focus is proportional to the speed (scroll speed) at which the processor 23 scrolls the portion displayed in the display region R1. Furthermore, the speed of change of focus changes according to the difference between the stored state and the current state during scrolling, as shown in FIG. 9(B). In this embodiment, the speed of change is constant when the difference is equal to or greater than a threshold, and is slower when the difference is less than the threshold compared to when the difference is equal to or greater than the threshold. When the difference is less than the threshold, the smaller the difference, the slower the speed of change.

[0075] According to the restoration process S40, the focus matches the stored state regardless of the amount of operation. Therefore, it is possible to achieve the user's desired focus even in shooting conditions where it is difficult to keep looking at the touch display 21, such as when taking a selfie. Furthermore, the speed of the focus change until the focus matches the stored state changes depending on the difference between the stored state and the current state during scrolling, making it possible to control the focus smoothly.

[0076] [Modification of the first embodiment] A modification of the first embodiment will be described below. (Operation terminal, operation member, and input operation) In the present invention, the operation terminal 20 is not limited to a smartphone, and any operation terminal capable of transmitting command signals to the processor 11 of the lens optical system 30 can be used. Examples of the operation terminal 20 include devices having operation members other than the touch display 21, such as a mouse, keyboard, ring, switch, and pad. Such devices may be formed to be detachable or non-detachable from the lens 10. As an example, the operation member may be a ring or switch provided on the lens 10. When a device having an operation member other than the touch display 21 is used as the operation terminal 20, any operation that can be input to the device may be used instead of the above-mentioned scrolling operation. For example, a drag operation or wheel operation using a mouse, a key operation using a keyboard, a rotation operation using a ring, a switch press operation, or a stick operation using a pad may be used.

[0077] Examples of the operation terminal 20 include devices with a touch display 21, such as a touch panel on the back of a camera to which the lens 10 can be attached, a tablet PC (Personal Computer), a gimbal with a touch display, a laptop with a touch display, a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant), a smart watch, and touch panel digital signage. When a device with a touch display 21 is used as the operation terminal 20, the actuation operation may be a scrolling operation as described above, or other touch operations.

[0078] Furthermore, with regard to the activation operation, what the processor 23 refers to in the screen scroll amount calculation process S34 is not limited to the amount of operation. The processor 23 may refer to the operation speed instead of or in addition to the amount of operation. As an example, the processor 23 may execute the screen scroll amount calculation process S34 so that, for example, the faster the operation speed, the greater the amount of screen scrolling, and the slower the operation speed, the smaller the amount of screen scrolling. Furthermore, when a device having a touch display 21 is used as the operation terminal 20, a configuration may be adopted in which a flick operation is used as the activation operation and the operation speed (flick speed) of the flick operation is referred to instead of the amount of operation. In this case, after the finger is released from the touch display 21 during the flick operation, the processor 23 refers to the flick speed and scrolls the screen more rapidly as the operation speed is faster, while decelerating the scrolling speed by inertia. The processor 23 further controls the scrolling speed so that the scrolling speed becomes slower as the difference between the stored state and the current state becomes smaller. The processor 11 controls the focus in conjunction with such screen scrolling.

[0079] In the lens system 100, the operating member may be provided on the lens 10 including the lens optical system 30. In this case, the processor 11 of the lens 10 may also function as the processor 23 of the operation terminal 20, and the memory of the lens 10 may also function as the memory 22 of the operation terminal 20. In this case, the processor 11 of the lens 10 may continuously perform the same processing as the control processing S30 and the same processing as the control processing S10, except that the command transmission processing S37 and the command waiting processing S11 are not performed.

[0080] The lens system 100 may include two or more operating members. When two or more operating members are included, each of the two or more operating members may be assigned an operation for activating the control process S30 or an operation for storing the control process S20. Examples of two or more operating members include a switch and a ring on the lens 10. In such a case, a storage operation may be assigned to the switch operation, and an operating operation may be assigned to the ring operation. When operating the ring on the lens 10, smoothly slowing down the operating speed manually generally requires skill, and a blur of approximately 1 mm can affect the quality of the captured image. However, in the present invention, the sensitivity of the operation to differences within a specific range is smaller than differences in other ranges, thereby mitigating the impact of blurring during manual operation. Furthermore, the two or more operating members may be provided on separate terminals, i.e., the lens 10 and the operating terminal 20, with one or more operating members provided on each.

[0081] The lens system 100 does not need to have a display member. As can be easily understood from the above description of the control process S30, in order for the lens system 100 to control the lens optical system so that the operation sensitivity changes in accordance with the difference between the stored state and the current state, it is sufficient for the lens system 100 to refer to the stored state, the current state, and the sensitivity profile. Therefore, it is not essential for the lens system 100 to refer to information displayed on a display member, such as the pointer G1.

[0082] Furthermore, in the lens system 100, one terminal may function as both the operation terminal 20 and the lens 10. As an example, in one lens, the lens optical system included in the lens may function as the lens optical system 30, and the focus ring and switch included in the lens may function as operation members included in the operation terminal 20. As another example, in one smartphone, the lens of the camera included in the smartphone may function as the lens optical system 30, and the touch display included in the smartphone may function as an operation member.

[0083] (Lens and control object) The lens 10 may be configured so that at least one of any optical elements is controlled. Examples of optical elements include a focus group, a zoom group, an aperture, and a variable ND filter. In the present invention, the lens 10 may be detachably attached to a camera, or may be integrally attached to a camera and not detachable from the camera. Examples of the lens 10 detachably attached to a camera include a zoom lens and a fixed focal length lens. Examples of cameras in which the lens 10 is integrally attached to the camera include cameras built into smartphones or tablet PCs, compact digital cameras, video cameras, surveillance cameras, far-infrared cameras, and microscope cameras.

[0084] The state of the lens optical system 30 to be controlled is not limited to focus, and any optical element related to the lens optical system 30, such as zoom, aperture, or a variable ND filter, may be controlled. The state to be controlled may also be an element that can be controlled without driving a component physically present in the lens optical system 30, such as digital zoom. Which of the states of the lens optical system 30 is to be controlled is determined by the processor 23 of the operation terminal 20, depending on the mode selected in advance by the user and input to the operation terminal 20.

[0085] (Memory information) In this embodiment, the number of stored information pieces is one, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the number of stored information pieces may be two or more. If the number of stored information pieces is two or more, in the difference calculation process S32, the processor 23 selects the stored information piece with the highest priority in the order of priority determined based on a predetermined algorithm, and applies this to calculating the difference from the current information. The predetermined algorithm may be any one, and as an example, an algorithm may be adopted in which the smaller the difference between each piece of stored information and the current information, the higher the priority.

[0086] (Sensitivity profile) In this embodiment, the sensitivity profile is as shown in Figure 4(B), but the present invention is not limited to this and any sensitivity profile can be adopted. The threshold value may be set asymmetrically before and after the storage state (on the MOD side and the INF side). Also, there may be an area in the sensitivity profile where the operation sensitivity is 0.

[0087] An example of a sensitivity profile will be described with reference to FIG. 10. FIG. 10 shows a modified example of the correspondence relationship between the difference and operation sensitivity shown in FIG. 4(B). In the example shown in FIG. 10, the sensitivity profile is asymmetric with respect to the operation sensitivity axis, with the first threshold on the positive side of difference 0 being greater than the second threshold on the negative side. Furthermore, there is a two-stage transition in the region from difference 0 to the second threshold, with operation sensitivity near difference 0 being extremely low. When such a sensitivity profile is adopted, if a scroll operation is continuously input at a constant speed from the positive side of difference 0 to the negative side, even if the desired focus is exceeded, the desired focus is exceeded at an extremely slow speed because the operation sensitivity is extremely low. Therefore, excessive focus changes are suitably mitigated.

[0088] Furthermore, in controlling the state of the lens optical system 30, the processor 23 may select one sensitivity profile from two or more sensitivity profiles and execute the control process S30. In this case, it is sufficient that at least one of the two or more sensitivity profiles has an operation sensitivity that changes depending on the difference between the stored state and the current state, and the operation sensitivity of the remaining sensitivity profiles may be constant regardless of the difference. The selection of a sensitivity profile may be executed by the processor 23 in response to an operation by the user.

[0089] Processor 23 may select a sensitivity profile depending on the operation direction of the scroll operation. For example, when the sensitivity profile (first profile) shown in Fig. 10 and a sensitivity profile (second profile) obtained by inverting the first profile about the operation sensitivity axis are stored in memory 22, processor 23 may select the first profile when the operation direction is from the positive side of the difference to the negative side, and may select the second profile when the operation direction is the opposite direction. According to this modification, regardless of whether the stored state is exceeded from the positive side or the negative side of the difference of 0, the operation sensitivity immediately after exceeding it is extremely low, and therefore excessive focus change is suitably reduced.

[0090] In this embodiment, the threshold is set using the object distance (meters) between the near end (MOD) and the infinity end (INF) of the focus as a unit, but the present invention is not limited to this and any unit may be used to set the threshold. As an example, the depth of field may be used as a unit. As a specific example in this case, the processor 23 may calculate the front and rear depth of field based on the current state regarding the F-number, focal length, or permissible circle of confusion, etc., and the difference between the current state and the stored state regarding the object distance, and set the threshold so that the difference from the current state to the threshold is a predetermined difference in depth of field.

[0091] [Additional Notes] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims. Embodiments obtained by appropriately combining the technical means disclosed in different embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present invention.

[0092] 〔summary〕 As can be understood from the above description, the present invention includes the following aspects.

[0093] Aspect 1: A lens system (100) comprising a lens optical system (30), at least one operating member (21) that receives at least an actuation operation that is an operation for changing the state of the lens optical system, at least one memory (22), and at least one processor (11, 23), wherein the at least one processor controls the lens optical system so that an actuation sensitivity, which is the ratio of the amount of change in the state of the lens optical system to the amount of the actuation operation input to the at least one operating member, changes depending on the difference between a stored state that is a state of the lens optical system that is pre-stored in the at least one memory, and a current state that is a state of the lens optical system that is the current state.

[0094] Aspect 2: The lens system of aspect 1, characterized in that the at least one processor controls the lens optical system so that the operation sensitivity is lower when the difference between the memory state and the current state is less than a threshold pre-stored in the at least one memory compared to when the difference is greater than or equal to the threshold.

[0095] Aspect 3: The lens system of aspect 2, characterized in that the at least one operating member further accepts a storage operation which is an operation for storing the difference between the memory state and the current state, the correspondence between the operating sensitivity, and at least one of the threshold values ​​in the at least one memory, and the at least one processor stores the difference between the memory state and the current state, the correspondence between the operating sensitivity, and at least one of the threshold values ​​in the at least one memory in accordance with the storage operation input to the at least one operating member.

[0096] Aspect 4: The lens system of aspect 2, characterized in that it includes at least one display element (21) that displays at least one of the memory state and the threshold value, as well as the current state, and the at least one display element accepts a scroll operation as the actuation operation for changing the state of the lens optical system.

[0097] Aspect 5: A lens system according to any one of aspects 1 to 4, characterized in that it includes at least one display element (21) that displays an image that scrolls in conjunction with the amount and direction of operation input to the at least one operating element, and the at least one processor controls the magnification of the image so that it increases as the operating sensitivity decreases or remains constant.

[0098] Aspect 6: A lens system according to any one of aspects 1 to 5, characterized in that the at least one operating member further accepts a restoration operation, which is an operation for matching the state of the lens optical system with the memory state, and the at least one processor controls the lens optical system so that, in accordance with the restoration operation input to the at least one operating member, the state of the lens optical system changes so that the state of the lens optical system matches the memory state, and the rate of change of the state of the lens optical system changes in accordance with the difference between the memory state and the current state.

[0099] Aspect 7: A lens system according to any one of aspects 1 to 6, characterized in that the at least one operating member further accepts a storage operation which is an operation for storing the storage state in the at least one memory, and the at least one processor stores the state of the lens optical system as the storage state in the at least one memory in accordance with the storage operation input to the at least one operating member.

[0100] Aspect 8: A program for controlling a lens system (100) including a lens optical system (30), at least one operating member (21) that receives at least an actuation operation that is an operation for changing the state of the lens optical system, at least one memory (22), and at least one processor (11, 23), characterized in that the program causes the at least one processor to execute a process for controlling the lens optical system so that an actuation sensitivity, which is the ratio of the amount of change in the state of the lens optical system to the amount of the actuation operation input to the at least one operating member, changes depending on the difference between a stored state, which is the state of the lens optical system that is pre-stored in the at least one memory, and a current state, which is the state of the lens optical system that is the current state. [Explanation of symbols]

[0101] 10 Lenses 11,23 processor 12,24 Communication Interface 20 Operation terminal 21 Touch Display 22 Memory 30 Lens Optical System 31 Focus Group 100 Lens System

Claims

1. A lens optical system, at least one operating member that receives at least an actuation operation that is an operation for changing the state of the lens optical system; at least one memory; at least one processor; the at least one processor controls the lens optical system so that an operation sensitivity, which is a ratio of an amount of change in the state of the lens optical system to an amount of the actuation operation input to the at least one operating member, changes according to a difference between a stored state, which is a state of the lens optical system that is stored in advance in the at least one memory, and a current state, which is a state of the lens optical system that is a current state. A lens system characterized by:

2. the at least one processor controls the lens optical system such that, when the difference between the stored state and the current state is less than a threshold pre-stored in the at least one memory, the operation sensitivity is lower than when the difference is equal to or greater than the threshold.

2. The lens system of claim 1.

3. the at least one operating member further receives a storage operation, which is an operation for storing the difference between the stored state and the current state, the correspondence relationship between the operation sensitivity, and at least one of the thresholds in the at least one memory; the at least one processor stores, in the at least one memory, at least one of the difference between the stored state and the current state, the correspondence between the operation sensitivity, and the threshold value in response to the storing operation input to the at least one operating member; 3. The lens system of claim 2.

4. at least one display member for displaying at least one of the stored state and the threshold value, and the current state; the at least one display member accepts a scroll operation as the actuation operation for changing the state of the lens optical system; 3. The lens system of claim 2.

5. and at least one display member that displays an image that scrolls in conjunction with the amount and direction of operation input to the at least one operation member, the at least one processor controls the magnification of the image so that the magnification becomes higher as the operation sensitivity becomes lower or is constant; 5. The lens system according to claim 1, wherein the first lens is a lens element.

6. the at least one operation member further receives a restoration operation which is an operation for causing the state of the lens optical system to match the stored state; The at least one processor, in response to the restoration operation input to the at least one operation member, The state of the lens optical system is changed so that the state of the lens optical system coincides with the stored state, and the rate of change of the state of the lens optical system is changed according to the difference between the stored state and the current state. The lens optical system is controlled so that 5. The lens system according to claim 1, wherein the first lens is a lens element.

7. the at least one operating member further receives a storage operation which is an operation for storing the storage state in the at least one memory; the at least one processor stores the state of the lens optical system as the storage state in the at least one memory in response to the storage operation input to the at least one operation member; 5. The lens system according to claim 1, wherein the first lens is a lens element.

8. A program for controlling a lens system including a lens optical system, at least one operating member that receives at least an actuation operation that is an operation for changing a state of the lens optical system, at least one memory, and at least one processor, causing the at least one processor to execute a process of controlling the lens optical system so that an operation sensitivity, which is a ratio of an amount of change in the state of the lens optical system to an amount of the actuation operation input to the at least one operating member, changes in accordance with a difference between a stored state, which is a state of the lens optical system that is stored in advance in the at least one memory, and a current state, which is a state of the lens optical system that is the current state. A program characterized by:

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