JP2001208961A - camera - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Problem] To perform focus adjustment by effectively utilizing a plurality of focus detection areas set in a shooting screen even in a shooting mode in which a part of a shot image is cut out to generate a recorded image. When a part of a captured image is cut out to generate an image to be recorded on a recording medium, a focus detection area is set for a plurality of focus detection areas set in a shooting screen in accordance with a cut-out range of the captured image. Is changed, and the focus of the photographing lens is adjusted based on the focus detection result in the changed focus detection area. This makes it possible to obtain an image in which the subject intended by the photographer or the main subject within the cutout range is in focus.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a camera which performs focus detection in a plurality of focus detection areas in a photographing screen.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art There is known a camera provided with a focus detecting device for setting a plurality of focus detecting areas in a photographing screen and detecting a focus adjustment state of a photographing lens in each focus detecting area.

[0003] Further, an electronic zoom photographing mode for cutting out and enlarging a central portion of a captured image to generate a pseudo zoom-up image similar to a zoom-up image by a zoom lens,
Equipped with a pseudo-wide panorama mode and a pseudo-wide panorama mode, in which the upper and lower parts of the captured image are deleted to enlarge the central wide area, and a pseudo-wide image similar to a wide image or panorama image with a wide-angle lens, a pseudo-panorama image is generated. Cameras are known.

[0004]

However, in an electronic still camera that performs focus detection in a plurality of focus detection areas within a shooting screen, an electronic zoom shooting, a pseudo wide / pseudo panorama shooting, or an arbitrary range of a captured image is cut out. When the photographing is performed to enlarge the image, the focus detection area may be out of the cutout range. In particular, when the cutout range is narrow, many focus detection areas are out of the cutout range. For this reason, if the photographer inadvertently selects a focus detection area that deviates from the cutout range, there is a problem that an image in which the intended subject within the cutout range is in focus cannot be obtained.

An object of the present invention is to perform focus adjustment by effectively utilizing a plurality of focus detection areas set in a shooting screen even in a shooting mode in which a part of a shot image is cut out to generate a recorded image. It is in.

[0006]

The present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 6 showing the configuration of an embodiment. (1) The present invention provides a camera for recording an image captured by an image sensor on a recording medium 35. Applied to According to the first aspect of the present invention, a plurality of focus detection areas are set in a shooting screen, a focus detection unit 37 for detecting a focus adjustment state of the shooting lens 11 in each focus detection area, and a part of a captured image is cut out. Clipping means 44 and 32 for generating an image to be recorded on the recording medium 35, an area changing means 44 for changing the focus detection area according to the cut-out range of the captured image, and a focus detection result in the changed focus detection area. Focus adjusting means 44, 41, 4 for adjusting the focus of the taking lens 11 based on the
2 to achieve the above object. (2) In the camera according to the second aspect, the focus changing area that can be selected is limited by the area changing means 44 according to the cut-out range of the captured image. (3) In the camera according to claim 3, the position of the focus detection area is changed by the area changing means 44 according to the cutout range of the captured image. (4) In the camera according to the fourth aspect, the size of the focus detection area is changed by the area changing means 44 according to the cutout range of the captured image. (5) The camera according to claim 5, wherein the image cutout means 44,
By 32, the central part of the captured image is cut out and enlarged,
An electronic zoom image is generated. (6) The camera according to claim 6, wherein the image cutting means 44,
With reference to 32, the upper and lower portions of the captured image are deleted and the wide portion at the center is cut out to generate a pseudo wide image or a pseudo panoramic image. (7) In the camera according to the seventh aspect, when a manual area selection focus adjustment mode in which an arbitrary focus detection area is selected from a plurality of focus detection areas to perform focus adjustment is set, selection outside the cutout range is performed. A warning is issued when an impossible focus detection area is selected. (8) The invention according to claim 8 has a plurality of focus detection areas in a shooting screen, focus detection means for detecting a focus adjustment state of a shooting lens in each focus detection area, and a part of the shooting screen. Image clipping means for clipping a range and recording it on a recording medium, area changing means for changing a focus detection area according to the clipping range, and adjusting the focus of the photographing lens based on the focus detection result in the changed focus detection area. Focus adjusting means, thereby achieving the above object.

In the section of the means for solving the above-described problem, a diagram of one embodiment is used for easy understanding of the description, but the present invention is not limited to this embodiment. .

[0008]

1 to 3 show the appearance of an electronic still camera according to an embodiment. FIG. 1 is a rear view of a portable or stored state, FIG. 2 is a rear view of a photographing state, and FIG. It is a front view of a state. The electronic still camera 1 according to one embodiment is divided into a camera body 1a and a lens unit 1b,
As shown in FIG. 3, a lens unit 1b is connected to the camera body 1a so as to be rotatable by about 90 degrees. At the time of photographing, as shown in FIGS.
Take a picture with the camera turned in degrees.

In FIG. 1, a monitor 2, a zoom down (W) button 3, a zoom up (T) button 4, a menu button 5, a monitor button 6, an area selector 7 and the like are provided on the back of the camera 1.

The monitor 2 is a liquid crystal display for displaying a photographed image. Photographing can be performed while viewing the subject image displayed on the monitor 2, and the monitor 2 functions as a finder. The zoom down (W) button 3 is an operation member for changing the magnification of the zoom lens 11 to the wide side, and the zoom up (T) button 4 is an operation member for changing the magnification of the zoom lens 11 to the tele side. The zoom buttons 3 and 4 are used not only for zooming the zoom lens 11 but also for moving a cursor (△, ▽) on a menu screen displayed on the monitor 2 and switching between various modes.

A menu button 5 is an operation member for displaying a menu screen on the monitor 2, and is provided in a manual shooting mode M-R.
When menu button 5 is operated during EC setting, monitor 2
Focus adjustment mode, metering method, electronic zoom shooting mode,
In addition to the normal shooting mode menu such as pseudo wide shooting mode and pseudo panorama shooting mode, image processing mode menu such as sensitivity change, gradation correction, edge emphasis, white balance adjustment, movie, multi continuous shooting, fixed exposure, BS
A special continuous shooting mode menu such as S is displayed, and the cursor can be moved by the zoom buttons 3 and 4 to select one of them. When the menu button 5 is operated when the playback mode PLAY is set, a playback menu such as a thumbnail, a recorded image deletion, and a slide show is displayed on the monitor 2, and the cursor can be moved by the zoom buttons 3 and 4 to select one of them. it can.

The monitor button 6 is used to turn on the LCD monitor 2 with all information indicating the subject image and all shooting information such as the number of shot frames and the exposure value, and to display the subject image and minimum shooting information. An operation member for switching between lighting with information and turning off. The area selector 7 is an operation member for the photographer to manually select an arbitrary area from a plurality of focus detection areas set in the shooting screen.

An LCD 8 is provided on the upper surface of the camera body 1.
A release button 9, a select lever 10, and the like are provided. The LCD 8 is a display panel that displays information necessary for shooting, such as a continuous shooting mode, an image quality mode, a remaining battery level, and the number of shots. Select lever 10 is in automatic shooting mode A-R
This is an operation member for switching between EC, manual shooting mode M-REC, and playback mode PLAY. When the camera is set from the OFF position to the A-REC or M-REC position, the power is turned on to the camera 1 and the automatic or manual shooting mode is set. Operation starts and turns off
When the position is set to the PLAY position from the position, the power is turned on to the camera 1 and the operation in the reproduction mode is started.

As shown in FIG. 3, a zoom lens 11, a flash emission window 12, a finder window 13 and the like are provided in front of the lens portion 1b. In this embodiment, an electronic still camera with a zoom lens will be described as an example, but the present invention can of course be applied to an electronic still camera with a single focus lens.

Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the lens portion 1b
A finder eyepiece window 14 and an eyepiece detection sensor 15 are provided on the back of the camera. The electronic still camera 1 includes an optical viewfinder (not shown), and can perform photographing while looking through the viewfinder eyepiece window 14. The eyepiece detection sensor 15 allows the photographer to use the viewfinder eyepiece window 1.
This is a sensor for detecting that the eyepiece 4 is in contact with the eye, and a sensor of a hot-wire type or a sound wave type can be used.

As shown in FIG. 3, the camera body 1a
Is provided with a command dial 16 in front of. The command dial 16 is an operation member for setting an exposure value, an exposure correction value, the number of shots, a calendar clock, and the like.

As shown in FIG. 4, the electronic still camera 1 has a total of five focus detection areas 21 to 25 at the center of the photographing screen 20, right and left, and up and down. Then, as shown in FIG. 5, area marks 21a to 25a corresponding to the respective focus detection areas 21 to 25 of the photographing screen 20 are superimposed on the subject image on the monitor screen 2a. Note that the number and arrangement of the focus detection areas are not limited to this embodiment.

The electronic still camera 1 has focus detection areas 21 to 25 in order to reduce cost and installation space.
There is no display device for superimposing and displaying the area mark corresponding to the object image in the optical viewfinder.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the configuration of one embodiment. Note that the same reference numerals are given to the devices described with reference to FIGS. The CCD 31 is an element that captures an image of a subject formed by the zoom lens 11, and outputs an analog signal corresponding to the brightness of the subject image for each pixel. The input circuit 32 performs processing such as changing the imaging sensitivity (gain adjustment) on the analog image signal from the CCD 31 and then performs A / D conversion to change the recording size, tone correction (gamma correction), and edge enhancement. , Image processing such as white balance adjustment, and output as original image data. The compression / decompression circuit 33 compresses the original image data according to the set compression ratio and decompresses the compressed image data to the original original image data.

In this embodiment, a full-size VGA
In addition to the recording size such as the size and XGA size, a shooting mode for generating a recorded image by cutting out a part of a captured image such as an electronic zoom shooting mode, a pseudo wide shooting mode, and a pseudo panorama shooting mode is provided. An image is cut out by the input circuit 32 according to the shooting mode.

In this embodiment, a fine mode (a compression ratio of about 1/4) and a normal mode (a compression ratio of about 1 /
8) and 3 in basic mode (compression ratio about 1/16)
A description will be given by taking various image quality modes as examples. These image quality modes are sequentially switched each time an image quality mode switch (not shown) is operated. Note that the type of image quality mode is not limited to this embodiment.

The buffer memory 34 is a memory for temporarily storing original image data after photographing and compressed image data after compression, and may be an SRAM, VRAM, SDRAM or the like. The memory card 35 is a removable recording medium, and a flash memory or the like can be used. The monitor image generating circuit 36 is a circuit for generating an image to be displayed on the monitor 2, and generates and displays display image data from original image data captured by the CCD 31 when a manual or automatic shooting mode is set, and a memory when a reproduction mode is set. The compressed image data read from the card 35 is decompressed by the compression / decompression circuit 33, and display image data is generated and displayed.

The focus detecting device 37 is a focus detecting device of a contrast detecting method or a phase difference detecting method.
In each of the focus detection areas 21 to 25, the zoom lens 1
One focus adjustment state is detected. The photometry device 38 can set a plurality of photometry areas (not shown) in the photographing screen 20, measure the luminance of each photometry area, and perform multi-photometry, center-weighted photometry, spot photometry, and the like.

The zooming motor 39 is a zoom lens 1
A motor for driving a zoom lens (not shown) to perform zooming, and is driven by a driver 40. A focusing motor 41 is a motor that drives a focusing lens (not shown) of the zoom lens 11 to perform focusing (focus adjustment), and is driven by a driver 42. The buzzer 43 is for warning.

The controller 44 is composed of a microcomputer and its peripheral parts, and performs various calculations and sequence control of the electronic still camera. In addition to the above-described circuits and devices, the controller 44 includes a manual shooting mode (M-REC) switch 10a that turns on or off in conjunction with the select lever 10, and an automatic shooting mode (A-REC).
Switch 10b and playback mode (PLAY) switch 1
0c, a release switch 9a that is turned on or off in conjunction with the release button 9, a menu switch 5a that is turned on or off in conjunction with the menu button 5, and a monitor switch 6 that is turned on or off in conjunction with the monitor button 6.
a, a zoom-down switch 3a that is turned on or off in conjunction with the zoom-down button 3, and a zoom-up switch 4 that is turned on or off in conjunction with the zoom-up button 4
a, a command dial switch 16a that is turned on or off in accordance with the direction and amount of rotation of the command dial 16;
16b, area selector switches 7a to 7d that are turned on or off in conjunction with the operation direction of the area selector 7 are connected.

The electronic still camera 1 has three types of focus adjustment modes, an automatic area selection focus adjustment mode, a manual area selection focus adjustment mode, and an OFF mode (center fixed focus adjustment mode). You can choose. In the automatic shooting mode A-REC, it is fixed to the automatic area selection focus adjustment mode or the OFF mode,
In the manual shooting mode M-REC, any one of the above three types of focus adjustment modes can be selected.

In the automatic area selection focus adjustment mode, for example, of the focus detection results detected in the five focus detection areas 21 to 25 in the photographing screen 20 shown in FIG. The controller 44 automatically selects the area where the focus detection result is obtained, and drives the focusing lens based on the focus detection result of the selected area. The final lens drive amount may be calculated by a predetermined algorithm based on the focus detection results detected in the five focus detection areas 21 to 25 to drive the focusing lens. A number of documents have already been disclosed as to the automatic focus adjustment algorithm based on the focus detection results of the plurality of focus detection areas, and are not directly related to the present invention.

The monitor image generating circuit 36 outputs area marks (21a to 21a) corresponding to the focus detection areas automatically selected.
5a; see FIG. 5) only in red, and is superimposed on the subject image on the monitor 2 and displayed. If a focus detection area for performing focus adjustment cannot be specified, the mode is automatically switched to the OFF mode.

On the other hand, in the manual area selection focus adjustment mode,
The focusing lens is driven based on the focus detection result of the focus detection area selected by the photographer by the area selector 7 from the five focus detection areas 21 to 25. The monitor image generating circuit 36 turns on the area marks (21a to 25a) corresponding to the manually selected focus detection areas in red, and turns on the area marks corresponding to the other non-selected areas in white to monitor them. 2 is superimposed and displayed on the subject image.

Further, in the OFF mode, the focus is detected in the focus detection area 21 at the center of the photographing screen 20, and the focusing lens is driven based on the focus detection result. The monitor image generation circuit 36 controls the focus detection area 2 in the center of the screen.
Only the area mark 21a corresponding to No. 1 is turned on, and is displayed so as to be superimposed on the subject image on the monitor 2.

The electronic still camera 1 has the above-described electronic zoom photographing mode and the pseudo wide photographing mode with an aspect ratio of 3: 2.
To display the shooting menu screen of the monitor 2, and the user can select one of the shooting modes by using the zoom buttons 3 and 4. The electronic zoom shooting mode and the pseudo wide shooting mode can be selected only when the manual shooting mode M-REC is set.

FIG. 7 shows the focal length f of the zoom lens 11 by the optical zoom and the electronic zoom. Zoom lens 11
In the optical zoom that changes the focal length by driving the zoom lens 11, when the zoom lens 11 is driven from the wide end Wo to the telephoto end To, the focal length f of the zoom lens 11 increases. Zoom in further after the optical zoom position reaches the telephoto end To (T)
If the button 4 is continuously operated for a predetermined time, for example, 2 seconds or more,
Pseudo zooming by the electronic zoom is performed, and the focal length f pseudo increases while the optical zoom position is kept constant.

In the photographing in the electronic zoom photographing mode, as shown in FIG.
0a is enlarged according to the electronic zoom magnification,
A pseudo zoom-up image similar to the zoom-up image by the zoom lens is generated.

In the electronic zoom photographing mode, when the electronic zoom magnification is increased, the focus detection areas 22 to 2 around the screen are set.
5 is outside the cut-out range 20a at the center of the screen, so that it is necessary to change the focus detection area in photographing with the electronic zoom. Specifically, it is necessary to limit the selectable focus detection area or change the position of the focus detection area. In the example shown in FIG. 8, the focus detection areas 22 and 23 on the left and right of the screen are out of the cutout range 20a.

In this embodiment, when the electronic zoom photographing mode is set, five focus detection areas 2 in the screen are set.
Focus detection is performed using only the central focus detection area 21 of 1 to 25, and the focus of the zoom lens 11 is adjusted according to the focus detection result. That is, in this embodiment, the selectable focus detection area is limited to only the area 21 at the center of the screen when the electronic zoom shooting mode is set.

On the other hand, in the photographing in the 3: 2 pseudo wide photographing mode, as shown in FIG. 9, a wide range 20b in which the upper and lower portions of the photographing screen 20 are deleted is cut out to generate a pseudo wide image. At this time, focus detection areas 2 at the top and bottom of the screen
Since the images 4 and 25 are out of the cutout range 20b, it is necessary to change the focus detection area in the pseudo wide shooting. Specifically, it is necessary to limit the selectable focus detection areas to only the center and left and right areas 21, 22, 23 of the screen, or to change the positions of the focus detection areas 24, 25 at the top and bottom of the screen.

In this embodiment, when the pseudo wide photographing mode is set, as shown in FIG. 9, the focus detection areas 21, 22, 23 at the center of the screen and at the left and right of the screen are made selectable focus detection areas. .

FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the shooting mode control according to one embodiment. The shooting mode control according to the embodiment will be described with reference to this flowchart. The microcomputer of the controller 44 executes this control program when the select lever 10 is set to the manual shooting mode M-REC.

In step 1, the focus adjustment mode is set to OF
Check if F mode is set. When the OFF mode is set, the focus detection area 2
Since focus detection is performed using only 1 and the focus of the zoom lens 11 is adjusted according to the focus detection result, the use of the focus detection area is restricted even when the electronic zoom shooting mode or the pseudo wide shooting mode is set. Alternatively, there is no need to change the position and size of the focus detection area, and the execution of this control program ends.

When the focus adjustment mode is set to the automatic or manual mode, any one of the focus detection areas is automatically or manually selected from the five focus adjustment areas 21 to 25 in the photographing screen 20. When the electronic zoom shooting mode or the pseudo wide shooting mode is set, the focus detection areas 22 to 25 around the screen may be out of the cutout range, and the focus detection area is changed according to the cutout range. In step 2, it is checked whether the electronic zoom photographing mode is set. If the electronic zoom photographing mode is set, the process proceeds to step 3; otherwise, the process proceeds to step 6.

When the electronic zoom photographing mode is set, the focus adjustment mode is switched to the OFF mode in step 3, and only the central focus detection area 21 of the five focus detection areas 21 to 25 on the screen is displayed. And focus adjustment of the zoom lens 11 is performed according to the focus detection result. That is, when the electronic zoom shooting mode is set, the selectable focus detection area is set to the area 21 in the center of the screen.
Restrict to only.

In the following step 4, when the focus selector mode is changed by the area selector 7 in spite of the fact that the focus adjustment mode is switched to the OFF mode in accordance with the setting of the electronic zoom photographing mode, the step 5 is executed. Then, the buzzer 43 sounds and a warning is issued. At this time, if the monitor 2 is not turned off, as shown in FIG. 11, the monitor image generating circuit 36 displays an area mark 21a at the center of the screen and a mark 26 for inhibiting manual selection of the focus detection area.
Are lit, and are superimposed on the subject image on the monitor 2 and displayed.

On the other hand, when the electronic zoom photographing mode is not set, the process proceeds to step 6, and it is confirmed whether or not the pseudo wide photographing mode is set. If the pseudo wide shooting mode has been set, the process proceeds to step 7, otherwise, the execution of this control program ends.

When the pseudo wide shooting mode is set, the focus detection area is changed in step 7 according to the cutout range 20b. That is, as shown in FIG. 9, the focus detection areas 24 at the top and bottom of the screen that are outside the cutout range 20b,
25 cannot be selected, and focus detection areas 21 to 23 at the center of the screen and at the left and right of the screen can be selected.

In step 8, if the selection operation of the focus detection area 24 or 25 at the top and bottom of the screen is performed by the area selector 7 in spite of the fact that the selection is not possible, step 9
Then, the buzzer 43 sounds and a warning is issued. At this time, when the monitor 2 is turned on, a mark for warning that an unselectable area is selected as shown in FIG. 11 may be turned on, and may be superimposed on the subject image. In the automatic area selection focus adjustment mode, the focus adjustment is automatically performed using only the center of the screen and the left and right focus detection areas 21 to 23 within the cutout range 20b.

As described above, when the electronic zoom photography mode is set, focus adjustment is performed using only the focus detection area 21 at the center of the screen, and when the pseudo zoom photography mode is set, the focus detection area 21 within the cut-out range 20b is set. ~ 2
Since focus adjustment is performed using only 3, even if the photographer inadvertently selects and operates a focus detection area that is out of the cutout range in the manual shooting mode, those areas are not selected. An image in which the intended subject within the cutout range is in focus can be obtained. Also,
In the automatic area selection focus adjustment mode, the focus is automatically adjusted using the focus detection area in the cutout range, so that the main subject in the cutout range can be surely focused.

<< Modification of One Embodiment >> In the above-described embodiment, when the electronic zoom photography mode is set, only the focus detection area 21 at the center of the screen can be selected, and the pseudo wide photography mode is selected. When cut out range 20
Although an example has been described in which only the center of the screen and the left and right focus detection areas 21 to 23 in b can be selected, the position and size of the focus detection area may be changed according to the cutout range of each shooting mode. .

As shown in FIG. 7, when the electronic zoom photographing mode is set and the zoom lens 11 is at the telephoto end To, if the zoom up button 4 is continuously operated for a predetermined time or more, the optical zoom position is changed to the telephoto end To. The focal length f increases in a pseudo manner, and the electronic zoom magnification increases.

In this modification, the electronic zoom magnification is at the tele end To according to the operation time of the zoom-up button 4 after switching from the optical zoom to the electronic zoom by operating the zoom-up button 4. The magnification at this time is 1, and changes stepwise or continuously, such as 1.5 times and 2 times. Then, the electronic zoom magnification when the zoom-up button 4 is released is automatically set and stored in a memory (not shown). The electronic zoom magnification may be a single value, for example, only 2 times.

When the electronic zoom photographing mode is set, the position of the focus detection area is changed according to the electronic zoom magnification. For example, the zoom lens 11 shown in FIG.
The photographing screen 20 and the focus detection areas 21 to 2 at the time of o
When the electronic zoom magnification is increased as shown in FIG. 12 on the basis of the relationship of FIG. 5, the relationship between the cutout range 20c and each of the focus detection areas 21 to 25 is similar to the relationship of the reference shown in FIG. The position and size of each focus detection area are changed. When the electronic zoom magnification is further increased as shown in FIG. 13, each focus detection area is set so that the relationship between the cutout range 20d and each focus detection area 21 to 25 becomes similar to the reference relation shown in FIG. Change the size of the position.

It should be noted that even when the electronic zoom magnification is increased, the size of the focus detection areas 21 to 25 may be kept at the reference size shown in FIG. 4 and only the positions of the focus detection areas 21 to 25 may be changed. .

On the other hand, when the pseudo wide photographing mode is set, as shown in FIG.
4, 25 deviate from the cutout range 20b. Therefore, as shown in FIG.
The positions thereof are changed toward the center of the screen so that the images 4 and 25 fall within the cutout range 20b. At this time, the positions of the focus detection areas 24 and 25 at the top and bottom of the screen may be changed, and the size may be changed.

FIG. 15 is a flowchart showing the shooting mode control of the modification. The shooting mode control of the modification will be described with reference to this flowchart. Note that steps that perform the same processing as the processing shown in FIG. 10 are assigned the same step numbers, and differences will be mainly described.

When the electronic zoom photographing mode is set, the electronic zoom magnification is read from the memory in step 3A, and the focus detection area is changed in step 3B according to the electronic zoom magnification. Specifically, as described above, the position and size of each focus detection area are changed such that the relation between the cutout range and each focus detection area 21 to 25 is similar to the reference relation shown in FIG.

On the other hand, when the pseudo wide photographing mode is set, the positions of the focus detection areas 24 and 25 at the top and bottom of the screen are shifted toward the center of the screen so that the focus detection areas 24 and 25 at the top and bottom of the screen fall within the cutout range 20b as described above. Change to

In this modification, even when the electronic zoom photographing mode or the pseudo wide photographing mode is set, the position and size of the focus detection area are changed without deleting the focus detection area outside the cut-out range. In addition to the focus adjustment in the automatic area selection focus adjustment mode or the OFF mode, the focus adjustment in the manual area selection focus adjustment mode for manually selecting an arbitrary focus detection area in the shooting screen is possible.

As described above, when the electronic zoom photographing mode is set, the position and size of the focus detection area are changed according to the electronic zoom magnification, and when the pseudo wide photographing mode is set, the upper and lower focus detections are performed. The positions are changed toward the center of the screen so that the area is within the cut-out range, so even when setting the electronic zoom shooting mode and the pseudo wide shooting mode, the same feeling as when setting the normal shooting mode It is possible to perform focus adjustment in an automatic area selection focus adjustment mode or a manual area selection focus adjustment mode using a plurality of focus detection areas set in advance in a shooting screen, and a main subject existing in a wide range of the shooting screen or It is possible to reliably focus on the subject intended by the photographer.

<< Another Modification of One Embodiment >> In the above-described embodiment and the modification thereof, when the electronic zoom photographing mode is set, whether the image is fixed to only the focus detection area 21 at the center of the screen or not. Alternatively, the position and size of the focus detection areas 21 to 25 are changed according to the electronic zoom magnification. However, the position and size of the focus detection areas 21 to 25 when the zoom lens 11 is at the telephoto end To are determined. Alternatively, when the electronic zoom magnification is increased and the cutout range is narrowed, the selectable focus detection area may be limited to only the area within the cutout range.

For example, when the electronic zoom magnification is small,
As shown in FIG. 8, selectable focus detection areas are located at the center of the screen and the upper and lower focus detection areas 21 and 21 within the cutout range 20a.
4, 25 only, and the focus detection areas 21 and
Focus adjustment is performed using 4,25. When the electronic zoom magnification is large, as shown in FIG. 16, the selectable focus detection area is limited to only the focus detection area 21 at the center of the screen within the cutout range 20e, and the focus adjustment is performed using the focus detection area 21. I do.

FIG. 17 is a flowchart showing the shooting mode control of the modification. The shooting mode control of the modification will be described with reference to this flowchart. Steps for performing the same processes as those shown in FIGS. 10 and 15 are denoted by the same step numbers, and differences will be mainly described.

If the electronic zoom photographing mode is set, the electronic zoom magnification is read from the memory in step 3A, and the flow advances to step 3C. In step 3C, the focus detection areas within the cut-out range corresponding to the electronic zoom magnification are extracted from the five focus detection areas 21 to 25 in the shooting screen 20, and are extracted in the automatic area selection focus adjustment mode or the manual focus adjustment mode. The focus detection area is selectable in the area selection focus adjustment mode.

In the following step 4A, the area selector 7 is set in spite of the fact that it is out of the cut-out range and cannot be selected.
When the operation to select those areas is performed by
In step 5, a warning is issued by the buzzer 43. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step 6 in FIG. 10 or FIG. 15, and the above-described processing for the pseudo wide shooting mode is performed.

As described above, when the electronic zoom photographing mode is set, among the plurality of focus detection areas 21 to 25 set in the photographing screen in advance, the focal points outside the cut-out range corresponding to the electronic zoom magnification. Since the detection area is not selectable and automatic or manual focus adjustment is performed using only the focus detection area within the cut-out area, the focus inadvertently deviated from the cut-out area by the photographer in the manual area selection focus adjustment mode. Even if the detection areas are selected, those areas are not selected, and an image in which the intended subject within the cutout range is focused can be obtained. In the automatic area selection focus adjustment mode, the focus is automatically adjusted using the focus detection area in the cutout range, so that the main subject in the cutout range can be surely focused.

In the above-described embodiment and its modification,
Although the electronic zoom shooting mode and the pseudo wide shooting mode have been described as examples, the present invention can also be applied to a pseudo panorama shooting mode that generates a pseudo panoramic image by further increasing the aspect ratio. ,In that case,
As in the pseudo wide shooting mode, the focus detection area that can be selected is limited according to the cutout range, or the position and size of the focus detection area are changed.

Further, the present invention can be applied to a case where an arbitrary range at an arbitrary position is cut out from a captured image to generate an image to be recorded on a recording medium.
Even in that case, the focus detection area is changed according to the cutout range of the captured image. That is, the number, position, and size of the focus detection areas are changed for a plurality of focus detection areas set in advance in the shooting screen according to the cutout range of the captured image. Here, changing the number of focus detection areas means limiting the selectable areas among the plurality of focus detection areas as described above. When changing the focus detection area, either the number, the position, or the size may be changed alone, or the number, the position, the number and the size, the position and the size, or the number, the position, and the size. Each may be changed simultaneously.

The present invention can be applied to a camera using a silver halide film as a storage medium. For example, the aspect ratio of the printed shooting screen, such as switching between full screen shooting and panorama format shooting
In a silver halide film camera capable of changing the image, a part of the entire photographable screen is cut out, and the cutout range is designated as a photographing screen to be printed.

[0067]

(1) As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention, when a part of a captured image is cut out to generate an image to be recorded on a recording medium, a plurality of images set in a shooting screen are generated. The focus detection area is changed for the focus detection area according to the cutout range of the captured image, and the focus of the photographing lens is adjusted based on the focus detection result in the changed focus detection area. An image in which the subject intended by the photographer or the main subject is in focus can be obtained. (2) According to the second aspect of the present invention, when a part of a captured image is cut out to generate an image to be recorded on a recording medium, the captured image is selected from a plurality of focus detection areas set in a photographing screen. In the manual area selection focus adjustment mode, even if the photographer inadvertently selects and operates a focus detection area that is out of the cut-out range in the manual area selection focus adjustment mode, the focus detection areas that can be selected are limited in accordance with the cut-out range. An area is not selected, and an image in which the intended subject within the cutout range is in focus can be obtained. In the automatic area selection focus adjustment mode, the focus is automatically adjusted using the focus detection area in the cutout range, so that the main subject in the cutout range can be surely focused. (3) According to the third aspect of the present invention, when a part of a captured image is cut out to generate an image to be recorded on a recording medium, the captured image is output to a plurality of focus detection areas set in a photographing screen. Since the position of the focus detection area is changed according to the cut-out range, even when a part of a picked-up image is cut out to generate an image to be recorded on a recording medium, the same feeling as in a normal shooting mode setting is used. Automatic or manual focus adjustment can be performed using a plurality of focus detection areas set in advance in the shooting screen, and the main subject existing in a wide range of the shooting screen or the subject intended by the photographer is reliably focused. be able to. (4) According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, when a part of a captured image is cut out to generate an image to be recorded on a recording medium, the captured image is output to a plurality of focus detection areas set in a photographing screen. Since the size of the focus detection area is changed according to the cut-out range, the same effect as that of the third aspect can be obtained. (5) According to the fifth and sixth aspects of the invention, the same effects as those of the first to fourth aspects can be obtained also in the electronic zoom photography mode, the pseudo wide photography mode, and the pseudo panorama photography mode. it can. (6) According to the invention of claim 7, when the manual area selection focus adjustment mode for selecting an arbitrary focus detection area from a plurality of focus detection areas and performing focus adjustment is set,
A warning is issued when an unselectable focus detection area outside the cutout range is selected, so that the photographer can recognize an erroneous operation. (7) According to the invention of claim 8, when a part of the range of the photographing screen is cut out and recorded on the recording medium, the focus is determined from the plurality of focus detection areas in the photographing screen according to the cutout range. Since the detection area is changed and the focus of the photographing lens is adjusted based on the focus detection result in the changed focus detection area, it is possible to surely focus on the main subject within the cutout range.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a rear external view of a portable or stored state of an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a rear external view of a shooting state according to the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a front external view of a shooting state according to the embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an arrangement of a focus detection area in a shooting screen.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an area mark displayed on a monitor screen.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a configuration of an embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the relationship between the optical zoom position and the focal length of the optical zoom and the electronic zoom.

FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a cutout range and a selectable focus detection area in an electronic zoom photographing mode.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a cut-out range and selectable focus detection areas in a pseudo wide shooting mode.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating shooting mode control according to an embodiment.

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example in which a mark for prohibiting manual selection of a focus detection area is lit on a monitor screen.

FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating an example in which the position and size of a focus detection area are changed according to the electronic zoom magnification.

FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example in which the position and size of a focus detection area are changed according to the electronic zoom magnification.

FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating an example in which the position of a focus detection area is changed in the pseudo wide shooting mode.

FIG. 15 is a flowchart illustrating a shooting mode control according to a modified example.

FIG. 16 is a diagram illustrating an example in which a selectable focus detection area is changed according to an electronic zoom magnification.

FIG. 17 is a flowchart showing a shooting mode control according to another modification.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 1 electronic still camera 1a camera body 1b lens unit 2 monitor 2a monitor screen 3 zoom down button 3a zoom down switch 4 zoom up button 4a zoom up switch 5 menu button 5a menu switch 6 monitor button 6a monitor switch 7 area selector 7a to 7d area Selector switch 8 LCD 9 Release button 9a Release switch 10 Select lever 10a Manual shooting mode switch 10b Automatic shooting mode switch 10c Playback mode switch 11 Zoom lens 12 Strobe light emission window 13 Viewfinder window 14 Viewfinder eyepiece window 15 Eyepiece detection sensor 16 Command dial 16a, 16b Command dial switch 20 Shooting screen 20a-20e Cutout range 21 25 Focus detection area 21a-25a Area mark 26 Manual focus prohibition mark of focus detection area 31 CCD 32 Input circuit 33 Compression / expansion circuit 34 Buffer memory 35 Memory card 36 Monitor image generation circuit 37 Focus detection device 38 Photometry device 39 Zooming motor 40 Driver 41 Focusing motor 42 Driver 43 Buzzer 44 Controller

Claims (8)

[Claims] A camera for recording an image picked up by an image sensor on a recording medium, wherein a plurality of focus detection areas are set in a shooting screen, and a focus adjustment state of a shooting lens is detected in each focus detection area. Image cutout means for cutting out a part of a captured image to generate an image to be recorded on a recording medium; area changing means for changing a focus detection area according to a cutout range of the captured image; A camera comprising: focus adjustment means for adjusting the focus of a photographing lens based on a focus detection result. 2. The camera according to claim 1, wherein said area changing means limits a selectable focus detection area according to a cut-out range of a captured image. 3. The camera according to claim 1, wherein said area changing means changes a position of a focus detection area according to a cut-out range of a captured image. 4. The camera according to claim 1, wherein said area changing means changes the size of a focus detection area in accordance with a cut-out range of a captured image. . 5. The camera according to claim 1, wherein said image cutout means cuts out and enlarges a central portion of a captured image to generate an electronic zoom image. . 6. The camera according to claim 1, wherein said image cutout means cuts out the upper and lower portions of the picked-up image to cut out a wide portion at the center, and outputs a pseudo wide image or a pseudo panoramic image. A camera that generates 7. A manual area selection focus adjustment mode for selecting an arbitrary focus detection area from among a plurality of focus detection areas and performing focus adjustment in the camera according to claim 1. A warning is issued when an unselectable focus detection area outside the cutout range is selected. 8. A photographing screen having a plurality of focus detection areas,
Focus detection means for detecting the focus adjustment state of the photographing lens in each focus detection area; image cutout means for cutting out a part of a shooting screen and recording it on a recording medium; and a focus detection area according to the cutout range. A camera comprising: an area changing unit that changes the focus; and a focus adjusting unit that adjusts the focus of the photographing lens based on the focus detection result in the changed focus detection area.