JP2009163179A - Imaging apparatus and control method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

A bounce angle is automatically set for bounce shooting.
When performing the bounce shooting mode, the photographer directs the photographing lens toward the reflecting surface and presses the release button halfway for the first time, and then presses the first release button halfway toward the subject. In response to a half-press of the release button, the focus of the taking lens is matched by the autofocus function. The system controller measures the distance of the reflecting surface from the position of the focus lens in the state where the focus of the taking lens at the first release button is matched, and the focus of the taking lens at the second release button is The distance from the object lens is measured from the position of the focus lens in the matched state. An optimum bounce angle is obtained from each of these distances, and the strobe light emitting unit is rotated to the bounce angle.
[Selection] Figure 5

Description

  The present invention relates to an imaging apparatus that performs bounce imaging and a control method thereof.

  Bounce shooting is known for shooting with flash emission, that is, flash shooting. In this bounce shooting, the strobe light is not directly directed toward the subject, but the subject is illuminated with the strobe light on the reflecting surface such as the ceiling surface or the wall surface, and the subject is illuminated with the bounce light reflected by the reflecting surface. In bounce shooting, since the bounce light has high diffusibility, the contrast is not high and an image with a soft impression can be obtained.

  In order to properly perform the bounce shooting as described above, it is necessary to appropriately set the bounce angle between the shooting direction (the optical axis direction of the shooting lens) and the strobe light irradiation direction. It was done based on experience. Under such circumstances, various cameras and strobe devices for appropriately performing bounce shooting have been proposed.

  In the camera described in Patent Document 1, distance measuring sensors are provided on the front surface and the upper surface of the camera, respectively. Then, the distance to the subject and the distance to the ceiling are respectively measured by the distance measuring sensors with the photographing lens facing the subject, and an appropriate bounce angle for the subject to be photographed is obtained from each distance. Then, the angle of the strobe device is automatically adjusted so that the calculated bounce angle is obtained.

  Further, in the camera described in Patent Document 2, when the strobe device is turned to perform bounce shooting, the irradiation angle of the strobe light is automatically set to the wide angle side. As a result, a wide range of stroboscopic light is irradiated and diffused so that good bounce photography can be performed. Furthermore, in the camera described in Patent Document 3, when performing bounce shooting, the flash light irradiation angle is set from the focal length and bounce angle of the shooting lens so that the subject does not directly irradiate the flash light from the flash device. is doing.

In the strobe device described in Patent Document 4, when the strobe device is in a bounce shooting state, the setting is changed so that shooting suitable for bounce shooting is performed, for example, by automatically setting TTL light control. Yes. Furthermore, in the camera described in Patent Document 5, the color of the reflecting surface that reflects the strobe light is measured, and this is recorded on the photographic film as color correction information at the time of printing.
US Pat. No. 5,194,885 Japanese Patent Publication No. 2-16897 JP 2002-72301 A JP-A-7-181570 JP-A-6-130470

  By the way, in Patent Document 1, it is necessary to provide a distance measuring sensor for measuring the distance to the subject and a distance measuring sensor for measuring the distance to the ceiling, respectively. When shooting from a high position and looking up from a low position, there is a problem that an inappropriate bounce angle is obtained because the distance to the reflecting surface cannot be measured accurately.

  Further, as in the case of the camera of Patent Document 2, when the illumination angle of the strobe light is set to the wide angle side at the time of bounce shooting, the amount of light is reduced and the bounce shooting is performed by irradiating the strobe light in a wide range. There is a restriction that the possible distance becomes shorter. Also, if the illumination angle is set so that the strobe light is not directly irradiated onto the photographing range as in Patent Document 3, the limitation on the illumination angle becomes large, and if the bounce angle is not set more appropriately, the reflected strobe light is reflected on the subject. There is also a problem of not being irradiated.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide an imaging apparatus capable of easily performing good bounce imaging with few restrictions and a control method therefor.

  In order to achieve the above object, according to the first aspect of the present invention, in response to the first operation on the reflecting surface, the first focusing is performed by operating the autofocus means to bring the photographing lens into focus. A focus control unit that executes an operation and a second focusing operation that activates the autofocus unit in response to a second operation on the subject to bring the photographing lens into focus, and a first focusing operation The first distance to the reflecting surface is acquired based on the lens position of the focus lens of the photographing lens when the focus is matched, and the photographing lens when the focus is matched by the second focusing operation is acquired. A distance acquisition unit that acquires a second distance to the subject based on the lens position of the focus lens, and a bounce from the first distance and the second distance obtained from the distance acquisition unit. A bounce angle calculating means for calculating a bounce angle for illuminating the object with light, in which a driving control means for driving the drive mechanism so that the bounce angle determined by the bounce angle calculating means.

  In the photographing apparatus according to claim 2, the focus control means causes the first focusing operation to be executed for each of the three or more different distance measuring points within the photographing range, and the distance acquisition means performs the distance measurement to each distance measuring point. The distance when each distance is obtained and the inclination of the photographing optical axis with respect to the reflecting surface during the first focusing operation is corrected based on the distance to each distance measuring point to make the photographing optical axis perpendicular to the reflecting surface. The distance of 1 is obtained.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided the distance storing means for holding the distance to the measured reflecting surface, and a distance measuring instruction member for instructing the distance measurement of the reflecting surface by executing the first focusing operation. When the first focusing operation is performed in response to the operation of the distance measuring instruction member, the acquisition unit obtains a first distance newly obtained by the first distance held in the distance storage unit. The bounce angle calculation means acquires the first distance from the distance storage means when the second focusing operation is performed without operating the distance measuring instruction member.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the photographing apparatus includes a detecting unit that detects a photographing direction and a release button that is operated by half-pressing and full-pressing, and the focus control unit is configured so that the photographing direction detected by the detecting unit is upward. In this state, the release button is used as a distance measuring instruction member, the first focusing operation is executed in response to the half-press of the release button, and the release button is half-pressed when the shooting direction is other than upward. Then, the second focusing operation is performed.

  According to another aspect of the present invention, the photographing apparatus is operated from the outside, and is operated to specify the first posture in which the photographing lens faces the reflecting portion of the reflecting surface and the second posture in which the photographing lens faces the subject. A specific indicating member, an angle measuring means for measuring an angle between the photographing optical axes in each posture when specified by an operation of the specific indicating member, and an angle measured by the angle means as a bounce angle, and the bounce angle And a drive control means for driving the drive mechanism.

  According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a display unit for displaying a photographing range photographed through the photographing lens until at least the first posture is specified.

  In the imaging device according to claim 7, based on the attitude sensor that detects the imaging direction, and the imaging direction when the release button is half-pressed based on the detection result of the attitude sensor, the imaging direction of the variable direction of the bounce angle is determined. Drive control means for detecting the change angle and driving the drive mechanism to correct the bounce angle based on the detected change angle and change direction of the photographing direction is provided.

  In the photographing apparatus according to claim 8, when the bounce angle is corrected, the drive control means sets the bounce angle at an angle 1.5 times the detected change angle in a direction opposite to the direction in which the photographing direction has changed. It is something to change.

  In the photographing apparatus according to claim 9, a bounce angle detection unit that detects a bounce angle set in the strobe device, a distance acquisition unit that acquires a distance to the subject, and a subject acquired by the distance acquisition unit. Direct irradiation range where the strobe light is directly irradiated on the distance to the subject based on the distance, the focal length of the photographing lens, the positional relationship between the photographing lens and the strobe device, the bounce angle of the strobe device and the irradiation angle of the strobe light And a combining means for displaying the direct irradiation range obtained by the computing means on the through image.

  In the photographing apparatus according to claim 10, a bounce angle detection unit that detects a bounce angle set in the strobe device, a distance acquisition unit that acquires a distance to the subject, and the subject acquired by the distance acquisition unit. Based on the distance, the focal length of the photographic lens, the positional relationship between the photographic lens and the strobe device, and the irradiation angle of the strobe light from the strobe device. An operation unit that obtains a minimum bounce angle that does not overlap the range, and the drive mechanism so that the bounce angle is detected when the bounce angle detected by the bounce angle detection unit is smaller than the minimum bounce angle. Drive control means for driving.

  In the photographing apparatus according to claim 11, the distance obtaining unit obtains a distance for each of a plurality of distance measuring points obtained by dividing the photographing screen, and the calculating unit is configured to use the strobe light based on the distance measurement result of the distance obtaining unit. The effective arrival area of the distance to reach is checked within the imaging range, and the minimum bounce angle at which the irradiation range does not directly overlap this effective arrival area is obtained.

  In the photographing apparatus according to claim 12, a bounce angle detecting means for detecting a bounce angle of light set in the strobe device, an irradiation angle detecting means for detecting an irradiation angle set in the strobe device, and an object to the subject Distance acquisition means for acquiring the distance, distance to the subject acquired by the distance acquisition means, focal length of the taking lens, positional relationship between the taking lens and the strobe device, and bounce angle of the strobe device The calculation means for obtaining the maximum strobe light irradiation angle in which the direct irradiation range in which the strobe light is directly irradiated on the photographing range above does not overlap, and the maximum strobe light whose irradiation angle is detected by the irradiation angle detection means Drive control means for driving the irradiation angle changing mechanism so as to be the maximum irradiation angle of the strobe light when the irradiation angle is larger than It is intended.

  In the photographing apparatus according to the thirteenth aspect, the distance obtaining unit obtains the distance to the subject based on the lens position of the focus lens of the photographing lens when the focus is matched.

  According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a photographing device that is provided integrally with the strobe device, and has point light for displaying a point or area on the reflecting surface that is directly irradiated with the strobe light in a direction parallel to the irradiation direction of the strobe light. A light source for output is provided.

  In the photographing apparatus according to claim 15, in response to one photographing instruction, the strobe photographing is executed every time the driving mechanism is driven to change the bounce angle, and each bounce photographing is performed at a plurality of different bounce angles. Control means are provided.

  According to a sixteenth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an input means for inputting the number of flash photography to be executed by the control means and the bounce angle of each flash photography in response to one photographing instruction.

  In the imaging device according to claim 17, in response to one imaging instruction, a setting unit that sets a first bounce angle to be executed by the control unit, a distance acquisition unit that acquires a distance to the subject, Based on the distance to the subject acquired by the distance acquisition means, the focal length of the taking lens, the positional relationship between the taking lens and the strobe device, and the irradiation angle of the strobe light from the strobe device, Calculating means for obtaining a minimum bounce angle in which the direct irradiation ranges where light is directly irradiated do not overlap, and the control means sequentially sets the minimum bounce by a predetermined angle from the bounce angle set as the first time. The bounce shooting is performed multiple times by changing the angle.

  According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a detecting unit for detecting a remaining battery level, and the control unit is configured to perform bounce shooting at a number of times corresponding to the remaining battery level.

  In the control method of the photographing apparatus according to claim 19, the autofocus is operated with respect to the reflecting surface that reflects the strobe light to bring the photographing lens into focus, and the reflecting surface is reached based on the position of the focusing lens of the photographing lens. A first distance measuring step for measuring a distance; a second distance measuring unit for measuring the distance to the subject based on the position of the focus lens of the photographing lens by operating the autofocus on the subject to match the focus of the photographing lens; Based on each distance obtained by the distance measuring step, the first distance measuring step, and the second distance measuring step, a bounce angle for illuminating the subject with bounce light that is reflected by stroboscopically illuminating the reflecting surface. The calculated angle calculating step and the driving step of driving the driving mechanism so as to be the bounce angle determined by the angle calculating step And it has a.

  The control method for an imaging apparatus according to claim 20, further comprising a detection unit for detecting a shooting direction and a release button for instructing shooting, and a release button when the shooting direction detected by the detection unit is upward. The first distance measurement step is performed in response to the half-press of, and the second distance measurement step is performed in response to the half-press of the release button when the shooting direction is other than upward.

  The imaging apparatus control method according to claim 21, wherein between the imaging optical axes in a first orientation in which the imaging lens is directed to a reflecting surface specified by an instruction from outside and a second orientation in which the imaging lens is directed to a subject. An angle measuring step for measuring the angle, and an angle measured in the angle measuring step as a bounce angle, and a drive step for driving the drive mechanism so as to obtain the bounce angle.

  In the control method of the photographing apparatus according to claim 22, an angle change of the photographing direction with respect to a variable direction of the bounce angle is detected on the basis of the photographing direction when the release button is half-pressed, and the detected change amount of the angle change And a correction step of correcting the bounce angle by driving the drive mechanism based on the change direction.

  24. The method of controlling a photographing apparatus according to claim 23, wherein the distance to the subject obtained by measurement, the bounce angle set in the strobe device, the focal length of the photographing lens, and the positional relationship between the photographing lens and the strobe device. And the direct illumination range over which the strobe light is directly illuminated on the distance to the subject, based on the strobe light irradiation angle of the strobe device, and directly on the through image captured and displayed by the image sensor The irradiation range is displayed.

  In the control method of the photographing apparatus according to claim 24, based on the distance to the subject obtained by measurement, the positional relationship between the photographing lens and the strobe device, and the irradiation angle of the strobe light of the strobe device, The minimum bounce angle is determined so that the direct irradiation range where the flash light is directly irradiated on the shooting range on the distance does not overlap. When the set bounce angle is smaller than the minimum bounce angle, the minimum bounce angle is obtained. The drive mechanism is driven so as to form a corner.

  In the control method of the photographing apparatus according to claim 25, the distance to the subject is determined based on the distance to the subject obtained by measurement, the positional relationship between the photographing lens and the strobe device, and the bounce angle of the strobe device. The maximum illumination angle of the strobe light that does not overlap the direct illumination range where the flash light is directly applied to the shooting range is obtained, and when the set illumination angle is larger than the maximum illumination angle, the maximum bounce The irradiation angle changing unit is driven so as to form an angle.

  27. The method of controlling an imaging apparatus according to claim 26, wherein in response to one shooting instruction, the driving mechanism is driven to perform strobe shooting each time the bounce angle is changed, and each of the plurality of different bounce angles is used. Bounce shooting is performed.

  According to the present invention, the auto-focus function of the photographing lens is used to measure the distance between the reflecting surface that should reflect the strobe light and the subject to obtain the optimum bounce angle for bounce shooting, and this bounce angle is obtained. Since the strobe device is driven as described above, the bounce angle can be determined with a small number of parts, and appropriate bounce imaging can be easily performed.

  In addition, the bounce angle is determined and set by measuring the orientation of the photographic lens toward the part that reflects the strobe light and the angle between the orientation of the photographic lens and the photographic optical axis. The bounce angle can be set by operation. By displaying the through image when measuring this angle, the photographing lens can be directed to the target while confirming the through image.

  Changes in the shooting direction are monitored based on the shooting direction when the release button is pressed halfway, and the bounce angle is corrected based on the result, so that appropriate bounce shooting can be performed even when the composition is changed. it can.

  Furthermore, the range in which the strobe light is directly irradiated in the shooting range at the subject distance is displayed on the through image, or the bounce angle and the strobe light irradiation angle are changed so that the strobe light is not directly irradiated to the shooting range. Therefore, it is possible to alert the photographer during bounce shooting, or to perform bounce shooting without strobe light irradiation unevenness.

  A light source that outputs point light in a direction parallel to the direction of the strobe light is provided in the strobe device so that the point or area on the reflective surface where the strobe light is directly irradiated with the point light is displayed. The photographer can confirm the reflection surface portion directly irradiated with light.

  In response to a single shooting instruction, the bounce angle is changed a plurality of times while changing the bounce angle, so that a shot image with a changed bounce angle can be obtained and shot at a preferred bounce angle. Images can be acquired.

  FIG. 1 shows the appearance of the front side of the digital camera in which the first embodiment of the present invention is implemented, and FIG. 2 shows the appearance of the state in which the strobe light emitting unit is rotated. The digital camera 2 is provided with a photographing lens 4 on the front surface of the camera body 3. Further, a release button 5 for instructing photographing and a strobe light emitting unit 7 of the strobe device 6 are provided at the upper part. An operation unit 8 and an LCD 9 are provided on the back (see FIG. 3). The operation unit 8 includes a power button for turning on / off the power of the digital camera 2, an operation button for selecting various modes, various settings such as strobe light emission, and the like.

  The digital camera 2 can select a shooting mode and a playback mode by operating the operation unit 8. In the shooting mode, there are a non-flash mode that does not fire the flash and a flash mode that fires the flash. In the flash mode, in addition to the normal flash shooting mode that shoots the flash light directly toward the subject. It is possible to select a bounce shooting mode in which bounce shooting is performed by irradiating a strobe light on a reflecting surface such as a ceiling surface or a wall surface of a room and illuminating a subject with bounce light reflected by the reflecting surface.

  In the bounce shooting mode, the distance to the reflecting surface that reflects the strobe light and the distance to the subject are measured, and the strobe light emitting unit 7 is automatically set so that the bounce angle A is determined based on the measurement result. The still image is taken after the rotation. As shown in FIG. 2, the bounce angle A is an angle between the direction of the optical axis P1 of the photographing lens 4 and the direction of the optical axis P2 of the strobe light emitting unit 7, that is, an angle formed by the photographing direction and the irradiation direction of the strobe light. It is.

  The release button 5 is a two-step operation that is half-pressed shallowly and further fully pressed. Normally, as with conventional digital cameras, the photographic lens 4 is focused by the autofocus function in response to half-pressing of the release button 5, and a still image is passed through the photographic lens 4 in response to subsequent full-pressing. Shoot and record On the other hand, in the bounce shooting mode, as will be described in detail later, the distance to the reflecting surface is measured by half-pressing the first release button 5, and the distance to the subject is measured by half-pressing the second release button 5. Then, the still image is captured and recorded by the subsequent full press operation.

  The strobe light emitting unit 7 emits strobe light in synchronization with the shooting of a still image. The strobe light emitting unit 7 is attached to the camera body 3 by a shaft 7a extending in the left-right direction. As shown in FIG. 1, the standard position with a bounce angle A of “0 °” and the standard position shown in FIG. Thus, it can be rotated between an upper limit position where the bounce angle A is set to, for example, “90 °”. As described above, in the bounce shooting mode, the bounce angle A is automatically rotated so that the bounce angle A is determined by the digital camera.

  The LCD 9 displays a so-called through image in which the subject image in the shooting range is continuously displayed under the shooting mode. The photographer can perform framing by observing the through image displayed on the LCD 9. In addition, various setting screens and operation guidance are displayed on the LCD 9. The operation guidance displayed on the LCD 9 includes an operation instruction in the bounce shooting mode.

  FIG. 3 shows a main configuration of the digital camera 2. The system controller 10 controls each part of the digital camera 2 based on various operation signals from the release button 5 and the operation part 8. The system controller 10 is connected to a ROM 10a, a RAM 10b, and an EEPROM 10c. Programs and parameters for the system controller 10 to control each unit are written in the ROM 10a, and data necessary for processing are temporarily written in the RAM 10b. The EEPROM 10c stores settings of the digital camera 2, and the stored data is not erased even when the power is turned off.

  An image sensor 12 is arranged behind the photographic lens 4, and subject light transmitted through the photographic lens 4 enters the light receiving surface of the image sensor 12. The photographing lens 4 includes a focus mechanism 15 for moving the focus lens 15a and adjusting the focus. The focus mechanism 15 includes a focus lens 15a and a pulse motor or a motor driver that moves the focus lens 15a in the optical axis direction.

  The AF control unit 17 constitutes an autofocus unit together with the focus mechanism 15, and executes a focusing operation of the focus mechanism 15 based on an instruction from the system controller 10 as the focus control unit. In the focusing operation, the focus mechanism 15 is operated by the control of the AF control unit 17 to move the focus lens 15a in the optical axis direction, thereby detecting the position where the focus of the photographing lens 4 matches the subject and the matching. The focus lens 15a is set at the lens position.

  The AF control unit 17 controls the focus mechanism 15 so that the subject portion of the AF detection area set in the shooting screen is in focus. The AF detection area is set at the center of the shooting screen, for example. This digital camera 2 is to match the focus of the photographic lens 4 with the subject by a so-called contrast detection method, and the AF control unit 17 calculates the high-frequency component of the AF detection region based on image data from the imaging unit 18 described later. The integrated AF evaluation value is obtained, and the focus lens 15a is moved to a lens position where the AF evaluation value is maximum, that is, the contrast of the subject image within the AF detection area is maximum.

  Note that the autofocus method is not limited to the above-described contrast of the subject image, and other detection methods such as phase difference detection using an optical image obtained through the photographing lens 4 can be employed. Further, the photographing lens 4 may be focused using a distance measurement result of an external phase difference detection type AF sensor or the like.

  The focus mechanism 15 includes an encoder 15b that detects the lens position of the focus lens 15a. The encoder 15b detects the lens position of the focus lens 15a based on, for example, the number of drive pulses supplied to the pulse motor that drives the focus lens 15a and the rotation direction of the pulse motor, and sends the lens position to the system controller 10. .

  Based on the lens position of the focus lens 15a when the photographing lens 4 is in focus with the subject (hereinafter referred to as the focusing lens position), the system controller 10 determines the distance to the subject that is in focus and the reflecting surface. To get. In the case of the zoom type in which the photographing lens 4 can change the focal length, the distance from the subject to the reflecting surface is determined based on the focusing lens position and the focal length of the photographing lens 4 when the focusing lens position is detected. The distance can be acquired.

  The photographing unit 18 includes the image sensor 12 described above, a signal processing circuit that performs various signal processing, and the like. The image sensor 12 has a large number of light receiving elements on its light receiving surface, and converts the subject image formed by the photographing lens 4 into an electrical image signal and outputs it. As the image sensor 12, various types such as a CCD type and a MOS type can be used.

  The photographing unit 18 outputs image data obtained by performing signal processing such as signal amplification processing, digital conversion processing, γ correction processing, and white balance correction processing on the image signal from the image sensor 12. Under the shooting mode, image data from the shooting unit 18 is sent to the LCD driver 19 one after another, and the LCD 9 is driven based on the image data, whereby a through image is displayed on the LCD 9.

  The memory unit 21 includes a storage medium, for example, a memory card that can be attached to and detached from the digital camera 2, and a circuit that reads and writes image data on the memory card. Image data of a still image obtained by shooting in response to the operation of the release button 5 is sent to the memory unit 21 and written to the memory card.

  The strobe device 6 includes a light emitting circuit 22, an angle driving unit 23, and an encoder 24 in addition to the strobe light emitting unit 7. The strobe light emitting unit 7 includes a box-shaped housing 25, a strobe discharge tube 26 that is disposed inside the housing 25 and emits strobe light, a reflector 27 that is disposed in the housing 25 in order to adjust the irradiation range of the strobe light, A protector 28 is attached to the front surface of the housing 25 to protect the strobe discharge tube 26 and the like. The housing 25 is rotatably attached to the camera body 3 by the shaft 7a as described above, and is rotated by the angle driving unit 23. The strobe discharge tube 26 receives electric energy from the light emitting circuit 22 and emits strobe light.

  The light emitting circuit 22 controls strobe light emission by the strobe discharge tube 26. The amount of flash light can be set manually, but it is difficult to predict the amount of light emitted to the subject in the bounce shooting mode, so the flash amount is controlled based on the strobe light reflected by the subject. Is good.

  The angle driving unit 23 is configured by a motor, a gear, and the like for rotating the housing 25. The encoder 24 detects the rotation angle of the housing 25, that is, the bounce angle A, and sends the angle information to the system controller 10. The system controller 10 feedback-controls the angle driving unit 23 based on the angle information from the encoder 24, and rotates the housing 25 so that the bounce angle A to be set is obtained.

  In the bounce shooting mode, the system controller 10 executes each process of the reflection surface distance measurement process, the subject distance measurement process, the bounce angle calculation process, and the drive process, and then responds to the release button 5 being fully pressed. To shoot a still image.

  The reflection surface distance measurement process is a process for measuring the distance to the reflection surface that reflects the strobe light during bounce shooting. This reflection surface distance measurement process is performed in response to the first half-press of the release button 5. In the reflection surface distance measurement processing, a focusing operation is executed to bring the photographing lens 4 into focus with the reflection surface, and the distance to the reflection surface (hereinafter referred to as reflection surface distance) is determined based on the focus lens position at this time. taking measurement. In this reflection surface distance measuring process, the photographer points the photographing lens 4 toward the reflection surface on which strobe light is to be reflected and presses the release button 5. The reflection surface distance measurement processing is executed in response to half-pressing of the release button 5, but may be executed in response to full-pressing. Further, the reflection surface distance measuring process may be executed in response to an operation of another operation member.

  The subject distance measurement process is a process for measuring the distance to the subject that is actually to be shot by bounce shooting, and is performed in response to the second half-press operation of the release button 5. In the subject distance measurement process, a focusing operation is executed to bring the photographing lens 4 into focus and the subject distance is measured based on the position of the focus lens 15a at this time. In this subject distance measurement process, the photographer points the photographing lens 4 toward the subject to be photographed and presses the release button 5 halfway. Note that the subject distance measurement processing can also be performed in response to the operation of other operation members, but this subject distance measurement processing is also processing for focusing on the subject for shooting. Therefore, as in this example, it is preferable to respond in response to half-pressing of the release button 5.

The bounce angle calculation process is a process for obtaining the optimum bounce angle A for bounce shooting so that the subject can be irradiated with the strobe light reflected by the reflection surface from the reflection surface distance and subject distance obtained by each distance measurement process. is there. In this bounce angle calculation process, as schematically shown in FIG. 4, the measured reflection surface distance to the reflection surface 31 (for example, the ceiling surface) is D, and the subject distance to the subject 32 measured by the subject distance measurement process. Is set to H, the bounce angle A is obtained by the following bounce angle calculation formula (1). In the driving process, the strobe light emitting unit 7 is rotated via the angle driving unit 23 so as to obtain the bounce angle A calculated by the bounce angle calculating process.
A = Tan ⁻¹ (2H / D) (1)

  Next, the operation of the above configuration will be described. For example, when shooting in the bounce shooting mode, the operation unit 8 is operated to select the light emission mode under the shooting mode, and further select the bounce shooting mode. When the bounce shooting mode is selected, processing for bounce shooting is sequentially performed as shown in FIG.

  First, a reflection surface distance measurement process is executed, and an example is shown in FIG. 6A in order to instruct the photographer to press the release button 5 with the photographing lens 4 facing the reflection surface. In addition, the LCD 9 displays a guidance display together with the AF detection area 35, “Put the camera on the reflecting surface that bounces the camera up or down sideways. Press the release button halfway.” In accordance with this instruction, the photographer points the photographing lens 4 so that the photographing optical axis P1 is perpendicular to the reflecting object that reflects the strobe light, for example, the ceiling, that is, the ceiling surface, and the release button. Press 5 halfway.

  In response to the first half-press of the release button 5, the AF controller 17 is actuated by an instruction from the system controller 10, and the focus lens 15 a of the photographing lens 4 is moved back and forth so that it is in the AF detection area. The focus lens position where the contrast is maximized is checked, and the focus lens 15a is set at the focus lens position.

  Thereafter, the focus lens position is sent from the encoder 15 b to the system controller 10, and the reflection surface distance from the focus lens position to the reflection surface where the focus of the photographing lens 4 is matched is determined by the system controller 10. The reflection surface distance acquired in this way is temporarily stored in the RAM 10b, but the image being captured at that time is not saved.

  After obtaining the reflection surface distance, subject distance measurement processing is performed. When the subject distance measurement process is started, the LCD 9 is instructed to place the photographing lens 4 on the subject to be photographed to instruct the pressing operation of the release button 5, as shown in FIG. The guidance display “Please point the camera at the subject you photographed. Press the release button halfway.” Is displayed.

  In accordance with an instruction displayed on the LCD 9, the photographer points the photographing lens 4 toward the subject to be photographed and presses the release button 5 halfway. When the second release button 5 is half-pressed in this way, the AF control unit 17 is activated in the same way as the first half-press, and the focus is adjusted to the in-focus lens position where the contrast in the AF detection area is maximized. The lens 15a is set. Then, the system controller 10 determines and acquires the subject distance to the subject that the photographing lens 4 is in focus based on the focus lens position.

  When the subject distance is acquired, a bounce angle calculation process is performed, and the bounce angle A is obtained by the system controller 10 by applying the acquired reflection surface distance (H) and subject distance (L) to the bounce angle calculation formula. It is done. Then, the strobe light emitting unit 7 is rotated by the angle driving unit 23 to obtain the calculated bounce angle A.

  When the strobe light emitting unit 7 is rotated to the bounce angle A, strobe shooting processing is performed, and as shown in FIG. 6C, a guide indicating that the preparation for shooting is completed is displayed on the LCD 9, and then the release button 5 is displayed. It will be in a waiting state waiting for being fully pushed.

  When the release button 5 is fully pressed, a still image is taken by the image sensor 12, and strobe light is emitted from the strobe light emitting unit 7 during the exposure period. Then, the obtained still image data is sent to the memory unit 21 and recorded on the memory card.

  At the time of the above photographing, the strobe light is reflected on the reflecting surface, for example, the ceiling surface, and is irradiated on the subject. However, since the bounce angle A is automatically set as described above, the reflected strobe light is reflected on the subject. Is properly irradiated. Further, as described above, the photographer can set the bounce angle A with a simple operation because the photographing lens 4 is sequentially directed toward the reflecting surface and the subject and the release button 5 is pressed. In order to calculate the bounce angle A, the reflection surface distance is measured by using the autofocus function of the photographing lens 4, so that the number of parts can be reduced and the apparatus can be simplified.

  7 and 8 show a second embodiment. The second embodiment performs bounce even when the digital camera is not directly facing the reflection surface by performing distance measurement on three or more different distance measurement points in the shooting range during the reflection surface distance measurement processing. The angle A can be set appropriately. In addition, except for explaining the details below, it is the same as that of the first embodiment, and the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals and the description thereof is omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 7, three first to third AF detection areas 42 a to 42 c are set in the photographing screen 41. The first to third AF detection areas 42a to 42c are arranged in a line at equal intervals in the vertical direction, the second AF detection area 42b is arranged at the center of the imaging screen 41, and the first detection area 42a is located above the first AF detection area 42a. The second detection region 42b is arranged on the lower side.

  During the reflection surface distance measurement processing, the AF control unit 17 drives the focus mechanism 15 so that the system controller 10 controls and the first to third AF detection areas 42a to 42c are successively focused. To do. As a result, the first to third distance measuring points D1 to D3, which are portions of the reflective surfaces in the first to third AF detection areas 42a to 42c, are successively brought into focus. Each time the system controller 10 sequentially focuses on the first to third distance measuring points D1 to D3, the system controller 10 calculates the distances H1 to H3 of the first to third distance measuring points based on the focus lens position at that time. get.

  When the distance H1 of the first distance measuring point D1 is equal to the distance H3 of the third distance measuring point D3, the system controller 10 faces the reflecting object, that is, the photographing optical axis P1 is on the reflecting surface. Assuming that the distance is vertical, the bounce angle A is calculated by the bounce angle calculation formula (1) described above with the distance H2 of the second distance measuring point D2 as the reflection surface distance H (= H2).

On the other hand, when the distance H1 of the first ranging point D1 and the distance H3 of the third ranging point D3 are different, the reflecting surface distance H is calculated by the following correction calculation formula (2), and the calculated reflecting surface is calculated. Using the distance H, the bounce angle A is calculated by the bounce angle calculation formula (1) described above.
H = H2 · cos θ1 (2)
However, when θ3 <90 °, θ1 = 90 ° −θ3
When θ3> 90 °, θ1 = θ3-90 °
θ3 = tan ⁻¹ (Xa / (H2−Ya)
Xa = H1 · sin (θ2 / 2)
Ya = H1 · cos (θ2 / 2)

  As shown in FIG. 8, the base point for measuring the distance of the digital camera 2, for example, the front end of the photographing lens 4 is the origin O, the photographing optical axis P <b> 1 direction is the Y axis, the Y axis and the rotation axis of the strobe light emitting unit 7. Xa and Ya in the above formula are the coordinates of the first distance measuring point D1 on the reflecting surface 31. The angle θ1 is a deviation angle between the normal line (vertical line) of the reflecting surface 31 and the photographing optical axis P1. The angle θ2 is an angle between the direction from the origin toward the first distance measuring point D1 and the direction toward the third distance measuring point D3, the focal length of the photographing lens 4, the first and third AF detection areas on the photographing screen. The value is determined by the distance between 42a and 42c. The angle θ3 is an angle between the photographing optical axis P1 and the reflecting surface 31.

  Normally, it is difficult for the photographer to make the photographing optical axis P1 perpendicular to the reflecting surface 31, but according to the second embodiment, the photographing optical axis P1 cannot be made perpendicular to the reflecting surface. However, since the correct reflection surface distance H when the photographing optical axis P1 is perpendicular to the reflection surface can be acquired, the bounce angle A can be obtained appropriately.

  In the above embodiment, the distance to the three distance measuring points is measured by using the three AF detection areas arranged in a line in the vertical direction, and the reflection surface distance is obtained. For example, as shown in FIG. The three AF detection areas 42d, 42b, and 42e are arranged in a line in the horizontal direction in addition to the vertical direction of the shooting screen, and the reflection surface is three-dimensionally captured. The distance may be calculated. As shown in FIG. 10, if a minimum of three AF detection areas 44a to 44c are provided in the shooting screen, the reflection surface distance can be increased by capturing the inclination of the reflection surface three-dimensionally with a small focusing operation. Can be calculated.

  For example, when the taking lens of the digital camera is not directed directly above the ceiling with a horizontal plane, or when the taking lens of the digital camera is oriented directly above, but the ceiling surface is inclined. Can also be used.

  FIG. 11 shows a third embodiment. In the third embodiment, the latest measured reflection surface distance is held, and the reflection surface distance measurement processing is performed only when there is an instruction for distance measurement of the reflection surface distance, and is held in other cases. The bounce angle is calculated using the reflection surface distance. In addition, except for explaining the details below, it is the same as that of the first embodiment, and the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals and the description thereof is omitted.

  The camera body 3 is provided with a re-ranging button 51 as a distance measuring instruction member. By operating this button, execution of the reflecting surface distance measuring process is instructed and the reflecting surface distance is updated. . The reflection surface distance acquired by the reflection surface distance measurement process is stored in the EEPROM 10c and is maintained even when the power is turned off. When the reflection surface distance is already stored in the EEPROM 10c, the reflection surface distance newly acquired is written and updated in the EEPROM 10c by overwriting it.

  As shown in FIG. 12, when the bounce shooting mode is selected, it is checked whether or not the reflection surface distance is stored in the EEPROM 10c. When the reflection surface distance is not stored, the reflection surface distance measurement process is executed. Therefore, in this case, the reflection surface distance measurement processing is executed by half-pressing the next release button 5, and the reflection surface distance acquired as a result is written in the EEPROM 10c.

  On the other hand, when the reflection surface distance is stored, whether or not the reflection surface distance is instructed is checked by pressing the re-ranging button 51. When the re-ranging button 51 is pressed, a reflection surface distance measurement process is executed in response to half-pressing of the release button 5, and the reflection surface distance acquired by the process is written into the EEPROM 10c. The reflection surface distance is updated to the newly acquired value. Instead of half-pressing the release button 5, the reflecting surface distance measurement process may be executed in response to the pressing operation of the re-ranging button 51. In this case, the re-ranging button 51 is pressed with the photographing lens 4 facing the reflecting surface.

  Even when the reflection surface distance measurement processing is executed as described above or when the reflection surface distance measurement processing is not executed, the subject distance measurement processing is executed next, and further the bounce angle calculation processing is executed. However, at this time, the reflection surface distance stored in the EEPROM 10c is used. Thereafter, drive processing and flash photography processing are executed.

  Therefore, according to this example, when the reflecting surface distance measured when bounce shooting was performed in the past is stored in the EEPROM 10c, the release button 5 is pressed halfway without operating the re-ranging button 51. If the button is pressed, the bounce angle A is also calculated using the reflection surface distance stored in the EEPROM 10c. Therefore, when the reflection surface distance does not change, bounce shooting can be performed quickly. Further, the reflective surface distance can be updated by operating the re-ranging button 51 as necessary.

  13 and 14 show a fourth embodiment. In the fourth embodiment, an instruction for re-ranging is provided by pointing the digital camera upward. Other than that described below, the second embodiment is the same as the third embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 13, a posture sensor 53 is connected to the system controller 10. The posture sensor 53 can be any type of sensor as long as it can determine whether the digital camera 2 is facing upward, that is, whether the photographing direction of the photographing lens 4 is upward. Based on the detection signal from the attitude sensor 53, the system controller 10 determines whether or not the shooting direction is upward.

  As shown in FIG. 14, when the release button 5 is half-pressed in the bounce shooting mode, the AF control unit 17 focuses the shooting lens 4. At this time, when it is detected that the digital camera 2 is facing upward based on the detection signal from the attitude sensor 53, the system controller 10 moves the release button 5 in the state of facing upward. It is determined that half-pressing is an instruction to re-measure the reflecting surface distance. For this reason, the distance measurement process is executed after the distance acquired based on the focus lens position is stored in the EEPROM 10c as the reflection surface distance.

  According to this example, when the distance of the reflecting surface is measured again, it is only necessary to turn the digital camera 2 upward and press the release button 5 halfway, so that the operation can be simplified. In this example, if the digital camera 2 is pointed upward and the release button 5 is pressed halfway and then pressed further down to full press, it is determined that the shooting is upward and normal flash photography is performed. I have to.

  FIG. 15 shows a fifth embodiment. In the fifth embodiment, the posture in which the photographing lens is directed to the reflecting portion of the reflecting surface that actually reflects the strobe light and the posture in which the photographing lens is directed to the subject are specified by an instruction from the outside, respectively. The angle between the photographic optical axes in each specified posture is set as the bounce angle. In addition, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the substantially same component as the said embodiment, and the description is abbreviate | omitted.

  The configuration of the digital camera is the same as that of the fourth embodiment, and includes an attitude sensor 53. In this example, since it is assumed that the bounce angle is changed in the vertical direction, a posture sensor 53 that can detect the same vertical angle (elevation angle) as the variable direction of the bounce angle is used.

  As shown in FIG. 15, when the bounce shooting mode is set, the digital camera, that is, the shooting lens 4 is directed to the portion of the reflecting surface where the strobe light is actually reflected, and the release button 5 is half-pressed. For example, guidance is displayed on the LCD 9. In accordance with this, as shown by a dotted line in FIG. 16A, the photographer points the photographing lens 4 toward the portion where the strobe light is to be reflected and presses the release button 4 halfway. During this operation, since a through image is displayed on the LCD 9, the photographer can easily confirm the portion where the photographing lens 4 is directed by observing the through image.

  When the release button 5 serving as the specific indicating member is half-pressed, the system controller 10 determines a first angle, which is an angle in the photographing direction with respect to the horizontal, for example, at that time based on the detection signal from the attitude sensor 53, This is stored in the RAM 10b.

  Subsequently, guidance for pointing the photographic lens 4 toward the subject and half-pressing the release button 5 is displayed on the LCD 9, and the photographer operates according to this guidance. Also at this time, since the through image is displayed on the LCD 9, the photographer can easily confirm whether or not the photographing lens 4 is correctly directed to the subject by observing the through image. .

  After the photographing lens 4 is directed to the subject, when the release button 5 is pressed halfway, the system controller 10 determines the second angle, which is the angle in the photographing direction at that time, based on the detection signal from the attitude sensor 53. This is stored in the RAM 10b.

  When the first angle and the second angle are acquired as described above, the system controller 10 that constitutes the angle measuring means together with the attitude sensor 53 takes a picture when the photographing lens 4 is directed to the part of the reflecting surface that reflects the strobe light. An angle α between the optical axis P1 and the photographing optical axis P1 when facing the subject is obtained as an angle difference between the first angle and the second angle, and this angle α is set as an appropriate bounce angle A. Then, the strobe light emitting unit 7 is rotated through the angle driving unit 23 so that the calculated bounce angle A is obtained.

  According to this, the bounce angle A can be easily set, and the bounce angle A can be set while confirming the portion where the strobe light from the strobe light emitting unit 7 is actually reflected by the display means such as the LCD 9. In addition, it is possible to irradiate and reflect the strobe light to the part of the reflecting surface almost certainly.

  In the above embodiment, assuming that the bounce angle is changed in the vertical direction, the vertical angle (elevation angle) is detected by the attitude sensor 53, but the direction in which the bounce angle is changed is not limited to the vertical direction. Instead, the attitude sensor 53 may detect the angle with respect to the setting direction of the bounce angle. In addition, it is only necessary to obtain an angle difference between the photographing optical axis P1 when the photographing lens 4 is directed to the reflection surface portion that reflects the strobe light and the photographing optical axis P1 when the photographing lens 4 is directed to the subject. It suffices if the angle when the photographing lens 4 is directed to the other side can be set based on the angle when the photographing lens 4 is directed to the other. An angular velocity sensor or the like can be used as such a sensor.

  A sixth embodiment is shown in FIGS. In the sixth embodiment, the bounce angle is corrected according to the change in the shooting direction after the bounce angle is set. Note that the digital camera in this example includes the posture sensor 53 as in the fourth embodiment, and the posture sensor 53 can measure the photographing direction (direction of the photographing optical axis P1). Are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof is omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 17, when shooting in the bounce shooting mode, first, the bounce angle A of the strobe light emitting unit 7 is set. The bounce angle A may be set manually by the photographer himself, or the bounce angle A may be automatically set as in other embodiments.

  After setting the bounce angle A, as shown by the solid line in FIG. 18, the photographer performs framing with the photographing lens 4 facing the subject and presses the release button 5 halfway. When the release button 5 is pressed halfway, the focus of the taking lens 4 is matched to the subject, and the shooting direction (direction of the shooting optical axis P1) at that time is measured by the attitude sensor 53, and this is written in the RAM 10b as the reference direction. Held.

  After the reference direction is written, while the release button 5 is half-pressed, the detection signal of the attitude sensor 53 is monitored by the system controller 10 to check whether there is a change in the photographing direction with respect to the reference direction.

  When the photographer swings the shooting direction downward or upward with respect to the reference direction, the system controller 10 checks the direction in which the shooting direction has changed with respect to the reference direction and the amount of the change, and the changed direction. The bounce angle A is corrected by rotating the strobe light emitting unit 7 via the angle driving unit 23 in a direction opposite to that of 1.5 times the amount of change.

  For example, as shown by a broken line in FIG. 18, when the person who is the subject 32 squats down and the photographer swings the photographing direction downward by an angle β with respect to the reference direction, the strobe light emitting unit 7 The bounce angle A is corrected by turning in the direction by an angle “1.5β”. Thus, the bounce angle A is corrected so that the subject is appropriately irradiated with the strobe light.

  In this embodiment, the bounce angle A is corrected by an angle that is 1.5 times the amount of change in the shooting direction, assuming a scene in which the subject moves so that the shooting direction changes at the angle β. This prevents the range irradiated with the strobe light from shifting to the rear of the subject. Of course, the bounce angle A can be corrected by the same magnitude as the change amount of the shooting direction when the shooting direction is swung upward and downward in order to change the framing without moving the subject.

  In the fourth to sixth embodiments, the posture sensor is provided to detect the shooting direction and the change in the shooting direction. However, in a digital camera having a camera shake correction function, camera shake is corrected for camera shake correction. An angular velocity sensor built in for detection can also be used as a posture sensor.

  FIG. 19 shows a seventh embodiment. In the seventh embodiment, a direct irradiation range in which strobe light is directly irradiated during bounce shooting is displayed on a through image. In addition, except being demonstrated below, it is the same as that of 1st Embodiment, The same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the substantially same structural member, and the description is abbreviate | omitted.

  When shooting in the bounce shooting mode, first, the bounce angle A of the strobe light emitting unit 7 is set. The bounce angle A may be set manually by the photographer, or the bounce angle A may be automatically set as in other embodiments. When the photographer himself operates the strobe light emitting unit 7 directly to set the bounce angle A, the angle control unit 23 can be omitted.

  Under the bounce shooting mode, when the release button 5 is pressed halfway, the system controller 10 matches the focus of the shooting lens 4 with the subject via the AF control unit 17 and then based on the angle information from the encoder 24. Thus, the bounce angle A of the strobe light emitting unit 7 is acquired. Then, using the acquired bounce angle A and the subject distance acquired based on the focus lens position of the focus lens 15a, the direct irradiation region where the strobe light is directly irradiated within the photographing range is calculated and obtained. The range is superimposed on the through image on the LCD 9 and displayed.

As shown in FIG. 20, the direct irradiation area Z2 when the strobe light is irradiated at the bounce angle A is obtained by calculation with respect to the shooting range Z1 on the subject distance L where the focus of the shooting lens 4 is matched. In this example, the direct irradiation area Z2 is calculated by the following equation (3) as the width of the edge of the photographing range in the direction in which the strobe light is reflected.
Z2 = L.tan (.theta.a / 2) -h- (c + L) .tan (A-.theta.b / 2) (3)

  The value “A” in the above equation (3) is the set bounce angle A. The value “θa” is the angle of view of the shooting screen in the setting direction of the bounce angle A, and if the strobe light is reflected by the upper ceiling surface as the reflecting surface 31, the setting direction is the vertical direction, so is there. This angle of view θa is determined by the focal length of the photographic lens 4 and the size of the light receiving surface of the image sensor 12, but when the focal length changes like a zoom lens, the focal length is detected and calculated. That's fine. The value “θb” is an irradiation angle of the strobe light from the strobe light emitting unit 7, and the irradiation angle θb is also an angle in the setting direction of the bounce angle A.

  The value “c” and the value “h” are deviation amounts of the reference points of the vertical angle of view θa and the irradiation angle θb, the value “c” is the deviation in the direction of the photographing optical axis P1, and the value “h” is the photographing optical axis. This is a shift in a direction orthogonal to P1. Note that the reference point for the angle of view θa and the reference point for the irradiation angle θb are both the apexes of these angles.

  When the system controller 10 obtains the direct irradiation area Z2, the system controller 10 converts it into a width on the LCD 9, and then displays a range corresponding to the converted direct irradiation area Z2 together with the through image 56 on the LCD 9, as shown in FIG. An image 57 is displayed. For example, the range display image 57 is displayed so that a light color is superimposed on the through image 56 in the range.

  By displaying the direct irradiation area on the through image as described above, the photographer can confirm in advance the range in which the strobe light is directly irradiated, and setting the bounce angle A as necessary. Can be changed. Note that the method of displaying the direct irradiation area on the LCD is not limited to the above.

  FIG. 22 shows an eighth embodiment. In the eighth embodiment, the set bounce angle is corrected so that the irradiation area does not directly overlap the imaging range. The configuration of the digital camera is the same as that of the first embodiment.

  When the release button 5 is half-pressed in the bounce shooting mode, the subject distance is determined from the bounce angle A obtained from the angle information of the encoder 24 or the subject distance L obtained based on the focus lens position, as in the seventh embodiment. When the direct irradiation area on L is obtained and the direct irradiation area overlaps the shooting range on the subject distance L, the range of the direct irradiation area is displayed on the through image displayed on the LCD 9.

  Thereafter, when the photographer directs automatic correction of the bounce angle A when the direct irradiation area overlaps the shooting range on the subject distance L, the bounce angle A that does not directly overlap the shooting range on the subject distance L is obtained. The strobe light emitting unit 7 is rotated by the angle control unit 23 so as to obtain the bounce angle A obtained by the system controller 10. The automatic correction instruction is performed by operating the operation unit 8, for example.

The bounce angle A that prevents the irradiation area from directly overlapping the imaging range on the subject distance L is obtained as a value that satisfies the following equations (4) and (5). Note that the smallest bounce angle A that satisfies the expressions (4) and (5) is preferable because the difference from the bounce angle set by the photographer is small. This is also the case in this example.
L · tan (θa / 2) ≦ (c + L) · tan (A−θb / 2) + h (4)
A ≦ 90 ° + θb / 2 (5)

  In the above equations (4) and (5), the value “A” is the bounce angle A, the value “θa” is the angle of view of the shooting screen in the setting direction of the bounce angle A, and the value “θb” is the bounce angle A. Is the flash light irradiation angle in the set direction. Further, the value “c” and the value “h” are deviation amounts between the reference points of the vertical angle of view θa and the irradiation angle θb, the value “c” is the deviation in the direction of the photographing optical axis P1, and the value “h” is the photographing. This is a shift in a direction orthogonal to the optical axis P1.

  Even when the irradiation area directly overlaps the imaging range, if the photographer does not instruct the automatic correction of the bounce angle A, the flash photography can be performed without correcting the bounce angle A. As a result, the photographer intends to perform photographing in which the irradiation region is directly superimposed on the photographing range.

  In the above eighth embodiment, when the irradiation area directly overlaps the shooting range on the subject distance, the bounce angle is changed so that the irradiation area does not directly overlap the shooting range. As in the ninth embodiment shown in FIG. 24, the irradiation angle θb of the strobe light can be changed while maintaining the bounce angle A so that the irradiation area does not directly overlap the shooting range on the subject distance.

  In this case, the irradiation angle θb that prevents the irradiation region from directly overlapping the imaging range on the subject distance L is obtained as a value satisfying the above-described equations (4) and (5). In addition, it is preferable to set it as the largest irradiation angle (theta) b which each satisfy | fills Formula (4), (5), and it is doing so in this example. The irradiation angle θb is changed by sliding the reflecting plate 27 provided in the strobe light emitting unit 7 in the front-rear direction by the irradiation angle driving unit 58. Of course, the irradiation angle θb may be changed by other methods.

  According to the eighth and ninth embodiments, even if the photographer sets an inappropriate bounce angle A or an irradiation angle, it can be automatically corrected, so that good bounce photography can be easily performed. Can do.

  In the eighth and ninth embodiments, the irradiation area does not directly overlap the shooting range on the subject distance determined by the size of the photographing lens and the light receiving surface of the image sensor, but the tenth embodiment shown in FIG. As described above, the direct irradiation range may not overlap the photographing range in consideration of the effective reach distance in which the directly irradiated strobe light effectively reaches.

  In the tenth embodiment, as shown in FIG. 25, as shown in FIG. 27, the shooting screen 41 is provided with a plurality of AF detection areas Fij (i = 1 to 5, j = 1 to 3) in a matrix. It is. With these AF detection areas Fij, distance measurement can be performed for each distance measurement point obtained by dividing the shooting range into a plurality of areas. In the distance measurement for each distance measuring point, as in the second embodiment, the focus lens 15a of the photographing lens 4 is controlled so that each AF detection area Fij is in focus in order, and the system controller 10 detects each AF. The subject distance is obtained from the lens position of the focus lens 15a for the region Fij.

  When the distance measurement of each AF detection area Fij is completed, the system controller 10 compares the distance measurement result of each AF detection area Fij with the distance at which the strobe light effectively reaches (hereinafter referred to as effective arrival distance). An effective reach area that is an imaging range that is less than or equal to the effective reach distance is specified.

For example, the system controller 10 sets each AF detection area Fij aligned in the horizontal direction as one line, and the distance measurement points corresponding to the AF detection area Fij in the line are sequentially below the effective reach distance in order from the line on the imaging screen 41. Check whether it is. If even one distance measuring point in the line is less than or equal to the effective reach distance, the line and the range below it are set as the effective reach area. Therefore, when even one of the distance measuring points on the uppermost line is less than or equal to the effective reach distance, the entire range of the shooting range becomes the effective reach area. In the example of FIG. 25, the second line including the AF detection areas F _{21 to} F ₂₃ and below are effective reach areas.

  In this example, it is assumed that the strobe light is reflected on an upper reflecting surface such as a ceiling surface. When the direct irradiation area overlaps the shooting range, the direct irradiation area is formed at the top of the shooting range. For this reason, the effective reachable area is specified as described above, but this specification may be changed depending on which side the reflecting surface is on the imaging range. For example, when the wall surface in the horizontal direction of the shooting screen 41 is used as a reflection surface, the direct irradiation area overlaps on the horizontal side of the shooting range.

Next, the system controller 10 obtains the field angle θc of the effective area above the imaging optical axis, and obtains the bounce angle A that satisfies the following equations (6) and (7) using the field angle θc. The bounce angle A obtained in this way is an angle that prevents the irradiation region from directly overlapping the effective reach region on the subject distance L. The angle of view θc can be obtained from the ratio between the height of the effective area and the height of the shooting screen and the angle of view θa. When the automatic correction of the bounce angle A is instructed, the strobe light emitting unit 7 is rotated so that the bounce angle A is reached. The smallest bounce angle A is preferable, and this is also the case in this example.
L · tan θc ≦ (c + L) · tan (A−θb / 2) + h (6)
A ≦ 90 ° + θb / 2 (7)

  According to this example, it is possible to obtain a smaller bounce angle A while avoiding direct exposure of the strobe light to the main subject, which is advantageous when performing bounce shooting on a farther main subject. Become. In this embodiment, the bounce angle A is corrected, but the irradiation angle may be corrected as in the ninth embodiment.

  In the seventh to tenth embodiments, the subject distance is acquired from the lens position of the focus lens 15a, but the method for measuring and acquiring the subject distance is not limited to this.

  11 shows an eleventh embodiment shown in FIG. In the eleventh embodiment, a light source that outputs point light for displaying a point or an area on a reflecting surface directly irradiated with strobe light is provided.

  In this example, a pointer unit 61 as a light source is provided on the front upper portion of the strobe light emitting unit 7, and the pointer unit 61 rotates integrally with the strobe light emitting unit 7. The pointer unit 61 is formed of, for example, an LED or a laser element, and emits pointer light parallel to the irradiation direction of the strobe light emitting unit 7 when the release button 5 is pressed halfway. Thereby, since the part on the reflective surface irradiated with strobe light is indicated by the pointer light, the photographer can confirm in advance the part on the reflective surface irradiated with strobe light. Note that the pointer light from the pointer unit 61 may be emitted in the form of a dot, but it is preferable that the irradiation area of the strobe light is known as a planar shape. Further, this pointer light may be used as AF auxiliary light.

  A twelfth embodiment is shown in FIG. In the twelfth embodiment, bounce shooting is performed a plurality of times while changing the bounce angle. The configuration of the digital camera is the same as that of the first embodiment, and substantially the same constituent members are denoted by the same reference numerals and the description thereof is omitted.

In the digital camera according to the twelfth embodiment, the bounce continuous shooting mode in which the bounce shooting is performed a plurality of times while changing the bounce angle A can be selected by operating the operation unit 8. In the bounce continuous shooting mode, an optimum image is selected from images obtained by each bounce shooting, and the selected image is stored in a storage medium.

  In the case of shooting in the bounce continuous shooting mode, after the bounce continuous shooting mode, the number N of shots for performing bounce shooting and the bounce angle A in each bounce shooting are input. First, the system controller 10 displays an input request for the bounce angle A for the first bounce shooting on the LCD 9. The photographer operates the operation unit 8 to input the bounce angle A for the first bounce shooting. Subsequently, the system controller 10 displays an input request for the number of shooting times N on the LCD 9, and in response to this, the operation unit 8 is operated to input the desired number of shooting times for bounce shooting.

  When “1” is input as the number of times of photographing N, the process of setting the strobe light emitting unit 7 to the first bounce angle is performed immediately, but when the number of times of photographing N of two or more is inputted, The system controller 10 sets the count value n to “2”, requests input of the second bounce angle A, and inputs it. After this input, the count value n is compared with the number of times of photographing N to confirm whether or not the input of all the bounce angles A has been completed.

  If the count value n is less than the number of times N, it is determined that all the bounce angles A have not been input, and the count value n is incremented by “1”, and the input of the nth bounce angle A is requested. Then, repeat the process of inputting it. As a result, input of the bounce angle is requested until the count value n reaches the number of times of photographing N, and all the bounce angles A after the third time are input. Note that the number of times of bounce shooting N and the input method of the bounce angle A can be changed as appropriate.

  As described above, when the bounce angle A for all the bounce shootings is input, the strobe light emitting unit 7 is rotated via the angle driving unit 23 under the control of the system controller 10, and the first bounce is performed. The bounce angle A for shooting is set. Thereafter, when the release button 5 is pressed, the system controller 10 initializes the count value n to “1”, and then performs flash photography. Image data obtained by this flash photography is stored in an internal memory (not shown).

  When the first flash photography is completed, the count value n is compared with the number N of times of photography, and it is confirmed whether or not all bounce photography is completed. When the count value n is less than the number of times N and all the bounce shooting has not been completed, the count value n is incremented by “1” and the strobe light emitting unit 7 is rotated so that the nth bounce angle A is obtained. Then, after this rotation, flash photography is performed, and the obtained image data is stored in the internal memory. Similarly, strobe shooting is performed while incrementing the count value n by “1” until all bounce shooting is completed, and the obtained image data is stored in the internal memory.

  As described above, when N number of bounce shots are completed, a process for selecting an optimum image is performed. In this process, for example, thumbnail images are generated from N images held in the internal memory, and are displayed side by side on the LCD 9. Then, the photographer operates the operation unit 8 to select what should be saved. When a thumbnail image is selected, an image corresponding to the selected thumbnail image is sent from the internal memory to the memory unit 21 and recorded on the memory card.

  For example, 3 is input as the number of shots N for the bounce shooting, the bounce angle A1 for the first bounce shooting, the bounce angle A2 for the second bounce shooting, and the bounce shooting for the third bounce shooting. If the angle A3 is input, the first bounce shooting at the bounce angle A1 by the operation of the release button 5 once, the second bounce shooting at the bounce angle A2, and the third bounce shooting at the bounce angle A3. Are performed in order. The photographer can select the most appropriate image from the three images obtained by the three bounce shootings.

  As described above, according to this example, since the bounce shooting in which the bounce angle A is changed by one release operation can be continuously performed, an optimal image by the bounce shooting can be easily obtained.

  A thirteenth embodiment is shown in FIG. In the thirteenth embodiment, continuous bounce shooting is performed while changing (decreasing) the bounce angle from the bounce angle specified by the photographer to the smallest bounce angle that does not directly overlap the shooting range.

  In this example, after the photographer inputs the first bounce angle A, the system controller 10 obtains the limit bounce angle that satisfies the above-described equations (4) and (5) and is the smallest bounce angle. . Subsequently, the number of shootings N is determined according to the angle difference between the first bounce angle and the limit bounce angle, and the bounce angle of each bounce shooting is determined according to the determined number of shootings N. The determined number N of times of photographing and each bounce angle are displayed on the LCD 9 for confirmation by the photographer.

  Then, after confirming, the photographer presses the release button 5 to instruct photographing. With this shooting instruction, the bounce shooting is performed N times continuously while changing the bounce angle from the first bounce angle A to the limit bounce angle.

For example, when the number of times of shooting is determined by the system controller 10 as 5,
Bounce shooting with the first bounce angle A and bounce shooting with the 5th limit bounce angle, as well as the 2nd to 4th bounce shots with 3 bounce angles between the first bounce angle A and the limit bounce angle Done.

  In setting the first bounce angle A, instead of operating the operation unit and inputting the bounce angle, the strobe light emitting unit 7 may be directly operated to obtain a desired bounce angle.

  In the above embodiment, the number of times of shooting N is determined according to the difference between the first bounce angle A and the limit bounce angle, and the bounce angle of each bounce shooting is determined according to the number of times of shooting N. The photographer may determine the number of times N, each bounce angle, and the amount of change for each time. Also, as shown in FIG. 29, the number N of times of photographing may be determined according to the remaining amount of the battery. In the example shown in FIG. 29, the number of times of photographing N is reduced as the remaining amount of the battery is small. ing.

In each of the above embodiments, the example in which the strobe device is built in the photographing apparatus has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the present invention can also be used when the strobe device is attached to the photographing apparatus. Moreover, although each embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the configurations and functions shown in each embodiment can be combined with each other within a consistent range.

It is a perspective view which shows the external appearance of the digital camera which implemented this invention. It is a perspective view which shows the external appearance of the digital camera of the state which rotated the strobe light emission part and gave the bounce angle. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of a digital camera. It is explanatory drawing which shows the relationship between the reflective surface distance measured, a to-be-photographed object distance, and a bounce angle. It is a flowchart which shows the process sequence in bounce imaging | photography mode. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of the guidance displayed at the time of a bounce imaging | photography mode. It is explanatory drawing which shows the AF detection area | region provided in multiple numbers in the imaging | photography screen in 2nd Embodiment which calculates | requires the reflective surface distance in consideration of the inclination of the imaging | photography optical axis with respect to a reflective surface. It is explanatory drawing which shows the relationship between each ranging point and reflective surface distance in 2nd Embodiment. An example in which a plurality of AF detection areas are provided in the vertical and horizontal directions to capture the inclination of the reflecting surface in a three-dimensional manner is shown. An example in which the inclination of the reflecting surface is captured three-dimensionally by three AF detection areas is shown. FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing an external appearance of a digital camera according to a third embodiment that calculates a bounce angle using a reflection surface distance measured in the past when there is no instruction to measure the reflection surface distance. It is a flowchart which shows the process sequence in the bounce imaging | photography mode in 3rd Embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows the attitude | position sensor provided in 4th Embodiment which judges whether it is the instruction | indication of re-ranging by pointing up a digital camera. It is a flowchart which shows the process sequence in the bounce imaging | photography mode in 4th Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the process sequence of 5th Embodiment which makes the bounce angle the angle between imaging | photography optical axes when a photographic lens is provided in the part to reflect and a to-be-photographed object. It is explanatory drawing which shows the relationship between the angle between imaging | photography optical axes measured in 5th Embodiment, and a bounce angle. It is a flowchart which shows the process sequence of 6th Embodiment which corrects a bounce angle by the change of an imaging | photography direction. It is explanatory drawing which shows the relationship between the change of an imaging | photography direction, the correction amount of the bounce angle corrected, and a direction in 6th Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the process sequence of 7th Embodiment which displays the direct irradiation range on which a strobe light is directly irradiated on a through image. It is explanatory drawing which shows the relationship between the direct irradiation range of 7th Embodiment, and the imaging | photography range on object distance. It is explanatory drawing explaining the display state of LCD of 7th Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the process sequence of 8th Embodiment which corrects a bounce angle so that an irradiation area may not overlap with an imaging | photography range directly. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the digital camera of 9th Embodiment which corrects an irradiation angle so that an irradiation area may not overlap with an imaging | photography range directly. It is a flowchart which shows the process sequence of 9th Embodiment. It is explanatory drawing which shows 10th Embodiment which made the irradiation range not overlap with an imaging | photography range directly in consideration of the effective reach distance where strobe light reaches | attains effectively. It is a perspective view which shows the principal part of 11th Embodiment provided with the light source which shows the position on the reflective surface where a strobe light is irradiated directly as a point light. It is a flowchart which shows the process sequence of 12th Embodiment which performs bounce imaging | photography several times, changing a bounce angle. It is a flowchart which shows the process sequence of 13th Embodiment which sets a frequency | count and a bounce angle automatically, when performing bounce imaging | photography several times continuously. It is a flowchart which shows the example which sets a frequency | count according to a battery remaining charge, when performing bounce imaging | photography several times continuously.

Explanation of symbols

2 Digital Camera 4 Shooting Lens 5 Release Button 6 Strobe Device 7 Strobe Flash 9 LCD
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 System controller 15 Focus mechanism 23 Angle drive part 24 Encoder 58 Irradiation angle drive part 61 Pointer part

Claims (26)

The camera has an autofocus unit that matches the focus of the photographic lens and a strobe device that has a drive mechanism that changes the bounce angle, and shoots bounce light that illuminates the subject with bounce light that is reflected by irradiating the reflecting surface with strobe light. In the shooting device,
In response to the first operation on the reflecting surface, the autofocus means is activated to bring the photographing lens into focus, and the autofocus in response to the second operation on the subject. A focus control means for executing a second focusing operation for operating the means to match the focus of the taking lens;
The first distance to the reflecting surface is acquired based on the lens position of the focus lens of the photographing lens when the focusing is achieved by the first focusing operation, and the focusing is achieved by the second focusing operation. Distance acquisition means for acquiring a second distance to the subject based on the lens position of the focus lens of the taking lens when
Bounce angle calculation means for obtaining a bounce angle for illuminating the subject with bounce light from the first distance and the second distance obtained from the distance acquisition means;
An imaging apparatus comprising: drive control means for driving the drive mechanism so that the bounce angle obtained by the bounce angle calculation means is obtained. The focus control means causes the first focusing operation to be executed for each of three or more different distance measuring points within the shooting range,
The distance acquisition unit acquires the distance to each distance measuring point, and corrects the inclination of the imaging optical axis with respect to the reflecting surface during the first focusing operation based on the distance to each distance measuring point. The photographing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first distance when the optical axis is perpendicular to the reflecting surface is obtained. A distance storing means for holding the distance to the measured reflecting surface; and a distance measuring instruction member for instructing distance measurement of the reflecting surface by executing a first focusing operation;
When the first focusing operation is performed in response to the operation of the distance measuring instruction member, the distance acquisition unit can newly obtain the first distance held in the distance storage unit. Updated to a distance of 1,
The bounce angle calculation means acquires a first distance from the distance storage means when a second focusing operation is performed without operating the distance measuring instruction member. The photographing apparatus according to 1 or 2.   A detection unit that detects a shooting direction; and a release button that is operated by half-pressing and full-pressing. The focus control unit is configured to release the release button when the shooting direction detected by the detection unit is upward. Is used as the distance measuring instruction member, the first focusing operation is executed in response to the half-pressing of the release button, and the second in response to the half-pressing of the release button when the shooting direction is other than upward. 4. The photographing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein a focusing operation is performed. In an imaging apparatus that includes a strobe device having a drive mechanism that changes a bounce angle, illuminates a subject with bounce light that is reflected by irradiating the reflecting surface with strobe light,
A specific indication member that is operated from the outside and is operated to specify a first posture in which the photographic lens is directed to the reflecting portion of the reflecting surface and a second posture in which the photographic lens is directed to the subject;
Angle measuring means for measuring the angle between the photographic optical axes in each posture when specified by the operation of the specific indicating member;
An imaging apparatus, comprising: an angle measured by the angle means as a bounce angle, and drive control means for driving the drive mechanism so as to obtain the bounce angle.   6. The photographing apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising display means for displaying a photographing range photographed through the photographing lens until at least the first posture is specified. In an imaging apparatus that includes a strobe device having a drive mechanism that changes a bounce angle, illuminates a subject with bounce light that is reflected by irradiating the reflecting surface with strobe light,
An attitude sensor for detecting the shooting direction;
Based on the detection result of the posture sensor, the change angle of the shooting direction with respect to the variable direction of the bounce angle is detected based on the shooting direction when the release button is half-pressed, and the detected change angle and change direction of the shooting direction are detected. And a drive control means for driving the drive mechanism to correct the bounce angle.   The drive control means, when correcting the bounce angle, changes the bounce angle by an angle 1.5 times the detected change angle in a direction opposite to the direction in which the shooting direction has changed. Item 8. The photographing device according to Item 7. An image sensor for photographing a subject through a photographing lens, a display means for displaying an image photographed by the image sensor as a through image, and a strobe device having a variable bounce angle. In an imaging device that performs bounce shooting that illuminates a subject with bounce light that is
Bounce angle detection means for detecting the bounce angle set in the strobe device,
Distance acquisition means for acquiring the distance to the subject;
The distance to the subject based on the distance to the subject acquired by the distance acquisition means, the focal length of the taking lens, the positional relationship between the taking lens and the strobe device, the bounce angle of the strobe device, and the irradiation angle of the strobe light An arithmetic means for obtaining a direct irradiation range in which the above strobe light is directly irradiated,
An imaging apparatus comprising: a combining unit that displays the direct irradiation range obtained by the calculating unit on the through image. In a photographing apparatus that includes a strobe device having a drive mechanism that changes a bounce angle, and can perform bounce photographing that illuminates a subject with bounce light reflected by irradiating the reflecting surface with strobe light,
Bounce angle detection means for detecting the bounce angle set in the strobe device,
Distance acquisition means for acquiring the distance to the subject;
Shooting on the distance to the subject based on the distance to the subject acquired by the distance acquisition means, the focal length of the photographic lens, the positional relationship between the photographic lens and the strobe device, and the irradiation angle of the strobe light from the strobe device A calculation means for obtaining a minimum bounce angle in which the direct irradiation range in which the strobe light is directly irradiated on the range does not overlap;
An imaging device comprising: drive control means for driving the drive mechanism so that the bounce angle detected by the bounce angle detection means is the minimum bounce angle when the bounce angle is smaller than the minimum bounce angle. apparatus. The distance acquisition means acquires a distance for each of a plurality of distance measuring points obtained by dividing the shooting screen,
The calculation means checks the effective reach area of the distance where the strobe light effectively reaches based on the distance measurement result of the distance acquisition means within the imaging range, and the minimum irradiation range that does not directly overlap the effective reach area The imaging apparatus according to claim 10, wherein a bounce angle is obtained. The bounce angle is variable, and equipped with a strobe device that has an irradiation angle change mechanism that changes the irradiation angle of the strobe light. The bounce shooting that illuminates the subject with the bounce light that is reflected by irradiating the reflection surface with the strobe light In the imaging device to perform
Bounce angle detection means for detecting the bounce angle of light set in the strobe device,
An irradiation angle detecting means for detecting an irradiation angle set in the strobe device;
Distance acquisition means for acquiring the distance to the subject;
Based on the distance to the subject acquired by the distance acquisition means, the focal length of the photographing lens, the positional relationship between the photographing lens and the strobe device, and the bounce angle of the strobe device, the strobe light is applied to the photographing range on the distance to the subject. Calculating means for obtaining the maximum strobe light irradiation angle that does not overlap the direct irradiation range directly irradiated,
Drive control means for driving an irradiation angle changing mechanism so as to be the maximum irradiation angle of the strobe light when the irradiation angle detected by the irradiation angle detection means is larger than the irradiation angle of the maximum strobe light. An imaging device characterized by that.   13. The distance acquisition unit according to claim 9, wherein the distance acquisition unit acquires a distance to a subject based on a lens position of a focus lens of a photographing lens when the focus is matched. Shooting device. In a photographing apparatus that includes a strobe device having a variable bounce angle and can perform bounce photographing that illuminates a subject with bounce light reflected by irradiating the reflecting surface with strobe light,
A light source that is provided integrally with the strobe device and that outputs point light for displaying a point or an area on a reflecting surface directly irradiated with the strobe light in a direction parallel to the irradiation direction of the strobe light; and Shooting device to do. In an imaging apparatus that includes a strobe device having a drive mechanism that changes a bounce angle, and that can perform bounce shooting that illuminates a subject with bounce light that is reflected by irradiating the reflecting surface with strobe light,
In response to one shooting instruction, the driving mechanism is driven to perform strobe shooting each time the bounce angle is changed, and control means is provided to perform bounce shooting at a plurality of different bounce angles. An imaging device.   16. The photographing apparatus according to claim 15, further comprising an input means for inputting the number of strobe photographing to be executed by the control means and the bounce angle of each strobe photographing in response to one photographing instruction. A setting means for setting a first bounce angle to be executed by the control means in response to one shooting instruction;
Distance acquisition means for acquiring the distance to the subject;
Shooting on the distance to the subject based on the distance to the subject acquired by the distance acquisition means, the focal length of the taking lens, the positional relationship between the taking lens and the strobe device, and the irradiation angle of the strobe light from the strobe device A calculation means for obtaining a minimum bounce angle in which the direct irradiation range in which the strobe light is directly irradiated on the range does not overlap,
16. The photographing apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the control unit causes the bounce shooting to be performed a plurality of times by sequentially changing from the bounce angle set as the first time to the minimum bounce angle by a predetermined angle.   18. The photographing apparatus according to claim 17, further comprising a detecting unit that detects a remaining battery level, wherein the control unit causes bounce shooting to be performed a number of times corresponding to the remaining battery level. In a control method of an imaging apparatus provided with a strobe device having a drive mechanism that changes a bounce angle at the time of bounce imaging in which an object is illuminated by bounce light reflected by irradiating a strobe light on a reflecting surface,
A first distance measuring step that activates autofocus on the reflecting surface that reflects the strobe light to bring the photographing lens into focus, and measures the distance to the reflecting surface based on the position of the focusing lens of the photographing lens;
A second distance measuring step of operating the autofocus on the subject to bring the photographing lens into focus, and measuring the distance to the subject based on the position of the focusing lens of the photographing lens;
An angle calculation step for obtaining a bounce angle for illuminating the subject with bounce light reflected by irradiating the reflection surface with stroboscopic light based on each distance obtained by the first distance measurement step and the second distance measurement step; ,
And a driving step of driving the driving mechanism so that the bounce angle obtained by the angle calculating step is obtained.   A first detecting unit configured to detect a shooting direction; and a release button for instructing shooting. The first button in response to a half-press of the release button when the shooting direction detected by the detecting unit is upward. 20. The method according to claim 19, wherein a distance measuring step is performed, and the second distance measuring step is performed in response to a half-press of the release button when the shooting direction is other than upward. In a control method of an imaging apparatus provided with a strobe device having a drive mechanism that changes a bounce angle at the time of bounce imaging in which an object is illuminated by bounce light reflected by irradiating a strobe light on a reflecting surface,
An angle measuring step of measuring an angle between the photographic optical axes in a first posture in which the photographic lens is directed to a reflecting surface specified by an instruction from the outside and a second posture in which the photographic lens is directed to a subject;
And a driving step of driving the driving mechanism so as to obtain a bounce angle, wherein the angle measured in the angle measurement step is a bounce angle. In a control method of an imaging apparatus provided with a strobe device having a drive mechanism that changes a bounce angle at the time of bounce imaging in which an object is illuminated by bounce light reflected by irradiating a strobe light on a reflecting surface,
Based on the shooting direction when the release button is pressed halfway, the angle change of the shooting direction with respect to the variable direction of the bounce angle is detected, and the drive mechanism is driven based on the detected change amount and change direction of the angle change. A control method for an imaging apparatus, comprising a correction step of correcting a bounce angle. In a control method of an imaging apparatus that includes a strobe device with a variable bounce angle and can shoot a subject with bounce light reflected by irradiating a strobe light on a reflecting surface,
The distance to the subject obtained by measurement, the bounce angle set in the strobe device, the focal length of the photographing lens, the positional relationship between the photographing lens and the strobe device, and the irradiation angle of the strobe light of the strobe device Based on the above, the direct irradiation range in which the strobe light is directly irradiated on the distance to the subject is obtained, and the direct irradiation range is displayed on the through image captured and displayed by the image sensor. Control method of photographing apparatus. Obtained by measuring in a control method of an imaging apparatus that includes a strobe device having a drive mechanism that changes the bounce angle, and that can shoot an object with bounce light reflected by irradiating the reflecting surface with strobe light. Direct illumination in which the strobe light is directly irradiated to the shooting range on the distance to the subject based on the distance to the subject to be photographed, the positional relationship between the photographing lens and the strobe device, and the strobe light irradiation angle of the strobe device A minimum bounce angle that does not overlap the range is obtained, and when the set bounce angle is smaller than the minimum bounce angle, the drive mechanism is driven so as to be the minimum bounce angle. Control method of photographing apparatus. The bounce angle is variable and includes a strobe device with an irradiation angle changing unit that changes the irradiation angle of the strobe light, and the bounce light that illuminates the subject with the bounce light reflected by irradiating the reflection surface with the strobe light The photographing range on the distance to the subject based on the distance to the subject obtained by measurement in the control method of the photographing device, the positional relationship between the photographing lens and the strobe device, and the bounce angle of the strobe device. The maximum irradiation angle of the strobe light that does not overlap the direct irradiation range directly irradiated with the strobe light is calculated, and when the set irradiation angle is larger than the maximum irradiation angle, the maximum bounce angle The imaging apparatus control method, wherein the irradiation angle changing unit is driven as described above. In a control method of an imaging apparatus that includes a strobe device having a drive mechanism that changes a bounce angle, and that can perform bounce imaging that illuminates a subject with bounce light that is reflected by irradiating the reflecting surface with strobe light,
In response to one shooting instruction, the driving mechanism is driven to perform strobe shooting each time the bounce angle is changed, and bounce shooting is performed at a plurality of different bounce angles, respectively. Control method.

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