Camera system, image capturing apparatus, and a method of an image capturing apparatus

• US 20060062557A1
• Filed: 09/07/2005
• Published: 03/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Imada, Shinji
• Granted Patent: US 7,424,213 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 396/55
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/663 for controlling interchangeable camera parts based on electronic image sensor signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/68 for stable pick-up of the scene, e.g. compensating for camera body vibrations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/6812 based on additional sensors, e.g. acceleration sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/6845 by combination of a plurality of images sequentially taken
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/73 by influencing the exposure time

Abstract

A camera system includes a plurality of interchangeable lenses, each of which has an optical image stabilization unit for correcting image blurring, and a camera body. The camera body provides a shooting mode in which a set exposure time period is divided into a plurality of short exposure periods and images captured during the short exposure periods are combined while an image positional shift among the images is corrected. The short exposure period depends on the interchangeable lens mounted on the camera body.

Claims

1. A camera system comprising:

a plurality of interchangeable lenses, each including an image capturing optical system, vibration detection unit, and image stabilization unit;

an image capturing apparatus arranged to divide an exposure time period into a plurality of shorter exposure periods, the image capturing apparatus including image combining unit for combining a plurality of images captured during each of the shorter exposure periods while correcting an image positional shift among the images; and

an exposure period control unit for determining the shorter exposure period in accordance with the mounted interchangeable lens.

2. The camera system according to claim 1, wherein the exposure period control unit determines the shorter exposure period to be longer as the limit of the vibration correction performance of the image stabilization unit in the mounted interchangeable lens is higher.

3. The camera system according to claim 1, further comprising

an information transmission unit for transmitting, to the image capturing apparatus, information about one of an operating mode and an operating characteristic of the image stabilization unit of the mounted interchangeable lens;

and

wherein the exposure period control unit for determining the shorter exposure period in accordance with one of the operating mode and the operating characteristic of the image stabilization unit transmitted from the mounted interchangeable lens.

4. The camera system according to claim 3, wherein the information about one of the operating mode and the operating characteristic of the image stabilization unit includes information about whether the image stabilization unit is active or not.

5. The camera system according to claim 3, wherein the information about one of the operating mode and the operating characteristic of the image stabilization unit includes information about the limit of the image-blur-free performance of the image stabilization unit.

6. An image capturing apparatus for use with a plurality of interchangeable lenses, each lens including an image capturing optical system, vibration detection unit, and image stabilization unit, the apparatus comprising:

a dividing unit for dividing a set exposure time period into a plurality of shorter exposure periods;

a combining unit for combining a plurality of images captured during the shorter exposure periods while correcting an image positional shift among the images; and

a determining unit for determining the shorter exposure period in accordance with the mounted interchangeable lens.

7. A control method of an image capturing apparatus for use with a plurality of interchangeable lenses, each lens including an image capturing optical system, vibration detection unit, and image stabilization unit, the method comprising:

a dividing step of dividing an exposure time period into a plurality of shorter exposure periods;

a combining step of combining a plurality of images captured during the shorter exposure periods while correcting an image positional shift among the images; and

a determining step of determining the shorter exposure period in accordance with the mounted interchangeable lens.