Digital single-lens reflex camera including control section that performs camera shake correction and motion detecting section that detects speed of subject

• US 8,237,803 B2
• Filed: 07/09/2008
• Issued: 08/07/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Yumiki, Naoto
• Primary Examiner(s): Ye, Lin
• Assistant Examiner(s): CAMARGO, MARLY S.B.
• Application Number:
  US12/667,731
• Publication Number:
  US 20100194897A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,490 Days
• Field of Search: 348/208.1, 348/208.4, 348/208.2, 348/208.3, 348/208.13, 348/208.16, 348/154, 348/208.12, 348/208.14, 348/155, 3752401-24029, 396 52- 55
• US Class Current: 348/208.4
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/14 interchangeably
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 19/02 Still-picture cameras
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 7/091 Digital circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 7/097 for control of both exposure time and aperture
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2101/00 Still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/61 based on recognised objects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/631 Graphical user interfaces [GUI] specially adapted for controlling image capture or setting capture parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/635 Region indicators; Field of view indicators
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/663 for controlling interchangeable camera parts based on electronic image sensor signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/673 based on contrast or high frequency components of image signals, e.g. hill climbing method
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/68 for stable pick-up of the scene, e.g. compensating for camera body vibrations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/685 performed by mechanical compensation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/743 Bracketing, i.e. taking a series of images with varying exposure conditions

Abstract

A digital single-lens reflex camera is configured for making it possible to reduce deterioration in image quality due to a camera shake or an object movement and to easily pick up an image with a good image quality. In a digital single-lens reflex camera (1), when an object speed is detected on the basis of a detected object movement, a body microprocessor (12) judges if the object speed is equal to a threshold value (A) or more and, if it is smaller than the threshold value (A), controls a conversion lens camera shake correcting device (82) in a conversion lens (2) or a camera body shake correcting device (75) in a camera body (3) to carry out the camera shake correction. Further, if the object speed is equal to or more than the threshold value (A), the body microprocessor (12) makes a digital signal gain setting unit (111) high in gain so as to increase the ISO sensitivity or makes a shatter speed faster to set a shorter exposure time and has a plurality of images continuously picked up under different exposure conditions.

Claims

1. A digital single lens reflex camera with an imaging sensor and a return mirror, the camera comprising:

a focusing section that performs focus detection based on a contrast scheme using the imaging sensor;

a motion detecting section that detects a speed of the subject based on an image on the imaging sensor;

a control section that performs camera shake correction according to the speed of the subject detected in the motion detecting section;

a camera shake correcting section that is mounted in at least one of a camera body and a replacement lens and that corrects shake of an optical image caused by motion of the camera body; and

a detecting section that detects the presence and absence of the camera shake correcting section on the replacement lens side,

wherein the focusing section, the motion detecting section and the control section enter operation mode while the return mirror is retracted from the optical axis,

wherein the control section increases an amplification factor of the image or shortens an exposure time when the subject speed detected in the motion detecting section is equal to or higher than a threshold, or controls the camera shake correcting section to execute camera shake correction when the subject speed detected in the motion detecting section is lower than the threshold, and

wherein, when the replacement lens has the camera shake correcting section, the control section controls the camera shake correcting section via an interface section.

2. The digital single lens reflex camera according to claim 1, wherein, when the subject speed detected in the motion detecting section is equal to or higher than the threshold, the control section provides varying exposure times or amplification factors and causes a photograph to be taken a plurality of times.

3. The digital single lens reflex camera according to claim 2, wherein the control section causes a photograph to be taken a plurality of times by controlling the exposure time to be shorter per shot or by controlling the amplification factor to be higher per shot.

4. The digital single lens reflex camera according to claim 1, wherein the control section predicts a subject speed when a photograph is taken based on an amount of variation of the subject speed within a predetermined time and controls an exposure time or amplification factor according to the predicted subject speed.

5. The digital single lens reflex camera according to claim 1, wherein the control section changes the threshold based on focal length information about the replacement lens used.

6. The digital single lens reflex camera according to claim 1, wherein the control section changes the threshold depending on whether the camera shake correcting section is mounted on the camera body side or the replacement lens side.

7. A digital single lens reflex camera with an imaging sensor and a return mirror, the camera comprising:

a focusing section that performs focus detection based on a contrast scheme using the imaging sensor;

a motion detecting section that detects a speed of the subject based on an image on the imaging sensor;

a control section that performs camera shake correction according to the speed of the subject detected in the motion detecting section; and

a camera shake correcting section that is mounted in at least one of a camera body and a replacement lens and that corrects shake of an optical image caused by motion of the camera body;

wherein the focusing section, the motion detecting section and the control section enter operation mode while the return mirror is retracted from the optical axis,

wherein the control section increases an amplification factor of the image or shortens an exposure time when the subject speed detected in the motion detecting section is equal to or higher than a threshold, or controls the camera shake correcting section to execute camera shake correction when the subject speed detected in the motion detecting section is lower than the threshold; and

wherein the control section switches between shake correction performed electrically through control over the amplification factor or exposure time on the camera body side, and shake correction performed optically by the camera shake correcting section on the replacement lens side according to the subject speed detected in the motion detecting section.

8. The digital single lens reflex camera according to claim 7, wherein the control section changes the threshold based on focal length information about the replacement lens used.

9. The digital single lens reflex camera according to claim 7, wherein the control section changes the threshold depending on whether the camera shake correcting section is mounted on the camera body side or the replacement lens side.

10. The digital single lens reflex camera according to claim 7, wherein, when the subject speed detected in the motion detecting section is equal to or higher than the threshold, the control section provides varying exposure times or amplification factors and causes a photograph to be taken a plurality of times.

11. The digital single lens reflex camera according to claim 10, wherein the control section causes a photograph to be taken a plurality of times by controlling the exposure time to be shorter per shot or by controlling the amplification factor to be higher per shot.

12. The digital single lens reflex camera according to claim 7, wherein the control section predicts a subject speed when a photograph is taken based on an amount of variation of the subject speed within a predetermined time and controls an exposure time or amplification factor according to the predicted subject speed.