Imaging device and illuminating device

• US 20040008274A1
• Filed: 07/10/2003
• Published: 01/15/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Ikari, Hideo, Shibayama, Yoshinobu
• Application Number:
  US10/616,577
• Publication Number:
  US 20040008274A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/370
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/56 provided with illuminating means
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/74 by influencing the scene brightness using illuminating means

Abstract

An imaging device includes a mode setting member which allows a shooting mode to be selected from a plurality of shooting modes, a first trigger member for shooting still images, and a second trigger member for shooting motion images. The mode setting member makes at least a first shooting mode and second shooting mode available. In the first shooting mode, a still image is shot by causing a first light emitter to emit light continuously when a first operation signal from the first trigger member is detected and causing the first light emitter to stop emitting light and causing a second light emitter to emit light when a second operation signal from the first trigger member is detected. In the second shooting mode, when an operation signal from the second trigger member is detected, moving images are started to be shot while a first light emitter keeps emitting light continuously.

Claims

1. An imaging device, comprising:

a mode setting member which allows a plurality of shooting modes to be set;

a first trigger member for shooting still images; and

a second trigger member for shooting motion images,

wherein the mode setting member allows at least a first shooting mode and a second shooting mode to be set,

the first shooting mode shoots a still image by causing a first light emitter to emit light continuously when a first operation signal from the first trigger member is detected and causing the first light emitter to stop emitting light and causing a second light emitter to emit light when a second operation signal from the first trigger member is detected, and

the second shooting mode, upon detecting an operation signal from the second trigger member, starts shooting motion images while causing a first light emitter to keep emitting light continuously.

2. The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein:

the mode setting member allows a third shooting mode to be selected; and

the third shooting mode does not cause the first light emitter to emit light continuously even if the first operation signal from the first trigger member is detected, and shoots a still image by causing the second light emitter to emit light continuously when the second operation signal from the first trigger member is detected.

3. An imaging device capable of shooting motion images and still images, comprising:

a first light emitter capable of emitting light continuously during motion-image shooting;

a second light emitter capable of emitting light during still-image shooting; and

a control circuit which controls the first light emitter and the second light emitter,

wherein when a predetermined still-image shooting mode is selected, the control circuit causes the first light emitter to emit light continuously before causing the second light emitter which operates in synchronization with still-image shooting to emit light.

4. The imaging device according to claim 3, wherein the control circuit causing the second light emitter to emit light after causing the first light emitter to stop emitting light continuously.

8. The imaging device according to claim 3, wherein the first light emitter has its periphery elevated.

9. The imaging device according to claim 3, wherein the first light emitter has a light-emitting element, condensing lens and diffuser which diffuses light from a light source placed between the light-emitting element and condensing lens.

5. An imaging device which can communicate with an illuminating device equipped with a first light emitter capable of emitting light continuously and a second light emitter capable of emitting flashing light and which can control light emissions of the illuminating device by sending signals to the illuminating device, the imaging device comprising:

a control circuit which sends flash command signals to the first light emitter and second light emitter,

wherein when a predetermined motion-image shooting mode is selected, the control circuit sends the illuminating device a signal for causing the first light emitter to emit light continuously, and when a predetermined still-image shooting mode is selected, the control circuit sends the illuminating device a signal for causing the first light emitter to emit light continuously before sending the illuminating device a signal for causing the second light emitter which operates in synchronization with still-image shooting to emit light.

6. An illuminating device which can communicate with an imaging device comprising a first trigger member for starting to shoot a still image and a second trigger member for starting to shoot motion images and which emits light based on signals sent from the imaging device, the illuminating device comprising;

a first light emitter capable of emitting light continuously;

a second light emitter capable of emitting flashing light; and

a control circuit which controls the first light emitter and the second light emitter,

wherein the control circuit;

causes the first light emitter to emit light continuously when a first signal is received from the imaging device in response to an operation of the first trigger member, causes the second light emitter to emit light after causing the first light emitter to stop emitting light continuously when a second signal is received in response to an operation of the first trigger member, and

causes the first light emitter to emit light continuously when a signal is received from the imaging device in response to an operation of the second trigger member.

7. An illuminating device which can communicate with an imaging device capable of shooting motion images and still images and which emits light based on signals sent from the imaging device, the illuminating device comprising;

a first light emitter capable of emitting light continuously during motion-image shooting;

a second light emitter capable of emitting flashing light during still-image shooting; and

a control circuit which controls the first light emitter and the second light emitter,

wherein when a predetermined still-image shooting mode is selected on the imaging device, the control circuit causes the first light emitter to emit light continuously before causing the second light emitter which operates in synchronization with still-image shooting to emit light.