JP2001309210A - Digital camera - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a digital camera capable of manually focusing by using a way and a feeling similar to those in the split image focusing. SOLUTION: In this digital camera, the display or EVF is provided with the display modification area 51 in the center, upon displaying a live view for shooting. The display modification area 51 is divided into two, the upper area 511 and the lower area 512. The distance from the range measurement means to the CCD light receiving area a the subject and the distance from the lens to the CCD light receiving area via the subject, are compared to find the difference, which is reflected on the shifted areas 521, and 522 that are shifted from side to side toward the opposing directions, by the comparable amount of difference. The images corresponding to these shifted areas 521 and 522, are displayed on 511 and 512, respectively. Thus, the same sense as is obtained in the silver camera handling when manually focusing by using a split image method, can be applied to the digital camera focusing.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to a digital camera for acquiring an image of a subject as an image signal by an imaging section.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there has been a demand for a user of a digital camera to perform accurate focus adjustment and to check the state of focus adjustment. In order to realize such a demand, a method of enlarging and displaying a portion to be focused on a display unit of a digital camera to facilitate confirmation of focus adjustment is used.

[0003]

However, when the focus adjustment is confirmed by such a method, it is impossible to confirm the entire object field simultaneously with the focus adjustment. As a result, it becomes difficult to adjust the focus in consideration of the state of the entire image. On the other hand, some users of digital cameras desire to confirm the state of focus adjustment using a split image or microprism display, as in a conventional silver halide camera that performs focus adjustment manually.

[0004] The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and has as its main object to provide a digital camera capable of performing appropriate focus adjustment while checking the appearance of an entire image. It is another object of the present invention to provide a digital camera capable of adjusting the focus as if it were a conventional silver halide camera.

[0005]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a digital camera, comprising: an imaging section for acquiring an image of a subject as an image signal via an optical system; and an image plane for the subject in the optical system. A shift amount detecting unit that detects a shift amount corresponding to a distance from a light receiving surface of the imaging unit; and a display unit that displays an image of the subject on a display screen based on the image signal acquired by the imaging unit. And display change means for changing display contents of a display change area, which is a partial area of the display screen, in accordance with the shift amount while using an image of the subject.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the digital camera according to the first aspect, the display change unit divides the display change area into two divided areas and reciprocates the positions of the two divided areas. The image of the subject corresponding to the area shifted in the direction in which the object is shifted is displayed in the two divided areas.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the digital camera according to the second aspect, the two divided areas are areas obtained by vertically dividing the display change area.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the digital camera according to the first aspect, the display change means changes a pixel value of a pixel at substantially a predetermined interval in the display change area according to the shift amount.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the digital camera according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, the display change area is an area near the center of the display screen.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the digital camera according to any one of the first to fifth aspects, further comprising an area setting means for setting a position of the display change area, wherein the shift amount is a value of the display change. This is a shift amount corresponding to the position of the region.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in the digital camera according to any one of the first to sixth aspects, the display change area is circular.

According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, in the digital camera according to any one of the first to seventh aspects, the digital camera further comprises a switching means for switching a focus adjustment operation between automatic and manual, and the focus adjusting operation is performed by the switching means. The display changing means is activated when the adjustment operation is switched to manual.

According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a digital camera, comprising: an imaging unit for acquiring an image of a subject as an image signal via an optical system; an image plane for the subject in the optical system; and a light receiving surface of the imaging unit. A shift amount detecting unit that detects a shift amount corresponding to a distance between the display unit and a display unit that displays an image of the subject on a display screen based on the image signal acquired by the imaging unit; A display synthesizing unit for synthesizing a display indicating the shift amount.

[0014]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS <1. First Embodiment> FIG.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a front appearance of the digital camera 1;
FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the outer appearance of the back side of the digital camera 1.

As shown in FIG. 1, the digital camera 1 has a structure in which a detachable lens unit 12 is mounted on a camera body 10, and a flash is provided at the upper front of the camera body 10 toward a subject as necessary. A flash 101 that emits light is provided. A release button 102 for causing the digital camera 1 to perform a shooting operation, a self-shooting switching button 103 for switching between normal shooting and self-shooting, and a simple display unit 104 are arranged on the upper surface.

The self-photographing switching button 103 is a button for switching between normal photographing and self-photographing each time the button is pressed. In self-photographing, delayed photographing using a self-timer is performed. The simple display unit 104 is mainly composed of an LCD, and displays photographing conditions, setting contents in self-photographing, frame numbers at photographing, and setting contents in various operation modes and the like.

Further, a lens detaching button 1 for detaching the lens unit 12 is provided on the front of the camera body 10.
05 and an AF / MF switch 106 for switching the focus adjustment operation between automatic and manual.

The lens unit 12 has a structure in which a plurality of lenses are held by a lens barrel, and an optical system composed of a plurality of lenses transmits light from a subject to a CCD which is a solid-state image sensor array inside the camera body 10. Lead. This allows
An image of the subject is formed on the CCD. Further, a driving mechanism for moving the lens is provided inside the lens unit 12. The lens is driven by a motor at the time of automatic focusing, while the focus ring and the zoom ring 122 are rotated at the time of manual adjustment, so that focus and zoom operations are performed.

As shown in FIG. 2, a mode switching lever 111 for switching an operation mode is provided on the back of the camera body 10.
Display unit 11 for displaying a photographed image, an operation menu, and the like
2, and an access button 113 for performing an operation in accordance with the display on the display unit 112. The access button 113 is an upper button 1 above, below, right and left of the center button 113a
13b, a lower button 113c, a left button 113d, and a right button 113e.

Further, a finder window 114 is provided at the upper rear part.
And a focus indication lamp 115 are provided.
0, a card slot 1 having a slit-shaped insertion slot for inserting a memory card as an external recording medium.
16 are provided. Viewfinder E with liquid crystal display
It is a VF (electric view finder), and an image at the time of shooting can be viewed from the finder window 114.

The mode switching lever 111 is a lever for switching the operation mode of the digital camera 1 between a photographing mode and a reproduction mode, and also switches to a state where the power is turned off.

In the photographing mode, the image of the subject acquired by the CCD is displayed on the display unit 112 in a live view.
The photographing range may be confirmed via the finder window 114. Then, the user presses the release button 102
Is half-pressed, preparation for photographing such as focus lock is performed, and photographing operation is executed by fully pressing. When the self-photographing switching button 103 is pressed, the normal photographing and the self-photographing are switched. In the photographing mode, the lens is moved to the tele side by operating the zoom ring 122 in one direction, and the lens is moved to the wide side by operating the zoom ring 122 in the other direction.

In preparation mode, when the release button 102 is half-pressed in the photographing mode (when automatic focus adjustment is performed) and preparation for photographing is completed, the focus indication lamp 115 is turned on, and the release button is pressed by the user. N 102
The user is notified that the full press of may be performed. On the other hand, when the subject cannot be photographed because the subject is at a close distance, or when the flash 101 is being charged to be turned on, when the release button 102 is half-pressed, the focus indication lamp 1 is turned on.
15 flashes to notify the user that shooting is not possible.

In the reproduction mode, an image obtained by photographing is displayed on the display unit 112. At this time, by pressing the upper button 113b of the access button 113, the recorded images are reproduced and displayed in order, and the lower button 11b is displayed.
By pressing 3c, the recorded image is reproduced and displayed in reverse. In the playback mode, a plurality of captured images are displayed as thumbnail images on the display unit 112 as necessary, and the images are provisionally selected using the up, down, left, and right buttons 113b to 113e, and the selection is determined by pressing the center button 113a. The displayed image is enlarged and displayed.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the digital camera 1. As shown in FIG. 3, in the digital camera 1, various components are electrically connected to the main control unit 2, so that the main control unit 2 controls the entire operation of the digital camera 1. The main control unit 2 has a CPU 21 for performing various arithmetic processes and a memory 22 for storing an operation program 221.
, The operation of the digital camera 1 is realized.

A CCD 31 for generating an image signal of a subject image formed via an optical system in the lens unit 12 is connected to the main control unit 2 via a signal processing unit 32, and the CCD 31
The image signal from 1 is converted into a digital signal by the signal processing unit 32 and is subjected to necessary image processing as appropriate.

When the lens unit 12 is mounted, the lens unit 12 and the camera body 10 are electrically connected,
The lens driving unit 33 supplies a signal for controlling the lens arrangement to the lens unit 12 and receives the current lens arrangement from the lens unit 12.

The distance measuring section 34 is a section for measuring the distance to the subject in the camera body 10 by a phase difference detection method, and the photometric section 35 is a section for measuring the brightness of the subject. These are arranged in the camera body 10 and send measured values to the main control unit 2. The distance measuring unit 34 can measure the distance to the subject at a plurality of positions in the captured image. The exposure control unit 36 calculates an exposure value based on an exposure correction amount set by a user and a measurement value from the photometry unit 35.

When taking a picture, the lens driving unit 33 calculates the lens driving amount and controls the movement of the lens based on the measurement result from the distance measuring unit 34, and the exposure control unit 36 determines the exposure. The control of the aperture in the lens unit 12 and the control of the exposure time (shutter speed) of the CCD 31 are performed based on the value.

A display unit 1 for outputting to a user
12 and EVF 117, an access button 113 for receiving an input from the user, a release button 102 and an AF / MF switch 106, and a simplified display unit 104, a mode switch lever 111, a self-photographing, which are not shown in FIG. The switching button 103 and the like are also appropriately connected to the main control unit 2 via a drive circuit and an interface.

The power supply 37 supplies power to the CCD 31 at a predetermined high voltage and also to the main control unit 2 and other components at a predetermined level of voltage. The flash drive unit 38 performs a boost control for charging a flash power supply and a light emission control of the flash 101 based on a signal from the main control unit 2.

The recording section 39 is an image memory fixedly provided in the camera body 10 for recording an image signal from the signal processing section 32. The image acquired by the recording section 39 (more precisely, the image data ) Indicates card slot 1 if necessary
The data is stored in the memory card 9 serving as a recording medium via the recording medium 16. As the memory card 9, for example, an SRAM is used, and a plurality of images can be recorded. By recording an image on the memory card 9, image data can be transferred to a separately prepared computer via the memory card 9.

FIG. 4 shows C when the focus is adjusted manually.
FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration realized by the PU 21 performing an arithmetic process according to a program 221 together with other configurations, and is a shift amount detection unit 41 and a display control unit 42 (including a display change unit 421) in FIG. Is CPU21
And the like are shown.

The displacement detecting unit 41 determines the focusing displacement, that is, the lens unit 1 based on the measurement result from the distance measuring unit 34 and the lens arrangement information from the lens driving unit 33.
2 is a portion for calculating a value corresponding to the distance between the image plane of the subject and the light receiving surface of the CCD 31 in FIG. Note that, as described above, the distance measurement unit 34 measures the distance to a plurality of positions on the subject, but in this embodiment, the distance used when calculating the amount of deviation is measured as described later. One selected from a plurality of distances. Further, as the shift amount, any index may be obtained as long as it is an index corresponding to the amount of shift in focusing. May be used.

The display control unit 42 includes a display unit 112 and E
A part for controlling the display of the VF 117,
The live view display at the time of shooting and the playback display of the shot image are displayed at the same time as the live view display at the time of shooting.
17 is also performed.

The display change unit 421 in the display control unit 42
When the focus is manually switched by the AF / MF switch 106, the display unit 112 or the EVF 117
This is the part where the display contents are changed. Display change unit 421
, Signals from the shift amount detection unit 41 and the access button 113 are input, and the detailed operation thereof will be described later.

FIGS. 5 and 6 are flowcharts showing the flow of the photographing operation of the digital camera 1 during photographing. In the photographing operation, first, the state of the AF / MF switch 106 is confirmed (step S11). When the focus adjustment operation is automatically performed, the process shifts to the photographing operation in the AF mode, and the focus adjustment operation is manually performed. If done,
The flow shifts to a shooting operation (step S2) in the MF mode.

In the photographing operation in the AF mode, when the user half-presses the release button 102 (step S12), the lens in the lens unit 12 is moved based on the measurement result from the distance measuring section 34 shown in FIG. The amount is obtained, and the focus adjustment is automatically performed by the lens driving unit 33 controlling the arrangement of the lenses (step S13).

When the subject image on the light receiving surface of the CCD 31 is in focus, the focus indication lamp 115 is turned on and the focus is locked (step S14).

The exposure control unit 36 determines an exposure value based on the setting by the user and the measurement result from the photometry unit 35,
The aperture value and the exposure time are determined (Step S1)
5). When the half-press of the release button 102 is released, the process returns to the first stage of the normal shooting. Further, the calculation of the exposure value is repeatedly performed while the release button 102 is half-pressed (step S16).

When the release button 102 is fully depressed, an exposure operation, that is, photographing is performed (step S1).
7). That is, the charge accumulation time of the CCD 31 and the aperture in the lens unit 12 are controlled according to the exposure value obtained by the exposure control unit 36 in FIG.
The shutter may also be controlled), CC
The image signal from D31 is recorded in the recording unit 39 via the signal processing unit 32. At this time, the flash 101 emits light as necessary. When the photographing is completed, the focus indication lamp 115 is turned off (step S18).

Thereafter, the image data is transferred from the recording unit 39 to the memory card 9 via the card slot 116 as appropriate according to the operation of the user. Although illustration is omitted, when one shooting operation is completed, the process returns to the initial stage of the normal shooting operation until the operation mode is switched.

If it is confirmed in step S11 that the AF / MF switch 106 is set to the MF mode, the flow shifts to the photographing operation in the MF mode shown in FIG. 6 (step S2).

In the MF mode, first, the shift amount detecting section 41
(See FIG. 4) detects the amount of focusing deviation (step S21). That is, the current lens arrangement (or the rotation direction and the rotation amount of the focus ring 121 from the reference position) is acquired from the lens driving unit 33, and the distance from the digital camera 1 to the subject (more precisely, a plurality of positions on the subject) Among them, a distance to a selected position described later) is acquired from the distance measuring unit 34. Then, a value corresponding to the distance between the image plane of the object image by the current lens arrangement and the light receiving surface of the CCD 31 is obtained as a shift amount.

On the other hand, when the AF / MF switch 106 is set to M
When the mode is switched to the F mode, the display change unit 421 of the display control unit 42 is activated, and the shift amount is input from the shift amount detection unit 41 to the display change unit 421. Display change part 4
21 indicates the display unit 112 and the EVF 117 in accordance with the amount of displacement.
The image of the subject at the time of the live view displayed on the screen is changed, whereby the displacement is displayed substantially (step S22). As described above, in the digital camera 1, when the focus operation is switched to the manual focus adjustment operation, the shift amount is automatically displayed.

FIGS. 7 to 9 are views showing display examples of the display unit 112 (the same applies to the EVF 117) which is changed according to the shift amount. 9 shows a display in a focused state, and FIG. 7 shows a display in a case where the shift amount at the center of the image is larger than that in FIG. As shown in FIGS. 7 to 9, in the digital camera 1, a display similar to the split image in the conventional silver halide camera is displayed on the display unit 112 according to the amount of displacement.

In FIG. 7, the center circle indicates a display change area 51 in which a split image is displayed, and the display change area 51 is divided into upper and lower divided areas 511 and 512. In FIG. 7, an image to be displayed in the area 521 is displayed in the divided area 511, and an image to be displayed in the area 522 is displayed in the divided area 512. That is, the two divided regions 511 and 512 have regions 521 and 522 whose positions are shifted in opposite directions.
Is displayed.

The amount by which the images displayed in the two divided areas 511 and 512 are shifted is increased as the shift amount from the shift amount detecting section 41 is increased. Therefore, in the case of FIG. 8 where the shift amount is smaller than that of FIG. 7, the degree of shift of the images displayed in the two divided areas 511 and 512 is reduced. As a result, the degree of image mismatch at the boundary 53 between the two divided areas 511 and 512 is smaller in FIG. 8 than in FIG. Note that in the case of FIG. 9 in a focused state, no image shift occurs at the boundary line 53.

Here, when the focus ring 121 is rotated, the focus is adjusted manually (step S23).
That is, the focus lens in the lens unit 12 is moved by the signal from the lens driving unit 33 (step S24). Accordingly, the shift amount is detected again, and a split image corresponding to the shift amount is displayed (steps S21 and S22).

In the digital camera 1, as shown in FIG. 10, the position of the display change area 51 can be changed. Specifically, the center button 113a
To shift to the position change mode, for example, by operating the
When e is operated, the position of the display change area 51 is changed according to the operation (step S25). At this time, it moves to one of the measurement positions of the distance measuring unit 34 that performs multipoint measurement.

When the position of the display change area 51 is changed,
A distance corresponding to the position of the display change area 51 is selected from the distances to a plurality of positions on the subject measured by the distance measuring unit 34, and the amount of deviation from the selected distance and the lens arrangement in the lens unit 12 is selected. A new shift amount is obtained by the detection unit 41 (step S21). That is, the position of the display change area 51 indicates the position of the area for detecting the focus state (shift amount), and the shift amount detection unit 41 calculates the shift amount in the display change area 51 according to the position. Then, the display of the display change area 51 is updated according to the shift amount (Step S22).

When the user performs the above operation while viewing the display in the display change area 51, the focus adjustment at a desired position on the display screen of the display unit 112 is performed according to the photographer's intention. When the focus adjustment is completed, the release button 102 is half-pressed to shift to a state where the exposure value is repeatedly obtained by the exposure control unit 36 (steps S26 to S28), and when the release button 102 is fully pressed. An exposure operation is performed (steps S28 and S2).
9). As a result, an image is acquired as an image signal by the CCD 31 and recorded in the recording unit 39 as image data. The image data is appropriately stored in the memory card 9 by a user operation. After photographing, the process returns to the first stage of the photographing operation.

As described above, in the digital camera 1, when the focus is manually adjusted, the display unit 112 (EVF 117) is used.
It may be. ) Is displayed in the same manner as the split image. Thus, it is possible to perform focus adjustment with the same feeling as a silver halide camera that manually performs focus adjustment while referring to a split image.

Also, since the display of the shift amount by the split image is a display method that does not impair the overall appearance of the image, appropriate focus adjustment can be performed while checking the appearance of the entire image.

Further, in the digital camera 1, by performing distance measurement at multiple points, the display change area 51 where the split image is displayed can be moved to an arbitrary position, and the focus can be adjusted at a desired position on the display screen. Adjustments can be made.

<2. Second Embodiment> FIGS. 11 to 13 are views showing examples of how a digital camera according to a second embodiment displays a shift amount. The second
The configuration and operation of the digital camera according to the second embodiment are the same as those of the first embodiment, except for the manner of displaying the amount of deviation, and in the following description, the reference numerals used in the first embodiment will be appropriately used. Will be described.

Digital camera 1 according to second embodiment
At the time of manual focus adjustment (step S2), display similar to microprism display in a silver halide camera is performed. That is, as shown in FIG. 11, a display change area 51 in which the display content is changed according to the shift amount by the display change unit 421 is set. The image is changed to an image having a shadow similar to the boil effect.

FIG. 11 shows a display example when the shift amount is larger than the example shown in FIG. 12, and FIG. 13 shows a display example in a focused state. As shown in FIGS. 11 to 13, the display of the display change area 51 is changed such that the larger the amount of displacement in the display change area 51, the greater the degree of shading.

The display change by the display change unit 421 may be performed by any method as long as it is similar to the shading by the microprism. For example, the color of the pixel is changed to black at substantially predetermined intervals. You may. In this case, the degree of the focus shift can be expressed by increasing the ratio of the black pixels in the display change area 51 as the shift amount increases.

Further, a plurality of minute regions are determined at substantially predetermined intervals in the display change region 51, and the pixel value in one minute region is changed to the pixel value of a certain pixel included in the minute region as the shift amount increases. You may make it. In this case, the mosaic display is performed in the display change area 51 as the shift amount increases.

[0061]

As described above, in the display change unit 421,
By changing the pixel values of the pixels at substantially predetermined intervals in the display change area 51 as the shift amount increases (in principle,
The pixel values of more pixels are changed as the shift amount increases. ), A shadow similar to the display by the microprism can be displayed in the display change area 51. Then, when the display of the display change area 51 is in the same display state as the display of other parts, it is possible to recognize that the display is in focus.

As in the first embodiment, the position of the display change area 51 on the display screen can be changed as appropriate, and the display change can be made in accordance with the shift amount corresponding to the position of the display change area 51. Done.

As described above, in the digital camera 1 according to the second embodiment, when the focus is manually adjusted, a display similar to the microprism display on the display unit 112 (the EVF 117 may be used). Is to be performed,
Focus adjustment can be performed with the same feeling as a silver halide camera that performs manual focus adjustment while referring to the microprism display.

Further, since the display of the shift amount by the microprism display is a display method which does not impair the overall appearance of the image, appropriate focus adjustment can be performed while checking the appearance of the entire image.

<3. Third Embodiment> Next, an example in which manual focus adjustment is performed using automatic focus adjustment will be described. Note that the configuration of the digital camera 1 is the same as that of the first embodiment.

FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing the operation flow of the digital camera 1 according to the third embodiment. First,
As in the case of the AF mode in the first embodiment,
When the release button 102 is half-pressed (step S31), the lens drive unit 33 drives the lens unit 12 based on the measurement result of the distance measurement unit 34, and automatic focus adjustment is performed (step S32).

Thereafter, the calculation of the exposure value by the exposure control unit 36, the calculation of the shift amount by the shift amount detection unit 41, and the change of the display according to the shift amount by the display control unit 42 are repeated (step). S33 to S35). Immediately after the release button 102 is half-pressed, the shift amount is 0, and therefore, the display change area 5 as shown in the example shown in FIG.
The display is not substantially changed in 1.

Thereafter, when a focus operation for manually adjusting the focus is performed (step S36), the lens driving unit 33 drives the lens (step S37). Thereby, the in-focus state that the digital camera 1 determines to be appropriate is released. At this time, the calculation of the exposure value, the detection of the shift amount, and the display of the shift amount are performed again, and the display of the display change area 51 is changed according to the shift amount, as illustrated in FIGS. Steps S33 to S35).

When the user performs a desired focus adjustment, the release button 102 is fully pressed (step S3).
8) In the digital camera 1, an exposure operation is performed, and an image signal is recorded in the recording unit 39 (step S39).

As described above, the display of an image using a split image can also be used when performing manual focus adjustment while using automatic focus adjustment. The display of the display change area 51 may be a microprism display as in the second embodiment. Further, as illustrated in FIG. 10, the display change area 51 is located at an approximately arbitrary position on the display screen. It may be movable.

<4. Fourth Embodiment> In the first and second embodiments, the display state in the display change area 51 is changed while using the display contents of the image,
That is, by changing the display of the display change area 51 while using the displayed image, the deviation amount from the in-focus state is indicated without impairing the atmosphere of the entire image. In the fourth embodiment, an example will be described in which the shift amount is displayed by combining a display indicating the shift amount with the displayed image. Note that the configuration of the digital camera 1 is the same as the configuration shown in FIGS.
And the operation shown in FIG.

FIG. 15 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration for displaying a shift amount in the fourth embodiment, and corresponds to FIG. 4 in the first embodiment. FIG.
5, the display change unit 421 in FIG.
The second embodiment has the same configuration as the first embodiment except that the second embodiment is replaced with the second embodiment.

FIGS. 16 and 17 are views showing examples of display when the shift amount display 54 indicating the shift amount is synthesized. The synthesis of the displacement amount display 54 is performed by the display synthesis unit 422 of the display control unit 42.
It is performed by Note that the display / synthesizing unit 422 performs AF / MF.
It is activated when the changeover switch 106 is switched to the MF mode. The shift amount display 54 is a display in which two triangles are arranged on the left and right of the center circle, and the shift amount in a region directly above the shift amount display 54 (hereinafter, referred to as “attention region”) is displayed. I do. When one of the triangles has a different color from the other triangles as shown in FIG. 16, this indicates that the attention area is not in focus, and the circle has a different color from the triangle as shown in FIG. Indicates that the object is in focus.

It should be noted that whether the triangular mark whose color is to be changed is located to the right or left of the circle depends on whether the focus lens is shifted from the in-focus position to the close side or to infinity. Are distinguished by For example, when the color of the triangle mark on the left side of the circle is changed, it indicates that the focus lens is shifted to the opening end side. Further, the distance from the triangle of the triangle whose color is changed indicates the degree of deviation from the position of the focus lens in the focused state. That is, the degree of deviation is larger when the color of the endmost triangle is changed than when the color of the triangle adjacent to the circle is changed.

A shift amount display 54 corresponding to such a shift amount
Is synthesized by the shift amount detecting unit 41 based on signals from the distance measuring unit 34 and the lens driving unit 33, and the display synthesizing unit 422 responds to the shift amount based on signals from the distance measuring unit 34 and the lens driving unit 33. This is realized by combining the displacement amount display 54 with the image. Further, similarly to the first embodiment, the shift amount display 54 can be moved to an approximately arbitrary position on the display screen by using the access button 113.
The displacement amount display 54 after the movement is updated to display the displacement amount in the attention area after the movement.

As described above, in the fourth embodiment, when the focus is manually adjusted, the display unit 112 (EVF117) is used.
It may be. Since the shift amount display 54 is combined with (2), appropriate focus adjustment can be performed while checking the shift amount while grasping the overall state of the image. Incidentally, when the manual focus adjustment is performed using the automatic focus adjustment as in the third embodiment, the shift amount display 54 may be combined.

<5. Modification> In the first and second embodiments, the display change area 5 is used while using the acquired image.
By changing the display of No. 1 according to the shift amount, a split image or a microprism display is realized. In the fourth embodiment, the shift amount is displayed by combining the shift amount display 54 with the image.

In these embodiments, since the shift amount is displayed in a partial area of the display screen of the display unit 112 or the EVF 117, focus adjustment is performed while confirming the state of the entire image of the subject. be able to. Also, there is no need to remove the line of sight from the display screen. Such an effect can be achieved by changing the display in a partial area of the display screen or by synthesizing the display indicating the shift amount, and changing the display in the display change area 51 and the shift amount display 5.
As the display mode of 4, any type may be used.

For example, when the shift amount is large, the color of the display change area 51 is changed to a reddish color, and when the shift amount is small, the color is changed to a yellowish color. It may be a color. Further, the shift amount display 54 is not limited to the one shown in FIG. 16, but may be indicated by a numerical value, for example.

Although the display change area 51 is vertically divided in the first embodiment, the display change area 51 may be divided right and left. Furthermore, whether the display change area 51 should be divided up and down or left and right should be divided based on which of the line extending vertically and the line extending horizontally exists more in the display change area 51. The display change unit 421 may make a determination and automatically switch the division method.

The display change according to the shift amount and the shift amount display 54 may be changed in consideration of the aperture value at the time of photographing. That is, when the aperture of the aperture is small, the depth of focus is small. Therefore, even if the displacement is minute, the degree of display change or the displacement shown in the displacement display 54 may be increased.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the display on the display unit 112 and the EVF 117 has been described as showing a substantial shift amount. However, only the display unit 112 or
The display change area 51 and the shift amount display 54 are displayed only on the EVF 117.
May be shown. Further, the configuration of the digital camera 1 may be appropriately changed, for example,
The lens unit 12 may be fixed to the camera body 10, and the finder is an optical finder.
F117 may not be present.

In the above embodiment, the focus lens is described as being driven by a motor or the like under the control of the lens driving unit 33. However, the focus ring 121 may be rotated by hand.

In the first embodiment, the display change area 51 is divided into upper and lower parts, and the display change area 51 is made circular. To be able to
In the second embodiment as well, the display change area 51 is made circular so that focus adjustment can be performed with the feeling of focus adjustment using microprism display. It is not limited to a circle.

In the above embodiment, the display change area 5
Although the position of 1 has been described as being changeable, the display change area 51 may be fixed at the center of the display screen. In this case, one distance may be calculated from a plurality of distances obtained by the multi-point measurement of the distance measuring unit 34, and the distance measuring unit 34 measures the distance to the subject only at a position corresponding to the center of the display screen. You may be able to.

[0087]

According to the first to ninth aspects of the present invention, it is possible to perform appropriate focus adjustment while checking the appearance of the entire image of a subject.

According to the second and third aspects of the present invention, the focus can be adjusted with the same feeling as the focus adjustment using the split image.

Further, according to the fourth aspect of the invention, it is possible to perform the focus adjustment with the same feeling as the focus adjustment using the microprism display.

According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, it is possible to confirm the shift amount at the center of the display screen.

Further, according to the present invention, the position for detecting the shift amount can be changed.

According to the seventh aspect of the invention, by making the display change area circular, it is possible to perform focus adjustment with a feeling similar to manual focus adjustment in a silver halide camera.

Further, according to the present invention, when the focus adjustment operation is manually switched, the display of the display change area can be automatically changed according to the shift amount.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a front appearance of a digital camera.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a rear appearance of the digital camera.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a digital camera.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating a functional configuration of the digital camera when performing focus adjustment manually.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a flow of a photographing operation.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a flow of a photographing operation when performing focus adjustment manually.

FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a display example of a display unit when performing focus adjustment manually in the first embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a display example of a display unit when performing focus adjustment manually in the first embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a display example of a display unit when performing focus adjustment manually in the first embodiment.

FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a state when a position of a display change area is moved.

FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a display example of a display unit when performing focus adjustment manually in the second embodiment.

FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating a display example of a display unit when performing focus adjustment manually in the second embodiment.

FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a display example of a display unit when performing focus adjustment manually in the second embodiment.

FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing a flow of a photographing operation in the third embodiment.

FIG. 15 is a block diagram illustrating a functional configuration of a digital camera when performing focus adjustment in a fourth embodiment.

FIG. 16 is a diagram illustrating a display example of a display unit when performing focus adjustment manually in the fourth embodiment.

FIG. 17 is a diagram illustrating a display example of a display unit when performing focus adjustment manually in the fourth embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Digital camera 12 Lens unit 21 CPU 22 Memory 31 CCD 41 Shift amount detection part 51 Display change area 106 AF / MF switch 112 Display part 113 Access button 117 EVF 421 Display change part 422 Display synthesis part 511, 512 Division area

──────────────────────────────────────────────────の Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification symbol FI Theme coat ゛ (Reference) G03B 19/02 G02B 7/11 A // H04N 101: 00 G03B 3/00 A (72) Inventor Yasuteru Yamano Osaka International Building Minolta Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Yoshiyuki Inoue 2-3-1, Azuchicho, Chuo-ku, Osaka-shi, Osaka City Osaka International Building Minolta Co., Ltd. (72) 72) Inventor Daigo Yoshioka 2-3-13 Azuchicho, Chuo-ku, Osaka-shi, Osaka Inside Osaka International Building Minolta Co., Ltd. (72) Yoshio Nakagawa 2-3-1-13 Azuchicho, Chuo-ku, Osaka-shi, Osaka Osaka International Inside Building Minolta Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Shoichi Minato 2-3-1-13 Azuchicho, Chuo-ku, Osaka-shi, Osaka Inside Osaka International Building Minolta Co., Ltd. Term (Reference) 2H011 AA03 BA01 BB02 CA18 DA05 2H051 AA00 BA10 CE01 CE24 DA03 FA30 GA03 GA09 GA12 GB20 2H054 AA01 2H102 AA44 CA11 5C022 AA13 AB30 AC01 AC13 AC54

Claims (9)

[Claims] 1. A digital camera, comprising: an imaging unit that acquires an image of a subject as an image signal via an optical system; and a distance between an image plane of the optical system with respect to the subject and a light receiving surface of the imaging unit. A shift amount detecting unit that detects a shift amount corresponding to: a display unit that displays an image of the subject on a display screen based on the image signal acquired by the imaging unit; and a partial area of the display screen. A digital camera, comprising: display change means for changing the display content of a certain display change area in accordance with the shift amount while using an image of the subject. 2. The digital camera according to claim 1, wherein the display change unit divides the display change region into two divided regions, and shifts the positions of the two divided regions in opposite directions. A digital camera, wherein an image of the subject corresponding to an area is displayed in the two divided areas. 3. The digital camera according to claim 2, wherein the two divided areas are areas obtained by vertically dividing the display change area. 4. The digital camera according to claim 1, wherein the display change unit changes pixel values of pixels at substantially predetermined intervals in the display change area according to the shift amount. . 5. The digital camera according to claim 1, wherein the display change area is an area near the center of the display screen. 6. The digital camera according to claim 1, further comprising an area setting unit that sets a position of the display change area, wherein the shift amount is set to a position of the display change area. A digital camera characterized by a corresponding shift amount. 7. The digital camera according to claim 1, wherein the display change area is circular. 8. The digital camera according to claim 1, further comprising switching means for switching a focus adjustment operation between automatic and manual, wherein the focus adjustment operation is manually performed by the switching means. A digital camera characterized in that the display change means is activated when the display is switched to (1). 9. A digital camera, comprising: an imaging unit that acquires an image of a subject as an image signal via an optical system; and a distance between an image plane of the optical system with respect to the subject and a light receiving surface of the imaging unit. A shift amount detecting unit that detects a shift amount corresponding to: a display unit that displays an image of the subject on a display screen based on the image signal acquired by the imaging unit; A digital camera, comprising: display synthesizing means for synthesizing a display.