Imaging apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9756246-B2
Application number	US-201313951311-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 25, 2013
Priority date	Jul 28, 2012
Publication date	Sep 5, 2017
Grant date	Sep 5, 2017

Abstract

An imaging apparatus is such that in a case where an operation is instructed by an operation member, a mode changing unit changes operation modes or control amounts in the operation modes of at least two controllers from among a plurality of controllers.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An imaging apparatus configured to receive light passed through an optical system by an image sensor to capture an image of an object, comprising:
a zoom controller configured to change a field angle by optical zooming or electronic zooming;
an image stabilizing controller configured to reduce, by controlling an image stabilizing lens, an influence on the image of the object caused by camera shake;
a plurality of controllers configured to respectively control a plurality of adjustment parameters for determining a photographing condition;
an operation member configured to be different from an operation switch to switch between auto-focus AF mode and manual focus MF mode and arranged around a lens barrel; and
a mode changing unit including a memory and a processor, the memory storing a program of instructions, the processor executing the program of instructions to change a first mode to a second mode in a case where an operation is instructed by the operation member, wherein a driven range of the image stabilizing lens by the image stabilizing controller in the second mode is wider than a driven range of the image stabilizing lens by the image stabilizing controller in the first mode, and a zooming speed by the zoom controller in the second mode is slower than a zooming speed by the zoom controller in the first mode.

2. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a focus controller configured to change a focus by driving a focus lens, wherein a focusing speed by the focus controller in the second mode is slower than a focusing speed by the focus controller in the first mode.

3. The imaging apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein in the second mode, the focus controller locks a focus position, and changes a focus speed according to the selected mode in a case where changing of the focus position is instructed.

4. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein in the second mode, the image stabilizing controller changes a cutoff frequency of a vibration detection filter.

5. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a mode changing switch configured to select a controller changed in mode by the mode changing unit.

6. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein, in a case where the operation is instructed by the operation member, the mode changing unit is configured to change operation modes or control amounts in the operation modes of the zoom controller and the image stabilizing controller so as to reduce an amount of digit operation needed from the user's hand.

7. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the operation member is having a two-state switch and configured, in response to activation of the two-state switch by a digit of a user's hand, to instruct the mode changing unit to change the first mode to the second mode, wherein the activation of the two-state switch by the digit of the user's hand is activation while the lens barrel is supported by the user's hand.

8. The imaging apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the two-state switch is configured to have an ON state and an OFF state.

9. The imaging apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein control amounts of the adjustment parameters for determining a photographing condition is reduced in a case where the operation member is operated to the ON state from the OFF state.

10. The imaging apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein control amounts of the adjustment parameters for determining a photographing condition is reduced while the operation member is in the ON state.

11. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an exposure controller configured to change an exposure amount by driving a diaphragm and a shutter, wherein the exposure amount by the exposure controller in the second mode is fixed.

12. The imaging apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein in the second mode, the exposure controller locks an exposure amount, and changes amounts of a diaphragm and a shutter according to the selected mode in a case where changing of the diaphragm and the shutter is instructed.

13. The imaging apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein, in the second mode, the exposure controller changes the exposure amount by driving the diaphragm and the shutter in a case that a changing instruction is issued by a key operation.

14. The imaging apparatus according to claim 13 , wherein, in the second mode, a changing amount of combination of a diaphragm value and a shutter speed can be changed while an exposure value is maintained.

15. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a display unit, wherein, in the second mode, a bar indicating a combination of a diaphragm value and a shutter speed is displayed on the display unit.

16. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a display unit, wherein, in the second mode, a bar indicating a MF distance is displayed on the display unit.

17. A method for controlling an imaging apparatus, the imaging apparatus configured to receive light passed through an optical system by an image sensor to capture an image of an object, the imaging apparatus including a zoom controller configured to change a field angle by optical zooming or electronic zooming and an image stabilizing controller configured to reduce, by controlling an image stabilizing lens, a influence on the image of an object caused by camera shake, the imaging apparatus also including an operation member configured to be different from an operation switch to switch between auto-focus AF mode and manual focus MF mode and arranged around a lens barrel, the method comprising:
controlling respectively a plurality of adjustment parameters by a plurality of controllers for determining a photographing condition;
changing the various operation modes of the plurality of controllers; and
changing a first mode to a second mode in a case where an operation is instructed by the operation member, wherein a driven range of the image stabilizing lens by the image stabilizing controller in the second mode is wider than a driven range of the image stabilizing lens by the image stabilizing controller in the first mode, and a zooming speed by the zoom controller in the second mode is slower than a zooming speed by the zoom controller in the first mode.

Assignees

• Canon Kk

Inventors

• Tsubusaki Akihiro

Classifications

• H04N23/6812

  based on additional sensors, e.g. acceleration sensors · CPC title

• H04N23/633

  for displaying additional information relating to control or operation of the camera · CPC title

• G03B5/00 Primary

  Adjustment of optical system relative to image or object surface other than for focusing · CPC title

• H04N23/687

  by shifting the lens or sensor position · CPC title

• H04N23/667 Primary

  Camera operation mode switching, e.g. between still and video, sport and normal or high- and low-resolution modes · CPC title