Imaging apparatus, imaging apparatus body, and method of controlling imaging apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9998682-B2
Application number	US-201715720450-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 29, 2017
Priority date	Mar 30, 2015
Publication date	Jun 12, 2018
Grant date	Jun 12, 2018

Abstract

The imaging apparatus includes a stop, an APD filter, a ND filter, an imaging element, a main control section, a photometric section, a program diagram storage section, and an imaging exposure determination section. The ND filter can be inserted into or removed from the optical path. The photometric section calculates a photometric value from an imaging signal which is obtained by the imaging element. The program diagram storage section stores a program diagram in which an aperture value is fixed at an open aperture value at a specific amount of exposure or less. The imaging exposure determination section determines imaging exposure on the basis of an amount of imaging exposure which is calculated from photometric value and the program diagram. The main control section inserts the ND filter in the optical path in a case where the amount of imaging exposure is greater than the specific amount of exposure.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An imaging apparatus comprising:
an imaging element that photoelectrically converts incident light so as to output an imaging signal;
a stop that adjusts a light amount of the incident light;
a photometric section that performs photometry on the basis of the imaging signal;
an apodization filter that is disposed on an optical path of the incident light;
a program diagram storage section that stores a first program diagram in which an aperture value is fixed at an open aperture value at a first amount of exposure or less and a second program diagram in which an aperture value is fixed at an open aperture value at a second amount of exposure, which is greater than the first amount of exposure, or less;
an imaging exposure determination section that selects the first program diagram in a case where the apodization filter is not disposed on the optical path, selects the second program diagram in a case where the apodization filter is disposed on the optical path, and determines one group of an imaging aperture value and an imaging shutter speed, on the basis of an amount of imaging exposure which is calculated from a photometric value obtained by the photometric section;
a neutral density filter that is inserted into or removed from the optical path; and
a control section that inserts the neutral density filter in the optical path in a case where the apodization filter is disposed on the optical path and a case where the amount of imaging exposure is greater than the second amount of exposure.

2. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein a shutter speed corresponding to the second amount of exposure in the second program diagram is faster than a shutter speed corresponding to the first amount of exposure in the first program diagram.

3. The imaging apparatus according to claim 2 , further comprising a mechanical shutter,
wherein the shutter speed corresponding to the second amount of exposure in the second program diagram is faster than the shutter speed corresponding to the first amount of exposure in the first program diagram, and is equal to or less than a limit speed on a high speed side of the mechanical shutter.

4. The imaging apparatus according to claim 2 , further comprising a mechanical shutter,
wherein the imaging element has an electronic shutter function,
wherein the shutter speed corresponding to the second amount of exposure in the second program diagram is faster than a limit speed on a high speed side of the mechanical shutter, and
wherein in a case where the imaging shutter speed is faster than the limit speed, the imaging shutter speed is set through the electronic shutter function.

5. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the control section inserts the neutral density filter in the optical path in a case where the amount of imaging exposure is equal to or greater than a third amount of exposure greater than the second amount of exposure, and
wherein an aperture value corresponding to the third amount of exposure in the second program diagram is greater than the open aperture value.

6. The imaging apparatus according to claim 5 ,
wherein the apodization filter obtains an apodization effect in a case where an aperture value is equal to or less than a threshold value, and
wherein an aperture value corresponding to the third amount of exposure in the second program diagram corresponds to the threshold value.

7. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein in the first program diagram, in a range greater than the first amount of exposure, an aperture value is set as a discrete value.

8. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein in the second program diagram, in a range greater than the second amount of exposure, an aperture value is set as a discrete value.

9. The imaging apparatus according to claim 4 ,
wherein the apodization filter obtains an apodization effect in a case where an aperture value is equal to or less than a threshold value, and
wherein in the second program diagram, in a range from a fourth amount of exposure greater than the second amount of exposure to a fifth amount of exposure greater than the fourth amount of exposure, an aperture value is fixed at the threshold value.

10. The imaging apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the control section inserts the neutral density filter in the optical path in a case where the amount of imaging exposure is equal to or greater than the fourth amount of exposure.

11. The imaging apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein in the second program diagram, in a range from the second amount of exposure to the fourth amount of exposure, and in a range greater than the fifth amount of exposure, an aperture value is set as a discrete value.

12. The imaging apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the imaging element is a CMOS sensor, and the electronic shutter function is a rolling shutter system.

13. An imaging apparatus body on which a lens barrel having an apodization filter is mounted, the imaging apparatus body comprising:
an imaging element that photoelectrically converts incident light so as to output an imaging signal;
a stop that adjusts a light amount of the incident light;
a photometric section that performs photometry on the basis of the imaging signal;
a program diagram storage section that stores a first program diagram in which an aperture value is fixed at an open aperture value at a first amount of exposure or less and a second program diagram in which an aperture value is fixed at an open aperture value at a second amount of exposure, which is greater than the first amount of exposure, or less;
an imaging exposure determination section that selects the first program diagram in a case where the apodization filter is not disposed on the optical path, selects the second program diagram in a case where the apodization filter is disposed on the optical path, and determines one group of an imaging aperture value and an imaging shutter speed, on the basis of an amount of imaging exposure which is calculated from a photometric value obtained by the photometric section;
a neutral density filter that is inserted into or removed from the optical path; and
a control section that inserts the neutral density filter in the optical path in a case where the apodization filter is disposed on the optical path and a case where the amount of imaging exposure is greater than the second amount of exposure.

14. A method of controlling an imaging apparatus including an imaging element that photoelectrically converts incident light so as to output an imaging signal, a stop that adjusts a light amount of the incident light, a photometric section that performs photometry on the basis of the imaging signal, an apodization filter that is disposed on an optical path of the incident light, a program diagram storage section that stores a first program diagram in which an aperture value is fixed at an open aperture value at a first amount of exposure or less and a second program diagram in which an aperture value is fixed at an open aperture value at a second amount of exposure, which is greater than the first amount of exposure, or less, an imaging exposure determination section that selects the first program diagram in a case where the apodization filter is not disposed on the optical path, selects the second program diagram in a case where the apodization filter is disposed on the optical path, and determines one group of an imaging aperture value and an imaging shutter speed, on the basis of an amount of imaging exposure which is calculated from a photometric value obtained by the photometric sec

Assignees

• Fujifilm Corp

Inventors

• Uchida Akihiro

Classifications

• H04N23/75 Primary

  by influencing optical camera components · CPC title

• H04N23/951

  by using two or more images to influence resolution, frame rate or aspect ratio · CPC title

• H04N23/60

  Control of cameras or camera modules · CPC title

• G03B7/097 Primary

  for control of both exposure time and aperture · CPC title

• H04N23/71

  Circuitry for evaluating the brightness variation · CPC title