Panasonic Corporation

Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.

Koji Hashigami

Koji Shibuno

Kyosuke Osuka

Mitsuyoshi Okamoto

Takashi Abe

Taizo Aoki

Takaaki Yamasaki

An imaging apparatus comprises: an imager that captures an image of a subject to generate image data; a first detector that detects a face region corresponding to a face of the subject in the image data; a second detector that detects a subject region corresponding to at least a part of the subject in the image data; and a controller that controls exposure based on metering for the image data, wherein the controller performs, when the face region is detected by the first detector, exposure compensation according to metering in the detected face region, and continues the exposure compensation according to the metering in the detected face region, when the detected face region is lost by the first detector and the subject region corresponding to the subject of the detected face region is detected by the second detector.

Imaging apparatus

An imaging apparatus includes an imager, an operator, and a controller. The operator sets an exposure correction value and a continuous shooting mode including a first continuous shooting mode and a second continuous shooting mode in which continuous shooting is performed at a higher speed than in the first continuous shooting mode. The controller is configured to determine whether the exposure correction value is within a predetermined range when the second continuous shooting mode is set in the operator. The controller is configured to perform the auto exposure control during continuous shooting operation in the second continuous shooting mode when determined that the exposure correction value is within the predetermined range. The controller is configured not to perform the auto exposure control during the continuous shooting operation in the second continuous shooting mode when determined that the exposure correction value is not within the predetermined range.

Imaging apparatus including auto exposure correction

A camera body includes an imaging unit for generating image data from an optical signal incident via the interchangeable lens, a detector for detecting a light quantity of the optical signal, a controller for setting an aperture value of a diaphragm of the interchangeable lens and an exposure condition which is a setting relating to exposure other than a setting of the diaphragm, a sending unit for sending a control signal for control with the set aperture value to the interchangeable lens, and a mode setting unit for selecting one from a plurality of operating modes. The plurality of operating modes includes a first mode for automatically adjusting the aperture value of the diaphragm and the exposure condition according to the detected light quantity during capturing of a moving image, and a second mode for automatically adjusting the aperture value with the exposure condition being fixed according to the detected light quantity during capturing of the moving image. An average drive speed of the diaphragm for automatically adjusting the aperture value in the second mode is slower than that in the first mode.

Camera body and imaging apparatus

An imaging apparatus includes an imaging unit; a display unit capable of displaying a moving image based on the image data generated by the imaging unit; a setting unit that receives setting of a user; a shutter operable to adjust an exposure time of the imaging unit according to a shutter speed; a determination unit operable to determine the shutter speed according to setting related to exposure set by user through the setting unit; and a controller operable to control the imaging unit and the display unit. The controller controls the imaging unit to be exposed for an exposure time corresponding to the shutter speed determined by the determination unit, and changes a frame rate of displaying the moving image on the display unit according to the determined shutter speed.

There are provided a camera body capable of operating a drive unit of an interchangeable lens at a low drive sound level, an interchangeable lens, and an imaging apparatus including such a camera body and an interchangeable lens. The camera body to which an interchangeable lens is mountable, the interchangeable lens including an optical member operable to change an optical condition and a drive unit operable to drive the optical member at a drive speed within a predetermined range, the camera body have: a receiving unit operable to receive silent speed information from the interchangeable lens, the silent speed information indicating a setting value related to a silent operation of the drive unit, the setting value being a value of a drive speed within the predetermined range; and a control unit operable to generate a control signal for driving the drive unit based on the received silent speed information, when attempting to drive the drive unit of the interchangeable lens with a suppressed drive sound of the interchangeable lens, and send the generated control signal to the interchangeable lens.

Camera body, interchangeable lens, and imaging apparatus

An interchangeable lens which is mountable to a camera body and operates according to a command from the camera body includes a diaphragm operable to regulate an amount of light from a subject by changing an aperture, a drive unit operable to change the aperture of the diaphragm, and a lens controller operable to control the drive unit to change the aperture of the diaphragm according to an instruction received from the camera body. When the lens controller receives a new instruction from the camera body while changing the aperture of the diaphragm, the lens controller controls the drive unit to change the aperture of the diaphragm based on the new instruction without waiting for completion of the change of the aperture according to a previous instruction.

Growing community of inventors

Osaka, Japan

Koji Hashigami