Image pickup system capable of performing bounce flash shooting, light emission device, method of controlling light emission device, and storage medium

A light emission device that includes a device body, a movable unit including a light emitter that emits light, and supported in a manner rotatable about a first axis in a first direction with respect to the device body, and in a manner rotatable about a second axis in a second direction substantially orthogonal to the first direction, a first driver that drives the movable unit in the first direction, and a second driver that drives the movable unit in the second direction, and irradiates light from the light emitter toward a target object, thereby causing reflected light from the target object to be irradiated to an object,

• the light emission device comprising:
• one or more processors, Wherein the processor functions as the following units according to a program stored in a memory;
• a first determination unit configured to calculate an angle of the movable unit with respect to the device body, at which light is irradiated from the light emitter toward the target object to thereby decide an irradiating direction;
• a control unit configured to control the first driver and the second driver such that the light emitter is oriented in the irradiating direction determined by the first determination unit;
• and
• a second determination unit configured to determine Whether or not a rotational angle of the movable unit with respect to the device body that is driven in the first direction by the first driver, in a position where the light emitter is oriented in the irradiating direction, exceeds a predetermined angle,
• wherein the control unit determines whether or not to drive the movable unit in the second direction by the second driver, based on a result of the determination by the second determination unit.

A method of controlling a light emission device that includes a device body, a movable unit including a light emitter that emits light, and supported in a manner rotatable about a first axis in a first direction with respect to the device body, and in a manner rotatable about a second axis in a second direction substantially orthogonal to the first direction, a first driver that drives the movable unit in the first direction, and a second driver that drives the movable unit in the second direction, and irradiates light from the light emitter toward a target object, thereby causing reflected light from the target object to be irradiated to an object,

• the method comprising:
• calculating an angle of the movable unit with respect to the device body, at which light is irradiated from the light emitter toward the target object to thereby determine an irradiating direction;
• controlling the first driver and. the second driver such that the light emitter is oriented in the determined irradiating direction;
• determining whether or not a rotational angle of the movable unit with respect to the device body that is driven in the first direction by the first driver, in a position where the light emitter is oriented in the irradiating direction, exceeds a predetermined angle;
• and
• determining whether or riot to drive the movable unit in the second direction by the second driver, based on a result of the determination by said determining.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a computer-executable program for executing a method of controlling a light emission device that includes a device body, a movable unit including a light emitter that emits light, and supported in a manner rotatable about a first axis in a first direction with respect to the device body, and in a manner rotatable about a second axis in a second direction substantially orthogonal to the first direction, a first driver that drives the movable unit in the first direction, and a second driver that drives the movable unit in the second direction, and irradiates light from the light emitter toward a target object, thereby causing reflected light from the target object to be irradiated to an object,

• wherein the method comprises:
• calculating an angle of the movable unit with respect to the device body, at which light is irradiated from the light emitter toward the target object to thereby determine an irradiating direction;
• controlling the first driver and the second driver such that the light emission section is oriented in the determined irradiating direction;
• determining whether or not a rotational angle of the movable unit with respect to the device body that is driven in the first direction by the first driver, in a position where the light emitter is oriented in the irradiating direction, exceeds a predetermined angle;
• and
• determining whether or not to drive the movable unit in the second direction by the second driver, based on a result of the determination by said determining.