Image capture apparatus and control method therefor

A control method for an image capture apparatus that can generate an omnidirectional image using a plurality of image capture units with different capture directions, the plurality of image capture units respectively including a plurality of imaging lenses, the method comprising:

• detecting an orientation of the image capture apparatus;
• when the image capture apparatus is in an operation mode for generating a first image with a smaller field of view than the omnidirectional image, (a) identifying a reference orientation which is a unidirectional direction that is not affected by changes to the orientation of the image capture apparatus thereafter and (b) identifying a first area to be captured required to generate the first image on a basis of a difference between a reference orientation and a current orientation of the image capture apparatus detected in the detecting;
• when the image capture apparatus is in the operation mode, (a) in a case where a capturable area of a first image capture unit, from among the plurality of image capture units, includes at least a portion of the first area, putting the first image capture unit in a first state capable of imaging processing and (b) in a case where a capturable area of a second image capture unit, among the plurality of image capture units, does not include any portion of the first area, putting the second image capture unit in a power saving state in which less power is consumed than when in the first state;
• and
• generating a guide display including a display indicating how to change the orientation of the image capture apparatus to reduce a number of imaging lenses to be used for image capture.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a program which, when executed by one or more processors of an image capture apparatus that can generate an omnidirectional image using a plurality of image capture units with different capture directions, the plurality of image capture units respectively including a plurality of imaging lenses, causes the image capture apparatus to perform a control method comprising:

• detecting an orientation of the image capture apparatus;
• when the image capture apparatus is in an operation mode for generating a first image with a smaller field of view than the omnidirectional image, (a) identifying a reference orientation which is a unidirectional direction that is not affected by changes to the orientation of the image capture apparatus thereafter and (b) identifying a first area to be captured required to generate the first image on a basis of a difference between a reference orientation and a current orientation of the image capture apparatus detected in the detecting;
• when the image capture apparatus is in the operation mode, (a) in a case where a capturable area of a first image capture unit, of the plurality of image capture units, includes at least a portion of the first area, putting the first image capture unit in a first state capable of imaging processing and (b) in a case where a capturable area of a second image capture unit, of the plurality of image capture units, does not include any portion of the first area, putting the second image capture unit in a power saving state in which less power is consumed than when in the first state;
• and
• generating a guide display including a display indicating how to change the orientation of the image capture apparatus to reduce a number of imaging lenses to be used for image capture.