Image capturing apparatus and control method thereof

An image capturing apparatus comprising:

• an image sensor in which a plurality of pixels including focus detection pixels that output signals so as to be able to acquire a pair of focus detection signals having parallax based on light fluxes that have passed through mutually different pupil regions of an imaging optical system are arranged;
• a movement control unit that moves incident positions of the light fluxes on the image sensor;
• and
• a focus detection unit that performs phase difference focus detection using the pair of focus detection signals,
• wherein the movement control unit moves the incident positions in a first direction for detecting a phase difference a plurality of cycles during an exposure period for acquiring the pair of focus detection signals, and the plurality of cycles of movement includes movement with a first amplitude and movement with a second amplitude different from the first amplitude,
• wherein the first amplitude is smaller than ½ of a distance between the plurality of pixels and larger than ¼ of the distance between the plurality of pixels, and
• wherein the focus detection unit is implemented by one or more processors, circuitry or a combination thereof.

An image capturing apparatus, comprising:

• an image sensor in which a plurality of pixels including focus detection pixels that output signals so as to be able to acquire a pair of focus detection signals having parallax based on light fluxes that have passed through mutually different pupil regions of an imaging optical system are arranged;
• a movement control unit that moves incident positions of the light fluxes on the image sensor;
• and
• a focus detection unit that performs phase difference focus detection using the pair of focus detection signals,
• wherein the movement control unit moves the incident positions in a first direction for detecting a phase difference a plurality of cycles during an exposure period for acquiring the pair of focus detection signals, and the plurality of cycles of movement includes movement with a first amplitude and movement with a second amplitude different from the first amplitude,
• wherein the plurality of cycles of movement includes movement in which a distribution of positions to which the incident positions are moved is a Gaussian distribution, and
• wherein the focus detection unit is implemented by one or more processors, circuitry or a combination thereof.

An image capturing apparatus comprising:

• an image sensor in which a plurality of pixels including focus detection pixels that output signals so as to be able to acquire a pair of focus detection signals having parallax based on light fluxes that have passed through mutually different pupil regions of an imaging optical system are arranged;
• a movement control unit that moves incident positions of the light fluxes on the image sensor;
• and
• a focus detection unit that performs phase difference focus detection using the pair of focus detection signals,
• wherein the movement control unit moves the incident positions in a first direction for detecting a phase difference a plurality of cycles during an exposure period for acquiring the pair of focus detection signals, and the plurality of cycles of movement includes movement with a first amplitude and movement with a second amplitude different from the first amplitude,
• wherein the movement control unit moves the incident positions using different methods during an exposure period of the image sensor for acquiring a recording signal and during an exposure period of the image sensor for acquiring the pair of focus detection signals,
• wherein the movement control unit controls the amplitude of the movement in a case of acquiring the pair of focus detection signals smaller than the amplitude of the movement in a case of acquiring the recording signal, and
• wherein the focus detection unit is implemented by one or more processors, circuitry or a combination thereof.

An image capturing apparatus comprising:

• an image sensor in which a plurality of pixels including focus detection pixels that output signals so as to be able to acquire a pair of focus detection signals having parallax based on light fluxes that have passed through mutually different pupil regions of an imaging optical system are arranged;
• a movement control unit that moves incident positions of the light fluxes on the image sensor;
• and
• a focus detection unit that performs phase difference focus detection using the pair of focus detection signals,
• wherein the movement control unit moves the incident positions such that a distribution of speeds at positions to which the incident positions are moved in a first direction for detecting a phase difference during an exposure period for acquiring the pair of focus detection signals is a Gaussian distribution.

A control method of an image capturing apparatus which comprises:

• an image sensor in which a plurality of pixels including focus detection pixels that output signals so as to be able to acquire a pair of focus detection signals having parallax to be used for phase difference focus detection based on light fluxes that have passed through mutually different pupil regions of an imaging optical system are arranged;
• and a movement control unit that moves incident positions of the light fluxes on the image sensor, the method comprising
• moving the incident positions in a first direction for detecting a phase difference a plurality of cycles during an exposure period for acquiring the pair of focus detection signals,
• wherein the plurality of cycles of movement includes movement with a first amplitude and movement with a second amplitude different from the first amplitude, and
• wherein response characteristics of an effect of a vibration-type low-pass filter obtained by the movement with the first amplitude has a minimum value at a frequency that is larger than a Nyquist frequency based on a distance between the focus detection pixels and smaller than twice the Nyquist frequency.

A control method of an image capturing apparatus which comprises:

• an image sensor in which a plurality of pixels including focus detection pixels that output signals so as to be able to acquire a pair of focus detection signals having parallax to be used for phase difference focus detection based on light fluxes that have passed through mutually different pupil regions of an imaging optical system are arranged;
• and a movement control unit that moves incident positions of the light fluxes on the image sensor, the method comprising:
• moving the incident positions in a first direction for detecting a phase difference a plurality of cycles during an exposure period for acquiring the pair of focus detection signals,
• wherein the plurality of cycles of movement includes movement with a first amplitude and movement with a second amplitude different from the first amplitude, and
• wherein the first amplitude is smaller than ½ of a distance between the plurality of pixels and larger than ¼ of the distance between the plurality of pixels.

A control method of an image capturing apparatus which comprises:

• an image sensor in which a plurality of pixels including focus detection pixels that output signals so as to be able to acquire a pair of focus detection signals having parallax to be used for phase difference focus detection based on light fluxes that have passed through mutually different pupil regions of an imaging optical system are arranged;
• and a movement control unit that moves incident positions of the light fluxes on the image sensor, the method comprising
• moving the incident positions in a first direction for detecting a phase difference a plurality of cycles during an exposure period for acquiring the pair of focus detection signals,
• wherein the plurality of cycles of movement includes movement with a first amplitude and movement with a second amplitude different from the first amplitude, and
• wherein the plurality of cycles of movement includes movement in which a distribution of positions to which the incident positions are moved is a Gaussian distribution.

A control method of an image capturing apparatus which comprises:

• an image sensor in which a plurality of pixels including focus detection pixels that output signals so as to be able to acquire a pair of focus detection signals having parallax to be used for phase difference focus detection based on light fluxes that have passed through mutually different pupil regions of an imaging optical system are arranged;
• and a movement control unit that moves incident positions of the light fluxes on the image sensor, the method comprising
• moving the incident positions in a first direction for detecting a phase difference a plurality of cycles during an exposure period for acquiring the pair of focus detection signals,
• wherein the plurality of cycles of movement includes movement with a first amplitude and movement with a second amplitude different from the first amplitude,
• wherein the incident positions are moved using different methods during an exposure period of the image sensor for acquiring a recording signal and during an exposure period of the image sensor for acquiring the pair of focus detection signals, and
• wherein the amplitude of the movement in a case of acquiring the pair of focus detection signals is controlled smaller than the amplitude of the movement in a case of acquiring the recording signal.