Photometric apparatus and method for evaluating backlight

A photometric backlight evaluation apparatus comprising:

• a photometric circuit for measuring brightness in a plurality of areas of a photographic frame;
• a geometric circuit for measuring a plurality of distances to a subject in the photographic frame;
• and
• a processor for grouping the plurality of areas in the photographic frame into a first group and other groups based on the plurality of distance data, calculating a photometric measurement of the first and other groups based on the brightness data measured by the photometric circuit, and comparing calculated measurements of the respective groups for backlight evaluation in the photographic frame.

A photometric backlight evaluation apparatus comprising:

• photometric means for measuring brightness of a subject in a plurality of areas of a photographic frame;
• geometric means for measuring distance to the subject in a plurality of areas of the photographic frame;
• grouping means for grouping the plurality of areas in the photographic frame based on the subject distance measured by the geometric means;
• group brightness calculation means for calculating photometric measurements of each group formed by the grouping part based on the subject brightness measured by the photometric means;
• group selection means for selecting a first group among groups formed by the grouping means;
• and
• backlight evaluation means for calculating a difference in the photometric measurement between the first group selected by the group selection means and remaining groups to evaluate backlight of the photographic frame, the backlight evaluation means changes backlight evaluation values depending on the first group's position and size in the photographic frame or the distance thereof.

A photometric apparatus, comprising:

• a photometric part having a lens for receiving light from a subject, a light receiving element for receiving light that is transmitted through the lens, and a circuit for processing an output from the light receiving element for measuring brightness in a plurality of areas of a photographic range;
• a geometric part having a lens for receiving light from a subject, a light receiving element for receiving light that is transmitted through the lens, and a circuit for processing an output from the light receiving element for measuring distance to the subject in a plurality of areas of the photographic range;
• and
• a processor in which certain programs are executed to perform a function to select an area in the photographic range using geometry result from the geometric part and a function to determine exposure using measurements of a selected area from the photometric part.

A method for evaluating backlight comprising:

• measuring brightness in a plurality of areas of a photographic range by means of a photometric part having a lens for receiving light from a subject, a light receiving element for receiving light that is transmitted through the lens, and a circuit for processing an output from the light receiving element;
• measuring distance to the subject in a plurality of areas of the photographic range by means of a geometric part having a lens for receiving light from a subject, a light receiving element for receiving light that is transmitted through the lens, and a circuit for processing an output from the light receiving element;
• and
• selecting an area in the photographic range using a geometry result from the geometric part and evaluating backlight using a measurement of the selected area that is obtained by the photometric part and a measurement of the areas excluded from the selected area that is obtained by the photometric part by means of a processor in which certain programs are executed.