Camera having proper exposure controlling function

A camera comprising:

• a brightness and darkness distribution detecting unit which detects distribution of a bright portion and a dark portion in a photographing picture;
• a distances distribution detecting unit which detects distances distribution in the photographing picture;
• and
• a controller which controls irradiation of flash light when it is determined that a focused position with respect to a distance detected by the distances distribution detecting unit corresponds to the dark portion and that a ratio of the bright portion to the dark portion is large from a detection result of detection of the distribution of the bright portion and the dark portion.

A camera comprising:

• a luminance difference detecting unit which detects a luminance difference between a bright portion and a dark portion in a photographing picture;
• a distance detecting unit which detects respective distances of the bright portion and the dark portion;
• and
• a flash light controller which projects flash light when a large luminance difference is detected by the luminance difference detecting unit as well as when it is detected by the distance detecting unit that the dark portion has a short distance.

A camera comprising:

• a photographing optical system having a variable focal length to photograph a subject;
• a focal length detecting unit which detects a focal length of the photographing optical system;
• non TTL-AF type sensor arrays having a plurality of regions capable of detecting a luminance distribution signal of the subject;
• a light measuring unit which calculates luminance of the subject based on sensor outputs from a single region or the plurality of regions of the sensor arrays;
• and
• an optical system for focusing an image signal on the sensor arrays, different from the photographing optical system,
• wherein the light measuring unit changes the regions of the sensor arrays used to calculate the luminance in accordance with an output from the focal length detecting unit.

A camera comprising:

• a photographing optical system having a variable focal length to photograph a subject;
• a focal length detecting unit which detects a focal length of the photographing optical system;
• non TTL-AF type sensor arrays having a plurality of regions capable of detecting a luminance distribution signal of the subject;
• a light measuring unit which calculates the luminance of the subject based on sensor outputs from a single region or the plurality of regions of the sensor arrays;
• and
• an optical system for focusing an image signal on the sensor arrays, different from the photographing optical system,
• wherein the light measuring unit executes control such that a ratio of a field of view of the sensor arrays used for light measurement to a field of view of the photographing optical system has the same ratio regardless of the focal length of the photographing optical system.

A camera comprising:

• a photographing optical system having a variable focal length to photograph a subject;
• a focal length detecting unit which detects a focal length of the photographing optical system;
• sensor arrays which detect image signals of a subject, the image signals of the subject being capable of measuring distances of a plurality of points in a photographing picture;
• a main subject position detecting unit which detects a position of a main subject based on outputs from the sensor arrays;
• a light measuring unit which groups sensors of a single region or a plurality of regions of the sensor arrays and calculates luminance based on outputs from each grouped sensors;
• and
• an optical system for focusing an image signal on the sensor arrays, different from the photographing optical system,
• wherein the light measuring unit changes grouping of the sensors in the single region or the plurality of regions in accordance with the position of the main subject detected by the main subject position detecting unit and an output from the focal length detecting unit.

A camera comprising:

• a photographing optical system having a variable focal length to photograph a subject;
• a focal length detecting unit which detects a focal length of the photographing optical system;
• sensor arrays which detect image signals of the subject, the image signals of the subject being capable of measuring distances of a plurality of points in a photographing picture;
• a main subject position detecting unit which detects a position of a main subject based on outputs from the sensor arrays;
• a light measuring unit which groups sensors of one of a single region and a plurality of regions of each of the sensor arrays in accordance with the position of the main subject detected by the main subject position detecting unit and calculates luminance based on outputs from each grouped sensors;
• and
• an optical system for focusing an image signal on the sensor arrays, different from the photographing optical system,
• wherein the light measuring unit reduces, when output from the focal length detecting unit is located on a more distant telescopic side, a number of the sensors configuring the each grouped sensors.

A camera comprising:

• luminance distribution detecting means for detecting distribution of brightness in a photographing picture;
• changing point determining means for determining a changing point of a bright portion and a dark portion with reference to the distribution of brightness detected by the luminance distribution detecting means;
• and
• exposure control means for deciding that exposure is to be executed on the bright portion or the dark portion based on a position of the changing point determined by the changing point determining means.

A camera comprising:

• brightness and darkness distribution detecting means for detecting distribution of a bright portion and a dark portion in a photographing picture;
• distances distribution detecting means for detecting distribution of distances in the photographing picture;
• and
• control means for controlling irradiation of flash light when it is determined that a focused position with respect to a distance detected by the distances distribution detecting means corresponds to the dark portion and that a ratio of the bright portion to the dark portion is large from a detection result of the distribution of the bright portion and the dark portion.

A camera comprising:

• luminance difference detecting means for detecting a luminance difference between a bright portion and a dark portion in a photographing picture;
• distance detecting means for detecting respective distances of the bright portion and the dark portion;
• and
• flash light control means for projecting flash light when a large luminance difference is detected by the luminance difference detecting means as well as when it is detected by the distance detecting means that the dark portion has a short distance.

A camera comprising:

• a photographing optical system having a variable focal length to photograph a subject;
• focal length detecting means for detecting a focal length of the photographing optical system;
• non TTL-AF type sensor arrays having a plurality of regions capable of detecting a luminance distribution signal of the subject;
• light measurement means for calculating luminance of the subject based on sensor outputs from a single region or the plurality of regions of the sensor arrays;
• and
• an optical system for focusing an image signal on the sensor arrays, different from the photographing optical system,
• wherein the light measurement means changes the regions of the sensor arrays used to calculate the luminance in accordance with an output from the focal length detecting means.

A camera comprising:

• a photographing optical system having a variable focal length to photograph a subject;
• focal length detecting means for detecting a focal length of the photographing optical system;
• non TTL-AF type sensor arrays having a plurality of regions capable of detecting a luminance distribution signal of the subject;
• light measurement means for calculating luminance of the subject based on sensor outputs from a single region or the plurality of regions of the sensor arrays;
• and
• an optical system for focusing an image signal on the sensor arrays, different from the photographing optical system,
• wherein the light measurement means executes control such that a ratio of a field of view of the sensor arrays used for light measurement to a field of view of the photographing optical system has the same ratio regardless of the focal length of the photographing optical system.

A camera comprising:

• a photographing optical system having a variable focal length to photograph a subject;
• focal length detecting means for detecting a focal length of the photographing optical system;
• sensor arrays which detect image signals of a subject, the image signals of the subject being capable of measuring distances of a plurality of points in a photographing picture;
• main subject position detecting means for detecting a position of a main subject based on outputs from the sensor arrays;
• light measurement means for grouping sensors of a single region or a plurality of regions of the sensor arrays and calculating luminance based on outputs from each grouped sensors;
• and
• an optical system for focusing an image signal on the sensor arrays, different from the photographing optical system,
• wherein the light measurement means changes grouping of the sensors of the single region or the plurality of regions in accordance with the position of the main subject detected by the main subject position detecting means and an output from the focal length detecting means.

A camera comprising:

• a photographing optical system having a variable focal length to photograph a subject;
• focal length detecting means for detecting a focal length of the photographing optical system;
• sensor arrays which detect image signals of the subject, the image signals of the subject being capable of measuring distances of a plurality of points in a photographing picture;
• main subject position detecting means for detecting a position of a main subject based on outputs from the sensor arrays;
• light measurement means for grouping sensors of a single region or a plurality of regions of the sensor arrays in accordance with the position of the main subject detected by the main subject position detecting means and calculating luminance based on outputs from each grouped sensors;
• and
• an optical system for focusing an image signal on the sensor arrays, different from the photographing optical system,
• wherein the light measurement means reduces, when an output from the focal length detecting means is located on a more distant telescopic side, a number of the sensors configuring the each grouped sensors.

A method of controlling exposure of a camera, comprising:

• detecting distribution of brightness in a photographing picture;
• determining a changing point of a bright portion and a dark portion with reference to the distribution of brightness;
• and
• deciding that exposure is to be executed on the bright portion or the dark portion based on a position in the photographing picture of the changing point.

A method of controlling exposure of a camera, comprising:

• detecting distribution of a bright portion and a dark portion in a photographing picture;
• detecting distances distribution in the photographing picture;
• and
• controlling irradiation of flash light when it is determined that a focused position with respect to a detected distance corresponds to the dark portion and that a ratio of the bright portion to the dark portion is large from a detection result of the distribution of the bright portion and the dark portion.

A method of controlling exposure of a camera, comprising:

• detecting a luminance difference between a bright portion and a dark portion in a photographing picture;
• detecting respective distances of the bright portion and the dark portion;
• and
• projecting flash light when a large luminance difference is detected as well as when it is detected that the dark portion has a short distance.

A method of controlling exposure of a camera, comprising:

• preparing a photographing optical system having a variable focal length to photograph a subject;
• preparing non TTL-AF type sensor arrays having a plurality of regions capable of detecting luminance distribution signal of the subject;
• detecting a focal length of the photographing optical system;
• calculating luminance of the subject based on outputs from a single region or the plurality of regions of the sensor arrays;
• and
• preparing an optical system different from the photographing optical system, which focuses an image signal on the sensor arrays,
• wherein the calculating of the luminance of the subject is executed by changing the regions of the sensor arrays used in a light measurement, in accordance with an output of the detecting of the focal length.

A method of controlling exposure of a camera, comprising:

• preparing a photographing optical system having a variable focal length to photograph a subject;
• preparing non TTL-AF type sensor arrays having a plurality of regions capable of detecting a luminance distribution signal of the subject;
• detecting a focal length of the photographing optical system;
• calculating luminance of the subject based on outputs from a single region or the plurality of regions of the sensor arrays;
• and
• preparing an optical system for focusing an image signal on the sensor arrays, different from the photographing optical system,
• wherein the calculating of the luminance of the subject is executed by controlling such that a ratio of the field of view of the sensor arrays used for light measurement to a field of view of the photographing optical system has the same ratio regardless of the focal length of the photographing optical system.

A method of controlling exposure of a camera, comprising:

• preparing a photographing optical system having a variable focal length to photograph a subject;
• preparing sensor arrays which detect image signals of the subject, the image signal of the subject being capable of measuring distances of a plurality of points in a photographing picture;
• detecting a focal length of the photographing optical system;
• detecting a position of a main subject based on outputs from the sensor arrays;
• grouping sensors of a single region or a plurality of regions of the sensor arrays and calculating luminance based on outputs from each grouped sensors;
• and
• preparing an optical system for focusing an image signal on the sensor arrays, different from the photographing optical system,
• wherein the calculating of the luminance is executed by changing grouping of the sensors the single region or the plurality of regions in accordance with a detected position of the main subject and an output of a detected focal length.

A method of controlling exposure of a camera, comprising:

• preparing a photographing optical system having a variable focal length to photograph a subject;
• preparing sensor arrays which detect image signals of the subject, the image signals of the subject being capable of measuring distances of a plurality of points in a photographing picture;
• detecting a focal length of the photographing optical system;
• detecting a position of a main subject based on outputs from the sensor arrays;
• grouping sensors of a single region or a plurality of regions of the sensor arrays in accordance with the position of the main subject and calculating luminance based on outputs from each grouped sensors;
• and
• preparing an optical system for focusing an image signal on the sensor arrays, different from the photographing optical system,
• wherein the calculating of the luminance is executed by reducing, when an output of a detected focal length is located on a more distant telescopic side, a number of the sensors configuring the each grouped sensors.