Optical unit which can program optical properties and camera incorporating optical unit which can program optical properties

A lens unit which can program an optical property, comprising:

• a detachable unit adapted to be detached from a camera;
• a plurality of optical elements disposed on an optical axis of the lens unit;
• an electronic control unit for changing an optical property of the whole lens unit by changing the state of the plurality of lens elements within the lens unit through electronic control;
• an instruction unit for instructing the control of the state of the plurality of optical element at the time of photographing so that an optical property designated with respect to an optical path of the whole lens unit falls within a designated range of a whole range that can be changed by the electronic control unit;
• and
• a photographing control unit for controlling the state of the plurality of optical elements that is changed by the electronic control unit at the time of photographing so that an optical property designated by the instruction unit falls within the range designated by the instruction means.

A method for controlling a camera incorporating an electronic control unit for changing the state of a plurality of optical elements disposed on an optical axis of a lens unit through electronic control to thereby change an optical property with respect to an optical path of the whole lens unit, comprising the steps of:

• setting an operation mode of the camera to a design mode;
• instructing the control of the state of the plurality of optical elements when the design mode is set so that the optical property with respect to the optical path of the whole lens unit falls within part of a whole range that can be changed by the electronic control unit;
• setting the operation mode of the camera to a photographing mode;
• and
• controlling the state of the plurality of optical elements that is changed by the electronic control unit based on a detail designated during the design mode when the photographing step is set so that the optical property with respect to the optical path of the whole lens unit falls within the part of the whole range that can be changed by the electronic control unit.