Image-capturing apparatus and image-capturing method

An image-capturing method for capturing an image of an object while changing a zoom factor by control of a focal length of a multifocal optical lens, said image-capturing method comprising:

• an object movement detecting step of detecting a movement of the object;
• an image-capturing-apparatus movement detecting step of detecting a movement of an image-capturing apparatus;
• a focal length calculating step of calculating the focal length of the multifocal optical lens so that the zoom factor becomes lower than a set zoom factor in at least one of the cases where the movement of the object is detected in said object movement detecting step, and where the movement of the image-capturing apparatus is detected in said image-capturing-apparatus movement detecting step, and of calculating the focal length of the multifocal optical lens so that the zoom factor becomes equivalent to the set zoom factor in the cases where the movement of the object is not detected in said object movement detecting step, and where the movement of the image-capturing apparatus is not detected in said image-capturing-apparatus movement detecting step;
• a focal length control step of controlling the focal length so that the focal length of the multifocal optical lens is adjusted to the focal length calculated in said focal length calculating step;
• a frame area setting step of clipping a frame area out of the optical zoom image having been formed through the multifocal optical lens, the frame area being an area of which a position and a size are determined according to the zoom factor;
• an electronic zoom processing step of changing the size of the image in the frame area clipped in said frame area setting step, through electronic zoom, to a size for displaying the image;
• a framing image display step of displaying one of an electronic zoom image and the optical zoom image, the electronic zoom image having been electronic-zoomed by said electronic zoom processing unit;
• and
• a recording step of storing the zoom factor and the optical zoom image.

A program for capturing an image of an object while changing a zoom factor by control of a focal length of a multifocal optical lens, said program causing a computer to execute:

• an object movement detecting step of detecting a movement of the object;
• an image-capturing-apparatus movement detecting step of detecting a movement of an image-capturing apparatus;
• a focal length calculating step of calculating the focal length of the multifocal optical lens so that the zoom factor becomes lower than a set zoom factor in at least one of the cases where the movement of the object is detected in the object movement detecting step, and where the movement of the image-capturing apparatus is detected in the image-capturing-apparatus movement detecting step, and of calculating the focal length of the multifocal optical lens so that the zoom factor becomes equivalent to the set zoom factor in the cases where the movement of the object is not detected in the object movement detecting step, and where the movement of the image-capturing apparatus is not detected in the image-capturing-apparatus movement detecting step;
• a focal length control step of controlling so that the focal length of the multifocal optical lens is adjusted to the focal length calculated in the focal length calculating step;
• a frame area setting step of clipping a frame area out of the optical zoom image having been formed through the multifocal optical lens, the frame area being an area of which a position and a size are determined according to the zoom factor;
• an electronic zoom processing step of changing the size of the image in the frame area clipped in the frame area setting step, through electronic zoom, to a size for displaying the image;
• a framing image display step of displaying one of an electronic zoom image and the optical zoom image, the electronic zoom image having been electronic-zoomed in the electronic zoom processing step;
• and
• a recording step of storing the zoom factor and the optical zoom image.