Image pickup apparatus enabling automatic irradiation direction control, lighting device, image pickup system, automatic irradiation direction control method, and storage medium storing program therefor

A lighting device comprising:

• a light emitting section;
• a drive control unit configured to perform automatic irradiation direction control so that said light emitting section is automatically directed in a determined irradiation direction;
• a communication unit configured to transmit information about the automatic irradiation direction control to a connected image pickup apparatus.

An automatic irradiation direction control method for an image pickup apparatus to which a lighting device that changes an irradiation direction of a light emitting section is mounted or is attachable, having a first operation member that starts automatic irradiation direction control that drives the light emitting section to direct in a determined irradiation direction and starts photographing preparation, and a second operation member that starts the automatic irradiation direction control, the automatic irradiation direction control method comprising:

• starting the automatic irradiation direction control when either of the first operation member and the second operation member is operated;
• and
• performing the automatic irradiation direction control in operation continuously without stopping when the second operation member is operated during the automatic irradiation direction control owing to the operation of the first operation member.

An automatic irradiation direction control method for a lighting device that changes an irradiation direction of a light emitting section, the automatic irradiation direction control method comprising:

• starting automatic drive control in response to an operation of a first operation member for starting photographing preparation of a connected image pickup apparatus;
• and
• performing the automatic irradiation direction control in operation continuously without stopping when a second operation member, which is different from the first operation member, is operated during the automatic irradiation direction control owing to the operation of the first operation member.

An automatic irradiation direction control method for an image pickup system that is configured by attaching a lighting device that changes an irradiation direction of a light emitting section to an image pickup apparatus, the lighting device having a lighting-device-side operation member that starts automatic irradiation direction control that drives the light emitting section to direct in a determined irradiation direction, and the image pickup apparatus having a first operation member that starts the automatic irradiation direction control and starts photographing preparation, the automatic irradiation direction control method comprising:

• starting the automatic irradiation direction control when either of the first operation member and the lighting-device-side operation member is operated;
• and
• performing the automatic irradiation direction control in operation continuously without stopping when the lighting-device-side operation member is operated during the automatic irradiation direction control owing to the operation of the first operation member.