Image capturing apparatus and method for controlling the same

An image capturing apparatus that captures an image of an object based on a set time, the image capturing apparatus comprising:

• an image capturing unit;
• a first state-changing unit that can change a state of an light emission unit;
• a second state-changing unit that can change an operation state of the image capturing apparatus to a first state in which the image capturing unit captures an image of an object, and to a second state in which electric power consumption decreases in comparison with consumption in the first state;
• and
• a light emission determining unit configured to determine, by a next image capture with the image capturing unit, whether to cause the light emission unit to emit a light for the next image capture,
• wherein the first state-changing unit changes the state of the light emission unit based on a result from the determination with the light emission determining unit, and
• wherein the second state-changing unit starts an operation for changing the operation state of the image capturing apparatus from the first state to the second state after the determination with the light emission determining unit, and then the second state-changing unit starts an operation for changing the operation state of the image capturing apparatus from the second state to the first state for the next image capture.

A method for controlling an image capturing apparatus that includes an image capturing unit and captures an image of an object based on a set time, the method comprising:

• (a) changing a state of an light emission unit to a first state in which the light emission unit emits a light corresponding to the image capturing unit capturing an image of an object, and to a second state in which electric power consumption decreases in comparison with consumption in the first state;
• (b) changing an operation state of the image capturing apparatus to a third state in which the image capturing unit captures an image of an object, and to a fourth state in which electric power consumption decreases in comparison with consumption in the third state;
• and
• (c) determining, by a next image capture with the image capturing unit, whether to cause the light emission unit to emit a light at the next image,
• wherein, in step (a), the state of the light emission unit is maintained in the second state until the next image capture when the state of the light emission unit is in the second state and it is determined not to cause the light emission unit to emit a light in step (c), and
• wherein, in step (b), an operation for changing the operation state of the image capturing apparatus from the third state to the fourth state is started after the determination in step (c) when the operation state of the image capturing apparatus is in the third state and it is determined not to cause the light emission unit to emit a light in step (c), and then an operation for changing the operation state of the image capturing apparatus from the fourth state to the third state is started for the next image capture.

A method for controlling an image capturing apparatus that includes an image capturing unit and captures an image of an object based on a set time, the method comprising:

• (a) changing a state of an light emission unit;
• (b) changing an operation state of the image capturing apparatus to a first state in which the image capturing unit captures an image of an object, and to a second state in which electric power consumption decreases in comparison with consumption in the first state;
• and
• (c) determining, by a next image capture with the image capturing unit, whether to cause the light emission unit to emit a light at the next image,
• wherein, in step (a), the state of the light emission unit is changed based on a result from the determination in step (c), and
• wherein, in step (b), an operation for changing the operation state of the image capturing apparatus from the first state to the second state is started after the determination in step (c), and then an operation for changing the operation state of the image capturing apparatus from the second state to the first state is started for the next image capture.