Image pickup apparatus having a plurality of settable image capturing modes, method for controlling the same, and non-transitory computer-readable storage medium

An image pickup apparatus including an image pickup unit and having a plurality of image capturing modes each providing a different method for controlling a plurality of exposure control values to change the exposure when capturing an image of a subject to acquire an image signal via the image pickup unit, the image pickup apparatus comprising:

• a memory configured to store a plurality of exposure conditions under which numerical combinations of the plurality of exposure control values are predetermined according to a luminance value of the subject;
• and
• at least one processor or circuit configured to perform the operations of the following unit:
• a control unit configured to control changes to the plurality of exposure control values in response to an input of a user operation,
• wherein the plurality of image capturing modes at least includes:
• a first mode in which an exposure control value from among the plurality of exposure control values is chosen and set to a fixed value by the user, and other exposure control values are set to settable automatic values by the image pickup apparatus without involving a change operation by the user,
• a second mode in which the plurality of exposure control values is all set to the automatic values, and
• a third mode in which the plurality of exposure control values is settable to the fixed values and the automatic values by the user,
• wherein, in the third mode different from the first and the second modes, a combination of the fixed and the automatic values is changeable without changing the image capturing mode, and
• wherein, in the third mode, for the same combination of the fixed and the automatic values as those in the first or the second mode, the control unit performs control to use the same exposure conditions from among the plurality of exposure conditions stored in the memory.

A method for controlling an image pickup apparatus including an image sensor and having a plurality of image capturing modes each providing a different methods for controlling a plurality of exposure control values to change the exposure when capturing an image of a subject to acquire an image signal, the method comprising:

• controlling, by first controlling, transitions between the plurality of image capturing modes actuated by a manual user operation, using a first operation member;
• and
• controlling, by second controlling, changes to the plurality of exposure control values by a manual user operation using a second operation member,
• wherein the plurality of image capturing modes at least including a first mode, a second mode, and a third mode:
• wherein the first mode in which an exposure control value from among the plurality of exposure control values is to be chosen and set to a fixed value by the user, and other exposure control values are set to settable automatic values by the image pickup apparatus without involving a change operation by the user,
• wherein the second mode in which the plurality of exposure control values are all to be set to the automatic values, and
• wherein the third mode in which the plurality of exposure control values are settable to a combination of the automatic value and fixed value settable in the first and the second modes by the user via the second operation member, without changing the image capturing mode.

A method for controlling an image pickup apparatus including an image sensor and a memory configured to store a plurality of exposure conditions under which numerical combinations from among the plurality of exposure control values are predetermined according to a luminance value of a subject, the image pickup apparatus having a plurality of image capturing modes each providing a different method for controlling the plurality of exposure control values to change the exposure when capturing an image of the subject to acquire an image signal, the method comprising:

• controlling, by exposure controlling, changes of the plurality of exposure control values in response to an input of a user operation,
• wherein the plurality of image capturing modes at least includes:
• a first mode in which an exposure control value from among the plurality of exposure control values is set to a fixed value by the user, and other exposure control values are set to settable automatic values by the image pickup apparatus without involving a change operation by the user,
• a second mode in which the plurality of exposure control values is all set to the automatic values, and
• a third mode in which the plurality of exposure control values is settable to the fixed values and the automatic values by the user,
• wherein, in the third mode different from the first and the second modes, a combination of the fixed and the automatic values is changeable without changing the image capturing mode, and
• wherein, in the third mode, for the same combination of the fixed and the automatic values as those in the first or the second mode, control is performed in the exposure controlling to use the same exposure conditions from among the plurality of exposure conditions stored in the memory.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program for causing a processor to execute a method of controlling an image pickup apparatus that includes an image sensor, the control method comprising:

• controlling, by first controlling, transitions between the plurality of image capturing modes actuated by a manual user operation, using a first operation member;
• and
• controlling, by second controlling, changes to the plurality of exposure control values by a manual user operation using a second operation member,
• wherein the plurality of image capturing modes at least including a first mode, a second mode, and a third mode:
• wherein the first mode in which an exposure control value from among the plurality of exposure control values is to be chosen and set to a fixed value by the user, and other exposure control values are set to settable automatic values by the image pickup apparatus without involving a change operation by the user,
• wherein the second mode in which the plurality of exposure control values are all to be set to the automatic values, and
• wherein the third mode in which the plurality of exposure control values are settable to a combination of the automatic value and fixed value settable in the first and the second modes by the user via the second operation member, without changing the image capturing mode.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program for causing a processor to execute a method of controlling an image pickup apparatus that includes an image sensor and a memory configured to store a plurality of exposure conditions under which numerical combinations from among the plurality of exposure control values are predetermined according to a luminance value of a subject, the control method comprising:

• controlling, by exposure controlling, changes of the plurality of exposure control values in response to an input of a user operation,
• wherein the plurality of image capturing modes at least includes:
• a first mode in which an exposure control value from among the plurality of exposure control values is set to a fixed value by the user, and other exposure control values are set to settable automatic values by the image pickup apparatus without involving a change operation by the user,
• a second mode in which the plurality of exposure control values is all set to the automatic values, and
• a third mode in which the plurality of exposure control values is settable to the fixed values and the automatic values by the user,
• wherein, in the third mode different from the first and the second modes, a combination of the fixed and the automatic values is changeable without changing the image capturing mode, and
• wherein, in the third mode, for the same combination of the fixed and the automatic values as those in the first or the second mode, control is performed in the exposure controlling to use the same exposure conditions from among the plurality of exposure conditions stored in the memory.