Exposure calculation device for camera

A light metering device for use in a camera, comprising:

• light metering means for measuring the brightness of the object field;
• color measuring means for measuring the color of the object field;
• luminosity judgment means for judging that said object field has a high luminosity when the object field is measured as uncolored by said color measuring means, where white is measured as uncolored, and as having a brightness higher than a predetermined value by said light metering means;
• and
• brightness correction means for correcting the brightness measured by said light metering means, when said luminosity judgment means identifies that the object field has a high luminosity.

An exposure calculation device for use in a camera, comprising:

• a light metering circuit to effect light metering in each of plural light metering areas into which an object field is divided and for producing corresponding light metering signals;
• a brightness calculation unit to determine a brightness value for each of the light metering areas based on the light metering signals;
• a color judging unit to judge whether each of the light metering areas is colored or uncolored, based on the light metering signals, where white is judged to be uncolored, and to produce an output which designates each of the light metering areas as colored or uncolored;
• a white-black judging unit, coupled to said color judging unit and said brightness calculation unit, to judge whether each of the plural light metering areas designated as uncolored is white or black based on the corresponding brightness value and the output of said color judging unit and to generate an output;
• and
• an exposure calculation unit coupled to said brightness calculation unit, said color judging unit and said white-black judging unit, to determine an exposure value based on the brightness values and the outputs of said color judging unit and said white-black judging unit.

A method for determining an exposure value for use in a camera, comprising:

• effecting light metering for each of plural light metering areas into which an object field is divided, to produce corresponding light metering signals;
• judging, for each of the light metering areas, whether the object in the light metering area is colored or uncolored where white is judged to be uncolored;
• judging, for each of the light metering areas designated as uncolored, whether a white or black object is present based on the corresponding light metering signal;
• and
• determining an exposure value based on the light metering signals and the results of said judging steps.