Camera provided with an automatic focus adjusting apparatus

An object movement detecting apparatus including:

• a focus detecting device to detect focus adjustment information for a focus adjusted state of a photo-taking lens;
• a storing circuit to store the focus adjustment information;
• an image plane movement speed calculating circuit to calculate an image plane movement speed based on the focus adjustment information stored in said storing circuit;
• a moving object discriminating circuit to discriminate whether the image plane movement speed calculated by said image plane movement speed calculating device is equal to or greater than a threshold value, thereby discriminating an object as a moving object;
• and
• a moving object discrimination threshold value setting circuit to set and change the threshold value based on the focus adjustment information stored in said storing circuit.

A camera with a continuous shooting device and an automatic focus adjusting apparatus, the automatic focus adjusting apparatus comprising:

• a focus detecting device to detect focus adjustment information for a focus adjusted state of a photo-taking lens;
• an image plane movement speed calculating circuit to calculate an image plane movement speed based on the focus adjustment information;
• a moving object discriminating circuit to discriminate an object as a moving object when the image plane movement speed is equal to or greater than a threshold value;
• and,
• a threshold value setting circuit to set the threshold value to a first threshold value when the continuous shooting device is not driven and to change the threshold value to a second threshold value smaller than the first threshold value, when the continuous shooting device is driven, for the moving object discriminating circuit to recognize a slow moving object.

A method to recognize a slow moving object in a camera with a continuous shooting device and an automatic focus adjusting apparatus, comprising the steps of:

• detecting focus adjustment information for a focus adjusted state of a photo-taking lens;
• calculating an image plane movement speed based on the focus adjustment information;
• discriminating an object as a moving object when the image plane movement speed is equal to or greater than a threshold value;
• and,
• setting the threshold value to a first threshold value when the continuous shooting device is not driven and changing the threshold value to a second threshold value smaller than the first threshold value when the continuous shooting device is driven.