US 6,748,167 B2 · Camera with auxiliary light emission and auto-focus

Abstract

The camera is capable of appropriate judgment as to whether or not an auxiliary light is to be emitted according to a luminance of a subject to be focused on by basing that judgment on a sensor output used in auto-focusing control. The camera is also capable of judging whether or not an auxiliary light is needed in a short period of time by setting a sensor sensitivity at a high level and of accurate auto-focusing control by setting the sensor sensitivity at a low level when an auxiliary light is to be emitted. When a shutter release button is half pressed, first an R sensor and an L sensor, which are passive type range finding devices are set at high sensitivity to shoot the subject, and a time taken to obtain a prescribed sensor output is measured. According to a length of time so measured, it is judged whether or not to emit an auxiliary light for auto-focusing use. If the auxiliary light is to be emitted, the sensor sensitivity is set at a low level and the subject is shot again to determine the subject distance on the basis of the sensor output at the time.

Claims11

Dependent claims

A camera, comprising:

a sensor having a plurality of light receiving elements which receive light from a subject in a range-finding area;
an auto-focusing controller which performs auto-focusing control according to an output of the sensor;
an auxiliary light emitting device which emits auxiliary light for auto-focusing use toward the subject;
a sensor sensitivity switching device which switches sensitivity of the sensor between a high level and a low level;
a judging device which causes the sensor to receive light from the subject in a state where the sensitivity of the sensor is set in the high level, and judges according to the output of the sensor whether or not the auxiliary light should be emitted;
and
a control device which, if the judging device judges that the auxiliary light should be emitted, causes the sensor sensitivity switching device to switch the sensitivity of the sensor to the low level and causes the auxiliary light emitting device to emit the auxiliary light.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Camera with auxiliary light emission and auto-focus

Life of this patent

Camera with auxiliary light emission and auto-focus

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims11