Recording apparatus for recording motion and still images

A recording apparatus comprising:

• an imaging unit configured to image an object and output moving image data;
• a memory configured to store image data of one frame of the moving image data output from the imaging unit;
• a compressing unit configured to compress information quantity of the moving image data output from the imaging unit and information quantity of the image data of one frame stored in the memory;
• a recording unit configured to move a magnetic tape and record the moving image data output from the compressing unit and repeatedly record the image data of the same one frame output from the compression unit as still image data in a plurality of tracks formed on the magnetic tape, wherein the recording unit records the moving image data and the still image data so that the image data of one frame is recorded in an n number of tracks (n is an integer of 1 or more) on the magnetic tape in a first recording mode for recording moving image data and still image data each having a first information quantity per one frame and records the image data and the still image data so that the image data of one frame is recorded in an m number of tracks (m is an integer greater than n) on the magnetic tape in a second recording mode for recording moving image data and still image data each having a second information quantity larger than the first information quantity per one frame;
• a recording mode setting unit configured to set a recording mode of the recording apparatus between the first recording mode and the second recording mode;
• an instruction unit configured to provide a still image recording instruction to record a still image;
• and
• a control unit configured to control the recording unit so as to start recording repeatedly on the magnetic medium still image data of the same one frame in response to the still image recording instruction provided by the instruction unit and to stop recording repeatedly the still image data of the same one frame after the still image data of the same one frame is repeatedly recorded on the magnetic tape a predetermined number of times,
• wherein the control unit changes the predetermined number of times of repeatedly recording the still image data, in accordance with the recording mode set by the recording mode setting unit, and,
• wherein the control unit controls the recording unit such that if the second recording mode is set by the recording mode setting unit, recording repeatedly the still image data of the same one frame is stopped after the still image data of the same one frame is repeatedly recorded on the magnetic tape a second predetermined number of times in response to the still image recording instruction, and if the first recording mode is set by the recording mode setting unit, recording repeatedly the still image data of the same one frame is stopped after the still image data of the same one frame is repeatedly recorded on the magnetic tape a first predetermined number of times larger than the second predetermined number of times in response to the still image recording instruction.