Image capturing apparatus and exposure control method thereof

A control method of an image capturing apparatus, comprising:

• an image capturing step of photoelectrically converting incidence light and outputting an image signal using a sensor;
• a focus control step of performing focus control based on a contrast of the image signal corresponding to each of a plurality of focus areas that are set within an image capturing area;
• a setting step of setting a plurality of focus areas within an image capturing area, wherein a contrast signal and a luminance signal are both output from each of the focus areas;
• a counting step of detecting, from among the plurality of focus areas, a high luminance focus area indicating a luminance characteristic which is higher than a predetermined luminance characteristic, and counting the number of detected high luminance focus areas;
• and
• an exposure control step of performing exposure control, in a case where the counted number of high luminance focus areas is greater than a predetermined threshold value, so as to reduce an exposure amount of the sensor, and in a case where the counted number of high luminance focus area is not greater than the threshold value, so as to keep an exposure amount of the sensor, wherein the exposure control being performed before the focus control by the focus control step.