Digital image processing apparatus and method of controlling the same to photograph in user set continuous photographing mode

1. A method of controlling a digital image processing apparatus which photographs a subject according to preset setting values and records the subject as an image file on a recording medium, the method comprising:

receiving user input of setting values for each user setting category in a plurality of user setting categories;

storing the plurality of setting values in the plurality of user setting categories;

taking a plurality of photographs in succession of a single subject using only the user setting categories; and

simultaneously with the taking step, cycling automatically through each user setting category of the plurality of user setting categories such that each photograph of the plurality of photographs is taken with setting values of a different user setting category of the plurality of user setting categories.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising detecting whether the user has selected a first user setting category of the plurality of user setting categories with which to start photographing and if the first user setting category is not selected, using an automatic photographing mode as the first user setting category.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein each user setting category in the plurality of user setting categories is assigned an order by the user which designates the order in which the user setting categories are cycled through when taking the plurality of photographs in succession.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the setting values are photographic effects.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of user setting categories is comprised of at least one normal setting value for automatic photographing.

6. The method of claim 3 , wherein the order is a numerical order.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the taking step comprises:

selecting a first user setting category for photographing a first photograph;

selecting a number of photographs to be taken in succession; and

triggering a switch one time to photograph the number of photographs to be taken wherein the first photograph is taken using setting values of the first user setting category.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

detecting whether the user has selected a user setting category of the plurality of user setting categories with which to start photographing; and

wherein the cycling step begins with a default category if none of the plurality of user setting categories has been selected b the user.

9. The method of claim 7 , further comprising photographing a single subject in succession as many times as the number of user setting categories in the plurality if the selected number of photographs to be taken is greater than the number of user setting categories.

10. A method of controlling a digital camera which photographs a subject according to preset setting values and records the subject as an image file on a recording medium, the method comprising:

receiving user input of a plurality of non-exposure setting values;

assigning a subset of non-exposure setting values of the plurality of non-exposure setting values to a user setting category;

repeating the receiving and assigning steps to define a plurality of user setting categories;

selecting a first user setting category of the plurality with which to start photographing;

selecting a number of photographs to be taken; and

taking a plurality of photographs in succession based on the selected number, wherein each photograph of the plurality of photographs is taken using different subsets of non-exposure setting values of a different user setting category of the plurality of user setting categories.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising storing the plurality of user setting categories.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising recalling the plurality of user setting categories that have been stored.

13. The method of claim 10 , further comprising photographing the subject using the non-exposure setting values contained in a next user setting category if the number of photographs taken is less than the selected number of photographs to be taken.

14. The method of claim 10 wherein if the number of photographs to be taken is greater than the number of user setting categories in the plurality of user setting categories, the number of photographs taken in succession is equal to the number of user setting categories.

15. A digital image processing apparatus for photographing a subject according to preset setting values and recording the subject as an image file on a recording medium, the apparatus comprising:

a user input device for inputting a plurality of groups of setting values;

a memory for storing the plurality of groups of setting values in a plurality of user-defined, photographic categories, wherein each group of the plurality of groups of setting values corresponds to a single user-defined, photographic category of the plurality of user-defined, photographic categories;

a mechanism for selecting one user-defined, photographic category of the plurality of the user-defined, photographic categories to take successive photographs of a single subject;

a device to trigger successive photographs of a single subject; and

a control module for controlling the apparatus to successively take a plurality of photographs, the control module sequentially and automatically recalling each user-defined, photographic category of the plurality and controlling photographing using the recalled plurality of categories in a sequence they are recalled so that each photograph of the plurality has a different setting value.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein each of the plurality of user-defined, photographic categories is assigned a positional order in relation to the other user-defined, photographic categories in the plurality wherein the positional order determines the sequence of categories used to take the successive photographs.

17. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the setting values are photographic effects.

18. The apparatus of claim 15 further comprising a screen for displaying and selecting the user-defined, photographic categories.

19. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the digital processing apparatus is a camera.