Imaging apparatus for outputting an image signal according to a set shooting mode

1. An imaging apparatus comprising a receiving unit that receives, when pressed, an instruction for shooting an image,

wherein the imaging apparatus has, as a shooting mode, a normal shooting mode for generating one piece of still image data by one press of the receiving unit, and a continuous shooting mode for generating a plurality of pieces of still image data while the receiving unit is being pressed,

wherein the imaging apparatus further comprises:

a setting unit that sets the shooting mode;

an imaging element including a plurality of pixels, and having, as a read mode, a normal read mode for outputting image signals of all pixels and a mixing read mode for mixing and outputting an image signal of a predetermined pixel and image signals of peripheral pixels of the predetermined pixel; and

a pixel mixing controller that controls the read mode of the imaging element,

wherein the continuous shooting mode includes a normal continuous shooting mode and a high-speed continuous shooting mode in which more pieces of image data are generated per unit time while the receiving unit is being pressed than in the normal continuous shooting mode, and

wherein the pixel mixing controller controls the imaging element (i) to operate in the normal read mode when the shooting mode is set to the normal continuous shooting mode, and (ii) to operate in the mixing read mode when the shooting mode is set to the high-speed continuous shooting mode.

2. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the number of the peripheral pixels to be mixed during the mixing read mode is variable in the imaging element, and the setting unit sets the number of the peripheral pixels to be mixed in the mixing read mode.

3. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the number of the peripheral pixels to be mixed during the mixing read mode is variable in the imaging element, the setting unit sets a continuous shooting speed in the continuous shooting mode, and the pixel mixing controller sets the number of the peripheral pixels to be mixed in the mixing read mode according to the continuous shooting speed.

4. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the number of the peripheral pixels to be mixed during the mixing read mode is variable in the imaging element, and the pixel mixing controller changes the number of the peripheral pixels to be mixed according to brightness of a subject.

5. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising a storage unit that stores the still image data, wherein

the number of the peripheral pixels to be mixed during the mixing read mode is variable in the imaging element, and the pixel mixing controller changes the number of the peripheral pixels to be mixed according to free space of the storage unit.

6. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the number of the peripheral pixels to be mixed in the mixing read mode is three or nine.

7. An imaging apparatus comprising a receiving unit that receives, when pressed, an instruction for shooting an image,

wherein the imaging apparatus has, as a shooting mode, a normal shooting mode for generating one piece of still image data by one press of the receiving unit, and a continuous shooting mode for generating a plurality of pieces of still image data while the receiving unit is being pressed,

wherein the imaging apparatus further comprises:

a setting unit that sets the shooting mode;

an imaging element including a plurality of pixels, and having, as a read mode, a normal read mode for outputting image signals of all pixels and a mixing read mode for mixing and outputting an image signal of a predetermined pixel and image signals of peripheral pixels of the predetermined pixel; and

a pixel mixing controller that controls the read mode of the imaging element,

wherein the pixel mixing controller can switch the read mode of the imaging element to one of the mixing read mode and the normal read mode according to the shooting mode set by the setting unit, when the shooting mode is set to the continuous shooting mode.

8. The imaging apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein

the number of the peripheral pixels to be mixed during the mixing read mode is variable in the imaging element, and the setting unit sets the number of the peripheral pixels to be mixed in the mixing read mode.

9. The imaging apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein

the number of the peripheral pixels to be mixed during the mixing read mode is variable in the imaging element, the setting unit sets a continuous shooting speed in the continuous shooting mode, and the pixel mixing controller sets the number of the peripheral pixels to be mixed in the mixing read mode according to the continuous shooting speed.

10. The imaging apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein

the number of the peripheral pixels to be mixed during the mixing read mode is variable in the imaging element, and the pixel mixing controller changes the number of the peripheral pixels to be mixed according to brightness of a subject.

11. The imaging apparatus according to claim 7 further comprising a storage unit that stores the still image data, wherein

the number of the peripheral pixels to be mixed during the mixing read mode is variable in the imaging element, and the pixel mixing controller changes the number of the peripheral pixels to be mixed according to free space of the storage unit.

12. The imaging apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the number of the peripheral pixels to be mixed in the mixing read mode is three or nine.

13. An imaging apparatus comprising a receiving unit that receives, when pressed, an instruction for shooting an image,

wherein the imaging apparatus has, as a shooting mode, a normal shooting mode for generating one piece of still image data by one press of the receiving unit, and a continuous shooting mode for generating a plurality of pieces of still image data while the receiving unit is being pressed,

wherein the imaging apparatus further comprises:

a setting unit that sets the shooting mode;

an imaging element including a plurality of pixels, and having, as a read mode, a normal read mode for outputting image signals of all pixels and a mixing read mode for mixing and outputting an image signal of a predetermined pixel and image signals of peripheral pixels of the predetermined pixel; and

a pixel mixing controller that controls the read mode of the imaging element,

wherein the pixel mixing controller controls the imaging element to operate in the mixing read mode when the shooting mode is set to the continuous shooting mode, and

wherein the number of the peripheral pixels to be mixed during the mixing read mode is variable in the imaging element, the setting unit sets a continuous shooting speed in the continuous shooting mode, and the pixel mixing controller sets the number of the peripheral pixels to be mixed in the mixing read mode according to the continuous shooting speed.

14. An imaging apparatus comprising a receiving unit that receives, when pressed, an instruction for shooting an image,

wherein the imaging apparatus has, as a shooting mode, a normal shooting mode for generating one piece of still image data by one press of the receiving unit, and a continuous shooting mode for generating a plurality of pieces of still image data while the receiving unit is being pressed,

wherein the imaging apparatus further comprises:

a setting unit that sets the shooting mode;

an imaging element including a plurality of pixels, and having, as a read mode, a normal read mode for outputting image signals of all pixels and a mixing read mode for mixing and outputting an image signal of a predetermined pixel and image signals of peripheral pixels of the predetermined pixel; and

a pixel mixing controller that controls the read mode of the imaging element,

wherein the pixel mixing controller controls the imaging element to operate in the mixing read mode when the shooting mode is set to the continuous shooting mode, and

wherein the number of the peripheral pixels to be mixed during the mixing read mode is variable in the imaging element, and the pixel mixing controller changes the number of the peripheral pixels to be mixed according to brightness of a subject.

15. An imaging apparatus comprising a receiving unit that receives, when pressed, an instruction for shooting an image,

wherein the imaging apparatus has, as a shooting mode, a normal shooting mode for generating one piece of still image data by one press of the receiving unit, and a continuous shooting mode for generating a plurality of pieces of still image data while the receiving unit is being pressed,

wherein the imaging apparatus further comprises:

a setting unit that sets the shooting mode;

an imaging element including a plurality of pixels, and having, as a read mode, a normal read mode for outputting image signals of all pixels and a mixing read mode for mixing and outputting an image signal of a predetermined pixel and image signals of peripheral pixels of the predetermined pixel;

a pixel mixing controller that controls the read mode of the imaging element; and

a storage unit that stores the still image data,

wherein the pixel mixing controller controls the imaging element to operate in the mixing read mode when the shooting mode is set to the continuous shooting mode, and

wherein the number of the peripheral pixels to be mixed during the mixing read mode is variable in the imaging element, and the pixel mixing controller changes the number of the peripheral pixels to be mixed according to free space of the storage unit.

16. An imaging apparatus comprising a receiving unit that receives, when pressed, an instruction for shooting an image,

wherein the imaging apparatus has, as a shooting mode, a normal shooting mode for generating one piece of still image data by one press of the receiving unit, and a continuous shooting mode for generating a plurality of pieces of still image data while the receiving unit is being pressed,

wherein the imaging apparatus further comprises:

a setting unit that sets the shooting mode;

an imaging element including a plurality of pixels, and having, as a read mode, a normal read mode for outputting image signals of all pixels and a mixing read mode for mixing and outputting an image signal of a predetermined pixel and image signals of peripheral pixels of the predetermined pixel; and

a pixel mixing controller that controls the read mode of the imaging element,

wherein the pixel mixing controller controls the imaging element to operate in the mixing read mode when the shooting mode is set to the continuous shooting mode, and

wherein the number of the peripheral pixels to be mixed in the mixing read mode is three or nine.