Photographic apparatus with mechanism to perform inclination correction
View Patent ↗A photographic apparatus comprises a movable platform, an acceleration sensor, and a controller. The movable platform has an imager that captures an optical image, and is movable and rotatable in an xy plane. The acceleration sensor detects a first gravitational component and a second gravitational component. The first gravitational component is the component of gravitational acceleration in the x direction. The second gravitational component is the component of gravitational acceleration in the y direction. The controller specifies a holding state of the photographic apparatus, calculates an inclination angle formed by rotation of the photographic apparatus, as measured with respect to a level plane, on the basis of the first and second gravitational components, and performs a movement control of the movable platform for an inclination correction based on the inclination angle. The controller specifies the holding state before an imaging operation, and performs the inclination correction during the imaging operation.
1. A photographic apparatus comprising:
a movable platform which has an imager that captures an optical image through a taking lens, and is movable and rotatable in an xy plane perpendicular to an optical axis of said taking lens;
an acceleration sensor that detects a first gravitational component and a second gravitational component, said first gravitational component being a component of gravitational acceleration in an x direction perpendicular to said optical axis, and said second gravitational component being a component of gravitational acceleration in a y direction perpendicular to said optical axis and said x direction; and
a controller that specifies a holding state of said photographic apparatus, calculates an inclination angle of said photographic apparatus formed by rotation of said photographic apparatus around said optical axis, as measured with respect to a level plane perpendicular to a direction of gravitational force, on the basis of said first gravitational component and said second gravitational component, and performs a movement control of said movable platform for an inclination correction based on said inclination angle;
said controller specifying said holding state before an imaging operation by said imager that commences when a shutter release switch is set to an ON state, and performing said inclination correction during said imaging operation,
wherein a detection resolution of an A/D conversion of said first and second gravitational components when said controller performs said inclination correction, is greater than a detection resolution of an A/D conversion of said first and second gravitational components when said controller specifies said holding state.
2. The photographic apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein an amplification rate of said first and second gravitational components when said controller performs said inclination correction, is greater than an amplification rate of said first and second gravitational components when said controller specifies said holding state.
3. The photographic apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein information regarding said holding state is used for at least one of a photometric operation of said photographic apparatus and an AF sensing operation of said photographic apparatus.
4. The photographic apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein information regarding said holding state is attached to a file storing an image obtained by said imaging operation.
5. The photographic apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said controller specifies said holding state and performs said inclination correction, on the basis of a magnitude relation between the absolute value of said first gravitational component and the absolute value of said second gravitational component.
6. The photographic apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said x direction is perpendicular to the direction of gravitational force and said y direction is parallel to the direction of gravitational force when said photographic apparatus is held horizontally and either an upper surface or a lower surface of said photographic apparatus faces upward; and
said x direction is parallel to the direction of gravitational force and said y direction is perpendicular to the direction of gravitational force when said photographic apparatus is held vertically and one of either side surfaces of said photographic apparatus faces upward.