Imaging apparatus

1. An imaging apparatus equipped with a gamma compensator for performing gamma compensation for the imaged picture, comprising

an imaging means for inputting picture data corresponding to a person as a photogenic subject;

a face detecting means for detecting a facial field from the inputted picture data;

a photometric means for exposure metering value of the facial field detected by the face detecting means;

an exposure controlling means for calculating a target exposure amount on the basis of the exposure metering value of the facial field performed by the photometric means and for calculating an exposure control value on the basis of the calculated target exposure amount; and

a gamma compensation controlling means for determining a luminance scale characteristic in accordance with the calculated target exposure amount, wherein the gamma compensator performs gamma compensation for the inputted picture by using the luminance scale characteristic determined by the gamma compensation controlling means.

2. An imaging apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a memory means for storing data necessary for picture processing, wherein the memory means stores two renewable criterion values for target exposure amount and two exposure control thresholds.

3. An imaging apparatus as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the gamma compensation controlling means differentiates the luminance scale characteristic corresponding to the target exposure amount that falls within the range between the two renewable criterion values, from the luminance scale characteristic corresponding to the target exposure amount that lies above or below the range.

4. An imaging apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the face detecting means includes a facial field area calculating means for calculating the area of the detected facial field.

5. An imaging apparatus as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the gamma compensation controlling means specifies the luminance scale characteristic in accordance with the area of the facial field, which is calculated by the facial field area calculating means.

6. An imaging apparatus comprising

an imaging means for imaging a photogenic subject and outputting a picture data;

a detecting means for detecting a particular object from the picture data outputted from the imaging means;

an exposure controlling means for performing exposure control over the imaging means within a range determined by predetermined criterion values, by using the picture data corresponding to the particular object detected by the detecting means;

a gamma compensating means for performing gamma compensation for the picture data outputted from the imaging means; and

a control means for performing control such that the luminance scale characteristic resulting from the gamma compensation performed by the gamma compensating means in the case where the exposure controlling means performs exposure control depending on the criterion values, is differentiated from the luminance scale characteristic resulting from the gamma compensation performed by the gamma compensating means in the case where the exposure controlling means performs exposure control within the range.

7. An imaging apparatus as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the detecting means includes a particular object area calculating means for calculating the ratio of the area of the particular object to the area the entire imaging field, and the control means performs control in such a manner that when the exposure controlling means performs exposure control depending on the predetermined criterion values, the luminance scale characteristic resulting from the gamma compensation performed by the gamma compensating means is varied in accordance with the area ratio calculated by the particular object area calculating means.