Imaging apparatus capable of concurrently shooting image displayed by display and determined sub-area designated in the image

1. An imaging apparatus capable of concurrently shooting an image displayed by a display and a determined sub-area designated in the image, the imaging apparatus comprising:

a) a lens using including

an optical system that collects light from a subject for image formation, and

a characteristic information recoding unit that records characteristic information of the optical system in accordance with a shooting condition; and

b) a main body including

an imaging device that generates image data by photoelectrically converting the light for image formation collected by the optical system,

a display that can display an image corresponding to the image data,

an input unit,

an effective region determination unit that determines an effective region in which the determined sub-area can be set through input of a signal from the input unit, based on characteristic information of the optical system corresponding to a shooting condition, and

a display control unit that causes the display to display information indicating the effective region in accordance with a result of determination by the effective region determination unit,

wherein the lens unit is capable of communicating with the main body and being removably attached to the main body,

wherein the effective region determination unit generates reference information for determining the effective region based on the characteristic information received from the lens unit, and

wherein of the characteristic information, information that is capable of being used to generate the reference information varies depending on the number of recording pixels.

2. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the shooting condition includes a condition concerning a focal length and a diaphragm, and

the characteristic information has a value corresponding to a shot image height.

3. The imaging apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the characteristic information is any of a modulation transfer function, an error based on a wavelength, and a resolution.

4. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein when a part of the determined sub-area set through input of the signal from the input unit is not included in the effective region, the display control unit causes the display to display the determined sub-area shifted on a screen or restricted in movement so that the determined sub-area is entirely included within the effective region.

5. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein when an input position of the signal from the input unit is outside the effective region, the display control unit causes the display to display a warning.

6. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the boundary of the effective region is determined by the reference information.

7. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein when a part of the determined sub-area set through input of the signal from the input unit is not included in the effective region, the display control unit causes the display to display the determined sub-area shifted on a screen so that the determined sub-area is entirely included within the effective region.

8. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein when an input position of the signal from the input unit is outside the effective region, the display control unit causes the display to display a warning.

9. A lens interchangeable imaging apparatus to which an interchangeable lens is removably attached, the imaging apparatus capable of concurrently shooting an image displayed by a display and a determined sub-area designated in the image, the lens interchangeable imaging apparatus comprising:

an imaging device that generates image data by photoelectrically converting light for image formation collected by an optical system of the interchangeable lens;

a display that can display an image corresponding to the image data;

an input unit;

an effective region determination unit that (1) acquires, from a communication unit of the interchangeable lens, characteristic information of the optical system for determining an effective region in which the determined sub-area can be set through input of a signal from the input unit, and (2) determines the effective region based on the acquired characteristic information of the optical system in accordance with a shooting condition; and

a display control unit that causes the display to display information indicating the effective region in accordance with a result of determination by the effective region determination unit.

10. An imaging method capable of concurrently shooting an image displayed by a display and a determined sub-area designated in the image, the imaging method comprising the steps of:

generating image data by photoelectrically converting light from an optical system that collects light from a subject;

displaying an image corresponding to the image data;

determining an effective region in which the determined sub-area can be set through a user's operation, based on characteristic information of the optical system corresponding to a shooting condition; and

causing the display to display information indicating the effective region in accordance with the effective region determined by the act of determining an effective region.

11. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the effective region is smaller than the display.

12. The lens interchangeable imaging apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the effective region is smaller than the display.

13. The imaging method of claim 10 , wherein the effective region is smaller than the display.

14. The imaging apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the determined sub-area is based on a user touch input anywhere on the display.

15. The lens interchangeable imaging apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the determined sub-area is based on a user touch input anywhere on the display.

16. The imaging method of claim 13 wherein the determined sub-area is based on a user touch input anywhere on the display.