Image taking apparatus
According to an aspect of the present invention, once the mode setting device sets the person photographing mode, and the face zooming instruction device instructs zooming to the face of the person, the detection device detects the size of the face of the person captured by the image pickup device. The zooming device is then controlled so as to capture the face of the person in a certain size based on the detection result. Subsequently, the photographer instructs zooming in the telephoto direction or the wide direction using the zooming instruction device as necessary to thereby allow fine adjustment of the composition. This enables to easily and quickly photograph an image in a user's desired composition.
1. An image taking apparatus which records an image captured by an image pickup device in a recording medium in response to an image recording instruction, the image taking apparatus comprising:
a two-step stroke shutter button operable to half-pressing and full-pressing, wherein the half-pressing of the shutter button instructs the preparation for photographing, while the full-pressing of the shutter button instructs recording of an image;
a zooming device;
a zooming instruction device which instructs zooming by the zooming device in a telephoto direction or a wide angle direction;
a mode setting device which sets a person photographing mode;
a detection device which detects a size of a face of a person captured by the image pickup device in the person photographing mode;
a control device which controls the zooming device in response to an instruction from the zooming instruction device;
a control device which controls the zooming device in response to the first half-pressing of the shutter button such that the size of the face of the person captured by the image pickup device becomes a preset size based on the detection result of the detection device when in the person photographing mode;
a control device which controls the zooming device in response to an instruction from the zooming instruction device when the zooming instruction device is operated after the half-pressing of the shutter button is released.
2. The image taking apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a setting device which sets a size of a face of a person to be photographed by the image pickup device, wherein
the control device controls the zooming device such that the size of the face of the person captured by the image pickup device becomes the size set by the setting device.
3. The image taking apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a second detection device which detects the size of the face of the person captured by the image pickup device in the person photographing mode; and
an estimation device which estimates the size of the face high in the photographing frequency based on the detection result of the second detection device, wherein
the control device controls the zooming device such that the size of the face of the person captured by the image pickup device becomes the size estimated by the estimation device.
4. An image taking apparatus which records an image captured by an image pickup device in a recording medium in response to an image recording instruction, the image taking apparatus comprising:
a zooming device;
a zooming instruction device which instructs zooming by the zooming device in the telephoto direction or the wide direction;
a mode setting device which sets a person photographing mode;
a template recording device which is recorded with a plurality of person photographing templates with different sizes of faces;
a selection device which selects a template for use in the person photographing mode;
a detection device which detects a size of a face of a person captured by the image pickup device in the person photographing mode;
a face zooming instruction device which instructs zooming of the face of the person by the zooming device in the person photographing mode; and
a control device which controls the zooming device in response to an instruction from the zooming instruction device and which controls the zooming device such that the size of the face of the person captured by the image pickup device becomes the same as a size of a face of a person in the template selected by the selection device based on the detection result of the detection device when zooming to the face of the person is instructed by the face zooming instruction device in the person photographing mode.
5. The image taking apparatus according to claim 4 , comprising a two-step stroke shutter button operable to half-pressing and full-pressing, wherein
the half-pressing of the shutter button instructs the zooming device to zoom a face of a person, while the full-pressing of the shutter button instructs recording of an image.
6. An image taking apparatus which records an image captured by an image pickup device in a recording medium in response to an image recording instruction, the image taking apparatus comprising:
a zooming device;
a zooming instruction device which instructs zooming by the zooming device in a telephoto direction or a wide angle direction;
a mode setting device which sets a person photographing mode;
a template recording device which is recorded with a person photographing template for use in the person photographing mode;
a setting device which sets a size of a face of a person in the template;
a detection device which detects a size of a face of a person captured by the image pickup device in the person photographing mode;
a face zooming instruction device which instructs zooming of the face of the person by the zooming device in the person photographing mode; and
a control device which controls the zooming device in response to an instruction from the zooming instruction device and which controls the zooming device such that the size of the face of the person captured by the image pickup device becomes the same as the set size of the face of the person in the template based on the detection result of the detection device when zooming to the face of the person is instructed by the face zooming instruction device in the person photographing mode.
7. The image taking apparatus according to claim 6 comprising a two-step stroke shutter button operable to half-pressing and full-pressing, wherein
the half-pressing of the shutter button instructs the zooming device to zoom a face of a person, while the full-pressing of the shutter button instructs recording of an image.