Method for image data print control, electronic camera and camera system

Abstract

An electronic camera includes a zoom changing unit that changes a focal length of a zoom lens, an image-capturing unit that executes photoelectric conversion for a subject image projected by the zoom lens onto an image-capturing area, a range finding unit that detects a distance to a subject, a photographic range setting unit that sets a size of a photographic range at a subject position, and a zoom control unit that controls the zoom changing unit based upon the photographic range that has been set and the subject distance so that the subject within the photographic range is projected almost over the entirety of the image-capturing area.

1 . An electronic camera comprising: 
 a zoom changing unit that changes a focal length of a zoom lens;    an image-capturing unit that executes photoelectric conversion for a subject image projected by the zoom lens onto an image-capturing area;    a range finding unit that detects a distance to a subject;    a photographic range setting unit that sets a size of a photographic range at a subject position; and    a zoom control unit that controls the zoom changing unit based upon the photographic range that has been set and the subject distance so that the subject within the photographic range is projected almost over the entirety of the image-capturing area.    
   
   
       2 . An electronic camera comprising: 
 a zoom changing unit that changes a focal length of a zoom lens;    an image-capturing unit that executes photoelectric conversion for an image of a subject projected by the zoom lens onto an image-capturing area;    a range finding unit that detects a distance to a subject;    a mode setting unit operated to set a specified range photographing mode in which a size of the photographic range at a subject position is fixed at a predetermined size; and    a zoom control unit that controls the zoom changing unit based upon the photographic range and the subject distance when the specified range photographing mode is set so that the subject within the photographic range is projected almost over the entirety of the image-capturing area.    
   
   
       3 . An electronic camera according to  claim 2 , further comprising: 
 a magnification factor setting unit that sets a printing magnification factor, wherein:    the mode setting unit fixes the size of the photographic range at the subject position to a size calculated by dividing the predetermined size by the printing magnification factor.    
   
   
       4 . An electronic camera according to  claim 2 , further comprising: 
 a size setting unit operated to set the predetermined size.    
   
   
       5 . An electronic camera comprising: 
 a zoom changing unit that changes a focal length of a zoom lens;    an image-capturing unit that executes photoelectric conversion for an image of a subject projected by the zoom lens onto an image-capturing area;    a range finding unit that detects a distance to a subject;    a mode setting unit operated to set a specified range photographing mode in which a size of the photographic range at a subject position is fixed at a predetermined size;    a focal length calculating unit that calculates a focal length at which the subject within the photographic range is projected almost over the entirety of the image-capturing area when the specified range photographing mode is set, based upon (a) a plurality of focal lengths assumed by the zoom lens, (b) subject distances detected in correspondence to the plurality of focal lengths when a reference image at the predetermined size is projected almost over the entirety of the image-capturing area and (c) the distance to the subject detected when an image of the subject is captured; and    a zoom control unit that controls the zoom changing unit so as to match the focal length of the zoom lens with the focal length calculated at the focal length calculating unit.    
   
   
       6 . An electronic camera according to  claim 2 , further comprising: 
 a display monitor at which a subject image based upon image information provided by the image-capturing unit and a range indicator mark indicating a range substantially corresponding to the photographic range superimposed on the subject image are brought up on display when the focal length of the zoom lens is at a maximum and a size of a range of the subject projected almost over the entirety of the image-capturing area is larger than the size of the photographic range.    
   
   
       7 . An electronic camera according to  claim 6 , further comprising: 
 a storage control unit that stores image information over the range indicated by the range indicator mark into a storage area.    
   
   
       8 . An electronic camera according to  claim 7 , wherein: 
 the storage control unit stores the predetermined size into the storage area in correspondence to the image information.    
   
   
       9 . An electronic camera according to  claim 2 , further comprising: 
 an electronic zoom unit that electronically enlarges a part of a subject image achieved based upon image information provided by the image-capturing unit; and    an electronic zoom control unit that controls the electronic zoom unit when the focal length of the zoom lens is at a maximum and a size of a range of the subject projected almost over the entirety of the image-capturing area is larger than the size of the photographic range, so as to enlarge an image corresponding to the subject within the photographic range in the subject image achieved based upon the image information from the image-capturing unit to a size matching a size of the subject image.    
   
   
       10 . An electronic camera according to  claim 2 , further comprising: 
 a warning unit that issues a warning if the focal length of the zoom lens is at a minimum and a size of a range of the subject projected almost over the entirety of the image-capturing area is smaller than the size of the photographic range.    
   
   
       11 . An electronic camera according to  claim 2 , further comprising: 
 a sub-sampling unit that electronically sub-samples the subject image when the focal length of the zoom lens is at a minimum and a size of a range of the subject projected almost over the entirety of the image-capturing area is smaller than the size of the photographic range.    
   
   
       12 . An electronic camera, comprising: 
 a mode setting unit operated to set a specified range photographic mode in which a size of a photographic range at the subject position is fixed to a predetermined size;    an image-capturing unit that executes photoelectric conversion for a subject projected onto an image-capturing area by a photographic optical system;    an electronic zoom unit that electronically enlarges a part of a subject image achieved based upon image information provided by the image-capturing unit; and    an electronic zoom control unit that controls the electronic zoom unit so as to enlarge an image corresponding to the photographic range in the subject image to a size matching a size of the subject image.    
   
   
       13 . An electronic camera according to  claim 2 , further comprising: 
 a display unit at which a mark indicating the predetermined size is displayed.    
   
   
       14 . A camera system comprising: 
 a zoom changing unit that changes a focal length of a zoom lens;    an image-capturing unit that executes photoelectric conversion for an image of a subject projected by the zoom lens onto an image-capturing area;    a range finding unit that detects a distance to a subject;    a mode setting unit operated to set a specified range photographing mode in which a size of the photographic range at a subject position is fixed at a predetermined size; and    a zoom control unit that controls the zoom changing unit based upon the photographic range and the subject distance when the specified range photographing mode is set so that the subject within the photographic range is projected almost over the entirety of the image-capturing area; and    a printing device that prints an image photographed in the specified range photographing mode in a size substantially matching the predetermined size.