Camera

Abstract

A camera includes: a first sensor of a storage type that has a plurality of pixels; a focus detection unit that detects a focus adjustment state of a photographic optical system based upon a detection signal from the first sensor for a photographic subject; a second sensor that acquires an image of the photographic subject; an extraction unit that extracts a main photographic subject region from image information acquired by the second sensor; and a control unit that controls accumulation of electrical charge by the first sensor, based upon values outputted from pixels of the first sensor that correspond to the main photographic subject region.

1 . A camera, comprising:
 a first sensor of a storage type that has a plurality of pixels;   a focus detection unit that detects a focus adjustment state of a photographic optical system based upon a detection signal from the first sensor for a photographic subject;   a second sensor that acquires an image of the photographic subject;   an extraction unit that extracts a main photographic subject region from image information acquired by the second sensor; and   a control unit that controls accumulation of electrical charge by the first sensor, based upon values outputted from pixels of the first sensor that correspond to the main photographic subject region.   
   
   
       2 . A camera according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the extraction unit extracts the main photographic subject region by deciding whether or not at least one of a hue and a luminance is approximately equal to each other between an upper end region and another region in a direction from above towards below in the image information.   
   
   
       3 . A camera according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the first sensor is constituted by a line sensor.   
   
   
       4 . A camera according to  claim 3 , wherein
 the focus detection unit performs focus detection calculation by a phase detection method in which a defocus amount is calculated according to a gap between a pair of images given by the detection signal of the line sensor.   
   
   
       5 . A camera according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the second sensor is constituted by an area sensor for photometry.   
   
   
       6 . A camera according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the control unit controls accumulation of electrical charge by the first sensor, so that output values of pixels of the first sensor that correspond to the main photographic subject region that has been extracted approach a predetermined target level.   
   
   
       7 . A camera according to  claim 6 , wherein
 the predetermined target level is a level that is lower than a saturation level and is close to the saturation level.   
   
   
       8 . A camera, comprising:
 a first sensor of a storage type that has a plurality of pixels;   a focus detection unit that detects a focus adjustment state of a photographic optical system based upon a detection signal from the first sensor for a photographic subject;   a second sensor that acquires an image of the photographic subject;   an extraction unit that extracts a main photographic subject region from image information acquired by the second sensor;   a control unit that controls accumulation of electrical charge by the first sensor, based upon values outputted from pixels of the first sensor that correspond to the main photographic subject region; and   a third sensor that acquires an image of the photographic subject for recording.   
   
   
       9 . A camera according to  claim 8 , wherein
 the control unit performs control of electric charge accumulation by the first sensor and acquisition of an image of the photographic subject by the second sensor, before performing acquisition of an image of the photographic subject with the third sensor.   
   
   
       10 . A camera control method, comprising:
 capturing an image;   extracting a main photographic subject region from the captured image; and   determining a sensitivity of a range-finding sensor having a plurality of pixels, based upon outputs of pixels of the range-finding sensor that correspond to the extracted main photographic subject region.