Patent ID: 8106998
Filing Date: 2012-01-31
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
1. An image pickup apparatus, comprising: an image pickup device which picks up an image of an object; an image capturing device which continuously captures an image signal representing the object via the image pickup device; a displaying device which displays a through-the-lens image based on the captured image signal; an automatic focus adjusting device which performs automatic focus adjustment to maximize a contrast of the object based on the captured image signal; a focusing condition detecting device which detects a focusing condition of the object after the adjustment by the automatic focus adjusting device; and a display control device which composites a display area for displaying focusing information into the through-the-lens image of the displaying device, and also compositing focusing information which is different at least between when an image is not focused and when an image is focused into the display area in response to the focusing condition detected by the focusing condition detecting device; a face detection device which detects the object's face from the captured image signal, wherein the automatic focus adjusting device performs automatic focus adjustment on the detected face when the face is detected by the face detection device, the display control device composites a display area displayed on a through-the-lens image on the displaying device into a location near the face detected by the face detection device and the display area displayed on the through-the-lens image on the displaying device by the display control device has a dialogue balloon shape.