Patent ID: 7324151
Filing Date: 2008-01-29
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
1. A photographing apparatus having a manual focusing function in which a photo-object is brought into focus through a manual operation performed by a user, the photographing apparatus comprising: a manually operated focus button for instructing movement of a focus lens; a focusing evaluation value obtaining unit which extracts contrast values of profiles of an image portion within a focus area of a photo-object image which is output from a photographing unit and obtains focusing evaluation values based on the extracted contrast values; a lens position obtaining unit which obtains a focus lens position of the focus lens that is moved in accordance with operation of the focus button; a distribution graph generation unit which generates, based on focusing evaluation values obtained successively by the focusing evaluation value obtaining unit and focus lens positions obtained successively by the lens position obtaining unit, a distribution graph of the focusing evaluation values in one to one correspondence with the focus lens positions, the distribution graph representing the focusing evaluation values by a plurality of bars; an image display unit which acquires the photo-object image output from the photographing unit, and displays the acquired photo-object image as a finder image; and an image superimposition unit which superimposes the distribution graph generated by the distribution graph generation unit on the finder image displayed by the image display unit such that display of the plurality of bars of the generated distribution graph representing the focusing evaluation values enables a visual determination of the focus lengths corresponding to the plurality of focus lens positions, respectively, and distinguishing of a focusing evaluation value corresponding to a current focus lens position from the focusing evaluation values corresponding to other focus lens positions.