Patent ID: 7632023
Filing Date: 2009-12-15
Classification: G03B,H04N

Abstract:
1. A digital camera having a display device on which an image taken by an image pickup element or an image recorded on a recording medium is displayed, the camera comprising: a camera body having the display device provided in its back surface; a grip portion attached to the camera body and capable of moving between a compact state in which it is positioned on the back surface of the camera body to cover the display device and a holdable state in which it is positioned outside a side portion of the camera body; and a mode setting device which sets at least a still image taking mode and a moving image taking mode; wherein each of the camera body and the grip portion is formed into a generally rectangular shape, and the grip portion in the holdable state has a first state in which its surface opposed to the back surface when the grip portion is in the compact state is generally parallel to the back surface, and a second state in which the opposed surface and the back surface are made generally perpendicular to each other by turning on an axis in a top-bottom direction of the camera body, further comprising: a position detection device which detects the state of the grip portion, and which is provided on one of the camera body and the grip portion, wherein the mode setting device sets, based on the detection result of the position detection device, a mode other than moving image taking mode when the grip portion is in the first state, and sets the moving image taking mode when the grip portion is in the second state.