Patent ID: 7791668
Filing Date: 2010-09-07
Classification: G02B,G03B,H04N

Abstract:
1. A digital camera comprising: an image-capturing unit that receives light transmitted through a photographic optical system and outputs image signals; a lens drive unit that moves a focus lens constituting the photographic optical system along an optical axis; an evaluation value calculation unit that calculates a focal point evaluation value that changes in correspondence to a position assumed by the focus lens based upon the image signals; a focal adjustment unit that executes an AF search by repeatedly engaging the image-capturing unit and the evaluation value calculation unit in operation as the focus lens is made to move along the optical axis by the lens drive unit, detecting a focus match position based upon resulting focal point evaluation values and driving the focus lens to the focus match position; a face recognition unit that recognizes a face of a person in an image by analyzing the image signals; a distance calculation unit that determines an approximate distance to the face based upon a size of the recognized face; and a lens position determining unit that determines a focus lens position to be set as a start point of the AF search by the focal adjustment unit based upon the approximate distance to the face having been determined by the distance calculation unit and a zoom condition of the photographic optical system, wherein: the lens position determining unit determines the focus lens position to be set as the start point so that a range over which the focus lens moves during the AF search increases when the size of the recognized face becomes smaller due to the zoom condition of the photographic optical system being closer to a wide-angle side.