Patent ID: 6707500
Filing Date: 2004-03-16
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
An image pickup apparatus comprising:a zoom lens; an image sensor for photo-electronically converting light incident through said zoom lens into an image signal; exposure adjusting means for adjusting a plurality of exposure control parameters in response to a level of image signal so as to control an exposure state; AE lock means for locking the exposure state controlled by said exposure adjusting means and storing a control value corresponding to the locked exposure state to inhibit the adjustment of said exposure adjusting means, even if the level of the image signal is changed due to a change of an object; focal length detecting means for detecting a focal length of said zoom lens; and exposure control means, in the case that the exposure state is locked by said AE lock means, for inhibiting a change of the exposure state due to a change of the level of the image signal and for correcting at least one of the exposure control parameters in response to a change of the focal length detected by said focal length detecting means to maintain the stored control value by canceling a change of an F-number due to a change of the focal length.