Patent ID: 8175447
Filing Date: 2012-05-08
Classification: G03B,H04N

Abstract:
1. An image pickup apparatus comprising: an image pickup element configured to include first pixels for photoelectrically converting an object image formed by a light flux from an image taking optical system and second pixels for photoelectrically converting optical images formed by light fluxes divided from the light flux from the image taking optical system; and a controller configured to perform (a) focus detection based on a phase difference of the optical images, the phase difference being detected by using signals obtained by photoelectric conversion performed by the second pixels, (b) control of an aperture stop included in the image taking optical system, and (c) an image capturing operation for generating a captured image by using signals obtained by photoelectric conversion performed by the first pixels, wherein the controller is configured to increase, when an aperture size of the aperture stop set for the image capturing operation is smaller than a focus detecting aperture size corresponding to a light amount necessary for the focus detection in a case of performing the focus detection between the image capturing operations in continuous image capturing, the aperture size to the focus detecting aperture size in the focus detection.