Patent ID: 7777805
Filing Date: 2010-08-17
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
1. An image capturing apparatus comprising: an image sensor which photo-electrically converts an object image formed via a photographing lens; a shutter having a shutter front curtain and a shutter rear curtain which are interposed between the photographing lens and said image sensor, the shutter front curtain being opened at a timing to start exposure of said image sensor, and the shutter rear curtain being closed at a timing to end the exposure of said image sensor; an optical viewfinder which is used to observe an object image using a light beam from the photographing lens; a quick return mirror which guides a light beam from the photographing lens to said optical viewfinder; a mirror driving unit adapted to drive and move said quick return mirror between a state in which said quick return mirror is positioned in a photographing optical path and a state in which said quick return mirror is retracted from the photographing optical path; a photometry sensor which is arranged below said quick return mirror and performs photometry by receiving light that enters from an object via the photographing lens and is reflected by the shutter front curtain; a display unit adapted to display an object image obtained by said image sensor; and a control unit adapted to, when the image capturing apparatus is brought to a live view display state in which said display unit sequentially displays object images obtained by said image sensor, control said shutter to open the shutter front curtain and the shutter rear curtain, and control said mirror driving unit to retract said quick return mirror from the photographing optical path; and an instruction unit adapted to instruct to start photography, wherein, in a case that start of photography is instructed by said instruction unit in the live view display state, when performing the photography using a flash unit which illuminates an object, said control unit controls said shutter to close the shutter front curtain, which is in an open state after the photography instruction, for performing the photometry for the photography by said photometry sensor, and when performing the photography without the flash unit, said control unit controls said shutter to close the shutter front curtain, which is in the open state, after the photometry for the photography by said image sensor is performed after the photography instruction.