Patent ID: 7876367
Filing Date: 2011-01-25
Classification: G03B,H04N

Abstract:
1. An imaging apparatus, comprising: a photometry unit performing photometry of a subject; an exposure calculating unit setting an exposure condition based on a photometry result of said photometry unit; an image pickup unit picking up an image of said subject according to said exposure condition and generating image data; a selecting unit selecting any one of a first photographic mode where correction of dark area gradation of said image data is not performed and a second photographic mode where correction of dark area gradation of said image data is performed; and a correcting unit performing correction of improving lightness of dark area gradation of said image data generated by said image pickup unit when said second photographic mode is selected, wherein said exposure calculating unit calculates a brightness value for exposure control as said exposure condition by calculating at least one of a maximum brightness value, an average brightness value, and a representative brightness value corresponding to the central part of said subject based on an output of said photometry unit and by adding calculated results by weighted addition; and determines a correction value by adding said calculated results by weighted addition and corrects said brightness value for exposure control based on said correction value if said second photographic mode is selected.