Video imaging apparatus

A video imaging apparatus changes an area of an imaging element (CCD or MOS type) from which a signal is read out as a TV signal. A normal transfer speed is used to read out the signal from the area as the TV signal and a high transfer speed is used to read out a signal from other area so that smooth movement of an image can be attained. Further, when movement of a video camera occurs, the movement can be judged by observation through a view finder, that is, which partial area of the whole area of the imaging element is produced as the TV signal can be recognized.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention relates to a video imaging apparatus, and more 
particularly to an imaging apparatus characterized by varying an area from 
which a signal of an imaging element is read out. 
Further, the present invention relates to a video camera using a solid 
state imaging element, and more particularly to a method of monitoring a 
current imaging condition when movement of a camera is prevented 
electronically. 
Recently, an imaging apparatus is made small in size and light in weight 
and the magnification of a zoom lens tends to be increased. Thus, when a 
picture is taken by hand, the picture tends to be blurred by movement of 
the hands. As a prior art for suppressing the movement of the picture, 
there is known a method described in Japanese Patent Publication Nos. 
1-53957 and 2-32831. In this prior art method, a movement of an imaging 
apparatus is detected by a rotating gyroscope. An optical system including 
from a lens to the imaging apparatus is moved on the basis of the detected 
result, or a transfer of a signal from an imaging apparatus is divided 
into a high speed transfer and a normal transfer to control the number of 
signals to be transferred in the high speed transfer. The latter is 
characterized in that an apparatus therefor can be made small in size. 
However, the above prior art method does not considered that two pixels in 
the vertical direction of the imaging element are read out simultaneously. 
This simultaneous reading of two rows is an indispensable method necessary 
to eliminate a remaining image of a frame. When the number of signals to 
be transferred is increased or decreased while reading two pixels 
simultaneously, the transfer can be usually made only in a unit of 
two-pixel pitch even if an area of pixels to be transferred is minimum. 
Accordingly, a picture having a suppressed movement of an image is moved 
awkwardly. 
In addition, recently, with the development of small and light household 
video cameras and high magnification of lenses, a video camera having less 
movement of an image without use of a tripod is highly desired. 
As means for correcting the movement of the image, a method using an image 
memory is known, for example, as described on pages 377 to 378 in a 
collection of preprints for Lectures in a National Convention of the 
Institute of Television Engineers of Japan (1987). In this method, 
movement and vibration of a picture due to movement of a camera are 
detected as a parallel movement amount of the picture to calculate a 
correction amount on the basis of an amount and a direction of the 
parallel movement, that is, a vector so that the image is moved by the 
correction amount through the image memory to correct the movement and 
vibration of the picture. 
As methods of correcting (preventing) the movement of the hands in the 
photography by a camera, there are the mechanical method using the 
gyroscope or the like as described in Japanese Patent Unexamined 
Publication No. 60-14330 described above and the electrical method of 
correcting the movement of the hands by using the image memory to devise 
the special processing of signals and the reading method of an imaging 
element. The latter has an image memory or an imaging element providing an 
image signal for a wider area than an area from which a TV signal is 
produced and selects a proper area in the whole area to produce the image 
signal in the selected area as the TV signal. Accordingly, even if 
movement of the hands occurs and the angle of field of the image memory or 
the imaging element is varied, the image signal in the same area as that 
before the occurrence of the movement of the hands is produced as the TV 
signal so that the TV signal having the same angle of field before and 
after the movement of the hands is obtained to thereby correct the 
movement of the hands. 
In a camera which corrects movement of the hands electrically, for example, 
as shown in FIG. 1A, when an area of a light receiving plane 401 of an 
imaging element has an image room of 10% in the vertical and horizontal 
directions as compared with an area from which the TV signal is produced, 
movement of the hands up to 5% in the vertical and horizontal directions 
can be corrected as shown in FIG. 1B (in the case where the center of the 
TV signal before the movement of the hands is the same as the optical 
center of the imaging element). 
As shown in FIG. 1C, when the TV signal area 402 is deviated or moved up 
due to the movement of the hands to come into contact with an upper edge 
of the light receiving plane 401, there is no room for correcting the 
upward movement of the hands and the upward movement of the hands can not 
be corrected. 
As described above, even if the movement of the hands occurs as shown in 
FIGS. 1B and 1C, the image in the TV signal area 402 is not changed by the 
correction of the movement. 
The area 402 is observed through a view finder as a monitoring picture. 
Accordingly, there is an disadvantage that it is impossible to determine 
whether the movement of a camera occurs or not as far as the area is 
observed through the view finder. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
It is an object of the present invention to move in a pitch of one pixel an 
area of pixels to be normally transferred while reading out two rows 
simultaneously so that an image is moved smoothly. 
In order to achieve the above object, there are provided an imaging 
element, a scanning pulse generating circuit for supplying a scanning 
pulse for transfer of a signal to the imaging element and a scanned pixel 
area control circuit for supplying a control signal to the scanning pulse 
generating circuit, whereby a combination of two pixels adjacent to each 
other in the vertical direction which are read out simultaneously by the 
control signal is gradually shifted in a pitch of one pixel. 
When the combination of two pixels adjacent to each other in the vertical 
direction which are read out simultaneously is gradually shifted, the area 
of the pixels to be normally transferred can be moved in a pitch of one 
pixel and accordingly the image is moved smoothly. 
It is another object of the present invention to provide a video camera 
apparatus having a correction function of movement of a camera which 
solves the problems in the prior art and is used and operated easily and 
simply by producing an image, which is not subjected to correction, to an 
electronic view finder upon photographing and producing an image signal, 
which is subjected to correction, to a VTR. 
The above object is achieved by using a solid state imaging element with 
pixels having a row in the number thereof in the horizontal and vertical 
direction and providing means for reading out the whole pixels and 
extracting only necessary portion of the image signal which has been 
subjected to signal processing and does not pass through an image memory 
to produce the extracted image signal to the electronic view finder. 
Observation of uncorrected image can correct the movement of a camera while 
monitoring a natural image so that a camera work having reduced movement 
of the image without use of a tripod can be attained. 
It is a further object of the present invention to reduce an error in 
correction of movement of the hands by giving information as to which 
portion in the whole area of an image memory or imaging elements is 
produced as a TV signal to a photographer. 
The above object is achieved by the provision of a circuit for calculating 
an optical center in a light receiving plane of the image memory or 
imaging elements to display it. 
Further, the above object is also achieved by displaying the whole area in 
a view finder and superposing information such as a boundary line between 
a portion produced as the TV signal and a portion not produced as the TV 
signal. 
The optical center of the whole area of the image memory or the imaging 
elements is calculated and displayed in the finder in which a portion of 
the whole area of the image memory or the imaging elements is displayed. 
Thus, since the photographer can move the center of the angle of field of 
an object in the finder to the center of the whole area of the image 
memory or the imaging elements consciously, the movement of the hands in 
the vertical and horizontal directions can be corrected uniformly and a 
correction error can be reduced. Further, the whole area of the image 
memory or the imaging elements is displayed in the finder and the boundary 
line is provided between the portion produced as the TV signal and the 
portion not produced as the TV signal to thereby attain the same effect.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
An embodiment of the present invention is now described with reference to 
FIG. 2. In FIG. 2, reference numeral 100 denotes an imaging element, 101 a 
signal processing circuit, 102 a transfer pulse generating circuit, and 
103 a scanned pixel area control circuit. Further, the transfer pulse 
generating circuit comprises a compound circuit 104, a normal transfer 
pulse generating circuit 105 and a high-speed transfer pulse generating 
106 as shown by broken line. 
Operation of the imaging element 100 is now described. The imaging element 
is classified into a CCD type and an MOS type. A representative CCD type 
imaging element is shown in FIG. 3. In FIG. 3, reference numeral 1 denotes 
a photodiode, 2 a vertical CCD, and 3 a horizontal CCD. The photodiodes 1 
are arranged into m rows and n columns and suffixes of the numeral 1 for 
the photodiodes represent the numbers of the row and the column. Electric 
charges of signals stored in the photodiodes 1 are transferred to the 
vertical CCD's 2 in response to transfer pulses .phi..sub.V1 to 
.phi..sub.V4 and further transferred to the horizontal CCD 3 to be 
produced in response to horizontal transfer pulses not shown. The transfer 
operation of signals in the case where two rows of the photodiodes are 
read out simultaneously is described with reference to FIGS. 4 to 7. FIG. 
4 is a timing chart of transfer pulses in the case where a signal 
S.sub.2i-l of a photodiode in the (2i-1)th row and a signal S.sub.2i of a 
photodiode in the (2i)th low are read out simultaneously, i represents a 
natural number. A signal Si is transferred from the photodiodes 1 to the 
vertical CCD 2 in a period T.sub.1 and transferred to the horizontal CCD 3 
at time t.sub.1 to t.sub.8. This operation is shown in FIG. 5. The signals 
S.sub.2i-l and S.sub.2i are combined at time t.sub.1 and the signals 
S.sub.1 and S.sub.2 are transferred to the horizontal CCD 3 until time 
t.sub.8 and read out successively. The transfer is made in the same manner 
in the next horizontal period and signals S.sub.3 and S.sub.4 are 
transferred to the horizontal CCD 3 at time t.sub.9. FIG. 6 is a timing 
chart of transfer pulses in the case where a signal S.sub.2i of the 
photodiode in the (2i)th row and a signal S.sub.2i+l of the photodiode in 
the (2i+1)th row are read out simultaneously. As shown in FIG. 7, the 
signals are transferred in a combination shifted by one row in respect to 
the operation of FIGS. 4 and 5 and read out. Normally, the signal transfer 
shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 are made in an odd field and the signal transfer 
shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 are made in an even field so that the interlacing 
operation is made. 
A representative MOS type imaging element is shown in FIG. 8. In FIG. 8, 
reference numeral 4 denotes a horizontal shift register, 5 a horizontal 
start pulse (HIN) input terminal, 6 and 7 horizontal clock (H1 and H2) 
input terminals, 8 a vertical shift register, 9 a vertical start pulse 
(VIN) input terminal, 10 and 11 vertical clock (V1 and V2) input 
terminals, 12 and 13 field pulse (FA and FB) input terminals, 14 a 
photodiode, 15-19 MOS switches, and 20 signal output terminals. A 
brightness signal is obtained by adding respective output signals as shown 
in FIG. 9. 
Referring to FIGS. 10 and 11, reading of signals is described. When the 
vertical start pulse VIN is applied, pulses Pi are produced from the 
vertical shift register 8 successively in a period of the vertical clocks 
V1 and V2. The pulses Pi are distributed by the MOS switches 15 and 16 in 
response to the polarity of the field pulses FA and FB to produce pulses 
Qi so that the photodiodes 14 in the (2i-l)th row and the (2i)th row are 
selected simultaneously and signals S.sub.2i-l and S.sub.2i of the 
photodiodes 14 in the (2i-l)th row and the (2i)th row are produced out 
successively in response to pulses (not shown) of the horizontal shift 
register 4. As shown in FIG. 11, when the polarity of the field pulses FA 
and FB is reversed, a combination of rows selected by the pulses Qi is 
shifted by one row so that signals S.sub.2i and S.sub.2i+l of the 
photodiodes in the (2i)th row and the (2i+1)th row are produced 
simultaneously. In the normal reading of the signal, the reading of the 
signal in FIG. 10 is made in the odd field and the reading of the signal 
in FIG. 11 is made in the even field so that the interlacing operation is 
made. 
Operation is the case where the high-speed transfer is combined is now 
described. FIG. 12 shows output signals for the transfer pulse 
.phi..sub.V4 (A) of the field A and the transfer pulse .phi..sub.V4 (B) of 
the field B in the case where the transfer pulse .phi..sub.V4 is 
representative in FIGS. 4 and 5. With transfer pulses .phi..sub.V4 (A, N) 
and .phi..sub.V4 (B, N) obtained by adding N high-speed transfer pulses to 
the above transfer pulses .phi..sub.V4 (A) and .phi..sub.V4 (B), the 
signals are read out in the normal transfer while shifted by 2N rows as 
shown in FIG. 13. The scanned pixel area at this time is begun from the 
2N'th row. FIG. 14 shows a case where the scanned pixel area is shifted by 
one row. In the field A of FIG. 14, the same transfer pulses .phi..sub.V4 
(B, N) as those of the field B of FIG. 13 is used to read out signals in a 
combination shifted by one row. In the field B of FIG. 14, transfer pulses 
.phi..sub.V4 (A, N+1 ) obtained by adding one high-speed transfer pulse to 
the transfer pulses .phi..sub.V4 (A, N) of FIG. 13 is used to read out 
signals in a combination shifted by one row. 
Description is now made to the case of the MOS type imaging element. FIG. 
15 shows waveforms in reading of the signals in the case where N 
high-speed pulses are added while pulses FA, FB, VIN and V1 are 
representative in FIGS. 10 and 11. The scanned pixel area is begun from 
the 2N'th row by addition of the N high-speed pulses in the same manner as 
in the CCD type imaging element. FIG. 16 shows a case where the scanned 
pixel area is shifted by one row. In the field A of FIG. 16, signals are 
read out in a combination shifted by one row by using pulses of the field 
B of FIG. 15. In the field B of FIG. 16, signals are read out in a 
combination shifted by one row by adding one high-speed pulse to the 
pulses of FIG. 15. 
The interlacing operation is not made for the horizontal operation. 
Accordingly, it is sufficient to simply change the number of pulses to be 
transferred at a high speed and thus description thereof is omitted. 
The foregoing is summarized as follows. The normal transfer pulse control 
signal F shown in FIG. 2 controls the field in which the normal transfer 
pulses are supplied to the imaging element 100 and the number of 
high-speed pulses control signals m and n control the number of high-speed 
pulses in the vertical and horizontal directions. FIG. 17 shows a flow 
chart in the case where one row is shifted in one vertical direction. The 
transfer pulse generating circuit 102 produces the transfer pulses p (F, m 
and n) in accordance with the flow chart. F represents whether the normal 
transfer pulse is for the field A or B, and m and n represent the numbers 
of the high-speed pulses in the vertical and horizontal directions, 
respectively. In the above description, the case where one row is shifted 
in one vertical direction has been described, while the shift operation in 
the opposite direction or by several rows can be made in the case manner. 
Further, as apparent from the foregoing description, when the scanned 
pixel area is varied over two fields successively, the normal transfer 
pulses for the field A or B are supplied to the imaging elements 100 
successively. 
The changeover of the normal transfer pulses and the changeover of the 
number of the high-speed transfer pulses are made during the vertical 
retrace period so that disturbance of an image signal is prevented and 
accordingly it is desirable that change of the control signals F, m and n 
are made during the vertical retrace period. 
FIG. 18 illustrates an embodiment of suppression of movement of an image. 
In FIG. 18, reference numeral 104 denotes a movement detection circuit. 
The movement detection circuit may use an angular velocity sensor to 
detect the movement of an imaging apparatus, or may detect the movement on 
the base of the image signal. The movement detection circuit supplies a 
movement detection signal representative of the direction of movement of 
the image and the number of pixels over which the image moved to the 
scanned pixel area control circuit to control the scanned pixel area on 
the basis of the detection signal. 
FIG. 19 illustrates an embodiment in which a picture is scrolled. In FIG. 
19, reference numeral 105 denotes a counter circuit. The counter circuit 
can supply a control signal having a value which is gradually increased or 
decreased to the scanned pixel area control circuit so that the scrolling 
that the image gradually goes up and down on a monitoring picture or is 
gradually moved right and left can be attained smoothly. 
As described above, according to the embodiment of the present invention, 
the area of pixels to be normally transferred, that is, the scanned pixel 
area can be moved in a pitch of one pixel and accordingly smooth movement 
of the image can attained. 
Another embodiment of the present invention is now described with reference 
to drawings. 
FIG. 20 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of a video camera 
apparatus according to the present invention. In FIG. 20, reference 
numeral 201 denotes a lens, 202 a solid state imaging element (hereinafter 
referred to as an imaging element), 203 a signal processing circuit, 204 
an A/D converter, 205 an image memory (hereinafter referred to as a 
memory), 206 a D/A converter, 207 a movement detection circuit, 208 a 
memory control circuit for controlling the reading of the memory, 209 an 
electronic view finder, and 210 a scanning line converting circuit. 
The scanning line converting circuit 210 operates as follows. The solid 
state imaging element 202 has sufficient pixels having a room in the 
number and accordingly all of pixel signals can not be displayed in the 
electronic view finder 209 by the scanning line for the standard TV signal 
(conversely speaking, only part of the pixel signals can be displayed). 
Thus, for example, TV signals for n lines are produced from the pixel 
signals for m lines, where m &gt; n (the image is contracted). 
The memory control circuit 208 operates as follows. The memory control 
circuit 208 controls the memory 205 so that all of signals (produced from 
pixels in the whole area (W)) produced from the solid state imaging 
element 202 are written int he memory 205 and part (W1) of the written 
signals is read out form the memory 205 and controls addresses of the 
memory 205 so that a range of the signals to be read is varied to correct 
"movement" of a camera. 
More particularly, as shown in FIG. 21B, when the image is moved by a m and 
n in the vertical and horizontal directions, respectively, the starting 
point of the reading for the memory can be changed from an address (0, 0) 
to an address (M+m, N+n) to correct the movement of the camera. FIG. 21A 
shows a case in which there is no movement. 
FIGS. 22A and 22B illustrate an image signal 303 after the light receiving 
plane 302 of the imaging element 202 and the signal processing circuit 203 
of FIG. 20, an image 304 of the electronic view finder, and a camera 
output 305 which is an output after correction of movement of the camera. 
In FIG. 20, a light image of an object 200 focused on a light receiving 
plane of the imaging element 202 through the lens 201 is converted into an 
electronic signal which is processed by the signal processing circuit 203 
which produces an image signal 303. Since the imaging element 202 has 
sufficient pixels having a room in the number in the horizontal and 
vertical directions as described above, the image signal 303 has a room in 
the periphery of the image or the image frame as compared with the 
standard camera output 305. On the other hand, the movement detection 
circuit 207 monitors the movement of the camera to supply the movement 
information to the memory control circuit 208 which produces a memory 
reading control signal. THe memory control circuit 208 supplies to the 
memory 205 the memory reading controls signal for moving the start point 
of the memory reading by the movement opposite to the movement information 
obtained by the movement detection circuit 207 to correct the movement of 
the camera. 
Further, the image signal 303 produced form the signal processing circuit 
203 is supplied to the scanning line converting circuit 210 for converting 
the number of the scanning lines to be equal to the number of the scanning 
lines of the standard television signal. The circuit 210 produces the 
scanning line converted signal to supply it to the electronic view finder 
209 to produce an image 304 (refer to FIGS. 22A and 22B). 
FIG. 22A illustrates images int he standard state of the present 
embodiment. The image 304 of the electronic view finder 209 and the camera 
output 305 have the same image but have different image frames as shown in 
FIG. 22A. Thereafter, when movement of the camera occurs and the focused 
image of the object 200 on the light receiving plane 302 of the imaging 
element is shifted as shown in FIG. 22B, the memory control circuit 208 
changes the start point of the reading of the memory on the basis of the 
movement information from the movement detection circuit 207 to coincide 
with the image before one field so that the camera output 305 as showing 
broken line is produced. On the other hand, the electronic view finder 209 
is supplied with an uncorrected image signal 303 having the converted 
number of scanning lines and produces an image shifted in parallel by the 
same mount as the movement of the camera as shown in solid line by 304 of 
FIG. 22B. 
Thus, the same image as that in the standard state, that is the image 
having the corrected and small movement of the camera is obtained in the 
camera output 305 and the image having the uncorrected movement of the 
camera is obtained in the image 304 of the electronic view finder. 
The imaging element 202 is required to have the number of extra pixels 
which is at least 30 percent larger than the number of the standard 
pixels. 
FIG. 23 is a block diagram of a further embodiment of the present 
invention. The embodiment constitutes a video camera apparatus which can 
produce a monitoring image having the same image frame as that of the 
camera output 305 when an image having uncorrected movement of the camera 
is monitored. 
The embodiment of FIG. 23 has the same configuration as that of the 
embodiment shown in FIG. 20 except that a gate circuit 601 is provided 
between the signal processing circuit 203 and the electronic view finder 
209. 
FIG. 24 illustrates the image on the light receiving plane 302 of the 
imaging element 202, the image signal 303, and the image 304' of the 
electronic view finder and the camera output 305' of the electronic view 
finder and the camera output 3-5' in the same manner as in FIGS. 22A and 
22B. 
Referring to FIGS. 23, 24A and 24B, operation is now described. 
The image output 303 produced from the signal processing circuit 203 has a 
room in the horizontal and vertical direction in the same manner as in the 
above-mentioned embodiment and is supplied to the gate circuit 601 in 
which the image output 303 is subjected top the gating process so that the 
image thereof is equal to that of the camera output 305'. The image signal 
gated by the gate circuit is supplied to the electronic view finder 209 so 
that the image having the same image frame as that of the camera output 
305' can be produced as shown by 304' of FIGS. 24A and 24B. 
As described above, according to the embodiment the uncorrected image 
having the same image frame as that of the corrected camera output can be 
monitored by the electronic view finder 209 while correcting the movement 
of the camera. As shown in FIGS. 24A and 24B, an outer peripheral portion 
of the view finder 304' marked with double-hatching is not quite viewed by 
an observer. 
FIG. 25 is a block diagram illustrating a further embodiment of the present 
invention. The embodiment constitutes a video camera apparatus which 
monitors an image in correction of movement of the hands in a video camera 
which obtains an image signal using a digital signal processing. 
In FIG. 25, reference numeral 501 denotes an A/D converter, 502 a digital 
signal processing circuit, and 503 a D/A converter. 
In the case manner as in the embodiments, an image signal produced from the 
imaging element 202 is supplied to the A/D converter 501 to be converted 
into a digital signal which is supplied to the digital signal processing 
circuit 502. The digital image signal processed by the digital signal 
processing circuit 502 is supplied through the memory 205 and the D/A 
converter 503 tot he gate circuit 601. Thus, the embodiment digitizes the 
signal processing of the video camera apparatus and performs the same 
operation as that of the circuit of the embodiment of FIG. 23. 
In the embodiment of FIG. 20, the transfer pulse generating circuit 102 and 
the scanned pixel area control circuit 103 described in FIG. 2 can be 
combined into the solid state imaging element 203 (FIG. 20) (refer to 
blocks 102 and 103 shown by broken line of FIG. 20). 
As described above, according tot he present invention, in the video camera 
apparatus having the correction function of the movement of the camera, 
the imaging can be attained while directly monitoring uncorrected image, 
instead of imaging while monitoring image having corrected movement of the 
camera. Thus, there can be provided the video camera apparatus having the 
excellent function that a photographer can make imaging without preventing 
correction of the movement of the camera and the effect of correction of 
the movement of the camera can be attained effectively. 
FIG. 25 illustrates a further embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 
26, reference numeral 700 denotes an imaging element, 701 a signal 
processing circuit, 702 a view finder, and 703 a center coordinate 
arithmetic circuit which calculates coordinates of an optical center in 
the whole area of the light receiving portion of the imaging element. An 
image signal of part in the whole area converted into an electric signal 
version by the imaging element 700 is supplied to the signal processing 
circuit 701 to be produced as an TV signal and displayed int he view 
finder 702. Simultaneously, the center coordinate arithmetic circuit 703 
calculates the coordinates of the optical center of the whole light 
receiving portion of the imaging element 700 to display it in the view 
finder. According to the present invention, the photographer can move the 
center of the object near a mark of the optical center displayed in the 
view finder so that the imaging element 700 has extra pixels which are 
uniform in the vertical and horizontal directions and error in correction 
of the movement of the hands can be reduced. 
FIG. 27 illustrates a further embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 
27, reference numerals 700 to 703 denote the same elements as those in the 
embodiment shown in FIG. 26, the numeral 801 denotes an image memory. THe 
image signal of the whole area converted into an electric signal version 
by the imaging element 700 is once registered in the image memory 801 
through the signal processing circuit 701. Thereafter, part of contents 
stored in the memory is read out to be produced as a TV signal and 
displayed in the view finder 702. Simultaneously, the center coordinate 
arithmetic circuit 703 calculates central coordinates of the whole area of 
the image memory 801 and displays it in the view finder 702. This 
embodiment can attain the same effects as the above-mentioned embodiments. 
FIG. 28 illustrates a further embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 
28, reference numerals 700 to 703 and 801 denote the same elements as 
those of the embodiment shown in FIG. 27, numeral 901 denotes a second 
signal processing circuit different from the signal processing circuit 701 
and numeral 902 denotes a gate producing circuit. THe image signal of the 
whole area converted into an electric signal version by the imaging 
element 700 is displayed in the view finder 702 through the signal 
processing circuit 701. Simultaneously, all of the image signal from the 
signal processing circuit 701 is once stored in the image memory 801 and 
then part of contents stored in the memory is read out to be produced as 
the TV signal. THe gate producing circuit 902 produces a gate from the TV 
signal portion produced from the second signal processing circuit 901 and 
superposes a gate pulse on the image signal of the whole area in the view 
finder 702. According to the present invention, the whole area of the 
imaging element 700 is displayed in the view finder 702 and a boundary 
line is provided between a portion produced as the TV signal and other 
portion, or a boundary is provided by changing the brightness 
therebetween. Accordingly, the photographer can consciously pan and tilt 
the camera so that the center of the TV signal portion enclosed by the 
boundary line comes near the center of the view finder. This embodiment 
can attain the same effects as in the embodiments of FIGS. 26 and 27. 
According to the present invention, since the photographer of a camera can 
recognize which part of the whole area of the imaging element can be 
produced as the TV signal and can always bring the TV signal portion into 
the central portion of the whole area of ht imaging element, error int eh 
correction of movement of the hands is reduced.