Image processing apparatus and control method thereof, image capturing apparatus and storage medium

An image capturing apparatus detects the movement of a main body by an angular velocity sensor, detects the movement of the captured object image, and detects the angular velocity. An exposure time during image capturing is set by an automatic exposure setting processing. A longest exposure time is calculated based on a maximum drive amount of an optical system including a correction lens, and the exposure time is set so as not to exceed the longest exposure time by upgrading a photographing condition. When an operation instruction for photographing is received, a drive control to relatively change a position of the object image to be captured is performed by driving the correction lens of the optical system in the period before the passage of the set exposure time.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus and a control method thereof, and relates to a technique for performing user assistance of a follow shot by an image capturing apparatus.

Description of the Related Art

A follow shot exists as a photographic technique for expressing a sense of speed of an object (moving body). This photographic technique is intended for stopping a moving object image and following a background image by performing panning of a camera with the movement of the object by a photographer. In a typical follow shot, an exposure time is adjusted so as to be longer than that in a normal time with a moving speed of the object. Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2010-245774 discloses a configuration for performing photographing in an exposure time so as to sufficiently secure a follow amount of the background during the follow shot.

If a panning velocity is not appropriate when the photographer performs panning with the movement of the object in the follow shot, a difference occurs between the moving speed of the object and the panning velocity, whereby the object images are often blurred. To solve the inconvenience, there has been proposed a method of absorbing the difference between the moving speed of the object and the panning velocity by the movement of a shift lens (hereinafter referred to as “follow shot assistance”), which serves as a technique for assisting the follow shot by a user. Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2006-317848 disclose discloses an apparatus that detects the object based on a blur detection by a gyro sensor and a motion vector of the image and calculates a correction amount for positioning the detected object at a center of the image. An optical axis is corrected by the movement of the shift lens and the follow shot is performed.

In the correction by using the shift lens disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2006-317848, a maximum angle where a system can correct (hereinafter referred to as “maximum correctable angle”) is limited because the movable range of the shift lens is limited. Therefore, a situation in which the system cannot correct may occur. Hereinafter, a specific description will be given by assuming a situation shown inFIG. 9.

FIG. 9illustrates the speed of the object and the panning velocity of the camera, each of which is shown by angular velocities centering on the principal points. The angular velocity of the object is at 30 deg/sec and the panning angular velocity of the camera is at 24 deg/sec in degrees. In this case, a camera system needs to assist 6 deg/sec, which is the difference between both of the angular velocities. A value multiplying the angular velocity assisted by the system by the exposure time becomes a correction angle by which the system will finally need to assist. As one example, a photographing in which the maximum correctable angle of the shift lens is 0.4 degrees and the exposure time is 1/16 seconds is assumed. The correction angle finally needed is below.

In this example, the correction angle is the maximum correctable angle or below, and thus, the correction is possible.

In contrast, when photographing in which the exposure time is ⅛ seconds is performed, the correction angle finally needed is below.

In this example, the correction angle exceeds the maximum correctable angle, and thus, the correction becomes impossible. The follow shot needs a long exposure time and the correction angle exceeds the maximum correctable angle, and thus, the correction may be impossible.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides an image processing apparatus and a control method thereof in which an exposure time is calculated and set when a position of an object image in an image to be imaged is corrected by a correction unit, for example, a user assistance function for a follow shot.

An apparatus according to the present invention is an image processing apparatus that corrects a position of an object image in an image to be captured by a correction unit, and comprises an exposure time setting unit configured to set an exposure time during image capturing; and a drive control unit configured to control the position of the object image in the direction that is perpendicular to an optical axis by driving the correction unit. The exposure time setting unit determines a difference between an output of a first detection unit that detects the movement of the apparatus and an output of a second detection unit that detects the movement of the object image, and an upper limit value of the exposure time based on an upper limit of a correction range by the correction unit, and limits the exposure time during image capturing to the upper limit value or below.

According to the present invention, the exposure time can be calculated and set when the position of the object image in the image to be imaged is corrected by the correction unit.

DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

Hereinafter, each of the embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail based on attached drawings. In each of the embodiments, a description will be given of a drive control configuration that relatively changes a position where an object image is captured, by the movement of an optical member for correction provided in an optical system.

First Embodiment

FIG. 1is a block diagram illustrating a basic configuration of an image capturing apparatus100to which an image processing device (including an image processing device106and a controller) is applied according to first embodiment of the present invention. The image capturing apparatus100may be not only a camera, for example, a digital camera or a digital video camera, but also an electronic apparatus provided with a camera function, for example, a mobile phone with a camera function or a computer with a camera. An optical system101is an image forming optical system provided with, for example, a lens group, a shutter, and a diaphragm. The lens group includes a correction lens (shift lens) and a focus lens. The optical system101images the light from the object onto an imaging element102according to a control signal of a CPU (Central Processing Unit)103. The imaging element102is an image capturing device, for example, a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) image sensor, a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide film Semiconductor) image sensor, and converts the imaged light via the optical system101into an image signal by photoelectric conversion.

Angular velocity, which shows a moving amount of the image capturing apparatus100, is detected in a first detection processing using an angular velocity sensor105, for example, a gyro sensor. The angular velocity detection signal is output to the CPU103, which serves as an electric signal. The CPU103executes a program that is previously stored in a memory, and controls each of units configuring the image capturing apparatus100according to an input signal and the like. A primary storage device104is a volatile storage device, for example, a RAM (Random Access Memory), stores temporary data, and used as a work memory of the CPU103. Information stored in the primary storage device104is used by an image processing device106or may be recorded in a recording medium107. A secondary storage device108is a nonvolatile storage device, for example, an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory). A program (firmware) for controlling the image capturing apparatus100and various setting information are stored in the secondary storage device108and they are utilized by the CPU103.

The recording medium107records photographing image data and the like stored in the primary storage device104. The recording medium107is removable from the image capturing apparatus100as, for example, a semiconductor memory card. The data recorded in the recording medium107is readable by mounting it to an external device, for example, a personal computer. That is, the image capturing apparatus100has an attaching and detaching mechanism and a reading and writing function of the recording medium107. A display unit109displays, for example, a view finder image during photographing, a photographed image, and a GUI (Graphical User Interface) image for an interactive operation. The operation unit110is an input device group that receives a user's operation and transmits input information to the CPU103, and includes, for example, a button, a lever, and a touch panel. Additionally, it can use an input device using, for example, recognizing functions including a sound or one's eyes for the operation.

The image capturing apparatus100of the present embodiment has a plurality of image processing patterns which the image processing device106applies to a captured image, and this pattern can be set as an image capturing mode by the operation unit110. The image processing device106performs image processing referred to as “development processing”, and various kinds of processing such as the adjustment of color tone corresponding to the photographing mode. Note that, the CPU103may realize at least a part of the functions of the image processing device106by using software processing.

Processing for calculating the exposure time during the follow shot will be described with reference toFIGS. 2A and 2B.FIGS. 2A and 2Bare flowcharts illustrating a flow of assistance of the follow shot. A start timing of the processing is, for example, a time of a half-depression operation of a shutter release button included in the operation unit110. First, in step S201a, the CPU103performs extraction processing of the object image. Note that, with respect to the extraction of the object image, there is a method of extracting an object area by using a motion vector acquired from the captured image, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2006-317848. In the following step S202a, the CPU103acquires angular velocity information of the image capturing apparatus100that is detected by the angular velocity sensor105. The panning angular velocity is acquired from a detection signal output from the angular velocity sensor105. The process proceeds to step S203aand the CPU103calculates the angular velocity of the object. The CPU103executes second detection processing that detects the movement of the object image by using the image data captured by the imaging element102. In the present embodiment, the calculation is performed with the panning angular velocity, and therefore the angular velocity of the object is calculated as the angular velocity centered on the principal points as shown inFIG. 3. The calculation method of the angular velocity will be described by using a circular measure with reference toFIG. 3.

FIG. 3illustrates that the object moves from a point A to a point B in “t” seconds and the object image formed on an image plane of the imaging element102accordingly moves from a point C to a point D. Here, a distance between the point C and the point D (image plane moving amount) is ν [pixel], the focal length is f [mm], and a pixel pitch of the imaging element102is p [μm/pixel]. The angular velocity ω [rad/sec] of the object image on the image plane is denoted by formula below.

When a photographer performs a panning operation of the image capturing apparatus, the angular velocity ω of the object image on the image plane is acquired by subtracting the panning angular velocity ωpfrom the angular velocity ωsof the object itself (hereinafter referred to as “object angular velocity”) (Formula 4).
ω=ωs−ωp[Formula 4]

Accordingly, the object angular velocity ωsis calculated by using a formula below based on the panning angular velocity ωpof the image capturing apparatus100detected at the angular velocity sensor105.
ωs=ω+ωp[Formula 5]

Note that, other than the above, the method of calculating the object angular velocity ωsmay use a value previously designated from the operation unit110.

Thus, when the object angular velocity ωsis calculated, the CPU103performs an automatic exposure setting in step S204a. In the automatic exposure setting, the exposure time during photographing is set. For example, it is possible to perform photographing at a predetermined exposure time longer than a normal exposure time, or it is possible to calculate the exposure time according to the object angular velocity ωs. Imaging processing following step S207ais performed based on a photographing instruction provided by the user through the operation unit110normally according to the calculated exposure time. In the present embodiment, a process in which the CPU103limits the exposure time is performed in the following step S205a. Specifically, the exposure time is changed if the exposure time during image capturing set in step S204ais not appropriate. “The exposure time is not appropriate” specifically means that the correction angle by the correction unit exceeds a maximum correctable angle. A flow of the exposure time limit will be described with reference toFIG. 2B.

First, the CPU103calculates the correction angular velocity in step S201b. The angular velocity ω on the aforementioned image plane is directly used, or the correction angular velocity ωris calculated by a formula below by using the object angular velocity ωsand the panning angular velocity ωp, as a difference between them. Note that, when the angular velocity ω on the image plane is directly used, the moving speed is calculated based on the time change of the captured object image and is converted to the angular velocity ω.
ωr=ωs−ωp[Formula 6]

In the following step S202b,the CPU103acquires the maximum correctable angle. The maximum correctable angle corresponds to a maximum angle where the optical system101can correct by the movement of the shift lens (correction lens) or the like. For example, if the optical system101is previously fixed to a camera body, the maximum correctable angle of the optical system101that was previously stored in the secondary storage device108or the like can be read out. Alternatively, if the optical system101is removable from the camera body, the maximum correctable angle of the optical system101can be acquired via communication with the camera body and the optical system101. Alternatively, it is possible to read out the maximum correctable angle corresponding to each of the optical systems, which was previously stored in the secondary storage device108or the like. Note that a drive control to move the shift lens provided in the optical system101to a direction that differs from the optical axis direction (for example, a direction orthogonal to the optical axis) is performed according to a control signal that is output to a drive mechanism section (not illustrated) from the CPU103. That is, the CPU103executes the control to relatively displace the position in the image where the object image is captured by the drive control of the shift lens.

In step S203b, the CPU103calculates the longest exposure time that is the upper limit of the exposure time and performs the setting processing of the exposure time. For example, the maximum correctable angle is θmax[deg] and the correction angular velocity calculated in step S201bis ωr. The maximum correctable angle corresponds to the upper limit of the correction range by the correction unit, for example, the shift lens. In this case, the longest exposure time tmaxis determined by dividing θmaxby ωras below.

The CPU103updates a photographing condition in step S204b, based on the calculated longest exposure time tmax. One example of the updating of the photographing condition will be described with reference to Table 1 below. Table 1 illustrates an example of the photographing condition determined by steps S204aand S204b. In table 1, a time to expose the object image to the imaging element102is represented by Tv and electric gain of the imaging element102is represented by ISO.

For example, a case is assumed in which “Tv=1/64, ISO=800” is used as the photographing condition in normal photographing and the follow shot is performed. In step S204aofFIGS. 2A and 2B, the photographing condition of “Tv=1/8, ISO=100” is set so as to enable performing the photographing in an exposure time longer than the normal photographing, having the same brightness in the follow shot under the photographing condition in the normal photographing. In this photographing condition, when, for example, the correction angular velocity ωris 6 deg/sec in degrees, the angle finally corrected is denoted as below.

In contrast, the correction is possible if the maximum correctable angle θmaxis over 0.75 deg. However, the correction is impossible if the maximum correctable angle θmaxis, for example, 0.4 deg. When the maximum correctable angle θmax0.4 deg and correction angular velocity 6 deg/sec are substituted for the formula 7, the longest exposure time tmaxis denoted as below.

1/15 [sec] calculated in the formula 9 becomes the correctable longest exposure time tmax, and therefore, for example, the photographing condition of “Tv=1/16, ISO=200” is set in step S204bofFIGS. 2A and 2Bin the present embodiment. That is, the exposure time during image capturing is limited to the longest exposure time or below (upper limit or below).

When the photographing condition is thus updated, it is determined whether or not the CPU103performs an exposure operation in S206aofFIGS. 2A and 2B. It is determined whether or not a switch (hereinafter, referred to as “S2”) is in an ON status due to a full-depression operation of the shutter release button included in the operation unit110. When the status of S2is OFF, the CPU103repeatedly executes the operations from steps S201ato step S205a. Alternatively, when the status of S2is ON in step S206a, the CPU103advances the process to step S207a.

In step S207a, the CPU103controls the shutter included in the optical system101according to the exposure time determined by the exposure time setting processing, and starts the shutter travel. Hereafter, the CPU103moves the shift lens of the optical system101in step S208auntil the passage of the exposure time set in step S204b, and performs the assist processing of the follow shot. In S209a, when the exposure time set in step S204bpasses, the process ends.

In the present embodiment, the exposure time that is the longest exposure time or below is calculated and set when the position of the object image in the direction that is perpendicular to an optical axis in the image to be captured is corrected by the correction unit. The photographing condition where the camera system can assist (exposure time) can be calculated in, for example, a user assistance function by the follow shot assistance. Note that a configuration in which the automatic exposure setting is performed in step S204aand the photographing condition in step S204bis updated is exemplified in the present embodiment, in order to clarify the difference from the conventional method. However, the present invention is not limited to such a configuration and, for example, the photographing condition can be set only in step S204bwithout performing step S204a. Additionally, the example in which the image formation position of the object is corrected by the movement of the optical member (shift lens) is shown in the present embodiment, but the present invention is not limited to this, and, for example, it can be realized in a configuration in which the imaging element102itself is driven and controlled. Additionally, the panning operation is described in the present embodiment, and a similar processing is executed for a tilting operation.

Second Embodiment

Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. Note that the reference numerals already used are provided to each element of the present embodiment corresponding to each element of the first embodiment, and the descriptions thereof are omitted. Such omission of the description will be similarly applied to another embodiments described below.

In the first embodiment, the example in which the longest exposure time is calculated by always using a latest correction angular velocity ωrin formula 7 is shown. A case in which the target angular velocity and the panning angular velocity are always constant is assumed, for example, as shown inFIG. 4A. A horizontal axis is a time axis and a vertical axis is an angular velocity axis. The correction angular velocity is ωr, the exposure time is t, and angle θ that finally needs to be corrected is denoted as a formula below.
θ=ωr×t[Formula 10]

This angle θ corresponds to an area shown with oblique lines inFIG. 4A. A formula below can be acquired by substituting tmaxthat is calculated in the formula 7, as the exposure time t.

The angle θ that finally needs to be corrected is within the maximum correctable angle θmax, whereby the correction is possible. However, in the actual photographing, there may be a case where a fluctuation occurs to the panning angular velocity due to a hand shake, as shown by the dotted lines inFIG. 4B. The horizontal axis is the time axis and the vertical axis is the angular velocity axis. In this case, the value of the angle θ that needs to be corrected corresponds to an area shown with oblique lines inFIG. 4B, and it becomes larger than an angular value shown inFIG. 4A. In this case, when the angle θ exceeds the maximum correctable angle θmax, the correction is impossible.

A solution to this inconvenience will be described below. For example, as shown inFIG. 4C, when a large correction angular velocity (written as Ωr) has been previously estimated as the correction angular velocity, the exposure time t calculated from the formula 7 is underestimated. Accordingly, the angle θ that needs to be actually corrected, shown with oblique lines, is easily encompassed within the maximum correctable angle θmaxshown with a rectangle in the drawing. According to this method, it is possible to reduce the possibility in which the angle θ that needs to be corrected exceeds the maximum correctable angle θmax. However, there may be a case where the longest exposure time tmaxcalculated in formula 7 becomes excessively short. While the flow amount of the background image increases as the exposure time becomes longer during the follow shot, which results a more effective follow shot, the effect of the follow shot decreases when the exposure time is too short. Accordingly, the calculation processing of the correction angular velocity Ωrused for the calculation of such a longest exposure time tmaxis shown in the present embodiment and third embodiment described below.

An example of the information used for estimating the correction angular velocity Ωrwill be described with reference toFIG. 4D. In the process, a past panning angular velocity corresponding to a range “x” shown in the drawing is referred to. When the correction angular velocity used for the calculation of the longest exposure time tmaxin step S203bis determined by using the past panning angular velocity, the following matters are key points:(A) A period of data to be employed (the data group of the panning angular velocity in which time should be used)(B) Calculation method of the correction angular velocity Ωr(how the correction angular velocity Ωrshould be calculated from the data group)

For example, the calculation result of the longest exposure time tmaxdiffers depending on the data group of the panning angular velocity to be used. Accordingly, a description will be given of an example of the calculation processing of the correction angular velocity Ωrused for conducting the longest exposure time tmaxfrom the data group of the panning angular velocity temporally continued, with respect to the matter (A), in the present embodiment. With respect to the matter (B), the calculation processing of the correction angular velocity Ωrwill be described in third embodiment described below. Note that the example of calculating “the correction angular velocity when the difference between the panning angular velocity and the target angular velocity is largest” is shown from the data group of the panning angular velocity in the predetermined period, in the present embodiment. The calculation of the correction angular velocity Ωrused for the calculation of the exposure time during the follow shot will be described as below with reference toFIG. 5.

FIG. 5is a flowchart that illustrates a flow of the calculation processing of the correction angular velocity Ωrin the present embodiment, and corresponds to the calculation processing of the correction angular velocity of step S201bshown inFIGS. 2A and 2B. First, the CPU103acquires information of the past panning angular velocity in step S601. The acquisition of this information is performed by reading history information of the past panning angular velocity recorded in step S604described below, for example, from the primary storage device104. In the following step S602, the CPU103selects the data group of the panning angular velocity within the predetermined range from the information of the past panning angular velocity and the information of the latest panning angular velocity that is acquired in step S202aofFIGS. 2A and 2B. In step S603, based on the data group of the panning angular velocity selected in step S602, the CPU103calculates the correction angular velocity in the panning angular velocity where the difference with the target angular velocity becomes largest from among these.

Next, the selection processing of the range of the data group of the panning angular velocity will be described with reference toFIG. 6. InFIG. 6, the horizontal axis is the time axis and the vertical axis is the angular velocity axis. First, a first selection method according to the data group of the panning angular velocity is a method for always selecting the most recent panning angular velocity, as shown in P ofFIG. 6. In the first selection method, the calculation method performed in the first embodiment is similar because the information of the past panning angular velocity acquired in step S601is not used. In this case, there is an advantage in which information highly relevant to the panning angular velocity during the actual photographing can be used because the panning angular velocity immediately before the exposure start is referred to. However, as mentioned above, a case in which the correction angle exceeds the maximum correctable angle may occur if the actual correction angular velocity is larger than the correction angular velocity immediately before the exposure start.

A third selection method will be described before describing a second selection method. The third selection method is a method for selecting a data group in a range between a given time point and immediately before the exposure start (past period) as in the range shown by R2inFIG. 6. The given time point means a time point when the image capturing apparatus receives an operation instruction for photographing by the user's operation. For example, it is when the half-depression operation of the shutter release button included in the operation unit110is performed (written as “S1ON” in the drawing). In this method, the maximum correction angular velocity is calculated from among more data, and a possibility in which the actual correction angular velocity exceeds the correction angular velocity calculated in the predetermined period is accordingly low. Therefore, the probability that the correction angle will exceed the maximum correctable angle is low when the method is compared with the first selection method. However, as the period for selecting the data group is longer, it results in referring to data with low relevance to the panning angular velocity during photographing.

The second selection method is a method for selecting between the first selection method and the third selection method, and it is, for example, a method for selecting a range between the starting point of the exposure and a time point returned to the past by only “n” seconds, as shown in R1ofFIG. 6. “n” value is a value that enables, for example, setting a length of one cycle of fluctuation of the hand shake. Note that the frequency of the hand shake is about 5 to 10 Hz, which has a large influence, and the “n” value is set, for example, within the range about ⅕ seconds to 1/10 seconds accordingly. In the second selection method, the correction angular velocity Ωr, which is near the correction angular velocity during photographing and for which the probability that the correction angle will exceed the maximum correctable angle is finally low can be calculated.

When the panning angular velocity range is selected in step S602ofFIG. 5and the maximum correction angular velocity is calculated in step S603, the process proceeds to step S604. In step S604, the CPU103performs a saving processing of the current panning angular velocity. Hence, information of the current panning angular velocity is added to history information600. In the present embodiment, the selection processing of the data group of the panning angular velocity to be referred to is performed out of the data group of the current and past panning angular velocity, and the correction angular velocity Ωris determined. Note that with respect to the first to third selection methods, for example, the system can previously determine the method, or the user can determine the method through the operation to designate the method by using the operation unit110.

Third Embodiment

Next, third embodiment of the present invention will be described. A process example for calculating the correction angular velocity Ωrused in the calculation in step S204bofFIGS. 2A and 2B, based on the data group of the panning angular velocity before the starting point of the exposure, is shown with reference toFIG. 7. InFIG. 7, the horizontal axis is the time axis and the vertical axis is the angular velocity axis. Wavy lines illustrate an example of the angular velocity change including the panning angular velocity and a hand shake component, dash-dotted lines illustrate the panning angular velocity, and dotted lines illustrate the target angle. Note that the selection method of the data group will be described by employing the second selection method described in the second embodiment usingFIG. 6. First, a first calculation method in relation to the correction angular velocity Ωrwill be described. This is a method of using a correction angular velocity when the difference with the target angular velocity is the largest and the necessary correction amount becomes maximum is used out of the panning angular velocity including the past hand shake component, as shown in V1ofFIG. 7. In the first calculation method, a process described in the second embodiment with reference toFIG. 5is executed. In this method, there is an advantage in which the possibility that the final correction angle exceeds the maximum correctable angle θmaxbecomes low as mentioned above because the correction angular velocity having larger correction amount is estimated. However, estimating the correction amount larger than the actual correction amount may cause the longest exposure time tmaxto become extremely shortened.

The third calculation method will be described before describing second calculation method. This is a method of calculating a value equivalent to the panning angular velocity excluding the hand shake component, based on the panning angular velocity including the past hand shake component and using the difference between this value and the target angular velocity, as shown in V3ofFIG. 7. Note that with respect to the calculation of the panning angular velocity excluding the hand shake component, an approximation processing (average value calculation processing) is performed by averaging the panning angular velocity including the hand shake component. For example, in step S603ofFIG. 5, the process of calculating the average value of the correction angular velocity is executed in place of the calculation of the maximum value of the correction angular velocity. In this method, it is possible to estimate a longer longest exposure time tmaxbecause the correction angular velocity Ωrnear the actual correction angular velocity is estimated. However, when the correction amount in the actual photographing is larger than the average value, a case in which the final correction angle exceeds the maximum correctable angle θmaxas mentioned above may occur.

The second calculation method is a method of selecting the method between the first calculation method and the third calculation method, and it is a method of, for example, selecting a value shown in V2at the upper ofFIG. 7. The process flow will be described with reference to a flowchart inFIG. 8. A fundamental process flow is similar to those described in the second embodiment with reference toFIG. 5, and each of the processes of steps S801, S802and S804inFIG. 8is similar to those of steps S601, S602and S604shown inFIG. 5. Accordingly, the process of step S803, which is different, will be described.

The CPU103advances the process from step S802to step S803, and executes the calculation processing of the angular velocity for calculation. That is, the process proceeds to step S805and the average correction angular velocity (written as “ωAVE”) is acquired. A value of ωAVEis acquired by the process to average the difference between the panning angular velocity including the past hand shake component and the target angular velocity. In the following step S806, the CPU103calculates the maximum correction angular velocity (written as “ωMAX”). This is calculated similarly to the method shown in the second embodiment. When the average correction angular velocity ωAVEand the maximum correction angular velocity ωMAXare calculated, the CPU103advances the process to step S807, and the correction angular velocity Ωris calculated by formula below.
Ωr=ωAVE+(ωMAX−ωAVE)×m[Formula 12]

In the formula 12, a value calculated by multiplying “m” by the hand shake amplitude to the correction amount to correct the difference between the panning angular velocity excluding the hand shake component and the target angular velocity is added to ωAVE. Here, the fixed number “m” is “m<1”. For example, a ratio of an area B to an area A shown inFIG. 7is used for the fixed number “m”. When the fluctuation due to the hand shake is approximated by a sine wave of the amplitude “y” and the ratio of the area B to the area A is defined as “m”, the value “m” is determined as the following.

After calculating the correction angular velocity Ωrin step S807ofFIG. 8, the process proceeds to step S804, and the information of the current panning angular velocity is added to the history information800.

In the second calculation method, the longest exposure time tmaxcan be prolonged while suppressing the possibility that the final correction angle exceeds the maximum correctable angle θmax. In the present embodiment, the correction angular velocity Ωrused for the calculation in step S204bofFIGS. 2A and 2Bis calculated according to the first to third the calculation methods based on the data group of the past panning angular velocity. Note that with respect to the first to third calculation methods, for example, the system can determine the method beforehand, or the user can determine it through the operation to designate the method by using the operation unit110. As described above, the present invention has been described in detail based on its preferred embodiments, but the present invention is not limited to their specific embodiments, and includes various embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention. It may be possible to appropriately combine a part of the above mentioned embodiments.

Other Embodiments

This application claims the benefit of Japanese Patent Application No. 2014-077284, filed Apr. 3, 2014, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.