Patent ID: 7973830

Claim:
An imaging apparatus comprising a taking lens having a zoom lens and a focusing lens, a solid state imaging device for taking image signal from an optical image of a subject formed through said taking lens, and a flash device for emitting a flashlight to the subject, said imaging apparatus comprising: a photometry device for measuring a brightness value of the subject; a zoom position detecting device for detecting a zoom position of said zoom lens; an in-focus position detecting device for detecting an in-focus position of said focusing lens; an imaging sensitivity setting device for setting an imaging sensitivity based on the detected zoom position and the detected in-focus position; a control device for controlling an exposure value and the volume of the flashlight from said flash device based on the measured subject brightness value and the set imaging sensitivity; a first amplification device for amplifying the imaging signal as being outputted from said solid state imaging device with a gain corresponding to the set imaging sensitivity; and wherein said imaging sensitivity setting device sets the imaging sensitivity by means for selecting at least a distance range selection parameter representative of a threshold object distance, according to the zoom position, comparing data of the in-focus position with said distance range selection parameter, and setting the imaging sensitivity to a higher level or a lower level depending upon whether an object distance corresponding to the in-focus position is farther than said threshold object distance or not.