Patent ID: 7538817

Claim:
A digital camera, comprising: an imaging device that receives power from a power source to form an image on an image forming surface; a light emitting device that receives power from the power source while emitting light; an electrically-driven mechanical shutter for controlling a quantity of light incident onto the image forming surface; and a system controller which drives said imaging device, said mechanical shutter and said light emitting device, controls operations of said imaging device, said mechanical shutter and said light emitting device, and determines an optimum exposure time in accordance with an image signal of an object image captured by said imaging device, wherein, when an object image is captured with said light emitting device turned ON at a low intensity, said system controller determines said optimum exposure time with said light emitting device remaining ON at said low intensity, controls said light emitting device to remain ON at a high intensity at a commencement of an exposure, and drives said mechanical shutter to fully shut after turning said light emitting device OFF before completion of said exposure, and wherein said system controller determines a underexposure-prevention time, at which said system controller turns said light emitting device OFF and commences to drive said mechanical shutter, so that said mechanical shutter is approximately half shut upon a lapse of said optimum exposure time.