Patent ID: 8228391

Claim:
An imaging apparatus comprising: an imaging optical system that forms an optical image of a photographing object; an imaging sensor that receives the formed optical image, converts the optical image to an electrical image signal and outputs the image signal; a specific photographing object detection section that detects, before a photograph is taken, based on a physical attribute of the photographing object represented by the image signal, whether or not the photographing object is a specific photographing object; and a control section that establishes a first amplification factor based on the physical attribute of the photographic object when the photographing object is determined to be the specific photographing object, and establishes, based on the physical attribute of the photographic object, a second amplification factor of the image signal that is higher than the first amplification factor and in an exposure time that is shorter as compared with when the photographing object is detected not to be the specific photographing object.