Patent ID: 8279304

Claim:
A photography apparatus, comprising: imaging means for performing a plurality of photography operations having different photography conditions for a single subject, and obtaining a plurality of image data sets corresponding to the plurality of photography operations; image data processing means, for processing at least one set of image data from among the plurality of sets of image data to obtain a dynamic range expanded image data set; dynamic range setting means, for setting the dynamic range of the dynamic range expanded image data set; photography method selecting means, for selecting a photography method from among a plurality of photography methods, in which the operations of the imaging means and the image data processing means are defined, most suited for obtaining a dynamic range expanded image data set at the dynamic range set by the dynamic range setting means; and photography means, for performing photography operations according to the photography method selected by the photography method selecting means wherein the plurality of photography methods include at least: a first photography method, in which the imaging means performs at least two photography operations with different exposures and the image data processing means processes the image data sets obtained by the photography operations to obtain a single dynamic range expanded image data set; and a third photography method, in which the imaging means performs at least two photography operations with different underexposures at step numbers based on the value of the dynamic range set by the dynamic range setting means and the image data processing means processes the at least two image data sets obtained by the photography operations to obtain a single dynamic range expanded image data set.