Patent ID: 8411196

Claim:
A digital camera having a movable mirror provided so as to enter or retract with respect to an optical path of an image pickup optical system for purpose of guiding a subject image to an optical viewfinder, comprising: an image pickup element configured to capture the subject image formed by the image pickup optical system to generate image data; a display portion configured to display the image data generated by the image pickup element or image data obtained by subjecting the image data generated by the image pickup element to predetermined processing; a distance-measuring portion configured to receive the subject image and obtain information on a distance from the subject to the digital camera in a state where the movable mirror is positioned in the optical path; an autofocus portion configured to adjust a focus of the subject image by adjusting the image pickup optical system in accordance with measurement results of the distance-measuring portion; a release button that during a live view mode is configured to receive an instruction of a user regarding activation of the autofocus portion by being pressed halfway, and configured to receive an instruction of a user regarding start of capturing an image for recording by the image pickup element by being pressed fully; and a control portion configured to control the digital camera to enter the live view mode so that the image data generated by the image pickup element or the image data obtained by subjecting the image data generated by the image pickup element to predetermined processing is displayed on the display portion as a moving image in real time, wherein while the movable mirror is retracted with respect to the optical path and the digital camera is controlled to enter the live view mode, in response to the instruction regarding activation of the autofocus portion received by the release button by being pressed halfway, the control portion is configured to control the movable mirror to enter the optical path so as to allow the autofocus portion to start an autofocus operation and determines whether to shift the digital camera directly to an image pickup operation of an image for recording in accordance with a timing at which the release button receives the instruction regarding the start of capturing an image, or to shift the digital camera to the live view mode and thereafter, shift the digital camera to the image pickup operation of the image for recording when the release button receives the instruction regarding the start of capturing an image.