Patent ID: 7349023

Claim:
An imaging apparatus, comprising: shooting means for capturing an image signal; encoding means for encoding the image signal; recording means for recording the encoded image in a recording medium; first controlling means for outputting a first control signal that controls the shooting means; second controlling means for outputting a second control signal that controls the start and stop of shooting of the image signal; and third controlling means for outputting a third control signal that controls the encoding means, wherein the third control means controls an encoding-target information amount for the image signal based on the first control signal during the period from the start to the stop of shooting indicated by the second control signal, and wherein the encoding-target information amount is based on (a) an image condition relating to at least one of a luminance level and white balance of the image signal and (b) a camera-operation corresponding to the shooting means at least one of panning, zooming and focusing.