Patent ID: 8687047

Claim:
A compound-eye imaging apparatus comprising: two image pickup devices which take subject images viewed from two viewpoints, as a stereoscopic image; a shooting mode setting device which sets one of a 3D (three dimensional) double shooting mode in which one of the two image pickup devices is used to perform shooting by a first shutter release operation, and the other one of the two image pickup devices is used to perform shooting by a second shutter release operation and a normal shooting mode in which the two image pickup device is used to perform shooting by one shutter release operation; a determination device which, if the 3D double shooting mode has been set, accepts a shutter release operation, and determines whether the accepted shutter release operation is the first shutter release operation or the second shutter release operation; a shooting control device which controls the two image pickup devices in a manner that a predetermined image pickup device in the two image pickup devices is used to perform shooting if it is determined by the determination device that the first shutter release operation is accepted, and that the other image pickup device in the two image pickup devices is used to perform shooting if it is determined by the determination device that the second shutter release operation is accepted; and a cancellation input device which inputs cancellation of the 3D double shooting mode, wherein the determination device further determines whether the first shutter release operation is a half pressing in which a shooting preparation process is performed or a full pressing in which shooting and recording processes of the image are performed, and wherein if the cancellation of the 3D double shooting mode is inputted after the half pressing of the first shutter release operation in which the shooting preparation process is performed and before the full pressing of the first shutter release operation in which the shooting and recording processes of the image are performed, or after the half pressing of the second shutter release operation in which the shooting preparation process is performed and before the full pressing of the second shutter release operation in which the shooting and recording processes of the image are performed, then the determination device determines the shutter release operation which is accepted next, as the half pressing of the first shutter release operation in which the shooting preparation process is performed or the full pressing of the first shutter release operation in which the shooting and recording processes of the image are performed.