Patent ID: 7986346

Claim:
An image capturing apparatus comprising: an image input unit which photo-electrically converts an object image to generate an image signal; a status determination unit which determines an object status in an image generated by said image input unit; an automatic image capturing instruction unit which starts an automatic image capturing operation as an operation to automatically store the image generated by said image input unit in a first storage unit when the object status determined by said status determination unit satisfies a predetermined automatic image capturing condition before lapse of a predetermined time after said automatic image capturing instruction unit designates the automatic image capturing operation; and a shooting control unit which automatically stores the image generated by said image input unit in a second storage unit after said automatic image capturing instruction unit designates the automatic image capturing operation, wherein when the object status does not satisfy the automatic image capturing condition even upon lapse of the predetermined time after said automatic image capturing instruction unit designates the automatic image capturing operation, said shooting control unit selects, without user intervention, an image captured in an image capturing condition closest to the automatic image capturing condition from images which are obtained till lapse of the predetermined time and stored in the second storage unit, and stores the selected image in the first storage unit.