Patent ID: 6952233

Claim:
A camera comprising: a physical element, arranged in a photographing optical system, that can change a light transmission factor thereof; photoelectric conversion means, having a plurality of pixels, for receiving an optical image transmitted through said physical element at a position of an imaging plane, and for converting the optical image into electrical image signals for plural colors, respectively; memory means for storing correcting information for correcting an output level change of the electrical image signals of the respective plural colors from said photoelectric conversion means, caused by a change in an optical characteristic of said physical element with respect to a change of the light transmission factor of said physical element, the correcting information including at least two correcting information factors in accordance with the changed light transmission factors; correction means for correcting at least one of the electrical image signals for the respective plural colors using the correcting information read out from said memory means in accordance with the current light transmission factor of said physical element; white-balance adjusting means for adjusting a white balance in the electrical image signals from the respective plural colors, in accordance with the electrical image signals for the respective plural colors corrected by said correction means; and control means for controlling drive of said physical element in accordance with an output from said white-balance adjusting means.