Patent ID: 7075578

Claim:
A digital camera, comprising: an optical system through which light from a photographic subject passes; an image sensor which is disposed on an optical axis of said optical system and which receives light passing through said optical system and produces a signal representing an image of the photographic subject; a light emission system for illuminating the photographic subject; a plurality of light measuring elements which are disposed away from said optical axis and which sense light from said emission system that is reflected by the photographic subject and passes through said optical system; and a controller which determines an average output value for the output values of all of said light measuring elements to set a standard value, selects the light measuring elements whose output values are less than said standard value, and controls the operation of said light emission system in accordance with the output values from the selected light measuring elements, wherein said plurality of light measuring elements are provided at different positions and detect a brightness of a common area on an image sensing surface of said image sensor at different respective angles.