Patent ID: 7586533

Claim:
An image processing apparatus comprising: a capturing unit configured to capture a moving image to acquire successive frame images; a control unit configured to control a buffer memory to record each frame image acquired by said capturing unit into the buffer memory so that the buffer memory temporarily holds frame images; a reception unit configured to receive a designation of capturing a still image, during capturing the movie image by said capturing unit; a first recording unit configured to record, in a memory as a still image file, a frame image which is captured by said capturing unit at a first time when the designation is received; a second recording unit configured to record, in the memory as a movie file, while associating with the still image file, frame images which are captured by said capturing unit during a predetermined period of time before the first time when the designation is received and are held in the buffer memory; and a third recording unit configured to record, in the memory as a movie file, while associating with the still image file, frame images which are captured by said capturing unit after the first time when the designation is received until a predetermined time elapses after the first time and are held in the buffer memory, wherein, when a still image capturing mode is set, said first recording unit operates in accordance with a designation of capturing a still image and said second and third recording units do not operate, and when a movie capturing mode is set, said first, second, and third recording units operate in accordance with a designation of capturing a still image.