Patent ID: 7463303

Claim:
A single-lens reflex type electronic still camera, comprising: an imaging lens for forming an image of a subject; a mirror which is movable between a first position in an optical path of the imaging lens, and a second position outside the optical path; a finder optical system for viewing the subject image when the mirror is in the first position; an imaging device for converting the subject image to an electric signal when the mirror is in the second position; a processing circuit for producing image data from the electric signal; a monitor for displaying the subject image based on the image data; a photometer circuit for measuring a luminance of the subject through the finder optical system; a focus detection circuit for detecting a defocus amount of the imaging lens from a light flux from the imaging lens, based on a computation of a phase difference, when the mirror is in the first position; a selector circuit for selecting one of a first imaging mode and a second imaging mode; and a controller for carrying out an imaging operation in one of the first imaging mode and the second imaging mode, in accordance with an output of the selector circuit; wherein: in the first imaging mode, the controller causes movement of the mirror into the first position in order to set a position of the imaging lens based on an output of the focus detection circuit and determine an exposure condition based on an output of the photometer circuit, and causes movement of the mirror into the second position to perform the imaging; and in the second imaging mode, the controller causes movement of the mirror into the second position in order to cause display of the subject image on the monitor, determine an exposure condition based on the electric signal from the imaging device, and perform the imaging.