Patent ID: 8072497

Claim:
An imaging apparatus, comprising: an imaging element; a dividing section which divides image data captured by the imaging element into a plurality of blocks; a motion vector detection section which detects motion vectors of the blocks, respectively; a determination section which determines an area having a plurality of blocks with motion vectors that are different in quantity or direction from motion vectors of a certain area; a judging section which judges whether or not a quantity of the motion vectors of the blocks in the determined area is smaller than a first predetermined quantity; an automatic shooting control section which controls the imaging element to automatically perform still image shooting when the judging section judges that the quantity of the motion vectors of the blocks in the determined area is smaller than the first predetermined quantity; and a judgment section which judges whether or not the imaging apparatus including the imaging element is performing a follow shot, based on (i) whether or not a quantity of the motion vectors of blocks in the certain area is equal to or more than a second predetermined quantity and (ii) whether or not the determination section can determine the area having the plurality of blocks with motion vectors that are different in quantity or direction from motion vectors of the certain area.