Patent ID: 7522210

Claim:
A digital camera for automatically setting proper exposure for both background and an object comprising: an imaging element for providing a photo-electric output corresponding to an image of a scene focused on an imaging surface of said imaging element, an a sensitivity control function part for controlling an ISO sensitivity of the camera corresponding to an amplification factor of a photo-electric output of the imaging element and a strobe part for projecting light onto the scene, the digital camera further comprising: a main control part for collectively controlling a first exposure condition calculating operation for calculating a first proper exposure condition in imaging by the imaging element including the exposure time and ISO sensitivity without preliminary light emission from the strobe part, an operation for detecting an exposure amount in the imaging element by an exposure operation with preliminary light emission by the strobe part performed under the first proper exposure condition, a second exposure condition calculating operation for calculating a second exposure condition, based on the first exposure condition calculation operation, and an operation of enabling exposure of the imaging element as a regular imaging operation under the second exposure operation, wherein the main control part increases the ISO sensitivity as the second exposure condition, and reduces the exposure time to decrease the increase of the exposure amount according to the increase of the ISO sensitivity, so as to expose the imaging element as the regular imaging operation. in response to a determination that an intensity of light emitted from the strobe part is insufficient from the exposure amount obtained by the exposure operation with preliminary light emission.