Image capturing apparatus, image capturing method, and program

Abstract

An object of this invention is to perform, for a photographed image, image processing which reflects the intention of the user without photographing again. In order to achieve this object, photographing data from an image sensor is temporarily stored in a memory, and an image of the photographing data as a result of digital development processing is displayed. When it is determined from the displayed image that the parameters of various image processes in digital development processing are not proper for the photographed image, the parameter settings are corrected again. Then, operation of reading out photographing data from the memory and performing digital development processing again is executed a necessary number of times. When an image quality intended by the photographer is obtained, the photographing data is recorded on a recording medium.

1 . An image capturing apparatus comprising: 
 an image sensing device which senses an object image;    a first storage device which stores a second image signal generated by performing predetermined processing for a first image signal output from said image sensing device;    an image processing device which performs image processing for the second image signal to generate a third image signal;    a display device which displays the third image signal;    a second storage device which stores the third image signal;    a changing device which changes a parameter for the image processing of said image processing device; and    a recording instruction device which issues an instruction to read out the third image signal from said second storage device and record the third image signal on a recording medium,    wherein every time the parameter is changed by said changing device, the second image signal is read out from said first storage device and undergoes the image processing by said image processing device in accordance with the changed parameter to newly generate a third image signal, the third image signal is displayed on said display device and also stored in said second storage device, and a desired third image signal is read out from said second storage device and recorded on the recording medium in accordance with the instruction from said recording instruction device.    
     
     
         2 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the image processing includes at least a plurality of processes out of white balance processing of performing white balance adjustment processing for the second image signal, gain processing of adjusting a level of the second image signal, low-pass filtering processing of performing low-pass filtering for an image signal, matrix operation processing of transforming signal components corresponding to a plurality of color filters of said image sensing device into a signal of other chrominance components, contrast processing of controlling a contrast of an image on the basis of a gamma characteristic table, gain correction processing for a chrominance component, hue correction processing of converting a hue, and edge enhancement processing of enhancing an edge of the image.  
     
     
         3 . The apparatus according to  claim 2 , further comprising a selection device which selects at least one of the plurality of processes, 
 wherein said changing device changes a parameter for the process selected by said selection device.    
     
     
         4 . The apparatus according to  claim 3 , wherein when the process selected by said selection device is white balance processing, said changing device changes a white balance control value.  
     
     
         5 . The apparatus according to  claim 3 , wherein when the process selected by said selection device is gain processing, said changing device changes a numerical value of the gain processing.  
     
     
         6 . The apparatus according to  claim 3 , wherein when the process selected by said selection device is low-pass filtering processing, said changing device changes a characteristic of a low-pass filter.  
     
     
         7 . The apparatus according to  claim 3 , wherein when the process selected by said selection device is matrix operation processing, said changing device changes a matrix value.  
     
     
         8 . The apparatus according to  claim 3 , wherein when the process selected by said selection device is contrast processing, said changing device changes the gamma characteristic table.  
     
     
         9 . The apparatus according to  claim 3 , wherein when the process selected by said selection device is gain correction processing, said changing device changes a correction gain value.  
     
     
         10 . The apparatus according to  claim 3 , wherein when the process selected by said selection device is hue correction processing, said changing device changes a correction value used to convert the hue.  
     
     
         11 . The apparatus according to  claim 3 , wherein when the process selected by said selection device is edge enhancement processing, said changing device changes a numerical value of edge enhancement processing.  
     
     
         12 . An image capturing method comprising: 
 an image sensing step of sensing an object image;    a first storage step of storing in a first storage device a second image signal generated by performing predetermined processing for a first image signal obtained in the image sensing step;    an image processing step of performing image processing for the second image signal to generate a third image signal;    a display step of displaying the third image signal on a display device;    a second storage step of storing the third image signal in a second storage device;    a changing step of changing a parameter for the image processing in the image processing step; and    a recording instruction step of issuing an instruction to read out the third image signal from the second storage device and record the third image signal on a recording medium,    wherein every time the parameter is changed in the changing step, the second image signal is read out from the first storage device and undergoes the image processing step in accordance with the changed parameter to newly generate a third image signal, the third image signal is displayed on the display device and also stored in the second storage device, and a desired third image signal is read out from the second storage device and recorded on the recording medium in accordance with the instruction in the recording instruction step.    
     
     
         13 . A program causing a computer to execute an image capturing method defined in  claim 12.