Imaging apparatus, image storage apparatus, imaging method, storage method, recording medium recording imaging program, and recording medium recording storage program

Abstract

A still image focused on a desired subject is captured and stored in a more reliable manner without particularly increasing in size and complicating an apparatus and circuits. There are provided a photographing system including a lens optical system which has an autofocus function and captures a subject image, a motor and a CCD, a key input section including a shutter key to instruct photography, and a control unit which causes the photographing system to sequentially capture a still image by actuating the autofocus function and a still image with a fixed focus allowing a fixed depth of field to be obtained, in accordance with the operation of the shutter key.

1 . An imaging apparatus comprising:
 a photographing unit which has an autofocus function and captures a subject image;   an instruction unit which issues an instruction to perform photography by the photographing unit;   a photographing control unit which causes the photographing unit to execute autofocus photography to capture a still image by actuating the autofocus function and to capture a still image by moving a lens to a predesignated position where a fixed depth of field can be obtained, in accordance with the instruction from the instruction unit; and   a judgment section which judges whether an in-focus position is difficult to obtain by the autofocus function;   wherein the photographing control unit decides, in accordance with a judgment result in the judgment section, whether or not to capture the still image by the movement of the lens to the predesignated position where the fixed depth of field can be acquired.   
   
   
       2 . The imaging apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the judgment section performs the judgment based on a time that elapses from actuation of the autofocus function until acquisition of the in-focus position. 
   
   
       3 . An imaging apparatus comprising:
 a photographing unit which has an autofocus function and captures a subject image;   an instruction unit which issues an instruction to perform photography by the photographing unit;   a photographing control unit which causes the photographing unit to execute autofocus photography to capture a still image by actuating the autofocus function and to capture a still image by moving a lens to a predesignated position where a fixed depth of field can be obtained, in accordance with the instruction from the instruction unit;   wherein the instruction unit has a two-stage operation stroke; and   wherein the photographing control unit measures a time from a first-stage operation of the instruction unit until a second-stage operation of the instruction unit, and when the measured time is less than a predetermined time value the photographing control unit sequentially executes the photography performed by the movement of the lens to the predesignated position where the fixed depth of field can be obtained and the autofocus photography in the second-stage operation.