JP2737919B

PURPOSE:To optimally detect the quantity of light according to photographing status by tracking an object and executing photometry by putting emphasis on the object when the difference between the luminance of the object and that of its background is comparatively large and the object can be tracked and stopping tracking the object and switching to either center emphasized photometry or full picture average photometry when the object cannot be tracked. CONSTITUTION:A tracking frame TF and a photometric frame EF are initially set at the center of a picture, and the difference DELTAF between the level of an average video signal in the inside of the tracking frame TF and the level of another average video signal in the outside of the tracking frame TF is calculated from the outputs of area correcting circuits 56 and 58. When DELTAF is larger than a prescribed threshold TH1, namely, when the difference between the level of the video signal in the object and the level of the video signal in the background is large, the tracking frame is moved according to the position of the object, and a current mode is shifted to a tracking photometry mode in which the photometry is executed by putting emphasis on the object. When DELTAF is equal to TH1 or smaller, the tracking frame TF and the photometric frame EF are reset at the center of the picture, and DELTAF is taken in again, compared with TH1, and compared with another threshold TH2 (