1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to an image capturing system, an image capturing method, and other technologies.
2. Related Art
In general, an imaging apparatus (camera and video camcorder, for example) requires a user to look into a finder or check a backside monitor before capturing an image of a subject. To this end, the user needs to move the imaging apparatus to a position close to the face of the user during the image capturing operation, which is cumbersome.
JP-A-7-199281 and JP-A-7-209700 each propose an image capturing system including an independent finder separate from an imaging apparatus. In the image capturing systems described in JP-A-7-199281 and JP-A-7-209700, a user does not need to move the imaging apparatus to a position close to the face of the user during the image capturing operation because the imaging apparatus tracks the independent finder in such a way that the image capturing direction of the imaging apparatus coincides with the direction in which the independent finder faces.
JP-A-7-199281 and JP-A-7-209700 describe that the imaging apparatus can be separated from the user, but in practice, the user cannot properly capture an image of a subject. For example, a situation in which the subject is located between the imaging apparatus and the user causes a problem because the imaging apparatus does not face the subject.
JP-A-2000-333161 proposes a monitoring system in which an imaging apparatus tracks the line of sight of a monitoring operator (corresponding to the user described above) through remote manipulation. The monitoring system does not have the problem with JP-A-7-199281 and JP-A-7-209700.
In JP-A-2000-333161, however, it is necessary to use glasses with built-in monitors (that is, head-mounted display), and it is not realistic that the user who wears a large, heavy head-mounted display performs image capturing operation. For example, in image capturing operation performed, for example, in an athletic festival, the weight of the head-mounted display makes it difficult to track a subject. Further, the exterior appearance of the user who wears the head-mounted display is unnatural and other people may think the appearance odd. Further, using a head-mounted display disadvantageously increases the cost of the system.