1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image taking apparatus adapted for taking an image of a subject.
2. Description of the Related Art
General digital still cameras acquire a photometric value such as by a center-weighted exposure metering or averaging exposure metering, and use the acquired photometric value to execute an automatic exposure control. Past the automatic exposure control, digital still cameras execute an automatic focus control. However, absent a desirable subject, such as a figure at a center or such in a range of picture, they may fail in execution of an exact automatic exposure control or automatic focus control. To this point, there are some adapted to detect a location of face for execution of, among others, an automatic exposure control and an automatic focus control.
For those adapted for execution of, among others, an automatic exposure control and an automatic focus control depending on a face location, the mode of photometry is changed to a center-weighted exposure metering or such, upon a lost of face in the sight. And, upon re-detection of a face, the mode of photometry is changed to a photometric scheme to take the face as a subject. That is, even for a temporary lost of face, the mode of photometry is changed, disabling the user to take an image of a subject in a simple and convenient manner. In this regard, development is made of such one that is adapted, even in a temporary failure in detection of a face, to continue displaying a detected-face indicator that represents a location of face of the subject, depending on a duration of time in which the detected-face indicator has been displayed.
However, for the above-noted digital still camera, a time duration for a detected-face indicator to be displayed in a face-undetected state is varied in dependence on a time duration for a detected-face indicator having been displayed in a face-detected state, so that the display time may be random, resulting in an inadequate shooting control. Further, with appearances and disappearances of detected-face indicators, the user may feel a bothersome.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an image taking apparatus permitting a display of detected-face indicator to be performed for a possibly long time, allowing for an adequate execution of shooting control over a long time depending on a location of face.