US Patent 7460169 Electronic camera

An electronic camera that makes it possible to determine an image-capturing angle of view by displaying a live image on an LCD before a still image-recording even if the object is dark. When the live image is displayed, a cycle for outputting image signals in one field from a CCD can be changed to another cycle; e.g., from a normal video rate of 1/60 second to 1/30 second. Therefore, the exposure time of the CCD can be longer than the normal exposure, and thus, the live image with a suitable brightness can be displayed on the LCD even if the object is dark. The electronic camera is provided with an electronic flash that can be intermittently activated by switching on a switch or automatically if the object is dark before the image recording. This enables the display of the live image with the suitable brightness on the display even if the object is so dark as to require the electronic flash, and the image-capturing angle of view can be determined in view of the live image on the display.