A focal-plane shutter for electronic front curtain scanning allows blades to move in two directions across the opening in a balanced manner, rather than in one direction. The focal-plane shutter for electronic front curtain scanning includes a base plate having an opening, a first blade movable in a first direction to close the opening, a second blade movable in a second direction to close the opening and opposite to the first direction in which the first blade is movable, a first urging member that urges the first blade in the first direction to close the opening, and a second urging member that urges the second blade in the second direction to close the opening.

A shutter apparatus includes a shutter base plate having an opening, a light shielding member movable to provide a closed state for closing the opening and an open state for opening the opening, and at least one processor or circuit configured to perform operations of a control unit configured to control the light shielding member configured to reciprocate relative to the opening so as to move the light shielding member in a first direction for a forward exposure and in a second direction opposite to the first direction for a return exposure. The control unit varies an exposure correction amount of the light shielding member between the forward exposure and the return exposure.

An image capturing apparatus has an image sensor and a mechanical shutter; a generation unit configured to generate a parallax image from signals acquired from the plurality of photoelectric converters, wherein by the image sensor and the mechanical shutter, a first shutter operation by a first front curtain and a first rear curtain, and a second shutter operation by a second front curtain and a second rear curtain are realized, and the generating unit generates more parallax images than the number of the plurality of photoelectric conversion units by using a first signal group acquired by the first shutter operation and a second signal group acquired by the second shutter operation.

An image capturing apparatus has an image sensor and a mechanical shutter; a generation unit configured to generate a parallax image from signals acquired from the plurality of photoelectric converters, wherein by the image sensor and the mechanical shutter, a first shutter operation by a first front curtain and a first rear curtain, and a second shutter operation by a second front curtain and a second rear curtain are realized, and the generating unit generates more parallax images than the number of the plurality of photoelectric conversion units by using a first signal group acquired by the first shutter operation and a second signal group acquired by the second shutter operation.

A shutter unit includes a base plate with an aperture, a blade member, a first drive member, a second drive member, and a charge member configured to move the second drive member from a movement completion position to a movement start position against a biasing force on the second drive member, wherein while an image obtained from an image sensor is being displayed in an imaging apparatus during continuous imaging and the first drive member is engaged in order to maintain the retreat state of the blade member, the second drive member is moved to the movement start position by the charge member, and wherein before a display of the image ends, the first drive member moves toward the first direction so that the blade member moves from the retreat state to the closed state.

A focal-plane shutter that has a shutter base plate that has an opening; a shutter blade that opens/closes the opening; a blade arm that pivotally supports the shutter blade; and a blade drive member that has a drive pin that is connected to the blade arm. The blade drive member rotates the blade arm so as to drive the shutter blade. The blade arm has a connection hole into which the drive pin is inserted; and a restriction member that is between an inner circumferential surface of the connection hole and an outer circumferential surface of the drive pin and that restricts the movement of the drive pin inside the connection hole.

To secure a favorable photographing state without causing an increase of power consumption. A blade opening/closing apparatus includes a magnetic driving portion including a coil to which a driving current is supplied and a magnet that is rotated along with energization to the coil; a driving body that includes a to-be-locked portion and is operated by the magnetic driving portion; an opening/closing blade that opens/closes an aperture by an operation of the driving body; and a lock portion that sets a locked state of the opening/closing blade by engaging with the to-be-locked portion, the setting of the locked state and a release of the locked state being carried out in accordance with a rotation position of the magnet. Accordingly, since the lock portion engages with the to-be-locked portion to thus set the locked state and unlock the locked state in accordance with the rotation position of the magnet and locking with respect to the opening/closing blade is not performed by a magnetic force of the magnet, a favorable photographing state can be secured without causing an increase of power consumption.

To secure a favorable photographing state without causing an increase of power consumption. A blade opening/closing apparatus includes a magnetic driving portion including a coil to which a driving current is supplied and a magnet that is rotated along with energization to the coil; a driving body that includes a to-be-locked portion and is operated by the magnetic driving portion; an opening/closing blade that opens/closes an aperture by an operation of the driving body; and a lock portion that sets a locked state of the opening/closing blade by engaging with the to-be-locked portion, the setting of the locked state and a release of the locked state being carried out in accordance with a rotation position of the magnet. Accordingly, since the lock portion engages with the to-be-locked portion to thus set the locked state and unlock the locked state in accordance with the rotation position of the magnet and locking with respect to the opening/closing blade is not performed by a magnetic force of the magnet, a favorable photographing state can be secured without causing an increase of power consumption.

Provided are a digital camera and a control method of a digital camera which are capable of reducing power consumption in a focal-plane shutter capable of performing a normal opening operation. In the focal-plane shutter capable of performing the normal opening operation, in a case where a shutter release switch is operated, exposure using an electronic shutter is started. Thereafter, curtain running preparation for magnetizing a front-curtain electromagnet and a rear-curtain electromagnet and unlocking a second front-curtain drive member and a rear-curtain drive member locked in charge positions by a lock mechanism, which is a curtain running preparation operation of the focal-plane shutter, is performed immediately before exposure of a still image is completed. The exposure is ended by demagnetizing the rear-curtain electromagnet after the curtain running preparation is ended and causing rear curtains to run in a closing direction through the rear-curtain drive member by a biasing force of a rear-curtain running spring. Accordingly, an electrical conduction time of the rear-curtain electromagnet is shortened, and thus, power consumption is reduced.

The use of a blade driving device including a first plate wherein a first opening portion is formed; a blade formed so as to enable opening/closing of the first opening portion; a driving mechanism driving the blade; and a cover, wherein a second opening portion is formed so as to essentially overlap the first opening portion, and formed so as to cover the base plate and the driving mechanism portion. Because the base plate and driving mechanism portion are covered by the cover, when compared to the conventional structure, this enables the transmission, without variability, of heat in relation to the driving mechanism portion and the base plate.