Digital camera with nonvolatile memory for storing image management data

Claim 1

A digital camera comprising an image pickup device and a disk drive device adapted to record on a disk images photographed by the image pickup device and image management data as to the images as digital data, or to reproduce images and image management data recorded on the disk, the digital camera being characterized in that the camera comprises: memory means comprising a nonvolatile memory for storing the image management data recorded on the disk, information processing means for reading the image management data from the disk as placed in the disk drive device and writing the read image management data to the memory means when a power source of main body of the camera is turned on, means for storing therein a flag having a first value indicating a need to cause the information processing means to read and write the image management data or a second value indicating that there is no need to do so, said flag storing means being a separate component from other storing means of said camera, flag processing means for rewriting the flag in response to an action of a user, said flag processing means being a separate component from other processing means of said camera, and power supply means for holding the flag storing means and the flag processing means in operation at all times, the information processing means comprising: means for checking whether the flag stored in the flag storing means has the first value or the second value when the camera body power source is turned on, and data processing means for reading the image management data from the disk as placed in the disk drive device and writing the read image management data to the memory means when the flag has the first value.