Abstract: A solid-state image pickup device includes a lens, a first light receiving element, a second light receiving element, and an element separation area. The first light receiving element is configured to receive light from the lens. The second light receiving element is configured to receive light from the lens. The element separation area is between the first light receiving element and the second light receiving element. The lens has an optical axis, which is offset from a center of the element separation area.

Abstract: Herein disclosed is an imaging device having an imaging optical system, the device including: an imaging element configured to include a plurality of first pixels and a plurality of second pixels arranged along a predetermined direction; a first processor configured to execute focal detection processing by a phase difference detection system based on charge signals obtained from the plurality of second pixels; and a second processor configured to execute specific processing based on charge signals obtained from the plurality of first pixels, the specific processing being different from the focal detection processing by a phase difference detection system and being necessary for a function of the imaging device.

Abstract: A solid-state image pickup device includes a lens, a first light receiving element, a second light receiving element, and an element separation area. The first light receiving element is configured to receive light from the lens. The second light receiving element is configured to receive light from the lens. The element separation area is between the first light receiving element and the second light receiving element. The lens has an optical axis, which is offset from a center of the element separation area.

Abstract: A solid-state image pickup device includes a lens, a first light receiving element, a second light receiving element, and an element separation area. The first light receiving element is configured to receive light from the lens. The second light receiving element is configured to receive light from the lens. The element separation area is between the first light receiving element and the second light receiving element. The lens has an optical axis, which is offset from a center of the element separation area.

Abstract: An imaging device includes a micro lens that collects light from a subject, a light sensing element that generates a signal for performing focusing determination through phase difference detection by sensing subject light collected by the micro lens, and a light blocking portion that is disposed between the micro lens and the light sensing element and performs pupil division for the subject light by blocking a part of the subject light, wherein the light blocking portion is set such that a position of an image forming point of subject light passing through the micro lens and a position of an end portion of the light blocking portion on an entrance side become distant from each other according to a variation in image height.

Abstract: An imaging device includes: a microlens that focuses subject light; a light receiving element that receives the subject light focused by the microlens to thereby generate a signal for making focus determination through phase-difference detection; and a light blocking portion that is disposed between the microlens and the light receiving element so as to block part of the subject light focused by the microlens, wherein the distance between the light blocking portion and the microlens in an optical axis direction of the microlens is set so as to decrease as an image height increases.

Abstract: Herein disclosed is an imaging device having an imaging optical system, the device including: an imaging element configured to include a plurality of first pixels and a plurality of second pixels arranged along a predetermined direction; a first processor configured to execute focal detection processing by a phase difference detection system based on charge signals obtained from the plurality of second pixels; and a second processor configured to execute specific processing based on charge signals obtained from the plurality of first pixels, the specific processing being different from the focal detection processing by a phase difference detection system and being necessary for a function of the imaging device.

Abstract: An imaging apparatus includes: an imaging optical system having an aperture; an imaging device that outputs an image signal; an electronic shading processing portion that adds an electronic shading to a photographic image corresponding to the image signal; and a control portion which determines whether or not an optical shading can be added to the photographic image based on the imaging condition, the control portion controlling the aperture and adding the optical shading when the optical shading can be added, and the control portion controlling the electronic shading processing portion and adding the electronic shading when it is difficult to add the optical shading.

Abstract: An image synthesizing apparatus includes a subject region determination unit that determines a region of a nearby subject for each of taken images based on subject distance information of a plurality of points generated by distance measurement made during imaging and an image synthesizing unit that creates a synthetic image by cutting out an image from each of the taken images based on a position of the region of the nearby subject and combining the cut images of the taken images.

Abstract: An imaging device includes a micro lens that collects light from a subject, a light sensing element that generates a signal for performing focusing determination through phase difference detection by sensing subject light collected by the micro lens, a first light blocking unit that performs pupil division by blocking a portion of the subject light, and a second light blocking unit that is disposed between the first light blocking unit and the micro lens, and blocks the portion of the subject light which is incident to the first light blocking unit, wherein an aperture area of the second light blocking unit is smaller than an aperture area of an image generation pixel.

Abstract: An image synthesizing apparatus includes a subject region determination unit that determines a region of a nearby subject for each of taken images based on subject distance information of a plurality of points generated by distance measurement made during imaging and an image synthesizing unit that creates a synthetic image by cutting out an image from each of the taken images based on a position of the region of the nearby subject and combining the cut images of the taken images.

Abstract: Provided is an image-capturing apparatus including: an image-capturing device where pixels covered with first filters blocking light other than light in a first wavelength range among wavelength ranges obtained by two-dividing a specific wavelength range and second filters blocking light other than light in a second wavelength range are disposed based on a predetermined rule; a light-blocking filter being detachably disposed in an optical path of subject light toward the image-capturing device and blocking the light in the first wavelength range; a focus-alignment determination unit performing focus-alignment determination through phase-difference detection based on a signal generated by the image-capturing device when the light-blocking filter is inserted into the optical path; an image-generation unit generating an image based on a signal generated by the image-capturing device; and a controller controlling insertion/detachment of the light-blocking filter with respect to the optical path based on necessity

Abstract: A technology of a phase-difference detecting image pickup element that can precisely detect a focus by a phase difference detection method and that can be properly produced even if pixels are becoming finer is provided. An image pickup element of an image pickup device includes an AF pixel pair 11f performing a pupil division function by receiving an object light beam transmitted through a pair of portions Qa, Qb in an exit pupil; and ordinary pixels that are not provided with the pupil division function. The AF pixel pair 11f includes a pair of photoelectric converters PD having the same size as photoelectric converters of the ordinary pixels and being disposed adjacent to each other in a horizontal direction. A light-intercepting section LS and one microlens ML are provided above the pair of photoelectric converters PD. The light-intercepting section LS has two light-intercepting areas Ea, Eb that intercept the light beam transmitted through the exit pupil.

Abstract: In a second image sensor 200 which has a plurality of phase difference detection pixels which generate signals for performing adjusted focus decision by way of phase difference detection and a plurality of image generation pixels which generate signals for generating images, a first pixel group which is formed by arranging part of phase difference detection pixels of the plurality of phase difference detection pixels in a specific direction, and a second pixel group which is formed by arranging part of image generation pixels of the plurality of image generation pixels in the specific direction are alternately arranged in an orthogonal direction orthogonal to the specific direction. Consequently, when an image capture element used to detect a phase difference and generate an image generates an image, it is possible to reduce a load of processing related to image generation.

Abstract: A solid-state image pickup device includes a first unit to convert light into an electrical signal and a second unit to convert light into an electrical signal. The first unit includes a first lens and a first pair of light receiving elements to receive light from the first lens. The second unit includes a second lens and a second pair of light receiving elements to receive light from the second lens. A profile of the second pair of light receiving elements is different in plan view than a profile of the first pair of light receiving elements.

Abstract: A solid-state image pickup device includes a lens, a first light receiving element, a second light receiving element, and an element separation area. The first light receiving element is configured to receive light from the lens. The second light receiving element is configured to receive light from the lens. The element separation area is between the first light receiving element and the second light receiving element. The lens has an optical axis, which is offset from a center of the element separation area.

Abstract: A phase-difference detecting image pickup element performs focus detection even if the position of an exit pupil with respect to the image pickup element changes. A pixel pair receives an object light beam transmitted through a pair of portion areas whose areas become the same in an exit pupil at a particular distance from the image pickup element. The pixel pair includes light-intercepting portions that define the pair of portion areas. A different pixel pair whose light-intercepting portions are different so that the areas of the pair of portion areas in the exit pupil the particular distance from the image pickup element are the same. By this, even if the position of the exit pupil is changed by, for example, a lens replacement, focus detection can be performed by a phase-difference detection method by selecting a pixel pair in accordance with the position of the exit pupil.

Abstract: An image pickup element includes a light-receiving portion having a matrix arrangement formed by disposing first-direction arrays, each having photoelectric conversion portions arranged in a first direction with a predetermined gap maintained therebetween, in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction, and micro-lenses provided above the light-receiving portion. A certain first-direction array in the matrix arrangement is provided with a pair of photoelectric conversion portions that optically receive, via a pair of micro-lenses, photographic-subject light beams passing through a pair of segmental regions in an exit pupil of a photographic optical system, the pair of segmental regions being disposed biasedly in opposite directions from each other in the first direction. The pair of micro-lenses is disposed such that light axes thereof extend through vicinities of edges of the pair of photoelectric conversion portions, the edges being the farthest edges from each other in the first direction.

Abstract: An imaging device includes an image pickup device having an arrangement of photoelectric converting units, the arrangement in which a plurality of pairs of photoelectric converting units are arranged along a predetermined direction, each pair of photoelectric converting units receiving light beams of a subject passing through partial areas in a pair that are lopsided in reverse to each other along the predetermined direction in an exit pupil of a shooting optical system, and a focus detector for performing focus detection of a phase-difference detecting technique according to data obtained from the pair of photoelectric converting units in the arrangement of the photoelectric converting units. The focus detector corrects the data according to a correction amount corresponding to a positional shift amount from the normalized position, and performs focus detection of the phase-difference detecting technique according to the corrected data.

Abstract: An image synthesizing apparatus includes a subject region determination unit that determines a region of a nearby subject for each of taken images based on subject distance information of a plurality of points generated by distance measurement made during imaging and an image synthesizing unit that creates a synthetic image by cutting out an image from each of the taken images based on a position of the region of the nearby subject and combining the cut images of the taken images.