Image processing device, electronic camera, image processing method, and image processing program

Abstract

To provide a technique to obtain a synthesized image with an expanded dynamic range with ease and a technique to reduce workload of a user while maintaining the degree of freedom relating to image processing. There provides an image inputting part taking in at least one of a plurality of low-resolution images and a high-resolution image obtained by shooting the same subject while changing exposure condition, a shift detecting part detecting a positional shift of pictorial pattern between each of the plurality of low-resolution images and the high-resolution image, and a gradation expanding part generating a synthesized image in which a range of reproduced gradation is expanded by performing position alignment between each of the plurality of low-resolution images and the high-resolution image based on the positional shift, extracting a gradation information of the plurality of low-resolution images, and synthesizing it with the high-resolution image.

1 . An image processing device, comprising:
 a determining unit determining whether or not to attach one or more pieces of other image data as auxiliary information when performing image processing to an image data based on the image data capturing an image of a subject shot by an imaging unit and a predetermined condition; and   a recording unit putting together a main image data, which is the image data to be processed in the image processing, and the auxiliary information into one image file and records in a recording medium in accordance with the determination result of attaching the auxiliary information.   
     
     
         2 . The image processing device according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the determining unit comprises a saturation detecting unit notifying the recording unit of the determination result to attach the auxiliary information when detecting a region in which a tone level of pixel included in the main image data is saturated.   
     
     
         3 . The image processing device according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the recording unit comprises a first choosing unit choosing other image data, obtained by shooting the same subject as the main image data at minimal time intervals, as the auxiliary information and used in process of attaching to the main image data.   
     
     
         4 . The image processing device according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the recording unit comprises a second choosing unit choosing other image data, obtained by shooting the same subject as the main image data at minimal time intervals under a different shooting condition, as the auxiliary information and as used in process of attaching to the main image data.   
     
     
         5 . The image processing device according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the recording unit comprises a third choosing unit choosing image data in which a distribution range of data tone level of pixel represented in a histogram has a predetermined relationship with a peak position in a histogram of the main image data among other images, obtained by shooting the same subject as the main image data at minimal time intervals under a different shooting condition, as the auxiliary information and used in process of attaching to the main image data.   
     
     
         6 . The image processing device according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the recording unit comprises a header creating unit creating header information including the auxiliary information and attaching the header information to the main image data.   
     
     
         7 . The image processing device according to  claim 6 , wherein
 the header creating unit comprises an extracting unit extracting part of other image data used in image processing of the main image data in accordance with the purpose of the image processing and providing the part of other image data extracted in header information creating processing as auxiliary information.   
     
     
         8 . An image processing method for:
 reading main image data and auxiliary information used in image processing from an image file including the main image data, which to be processed in an image processing, recorded in a computer-readable recording medium; and   executing the image processing for the main image data using the read auxiliary information.