There are provided an imaging device, a distance measurement method, a distance measurement program, and a recording medium capable of accurately measuring a distance to a subject without depending on a color of the subject. A bifocal imaging lens, a first pixel and a second pixel that respectively pupil-divide and selectively receive luminous flux incident through a first region of the first region and a second region having different focusing distances of the imaging lens, an image sensor having a third pixel and a fourth pixel corresponding to the second region, a first image acquisition unit (41-1) and a second image acquisition unit (41-2) that acquire a first image and a second image having asymmetric blurs from a first pixel group (22A) and a third pixel group (22C) of the image sensor, a third image acquisition unit (43-1) and a fourth image acquisition unit (43-2) that add pixel values of adjacent pixels of the first and second pixels of the image sensor and add pixel values of adjacent pixels of the third and fourth pixels to acquire a third image and a fourth image having symmetric blurs, and a distance calculation unit (45) that calculates a distance to a subject in the image based on the acquired first and third images or the acquired second and fourth images are included.

An imaging apparatus includes an imager, and a controller. The imager is configured to capture a subject image formed via an optical system including a focus lens, to generate image data. The controller is configured to control a focusing operation for adjusting a position of the focus lens along an optical axis in the optical system according to an evaluation value for a focus state. In response to an instruction to reduce or increase a distance to a subject to be focused, the controller is operable to shift a start position to a direction according to the instruction in directions along the optical axis, the start position being a position of the focus lens for starting the focusing operation. The controller is operable to start the focusing operation from the start position after the shift.

The present disclosure discloses a method and a system for imaging. The method for imaging objects using the system for imaging. The system for imaging comprises a lens. The objects comprise a first object, a second object and a third object located at different positions on a first preset track. The method for imaging comprises: allowing the lens and the first preset track to move relatively in a first predetermined relationship to acquire a clear image of the third object using the system for imaging without focusing, the first predetermined relationship is determined by a focal plane position of the first object and a focal plane position of the second object. The aforementioned method for imaging is high in imaging efficiency and is capable of fast focusing according to the first predetermined relationship even if focus tracking fails so that the blurring of a photographed image due to defocusing is avoided.

Focus system (1) comprising an imaging objective (10) with an optical element (100), two emitters (20) for emitting a beam (200) respectively, wherein the imaging objective (10) is arranged to depict an object (3) located in an object plane (30) in an image plane (31), the optical element is arranged to adjust a distance (300) from the object plane (30) to the imaging objective (10), the beams (200) are transmitted through or reflected by the optical element (20), and the beams (200) intersect at the object plane (30).

Focus system (1) comprising an imaging objective (10) with an optical element (100), two emitters (20) for emitting a beam (200) respectively, wherein the imaging objective (10) is arranged to depict an object (3) located in an object plane (30) in an image plane (31), the optical element is arranged to adjust a distance (300) from the object plane (30) to the imaging objective (10), the beams (200) are transmitted through or reflected by the optical element (20), and the beams (200) intersect at the object plane (30).

An image pickup apparatus includes a tilt driving unit configured to change a tilt so as to change an angle between an image pickup plane of an image sensor and a principal plane of an image pickup optical system, a focus driving unit configured to drive a focus lens, and at least one processor that functions as an area setting unit configured to set a plurality of areas in a captured image, a defocus information detection unit configured to detect defocus information for each of the plurality of areas, and a control unit configured to select one control mode from a plurality of control modes based on the defocus information on each of the plurality of areas, the plurality of control modes being used for performing focusing control using at least one of the tilt driving unit and the focus driving unit.

Provided is an information processing device including an image capture unit that captures an image of a subject and converts the image into digital data to generate a captured image, a calculation unit that calculates, for each predetermined area of the captured image, a probability that the subject included in the predetermined area is a main subject desired to be captured by a camera operator, a determination unit that determines the predetermined area in which the probability exceeds a predetermined threshold as a valid data area and that determines a main subject area based on the valid data area, and a focusing unit that focuses on the determined main subject area. Accordingly, it is possible to appropriately bring the main subject into focus.

A focus adjustment control apparatus is provided which includes: a focus detection unit that calculates an evaluation value with regard to contrast of an image via an optical system to detect a focus adjustment state of the optical system; an acquisition unit that acquires from a lens barrel at least one of a maximum value and a minimum value of an image plane movement coefficient that represents correspondence relationship between a movement amount of a focus adjustment lens included in the optical system and a movement amount of an image plane; and a control unit that uses at least one of the maximum value and the minimum value of the image plane movement coefficient to determine a drive speed for the focus adjustment lens when the focus detection unit detects the focus adjustment state.

A focus adjustment control apparatus is provided which includes: a focus detection unit that calculates an evaluation value with regard to contrast of an image via an optical system to detect a focus adjustment state of the optical system; an acquisition unit that acquires from a lens barrel at least one of a maximum value and a minimum value of an image plane movement coefficient that represents correspondence relationship between a movement amount of a focus adjustment lens included in the optical system and a movement amount of an image plane; and a control unit that uses at least one of the maximum value and the minimum value of the image plane movement coefficient to determine a drive speed for the focus adjustment lens when the focus detection unit detects the focus adjustment state.

An automatic focus system for an optical microscope that facilitates faster focusing by using at least two offset focusing cameras. Each offset focusing camera can be positioned on a different side of an image forming conjugate plane so that their sharpness curves intersect at the image forming conjugate plane. Focus of a specimen can be adjusted by using sharpness values determined from images taken by the offset focusing cameras.