An imaging device and a focusing control method are provided. The imaging device includes: an imaging element, having pixels including phase-difference detecting pixels and imaging a subject through an imaging optical system including a focus lens; and a focusing controller, selectively performing focusing control using a phase difference AF method or focusing control using a contrast AF method in a mode in which focusing control for focusing on a main subject by driving the focus lens is continuously performed multiple times. The focusing controller performs the focusing control using the contrast AF method in a case where a state in which a degree of reliability of the focusing control using the phase difference AF method is equal to or less than a threshold value persists N times (N=2 or more), while the focusing control using the phase difference AF method is continuously performed.

An autofocusing method includes capturing an image of a scene with a camera that includes a pixel array; computing a horizontal-difference image, and a vertical-difference image; and combining the horizontal-difference image and the vertical-difference image to yield a combined image. The method also includes determining, from the combined image and the intensity image, an image distance with respect to a lens of the camera at which the camera forms an in-focus image. The pixel array includes horizontally-adjacent pixel pairs and vertically-adjacent pixel pairs each located beneath a respective microlens. The horizontal-difference image includes, for each horizontally-adjacent pixel pair, a derived pixel value that is an increasing function of a difference between pixel values generated by the horizontally-adjacent pixel pair. The vertical-difference image includes, for each vertically-adjacent pixel pair, a derived pixel value that is an increasing function of a difference between pixel values generated by the vertically-adjacent pixel pair.

A camera module, which may be included in an electronic device includes a camera lens, a variable aperture, and a photosensitive element. A quantity of apertures of the camera lens is F1 when a clear aperture of the variable aperture is adjusted to a first clear aperture, and the photosensitive element is configured to: enable the camera lens to perform imaging in a full area of a photosensitive area, and adjust angular resolution of the full area to δ. A quantity of apertures of the camera lens is F2 when a clear aperture of the variable aperture is adjusted to a second clear aperture, where F1≥F2, and the photosensitive element is configured to: enable the camera lens to perform imaging in a partial area of the photosensitive area, and adjust angular resolution of the partial area to nδ, where 1≤n≤3.

A focusing control device includes a phase difference calculation unit 11a which calculates the phase difference between a signal group output from a plurality of pixels 52A for phase difference detection and a signal group output from a plurality of pixels 52B for phase difference detection, a lens drive control unit 11c which drives a focus lens according to a drive amount corresponding to the phase difference, and a phase difference prediction unit 11b which calculates a predicted value of a phase difference at a time t(n+1) based on a coefficient a(n) for converting a phase difference calculated at a time t(n) to a drive amount and the difference Δm(n+1) between a movement amount of the focus lens from the time t(n) at the time t(n+1) after the focus lens starts to move according to the drive amount and the drive amount.

An image pickup apparatus is capable of executing automatic focus detection of an imaging optical system, and includes a first acquisition unit configured to acquire aberration information of the imaging optical system, a second acquisition unit configured to acquire object information of an object in a focus detecting area, a calculation unit configured to calculate, based on the aberration information of the imaging optical system and the object information, a correction value used to correct a difference between a focus state of a captured image and a result of the automatic focus detection, caused by the aberration of the imaging optical system, and a correction unit configured to correct the result of the automatic focus detection using the correction value.

System and method using a projected reference to guide adjustment of a correction optic. In an exemplary method, a reference may be projected onto an imaging detector by propagation of light generally along an optical axis that extends from the reference, through an objective, to a surface of a sample holder, and from the surface, back through the objective, to the imaging detector. The light may propagate through an off-axis aperture located upstream of the imaging detector and spaced from the optical axis. A plurality of images of the reference may be captured using the imaging detector, and with a correction optic at two or more different settings. A setting for the correction optic may be selected based on the plurality of images, and a sample may be imaged while the correction optic has the selected setting.

A lens apparatus attachable to and detachable from a camera body includes a reflective optical system, a memory configured to store aperture information based on an optical condition of the lens apparatus, and a transmitter configured to transmit the aperture information acquired from the memory to the camera body.

An imaging device and a focusing control method are provided. The imaging device includes: an imaging element, having pixels including phase-difference detecting pixels and imaging a subject through an imaging optical system including a focus lens; and a focusing controller, selectively performing focusing control using a phase difference AF method or focusing control using a contrast AF method in a mode in which focusing control for focusing on a main subject by driving the focus lens is continuously performed multiple times. The focusing controller performs the focusing control using the contrast AF method in a case where a state in which a degree of reliability of the focusing control using the phase difference AF method is equal to or less than a threshold value persists N times (N=2 or more), while the focusing control using the phase difference AF method is continuously performed.

The present technology relates to an imaging device capable of efficiently separating signals having different characteristics. An image generating unit generates an image of a subject on the basis of pixel signals obtained by performing imaging in a state where light of a predetermined pattern from a structured light (SL) light source is irradiated to projection areas of specific pixels of an imaging unit that images the subject. The present disclosure can be applied to, for example, a camera system including an SL light source and an imaging device.

An imaging device and a focusing control method are provided. The imaging device includes: an imaging element, having pixels including phase-difference detecting pixels and imaging a subject through an imaging optical system including a focus lens; and a focusing controller, selectively performing focusing control using a phase difference AF method or focusing control using a contrast AF method in a mode in which focusing control for focusing on a main subject by driving the focus lens is continuously performed multiple times. The focusing controller performs the focusing control using the contrast AF method in a case where a state in which a degree of reliability of the focusing control using the phase difference AF method is equal to or less than a threshold value persists N times (N=2 or more), while the focusing control using the phase difference AF method is continuously performed.