Image processing apparatus

An image processing apparatus comprising:

• an image smoother for acquiring pixel values of respective pixels of a plurality of smoothed images from a pixel value corresponding to luminance or chromaticity of each pixel of an image to be processed, using a plurality of smoothing filters for smoothing noise components for the each pixel of the image to be processed, the plurality of smoothing filters being different from each other;
• a pixel value difference acquirer for acquiring pixel value differences between the pixel value of the each pixel of the image to be processed and the pixel values of the respective pixels at corresponding positions in the plurality of smoothed images, which are zero, positive and/or negative differences in the pixel values corresponding to the luminance or the chromaticity of the each pixel for each of the plurality of smoothing filters;
• a synthesis weight acquirer for acquiring synthesis weights used for weighting to combine the pixel values of the respective pixels of the plurality of smoothed images, based on a plurality of the pixel value differences;
• and
• a synthetic image acquirer that is operable to perform weighted synthesis on the respective pixels of the plurality of smoothed images based on the synthesis weights to acquire a synthetic image.