Image capturing device and imaging element, and image processing method

An imaging element having a pixel area constituted by using pixels of a plurality of color components, the pixel area being provided with a 4×4-pixel area in which the pixels including at least one pixel of every color component of the plurality of color components are polarization pixels of a same polarization direction, and pixels which are not the polarization pixels constitute a majority of the 4×4-pixel area, and are non-polarization pixels.

An image processing method comprising:

• acquiring pixel signals of polarization pixels, and pixel signals of non-polarization pixels from an image capturing unit having an imaging element with a 4×4-pixel area in which pixels including at least one pixel of every color component of a plurality of color components are the polarization pixels of a same polarization direction, and pixels which are not the polarization pixels constitute a majority of the 4×4-pixel area, and are the non-polarization pixels;
• and
• using the pixel signals of the polarization pixels, and the pixel signals of the non-polarization pixels that are acquired from the image capturing unit to calculate at least either unpolarized components or diffuse reflection components for each pixel.