Imaging apparatus, adjustment method of black level, and program

An adjustment method of a black level comprising the steps of:

• acquiring, in an imaging element including an effective pixel unit for converting a light entered to a pixel to a signal charge and outputting as an effective pixel signal, and a vertical pre-stage optical black unit arranged at a pre-stage of the effective pixel unit along a vertical transfer direction, a signal obtained from a light shielded pixel being used as a reference of black level, a signal corresponding to a dark current from a first region positioned on a side opposite to the effective pixel unit along the vertical transfer direction of a vertical pre-stage optical black unit;
• and
• calculating a magnitude of an optical black level difference to be corrected using a correction table described with a relationship of a signal corresponding to a dark current generated in the vertical pre-stage optical black unit and the optical black level difference which is a difference between a black level in the vertical pre-stage optical black unit and a black level of an image signal, and a signal corresponding to the dark current obtained from the first region.

A program for causing a computer to realize an optical black level difference correcting function, the computer controlling an imaging element including an effective pixel unit for converting a light entered to a pixel to a signal charge and outputting as an effective pixel signal, and a vertical pre-stage optical black unit arranged at a pre-stage of the effective pixel unit along a vertical transfer direction, a signal obtained from a light shielded pixel being used as a reference of black level;

• the optical black level difference correcting function comprising:
• performing a process by sectionalizing the vertical pre-stage optical black unit to a first region positioned on a side opposite to the effective pixel unit along the vertical transfer direction and a second region positioned on the effective pixel unit side and read out after the first region, and calculating a correction amount for correcting the optical black level difference using a signal corresponding to a dark current obtained from the first region and a correction table described with a relationship of a signal corresponding to the dark current generated in the vertical pre-stage optical black unit and an optical black level difference which is a difference between a black level in the vertical pre-stage optical black unit and a black level of an image signal.