Image processing apparatus, image pickup apparatus, image processing method, and non-transitory computer-readable medium

An image processing method, comprising:

• a signal enhancement step of performing signal enhancement with respect to an input image constituted by pixels having a plurality of color signals, with an intensity that is in accordance with signal values of each pixel, without changing a chroma and a hue;
• and
• a tone conversion step of performing, for each pixel, tone conversion of a plurality of color signals that are subjected to signal enhancement by the signal enhancement step, based on a weak gamma conversion curve in which a degree of gamma enhancement is weaker than in a basic gamma conversion curve which performs conversion such that a signal value of a halftone region at a time of outputting in a case where signal enhancement by the signal enhancement step is not performed becomes a signal value in an appropriate output value range.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a computer program configured to cause a computer to execute:

• a signal enhancement step of performing signal enhancement with respect to an input image constituted by pixels having a plurality of color signals, with an intensity that is in accordance with signal values of each pixel, without changing a chroma and a hue;
• and
• a tone conversion step of performing, for each pixel, tone conversion of a plurality of color signals that are subjected to signal enhancement by the signal enhancement step, based on a weak gamma conversion curve in which a degree of gamma enhancement is weaker than in a basic gamma conversion curve which performs conversion such that a signal value of a halftone region at a time of outputting in a case where signal enhancement by the signal enhancement step is not performed becomes a signal value in an appropriate output value range.