Image processing method and imaging device

An imaging device comprising:

• a microlens array including a plurality of microlenses;
• a main lens configured to guide light from a photographic subject to the microlens array;
• an image sensor configured to receive the light after passing through the main lens and the microlens array;
• and
• a hardware processor that functions as:
• an obtaining unit configured to obtain an image captured by the image sensor;
• a setting unit configured to determine a plurality of microlens images, that are formed by the microlenses, from the image captured by the image sensor,
• to determine a microlens image of interest and a plurality of comparison-target microlens images from among the plurality of microlens images, and
• to, according to an image height represented by a distance from an optical axis position of the main lens on an imaging surface of the image sensor, set an arrangement of a microlens image of interest and a plurality of comparison-target microlens images, wherein
• the setting unit sets to one of a first arrangement and a second arrangement, wherein
• the first arrangement includes the microlens image of interest and the plurality of six comparison-target microlens images, wherein the six comparison-target microlens images are positioned in hexagonal orientations around the microlens image of interest, and each of the comparison-target microlens images is positioned adjacent to the microlens image of interest;
• the second arrangement includes the microlens image of interest and the plurality of comparison-target microlens images, wherein the plurality of comparison-target microlens images are concyclic with the microlens image of interest, excluding a set of comparison-target microlens images that are sequentially adjacent to the microlens image of interest in the radial direction of a circle centered at a center of the image height;
• and
• the setting unit
• sets the first arrangement when a ratio between a first radius of the microlens image of interest having a direction of joining the center of the microlens image of interest and the position and a second radius having a perpendicular direction to the direction of joining is smaller than a threshold value, and sets the second arrangement when the ratio is equal to or greater than the threshold value;
• a detector configured to detect an amount of image shift between the microlens image of interest and each of the comparison-target microlens images by comparing the microlens image of interest with the comparison-target microlens images;
• and
• a calculator configured to calculate a distance corresponding to the microlens image of interest using the amounts of image shift.