Image capturing apparatus and image capturing method

An imaging apparatus, comprising:

• an image sensor that includes a color filter array and is configured to output at a first frame rate a first number of first frames of image data that have not yet been subjected to white balance processing, gamma correction processing, and YC conversion processing;
• and
• circuitry configured to:
• (a) in a recording process,
• store the first frames of image data, without performing white balance processing, gamma correction processing, and YC conversion processing thereon, on a storage medium while the storage medium is attached to the imaging apparatus, the storage medium being configured to be detachable from the imaging apparatus as to allow the image data to be processed by a device separate from the imaging apparatus when the storage medium is detached from the imaging apparatus;
• and
• generate a first signal representing a first white-balanced, gamma-corrected, and YC converted image sequence that is to be displayed on a display as a camera-through image by processing the first frames of image data to generate a second number of second frames of image data that is lower than the first number of first frames of image data, and by performing at least one of white balance processing, gamma correction processing, or YC conversion processing on the second frames of image data at a second frame rate which is lower than the first frame rate;
• and
• (b) in a reproduction process,
• read the first frames of image data from the storage medium;
• and
• generate a second signal representing a second white-balanced, gamma-corrected, and YC converted image sequence to be displayed on the display as a slow motion reproduced image by processing the first frames of image data.

An method for operating an imaging apparatus, comprising:

• receiving, from an image sensor that includes a color filter array, at a first frame rate a first number of first frames of image data that have not yet been subjected to white balance processing, gamma correction processing, and YC conversion processing;
• in a recording process,
• storing the first frames of image data, without performing white balance processing, gamma correction processing, and YC conversion processing thereon, on a storage medium while the storage medium is attached to the imaging apparatus, the storage medium being configured to be detachable from the imaging apparatus as to allow the image data to be processed by a device separate from the imaging apparatus when the storage medium is detached from the imaging apparatus;
• and
• generating a first signal representing a first white-balanced, gamma-corrected, and YC converted image sequence that is to be displayed on a display as a camera-through image by processing the first frames of image data to generate a second number of second frames of image data that is lower than the first number of first frames of image data, and by performing at least one of white balance processing, gamma correction processing, or YC conversion processing on the second frames of image data at a second frame rate which is lower than the first frame rate;
• and
• in a reproduction process,
• reading the first frames of image data from the storage medium;
• and
• generating a second signal representing a second white-balanced, gamma-corrected, and YC converted image sequence to be displayed on the display as a slow motion reproduced image by processing the first frames of image data.