Imaging-observation apparatus

1. An imaging-observation apparatus comprising:

an image capturing section configured to shoot a subject under multiple different shooting optical conditions at the same time and sequentially generate a plurality of images under those multiple different shooting optical conditions;

a display control section configured to accept an operator's input;

an image synthesizing section configured to synthesize together the plurality of images in accordance with the input to the display control section at a synthesis ratio specified by the input and to sequentially generate synthetic images one after another;

a display section configured to present the synthetic images; and

a polarized light source that emits mostly polarized light with a predetermined polarization direction,

wherein the subject is irradiated with the polarized light,

wherein the image capturing section includes:

a stop;

an image capturing optical system;

an image sensor with multiple groups of pixels, each said group of pixels being made up of a plurality of pixels;

an area-divided optical element which is arranged in the vicinity of the stop and which has at least two optical regions, through which light beams are transmitted with mutually different optical properties; and

an array of optical elements which is arranged between the image capturing optical system and the image sensor and which makes the light beams that have been transmitted through the predetermined optical regions of the area-divided optical element incident on mutually different groups of pixels of the image sensor, and

wherein the plurality of images are generated from the multiple groups of pixels.

2. The imaging-observation apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the multiple different shooting optical conditions include a condition for shooting an image of the subject by getting the polarized light transmitted through a polarizer, of which the polarization axis is parallel to the predetermined polarization direction, and/or a condition for shooting an image of the subject by getting the polarized light transmitted through a polarizer, of which the polarization axis is perpendicular to the predetermined polarization direction.

3. The imaging-observation apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the multiple different shooting optical conditions include a condition for shooting the subject with light beams falling within multiple different wavelength ranges.

4. The imaging-observation apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the multiple different wavelength ranges include at least one of an ultraviolet range and an infrared range.

5. The imaging-observation apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the image capturing section includes a plurality of image capture devices, and

wherein at least one of the plurality of image capture devices has a different shooting wavelength range from the other image capture devices'.

6. The imaging-observation apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the at least one image capture device's shooting wavelength range is one of the infrared and ultraviolet wavelength ranges, and

wherein the other image capture devices' shooting wavelength range is the other of the infrared and ultraviolet wavelength ranges.

7. The imaging-observation apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the image capturing section includes a plurality of image capture devices with respectively independent optical systems.

8. The imaging-observation apparatus of claim 7 , further comprising a first polarizer,

wherein the plurality of image capture devices include a first image capture device, and

wherein the first polarizer is arranged between the subject and the first image capture device.

9. The imaging-observation apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the first polarizer has a polarization axis that is either parallel or perpendicular to the predetermined polarization direction.

10. The imaging-observation apparatus of claim 8 , further comprising a second polarizer,

wherein the plurality of image capture devices include a second image capture device, and

wherein the second polarizer is arranged between the subject and the second image capture device, and

wherein the first and second polarizers have mutually different polarization axis directions.

11. The imaging-observation apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the area-divided optical element has an optical property that makes light beams transmitted through the at least two optical regions have mutually different polarization directions.

12. The imaging-observation apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the at least two optical regions of the area-divided optical element include at least one of a region which transmits a light beam that is polarized parallel to the predetermined polarization direction and a region which transmits a light beam that is polarized perpendicularly to the predetermined polarization direction.

13. The imaging-observation apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the area-divided optical element further includes an optical region which transmits a light beam that is not polarized in any direction.

14. The imaging-observation apparatus of claim 1 , wherein in the area-divided optical element, the at least two optical regions have mutually different spectral transmittances.

15. The imaging-observation apparatus of claim 14 , wherein in the area-divided optical element, one of the at least two optical regions selectively transmits either an ultraviolet beam or an infrared beam.

16. The imaging-observation apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of images are moving pictures, and

wherein the synthetic image is a synthetic moving picture, and

wherein the display section presents the synthetic moving picture.

17. An imaging-observation apparatus comprising:

an image capturing section configured to shoot a subject under multiple different shooting optical conditions at the same time and generate a plurality of images under those multiple different shooting optical conditions;

a display control section configured to accept an operator's input;

an image synthesizing section configured to synthesize together the plurality of images to generate a synthetic image, the image synthesizing section generating a first synthetic image by synthesizing together the plurality of images in accordance with a first input that has been entered through the display control section at a synthesis ratio specified by the first input, and generating a second synthetic image by synthesizing together the plurality of images in accordance with a second input that has been entered after the first input through the display control section at a synthesis ratio specified by the second input;

a display section configured to present the first synthetic image and then the second synthetic image; and

a polarized light source that emits mostly polarized light with a predetermined polarization direction,

wherein the subject is irradiated with the polarized light,

wherein the image capturing section includes:

a stop;

an image capturing optical system;

an image sensor with multiple groups of pixels, each said group of pixels being made up of a plurality of pixels;

an area-divided optical element which is arranged in the vicinity of the stop and which has at least two optical regions, through which light beams are transmitted with mutually different optical properties; and

an array of optical elements which is arranged between the image capturing optical system and the image sensor and which makes the light beams that have been transmitted through the predetermined optical regions of the area-divided optical element incident on mutually different groups of pixels of the image sensor, and

wherein the plurality of images are generated from the multiple groups of pixels.

18. An imaging-observation apparatus comprising:

an image capturing section configured to shoot a subject under multiple different shooting optical conditions at the same time and generate a plurality of images under those multiple different shooting optical conditions;

a display control section configured to accept an operator's input;

an image synthesizing section configured to synthesize together the plurality of images to generate a synthetic image, the image synthesizing section generating a first synthetic image by synthesizing together a first plurality of images that have been generated by the image capturing section at a first time in accordance with a first input that has been entered through the display control section at a synthesis ratio specified by the first input, and generating a second synthetic image by synthesizing together a second plurality of images that have been generated by the image capturing section at a second time after the first time in accordance with a second input that has been entered after the first input through the display control section at a synthesis ratio specified by the second input;

a display section configured to present the first synthetic image and then the second synthetic image; and

a polarized light source that emits mostly polarized light with a predetermined polarization direction,

wherein the subject is irradiated with the polarized light,

wherein the image capturing section includes:

a stop;

an image capturing optical system;

an image sensor with multiple groups of pixels, each said group of pixels being made up of a plurality of pixels;

an area-divided optical element which is arranged in the vicinity of the stop and which has at least two optical regions, through which light beams are transmitted with mutually different optical properties; and

an array of optical elements which is arranged between the image capturing optical system and the image sensor and which makes the light beams that have been transmitted through the predetermined optical regions of the area-divided optical element incident on mutually different groups of pixels of the image sensor, and

wherein the plurality of images are generated from the multiple groups of pixels.