Image processing apparatus, image capturing apparatus, image processing method, image capturing method, and non-transitory computer-readable medium for focus bracketing

1. An image processing apparatus comprising:

an obtaining unit configured to obtain a first image, a second image, and a third image, the first image being an image captured with focus set at a first distance, the second image being an image captured with focus set at a second distance different from the first distance, the third image being an image captured using an f-number larger than an f-number used in capturing of the first image and the second image;

an arranging unit configured to arrange at least a part of the first image and at least a part of the second image at a position based on the third image, wherein the arranging unit shifts the first image and the second image such that a first subject in the first image is superimposed with the first subject in the third image, the first subject being located at the first distance, and such that a second subject in the second image is superimposed with the second subject in the third image, the second subject being located at the second distance; and

a combining unit configured to generate a composite image having a deeper depth of field than the first image and the second image by combining the first image and the second image that have been arranged by the arranging unit.

2. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the combining unit includes a calculating unit configured to calculate a parameter indicating, for each image area corresponding to an identical position in the first image that has been arranged by the arranging unit and the third image, a similarity between the first image and the third image and indicating, for each image area corresponding to an identical position in the second image that has been arranged by the arranging unit and the third image, a similarity between the second image and the third image, and

wherein the combining unit generates a composite image in accordance with the parameter.

3. The image processing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the combining unit makes a weight of the first image used in the combining larger than a weight of the second image in an image area for which the similarity between the first image and the third image is higher than the similarity between the second image and the third image, and makes the weight of the second image used in the combining larger than the weight of the first image in an image area for which the similarity between the second image and the third image is higher than the similarity between the first image and the third image.

4. The image processing apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the combining unit generates a composite image by combining the first image, the second image, and the third image, makes a weight of the third image used in the combining smaller than the weights of the first image and the second image in an image area for which at least one of the similarity between the first image and the third image and the similarity between the second image and the third image exceeds a certain threshold, and makes the weight of the third image used in the combining larger than the weights of the first image and the second image in an image area for which neither the similarity between the first image and the third image nor the similarity between the second image and the third image exceeds the certain threshold.

5. An image capturing apparatus comprising:

the image processing apparatus according to claim 1 ;

a first image capturing unit configured to capture the first image;

a second image capturing unit configured to capture the second image; and

a third image capturing unit configured to capture the third image.

6. An image processing method comprising:

obtaining a first image, a second image, and a third image, the first image being an image captured with focus set at a first distance, the second image being an image captured with focus set at a second distance different from the first distance, the third image being an image captured using an f-number larger than an f-number used in capturing of the first image and the second image;

arranging the first image and the second image, based on the third image, wherein the arranging shifts the first image and the second image such that a first subject in the first image is superimposed with the first subject in the third image, the first subject being located at the first distance, and such that a second subject in the second image is superimposed with the second subject in the third image, the second subject being located at the second distance; and

generating a composite image having a deeper depth of field than the first image and the second image by combining the first image and the second image that have been arranged by the arranging.

7. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium storing a program causing a computer to perform an image processing method, the image processing method comprising:

obtaining a first image, a second image, and a third image, the first image being an image captured with focus set at a first distance, the second image being an image captured with focus set at a second distance different from the first distance, the third image being an image captured using an f-number larger than an f-number used in capturing of the first image and the second image;

arranging the first image and the second image, based on the third image, wherein the arranging shifts the first image and the second image such that a first subject in the first image is superimposed with the first subject in the third image, the first subject being located at the first distance, and such that a second subject in the second image is superimposed with the second subject in the third image, the second subject being located at the second distance; and

generating a composite image having a deeper depth of field than the first image and the second image by combining the first image and the second image that have been arranged by the arranging.