Patent ID: 7463294

Claim:
A signal processing unit that performs signal processing on an output signal from an image pickup part that includes: an effective pixel area for photoelectrically converting a subject image; an upper optical black area in a light-shielded state, arranged in a horizontal direction along the effective pixel area; and a lateral optical black area in a light-shielded state, arranged in a vertical direction along the effective pixel area, the signal processing unit comprising: a horizontal shading correcting section that obtains a horizontal shading value based on an output signal from the upper optical black area and subtracts the horizontal shading value from an output signal from the effective pixel area and an output signal from the lateral optical black area; and an OB clamp section that obtains optical black-levels for respective horizontal lines based on the output signal from the lateral optical black area that has been through the horizontal shading, and that clamps the output signal from the effective pixel area that has been through the horizontal shading to make the optical black-levels for the respective horizontal lines constant in value.