Patent ID: 7733393

Claim:
An imaging apparatus, comprising: an image pickup device having a horizontal optical black region and a vertical optical black region; storage means for storing pixel signals in the vertical optical black region among pixel signals outputted from the image pickup device; first calculation means for calculating a value of pixel signals in the horizontal optical black region based on pixel signals of one or more pixels in the horizontal optical black region among the pixel signals outputted from the image pickup device; second calculation means for calculating a value of pixel signals in the vertical optical black region based on pixel signals of one or more pixels in the vertical optical black region among the pixel signals outputted from the image pickup device; output means for outputting a gain value corresponding to a difference between the value calculated by the first calculation means and the value calculated by the second calculation means; control means for multiplying a pixel signal stored in the storage means by the gain value outputted from the output means; subtraction means for subtracting the multiplied pixel signal from a pixel signal outputted from the image pickup device.