Patent ID: 8749696

Claim:
An image pickup apparatus in which, a taking lens is installable or the taking lens is fixed, comprising: a color filter having a plurality of colors, and an image pickup element having a plurality of pixels, wherein all of the plurality of pixels of the image pickup element are arranged in rows two-dimensionally, and consist of two pixel sets having a first pixel set and a second pixel set, and an exit pupil is assumed, and four divided areas which are separated by two straight lines which are mutually orthogonal in a plane which is orthogonal to an optical axis thereof, are set in the exit pupil, and the pixels in the first pixel set are arranged to correspond to at least two colors of the color filter and arranged to receive a light beam from a first pupil area for which, a center of gravity of area is in one of the four divided areas, and a center of gravity of a second pupil area is in a divided area which is symmetrical, concerning the optical axis, to a divided area in which the center of gravity of the first pupil area lies, and the pixels in the second pixel set are arranged to correspond to at least two colors of the color filter and arranged to receive a light beam having a center of gravity of the second pupil area, and a signal from the first pixel set and a signal from the second pixel set are compared in at least one of directions of the two straight lines, and defocus information is acquired, and a signal for image formation is acquired from the first pixel set and the second pixel set.