Patent ID: 7826662

Claim:
An image capturing apparatus, comprising: an imaging element which captures an image of an object and outputs image data; a generating unit which generates a histogram showing a luminance distribution of the image data output from the imaging element; a detecting unit which detects a first range of luminance levels at which the number of pixels is more than a predetermined threshold level and a second range of luminance levels at which the number of pixels is not more than the predetermined threshold level; and a correction unit which, (i) when an operation mode is set to a first mode, converts a luminance of the image data output from the imaging element into an output luminance according to a predetermined conversion characteristic, and (ii) when the operation mode is set to a second mode, converts a luminance of the image data into an output luminance in such a manner that an output luminance range corresponding to the first range is wider than an output luminance range according to the predetermined conversion characteristic and an output luminance range corresponding to the second range is narrower than an output luminance range according to the predetermined conversion characteristic; wherein the correction unit comprises a determination unit which determines whether an image capturing condition is a predetermined condition in which there is a correlation between an area corresponding to an object in the image data output from the imaging element and an isolated luminance range distributed in the histogram; wherein the operation mode is set to the second mode when the determination unit determines that the image capturing condition is the predetermined condition; and wherein the operation mode is set to the first mode when the determination unit determines that the image capturing condition is not the predetermined condition.