To provide an image processing technique compatible with both a CCD and a CIS, which controls storage of image data read by each device in a memory and the read of the stored data for each rectangular area to obtain a high memory efficiency, an image processing apparatus includes a memory area control section which sets, for image data bitmapped on a first memory, a rectangular area divided in a main scanning direction and sub-scanning direction, an address generation section which generates address information to read out image data corresponding to the rectangular area in correspondence with the set rectangular area, a memory control section which reads out the image data corresponding to the rectangular area and DMA-transfers the image data to a second memory in accordance with the generated address information, and an image processing section which executes image processing for each rectangular area of the DMA-transferred data by using the second memory.