An image processing apparatus capable of eliminating noise from a digital image with edges maintained intact. The apparatus includes: an input means for accepting a digital image; a noise amount determination unit for determining the amount of noise in the digital image, and setting noise elimination power; a noise suppression unit for eliminating the noise from the digital image based on the noise elimination power; and an output means for outputting the noise suppressed digital image. The noise amount determination unit includes: a chrominance component separation unit for separating chrominance components from the digital image; a frequency transformation unit for transforming each of the separated chrominance components into the frequency domain; and a noise elimination power setting unit for calculating the amount of noise in each chrominance component transformed into the frequency domain, and setting the noise elimination power according the calculated amounts of noise.