To provide a new methine compound used for photographic sensitizing pigment or the like.

Provided is a compound represented by general formula (I) [wherein, at least one of R1, R2, R3, and R4 is a sulfur atom-containing substituent, and the other groups are each H, an alkyl group, an aryl group, an alkoxy group, an aryloxy group or a heterocyclic group; R1 and R2, and R3 and R4 may together form rings, respectively; L1, L2, and L3 are each a methine group which may be substituted with a substituent selected from methyl group, ethyl group, phenyl group, chlorine atom, bromine atom and methoxy group, provided that there is not a case that all of L1, L2, and L3 are not non-substituted methine groups; when (n) is 2, it may not be required that L1 and L2 being the same methine group combination is repeated; (n) is an integer of 1 to 4; X1 is a charge-balanced counter ion; k1 is the number of 0 to 10 necessary for neutralizing the charge of the molecule].