Patent ID: 7834931
Filing Date: 2010-11-16
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
1. An image pickup apparatus for capturing an image using a solid-state image pickup device in which the pixel signals of individual pixels can be randomly accessed, the image pickup apparatus comprising: a flash for exposing a subject to light; detecting means for detecting the brightness level of a captured image from an image signal obtained by the solid-state image pickup device; and controlling means for causing the flash to perform preliminary light emission prior to the main light emission of the flash, causing the solid-state image pickup device to capture an image at the time of the preliminary light emission, causing the detecting means to detect the brightness level of the image captured at the time of the preliminary light emission on the basis of the signal of the captured image, and computing the amount of light required for the main light emission of the flash on the basis of the detected brightness level at the time of the preliminary light emission, wherein, the controlling means intermittently reads out the pixel signals of individual pixels at predetermined pixel intervals after causing the solid-state image pickup device to simultaneously start the exposure operations of all pixels included therein at the time of the preliminary light emission, and then transmits the read out pixel signals to the detecting means, and wherein, when the image capturing operation at the time of the preliminary light emission is performed, as an amount of external light becomes larger, the controlling means increases the pixel intervals at which the pixel signals are intermittently read out.