An image pickup apparatus comprising: a common ground line; a plurality of pixels, wherein each pixel includes a photoelectric conversion element (D11 to D33) and an amplification element (M311 to M333) arranged to amplify a signal generated at said photoelectric conversion element (D11 to D33), and the pixels are arranged in a pixel array constituted of rows and columns of pixels, wherein each column of pixels is associated to a vertical signal line (V1 to V3) and a load transistor (M51 to M53); and wherein, for each of said columns of pixels, said load transistor (M51 to M53) is arranged to serve as a load of said amplification element of each of the pixels of said column, and said load transistor has a first electrode electrically connected to said common ground line and a second electrode arranged at a side of said vertical signal line; and characterized in that, for each of the columns of pixels, a control transistor (M71 to M73) is electrically connected between the load transistor (M51 to M53) and the vertical signal line, and wherein said control transistor (M71 to M73) is adapted to be applied with a common constant voltage common to all columns to suppress potential fluctuation of the voltage of the second electrode of said load transistor, and each of said columns of pixels is further associated to a respective switch (M81 to M83) arranged on an electric path interconnecting said control transistor (M71 to M73) associated to the respective column of pixels and said vertical signal line (V1 to V3) associated to the respective column of pixels, wherein, for each of the columns of pixels, one side of said switch is electrically connected to an electrode of said control transistor, arranged on the vertical signal line side of the control transistor, and the other side of said switch is electrically connected to the vertical signal line and to a respective reading circuit, and wherein said switch has a function of controlling the electrical connection between said vertical signal line and said control transistor at least for a resetting operation of the pixels of the column and of the respective reading circuit before the signal generated at said photoelectric conversion element (D11 to D33) of each of the pixels of the column is read. a common ground line; a plurality of pixels, wherein each pixel includes a photoelectric conversion element (D11 to D33) and an amplification element (M311 to M333) arranged to amplify a signal generated at said photoelectric conversion element (D11 to D33), and the pixels are arranged in a pixel array constituted of rows and columns of pixels, wherein each column of pixels is associated to a vertical signal line (V1 to V3) and a load transistor (M51 to M53); and wherein, for each of said columns of pixels, said load transistor (M51 to M53) is arranged to serve as a load of said amplification element of each of the pixels of said column, and said load transistor has a first electrode electrically connected to said common ground line and a second electrode arranged at a side of said vertical signal line; and characterized in that, for each of the columns of pixels, a control transistor (M71 to M73) is electrically connected between the load transistor (M51 to M53) and the vertical signal line, and wherein said control transistor (M71 to M73) is adapted to be applied with a common constant voltage common to all columns to suppress potential fluctuation of the voltage of the second electrode of said load transistor, and each of said columns of pixels is further associated to a respective switch (M81 to M83) arranged on an electric path interconnecting said control transistor (M71 to M73) associated to the respective column of pixels and said vertical signal line (V1 to V3) associated to the respective column of pixels, wherein, for each of the columns of pixels, one side of said switch is electrically connected to an electrode of said control transistor, arranged on the vertical signal line side of the control transistor, and the other side of said switch is electrically connected to the vertical signal line and to a respective reading circuit, and wherein said switch has a function of controlling the electrical connection between said vertical signal line and said control transistor at least for a resetting operation of the pixels of the column and of the respective reading circuit before the signal generated at said photoelectric conversion element (D11 to D33) of each of the pixels of the column is read.