Patent ID: 8319876

Claim:
A solid-state imaging device comprising: a plurality of pixels each of which is two-dimensionally arranged on a semiconductor substrate and comprises a photoelectric conversion portion for converting a light signal to signal charge, an output portion for outputting a signal charge of the photoelectric conversion portion after amplification, and an initializing portion for discharging the signal charge of the photoelectric conversion portion; and a scanning section for selectively outputting a drive signal to each of the plurality of pixels, wherein during an operation of reading signals from pixels included in a first pixel group of the plurality of pixels and thinning signals from pixels included in a second pixel group, the initializing portion discharges a signal charge of a photoelectric conversion portion of one of the pixels included in the second pixel group until the signal charge reaches a certain level different from an initial state of a signal charge of a photoelectric conversion portion of one of the pixels included in the first pixel group.