Patent ID: 8208046

Claim:
An image pickup apparatus comprising: an image pickup element that performs photoelectric conversion on incident light from an object; correcting means that corrects an output signal value of a blinking defective pixel using an output signal value of a surrounding pixel, the blinking defective pixel unsteadily outputting a signal of an abnormal value in the image pickup element; determining means that determines whether or not the output signal value of the blinking defective pixel is the abnormal value by smoothening the output signal value of the blinking defective pixel and the output signal value of the surrounding pixel, by calculating an absolute value of a difference between the output signal value of the blinking defective pixel and a result of the smoothening as a value indicating a degree of defect of the blinking defective pixel, and by comparing the value indicating the degree of defect with a predetermined threshold value; and controlling means that performs control so that the output signal value of the blinking defective pixel is corrected by the correcting means when the determining means determines that the output signal value of the blinking defective pixel is the abnormal value, and that performs the control so that the output signal value of the blinking defective pixel is not corrected by the correcting means when the determining means determines that the output signal value of the blinking defective pixel is not the abnormal value.