Patent ID: 7701504

Claim:
An image pickup apparatus including a first mode for picking up an object image and a second mode for reproducing a recorded image, said apparatus comprising: a first operation member which is operable toward a first position corresponding to the first mode, and is operable toward a second position corresponding to the second mode, and further itself is automatically forced to be suppressed to a third position different from each of the first position and the second position when said first operation member is not operated by a user; a second operation member different from said first operation member; and a control unit, which effects control of said image pickup apparatus so as to make said image pickup apparatus active in accordance with the mode corresponding to the position to which said first operation member is operated to one of the first position and the second position, if said first operation member is operated when said image pickup apparatus is in a non-active state, switch over the mode of said image pickup apparatus to the mode corresponding to the position to which said first operation member is operated, if said first operation member is operated to one of the first position and the second position when said image pickup apparatus is in an active state and the current mode of said image pickup apparatus is different from the mode corresponding to the position to which said first operation member is operated, and make said image pickup apparatus shift from the active state to the non-active state if said second operation member is operated when said image pickup apparatus is in the active state and said first operation member is positioned at the third position.