Patent ID: 7486836

Claim:
An image pickup device comprising: image pickup means for taking an image of a subject and outputting image data; strobe light emitting means for emitting strobe light when the image pickup means takes the image of the subject; correction means for executing gradation correction of the image being taken by the image pickup means such that a brightness distribution of the image data becomes equal to a preset target brightness distribution, if the brightness distribution of the image data output from the image pickup means is different than the preset target brightness distribution; correction recording means for recording, in a predetermined memory, image data obtained by subjecting the image data output from the image pickup means when taking the image to gradation correction by the correction means; and control means for urging the correction means to execute a first gradation correction to change the brightness distribution to a direction of greater brightness if the brightness distribution of the image data output from the image pickup means is darker than the preset target brightness distribution when the image is taken by the image pickup means while strobe light is emitted by the strobe light emitting means; wherein the control means urges the correction means to execute a second gradation correction corresponding to a conversion characteristic of the image pickup means different than the first gradation correction if the brightness distribution of the image data output from the image pickup means is higher than the preset target brightness distribution or if the image is not taken while the strobe light is being emitted from the strobe light emitting means.