Patent ID: 8054364

Claim:
An imaging apparatus comprising: an image pickup device comprising two-dimensionally arranged light receiving elements to photoelectrically convert incoming light, vertical transfer paths to transfer charges from pixel units, which have been generated through the photoelectric conversion by the light receiving elements, in the vertical direction, a horizontal transfer path to transfer the charges from the pixel units, which have been transferred by the vertical transfer path, row by row in the horizontal direction, a separating section to sequentially direct and output the charges from different pixel units in more than one direction, after said charges from different pixel units have been horizontally transferred to the horizontal transfer path, and buffering sections to respectively transfer the charges directed by the separating section and add the charges by temporarily stopping the transfer of the charges; and a drive control section to temporarily stop the transfer of the charges at the buffering section according to the number of charges to be added at the buffering section, wherein, for a buffering section, different portions of the buffering section are driven at different frequencies.