Patent ID: 7884868

Claim:
An image capturing apparatus that has an electric shutter function of controlling exposure time for each frame, comprising: a photoelectric converter that has a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements arranged in a matrix each of which converts light into charge and stores the converted charge; a first reading unit that reads charge exposed for a predetermined exposure time from each pixel formed by the photoelectric conversion elements in an entire exposure region of the photoelectric converter by a destructive readout method; a second reading unit that reads charge from each pixel formed by the photoelectric conversion elements in a specific region, which is a portion of the entire exposure region of the photoelectric converter, plural times by a non-destructive readout method in a period in which the first reading unit reads the charge from the entire exposure region; a first image data generating unit that generates first image data on the basis of first pixel data composed of the charge that is read by the first reading unit from the entire exposure region by exposure for a predetermined exposure time; a first image data storage unit that stores the first image data generated by the first image data generating unit; a second image data generating unit that generates second image data on the basis of plural types of second pixel data composed of charges that are read by the second reading unit from the specific region by exposure for different exposure times; a second image data storage unit that stores the second image data generated by the second image data generating unit; and a captured image data generating unit that combines the stored second image data and the stored first image data to generate captured image data, wherein the second pixel data is composed of differential values between pixel values of pixel data composed of charges that are read plural times by the second reading unit at plural types of exposure times and a pixel value of pixel data composed of charge that is read by the second reading unit at an exposure time shorter than each of the plural types of exposure times.