Patent ID: 7034870

Claim:
An image pickup apparatus comprising: a solid-state imaging device for generating an image signal by carrying out photoelectric conversion of individual pixels at different timings; an amplifier for amplifying the image signal; and an automatic level adjusting section for regulating a level of the image signal at a specified level by automatically controlling a charge storage time of said solid-state imaging device and a gain of said amplifier, wherein said automatic level adjusting section comprises: a first setting section for setting the charge storage time of said solid-state imaging device at an integer multiple of half a reciprocal of a frequency of a first power supply; a second setting section for setting the charge storage time of said solid-state imaging device at an integer multiple of half a reciprocal of a frequency of a second power supply; a switching section for selecting one of said first setting section and said second setting section to set the charge storage time of said solid-state imaging device; an accumulating section for accumulating a plurality of pixel values of a predetermined line in a frame; an index calculating section for calculating inter-frame variations of accumulation values obtained by said accumulating section, and for calculating an index for detecting the flicker from the inter-frame variations of a predetermined number of frames; and a flicker detecting section for detecting flicker in response to the index of said index calculating section, and for controlling said switching section in response to the detecting of the flicker.