Patent ID: 7804541

Claim:
An image pickup apparatus in which an optical image that has entered therein is picked up by an image pickup element and a video signal thereof is obtained, the image pickup apparatus comprising: a cabinet in which the image pickup element is placed; an operation part that is placed on the cabinet and can be operated by a user, a display part that is placed on a principal face of the cabinet and is capable of displaying a video image according to the video signal obtained by the image pickup element; and a contact part placed on the principal face of the cabinet, wherein when the user takes a picture while holding the cabinet, a thumb of a hand of the user is brought into contact with the contact part so that the user holds the cabinet, wherein the operation part includes a plurality of rotation operation parts that are placed in the vicinity of the contact part and are rotatable within a plane substantially parallel with the principal face of the cabinet, a first rotation operation part of the plurality of rotation operation parts is arranged so that at least a part of the same faces the contact part, is rotatable through 360° or more, and is in a disk shape, a second rotation operation part of the plurality of rotation operation parts is arranged so that at least a part of the same faces the contact part, is rotatable through a predetermined angle, and has a projected portion that is projected toward the contact part, the first rotation operation part and the second rotation operation part are arranged with the contact part being interposed therebetween, the second rotation operation part is positioned on a right side relative to the contact part when the principal face of the cabinet is viewed from a user's side with the cabinet in an upright position and the first rotation operation part is positioned on a left side relative to the contact part when the principal face of the cabinet is viewed from the user's side with the cabinet in the upright position.