Patent ID: 7573517

Claim:
An electronic camera comprising: an image-capturing device that captures an image of a subject and outputs image data; and a control device that controls an image-capturing operation including an exposure operation, wherein said image-capturing device comprises: a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements that are two-dimensionally arrayed; a charge transfer circuit that transfers electrical charges from said photoelectric conversion elements; and an amplifier that is connected to an end of said charge transfer circuit along a direction of charge transfer, sequentially converts each of the electrical charges into voltage, and amplifies the voltage, wherein: at least said photoelectric conversion elements, said charge transfer circuit and said amplifier are provided on a single semiconductor substrate; said image-capturing device further comprises an amplifier power control circuit that changes a bias current supplied to said amplifier in conformance to a control signal provided from the control device; and said control device outputs said control signal to said amplifier power control circuit so that a normal bias current is supplied to said amplifier in conformance to said control signal when discharging unnecessary electrical charges and reading out electrical charges from said photoelectric conversion elements, and a reduced bias current that is less than the normal bias current and more than zero is supplied to said amplifier in conformance to said control signal at other times.