Patent ID: 7548271

Claim:
A camera device equipped with a flash device to emit light at a time of image pickup by using electric power charged in a main capacitor, the camera device comprising: step-down means for stepping down a charged voltage of the main capacitor and supplying the voltage to perform a housing operation of a lens of the camera device; a switch which performs a switching operation to switch the main capacitor from a charging circuit which charges the main capacitor to the step-down means so as to connect the main capacitor to the step-down means; control means for, when an image pickup standby mode which requires preparation for the emission of the light is terminated, controlling the switch to perform the switching operation; and detection means for detecting the charged voltage of the main capacitor; wherein the control means causes the switch to perform the switching operation when the charged voltage detected by the detection means is a prescribed voltage or higher; and wherein the step-down means has a feeding path to supply the voltage of the main capacitor elsewhere.