Patent ID: 6982751

Claim:
A solid-state imaging apparatus comprising: a solid-state imaging device having a plurality of sensor blocks arranged in a matrix for performing photoelectric conversion, a vertical transfer block for vertically transferring signal charges read from said plurality of sensor blocks, and a horizontal transfer block for horizontally transferring the signal charges supplied from said vertical transfer block; a driving means for selectively setting a first operation mode for vertically independently transferring the signal charges read from said plurality of sensor blocks and a second operation mode for adding n (n≧2) pixels of signal charges in said vertical transfer block for vertical transfer and m (m≧2) lines of signal charges are added in said horizontal transfer block for horizontal transfer; and a saturation signal charge quantity setting means for setting a saturation signal charge quantity of said plurality of sensor blocks in said second operation mode to about 1/(n×m) of a saturation signal charge quantity of said plurality of sensor blocks in said first operation mode.