Patent ID: 8890988

Claim:
An image pickup apparatus comprising: an image pickup device including a pixel array formed by a plurality of pixels, each of which includes a photoelectric conversion element, arranged in a row direction and in a column direction, a pixel read-out unit configured to read out pixel signals of a plurality of colors from said pixel array, and an amplifier unit configured to be capable of having at least two gains set therein, and amplify and output the pixel signals of the plurality of colors read out from said pixel array by said pixel read-out unit; and a gain-setting unit configured to set the at least two different gains in said amplifier unit for respective rows at intervals of a predetermined number of consecutive rows or for respective columns at intervals of a predetermined number of consecutive columns of said pixel array such that said amplifier unit amplifies the pixel signals of all the plurality of colors by the at least two different gains, respectively, wherein said pixel read-out unit performs pixel-thinning out for said pixel array in the row direction or in the column direction at predetermined thinning intervals to read out the pixel signals.