Patent ID: 7633540

Claim:
An image pickup apparatus, comprising: a plurality of pixels arranged in a first unshielded pixel region and a shielded second pixel region and each including a photoelectric conversion unit for converting an optical signal into an electric signal; and a scanning unit for selectively scanning the plurality of pixels according to a pixel selection signal in synchronization with a clock signal, and for transferring and outputting the electric signal scanned from the plurality of pixels, wherein the scanning unit includes: a first scanning unit for selectively scanning the plurality of pixels arranged in the first pixel region according to the pixel selection signal, a second scanning unit for selectively scanning the plurality of pixels arranged in the second pixel region according to the pixel selection signal, and a clock input unit capable of independently inputting a clock signal having a different frequency to each of the first and second scanning units, wherein the clock signal that is inputted to the second scanning unit is lower in frequency than the clock signal that is inputted to the first scanning unit, and wherein the clock input unit includes a clock speed reducing unit for generating a clock signal obtained by reducing a speed of a frequency of a first clock signal and outputting the generated clock signal as a second clock signal to the second scanning unit.