Patent ID: 8159580

Claim:
A solid-state imaging device for photoelectrically converting an object image formed by an image-taking lens comprising: a plurality of pixels disposed two-dimensionally; at least one pixel among the plurality of pixels including four photoelectric converter portions each of which exists in one of four areas divided by a first line extending in a first direction and a second line extending in a second direction crossing with each other in plan view and carries out photoelectric conversion, and a mode setting member capable of selectively setting each of a first mode through a third mode in accordance with a control signal; the first mode being a mode that two photoelectric converter portions located to one side of the first line among the four photoelectric converter portions are electrically connected, and two photoelectric converter portions located to the other side of the first line among the four photoelectric converter portions are electrically connected, and photoelectric converter portions located to different sides with respect to the first line among the four photoelectric converter portions are electrically separated; the second mode being a mode that two photoelectric converter portions located to one side of the second line among the four photoelectric converter portions are electrically connected, and two photoelectric converter portions located to the other side of the second line among the four photoelectric converter portions are electrically connected, and photoelectric converter portions located to different sides with respect to the second line among the four photoelectric converter portions are electrically separated; the third mode being a mode that two photoelectric converter portions located to one side of the first line among the four photoelectric converter portions are electrically connected with each other, and two photoelectric converter portions located to the other side of the first line among the four photoelectric converter portions are electrically connected with each other, and two photoelectric converter portions located to one side of the second line among the four photoelectric converter portions are electrically connected with each other, and two photoelectric converter portions located to the other side of the second line among the four photoelectric converter portions are electrically connected with each other, wherein each area of the solid-state imaging device located between the two neighboring photoelectric converter portions with the first or the second line being located in between has a photoelectric converter function when said neighboring two electric converter portions are electrically connected, and does not have a photoelectric converter function when said neighboring two electric converter portions are electrically separated.