Patent ID: 8390692

Claim:
An image pickup apparatus comprising: a pixel section in which pixels, each including a photoelectric conversion section for generating signal charge according to an exposure amount, are two-dimensionally arrayed; a reset section that simultaneously resets the photoelectric conversion sections of all the pixels; an exposure control section that controls the photoelectric conversion sections so as to perform exposure for a predetermined time after reset by the reset section; a first charge storage section that is light-shielded and that simultaneously transfers and stores signal charge of all the pixels generated by the photoelectric conversion sections; a first signal charge reading section that reads signal charge of a predetermined pixel group out of the signal charge of all the pixels stored in the first charge storage section before signal charge of other pixel groups and then reads signal charge of the other pixel groups; a first image processing section that creates first image data for still image recording based on the signal charge read by the first signal charge reading section; a second signal charge reading section that reads signal charge generated by newly performing exposure by the predetermined pixel group one or more times within a time segment within which the first signal charge reading section reads signal charge of the other pixel groups; a second image processing section that creates second image data for image display based on the signal charge read by the second signal charge reading section; and a camera control section for controlling whether to acquire the first image data for still image recording by a single shooting or continuous shootings, wherein when the first image data is acquired by a single shooting, operations of the second signal charge reading section and the second image processing section are not performed, whereas when the first image data is acquired by continuous shootings, operations of the second signal charge reading section and the second image processing section are performed.