Electronic still camera with dark current minimized in produced video

Abstract

An electronic still camera includes a solid-state imaging device for generating electric charges corresponding to an incident light thereto and for producing in the form of a unit of video signals the electric charges in response to a driving signal. An exposing unit has an optical shutter which opens and closes in response to an instruction signal to expose the imaging device to the incident light. A recording unit for rotating a rotary recording medium records the unit of video signals on the rotary recording medium. A phase detector detects a predetermined rotation phase of the recording medium to produce a phase detect signal, and a control unit is responsive to a shutter release button and the phase detecting unit for controlling the imaging device, exposing unit, and recording unit. The unit of video signals are recorded on the recording medium in rotation beginning from the predetermined rotation phase of the recording medium with reference to the phase detect signal. The control unit supplies the exposing unit in response to the shutter release button with a first instruction signal for opening the shutter at a point of time advanced by an exposure time with respect to the phase detect signal, supplies a driving signal to the imaging device immediately before the shutter is opened so as to cause the imaging device to discharge electric charges therefrom, and supplies a second instruction signal to the exposing unit to close the shutter. When the optical shutter is closed, a driving signal is fed to the imaging device at an ordinary video signal rate to cause electric charges of the imaging device to be developed in the form of a unit of video signals into the recording unit, which in turn records the unit of video signals on the recording medium.