High definition image pick-up which shifts the image by one-half pixel

Abstract

A solid-state image pickup device for imaging an object using a CCD image sensor. The solid-state image pickup device includes a half wave plate between first and second birefringence plates 2 and 4 shifting the optical path of the image pickup light the radiation of which is interrupted by on/off control of an electrical voltage. The half wave plate transforms an ordinary light ray into an extraordinary light ray and radiates the resulting extraordinary light ray, while transforming an extraordinary light ray into an ordinary light ray and radiates the resulting ordinary light ray. The image pickup light is radiated to the CCD image sensor while the voltage to be applied across the first and second birefringence plates is on/off controlled simultaneously. When the voltage to be applied across the first and the second birefringence plates is turned off, the image pickup light ray is radiated to the CCD image sensor as an extraordinary light ray without its optical path being changed. When the voltage to be applied across the first and the second birefringence plates is turned off, the image pickup light is split into an ordinary light ray and an extraordinary light ray for light axis shifting. However, the extraordinary light ray and the ordinary light ray are summed at the second birefringence plate so as to be radiated on the CCD image sensor.