Image pickup apparatus with mode switching between a still picture mode and a moving picture mode

Abstract

An image pickup apparatus comprises: an interline-type image-sensing device, which includes: a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements, and a vertical transfer block for transferring charges received from the plurality of photoelectric conversion elements located along one direction. The vertical transfer block includes transfer electrodes disposed such that at least three transfer electrodes are disposed for each of the plurality of photoelectric conversion elements. At least one horizontal transfer block transfers charges received from the vertical transfer block along a direction crossing the one direction, and mode switching means switches a drive mode to drive the image-sensing device either in a still picture mode or in a moving picture mode. In the still picture mode, one frame data is outputted during one field period, the frame data being produced on the basis of the charges read from the photoelectric conversion elements in which the charges on two lines are transferred to the at least one horizontal transfer block during one horizontal blanking period without addition of charges read out from two of said plurality of photoelectric conversion elements located at adjacent positions along the one direction while, in the moving picture mode, a field data is outputted, the field data being produced on the basis of the charges read from the photoelectric conversion elements in which the charges read out from two of the plurality of photoelectric conversion elements located at adjacent positions along one direction are added together in the at least one horizontal transfer block.