Image pickup apparatus for controlling accumulation time in photoelectric elements

摘要

There is provided an image pickup apparatus having a plurality of photoelectric converting elements which can accumulate the photoelectrically converted charges. This apparatus comprises: detecting circuiting for detecting whether the maximum value of outputs of the photoelectric converting elements has reaced a level near the saturation level thereof or not; time circuiting for timing a predetermined time from the start of the accumulation of the photoelectric converting elements; amplifying circuiting for amplifying outputs of the photoelectric converting elements; accumulation control circuiting for finishing the accumulating operation on the basis of either one of the facts that the detecting circuiting has detected that the maximum value had reached the saturation level, that the timer circuiting has timed the elapse of a predetermined time, and that the signal indicating that the output level of the photoelectric converting elements had reached the predetermined level has been input; and a variable gain circuit to determine an amplification factor of the amplifying circuiting in accordance with the output level of the photoelectric converting elements.