To calculate a photometric value required for proper exposure control and to perform the exposure control based upon the photometric value.

A maximum value and a minimum value of luminance signals from an image pickup part are calculated, discrete image pickup areas having luminance values within a fixed numerical value from the maximum value and discrete image pickup areas having luminance values within a fixed numerical value from the minimum value are respectively calculated, and it is decided at least which one of the total areas of the discrete respective image pickup areas occupies an area of the entire image pickup areas equally with or more than a prescribed ratio (108). When both the total areas do not occupy the area equally with or more than the prescribed ratio, exposure control (109 and 110) is performed based upon an averaged photometric value of luminance signals in the remaining image pickup areas except for the discrete respective image pickup areas.