PURPOSE: To reduce flicker without deterioration in effective image pickup sensitivity and S/N with simple circuit constitution by obtaining a control object exposure time of repetitive fields based on a photometry output of an image pickup element without provision of an external photometry element.

CONSTITUTION: A photometry means is provided with an image pickup element 1, an S/H circuit 2, a gain control circuit 3, an LPF circuit 6, a clamper circuit 7, an integration circuit 8 and an A/D converter circuit 9 and a photometry output is obtained as an incident luminous quantity integrated with respect to a prescribed region of a photoelectric conversion face of the image pickup element at an exposure time period repeated periodically. An exposure control means includes a system control circuit 4 and an SSG circuit 5 and applies 1st to a prescribed number of order of exposure under the gain relating to a video output in an exposure time decided by a prescribed means independently of the photometry output, and calculates the exposure time to obtain a prescribed object photometry value based on the output of the photometry means after a prescribed number of order of exposure. Through the constitution above, flicker is reduced with simple circuit constitution.