PURPOSE: To suppress the influence of a background reflection factor given to a main object and to improve exposure control accuracy by using a photometric means to reflected light from a background and variably controlling the light emitting quantity of a flash emitting part in accordance with the light intensity.

CONSTITUTION: A power supply switch is turned on, a main capacitor 13 is electrically charged by the action of a boosting circuit 12, and when the charged voltage reaches a sufficient value for flash emitting, a flash emitting, a signal SSY is inputted from an image pickup device to a triggr circuit 14 through a terminal A to ionize a flash discharge tube 15 and to start flash emitting. The reflected light from the object irradiated by the emitted flash is detected by a photometric circuit 17, and when its integrating value reaches a prescribed value, an emission stopping signal Sc is sen to to a light control circuit 16 through a terminal B to stop the emission of the discharge tube 15. Consequently, the influence of the background reflection factor given to the main object can be suppressed and exposure control of for the main object can be highly accurately attained.