PURPOSE: To extract and read necessary data efficiently, readily, and precisely by employing a microfilm in which image information containing data and form are imprinted.

CONSTITUTION: A part of the transmissive light of a film 32 is divided by a half mirror 62, and the divided light is image formed on an image sensor 66 through an image forming lens 64. First, a discriminating device 68 reads an only data code 16, and then discriminates data necessary to identify the position, type, etc., of data. Consequently, the position (address), type of character, size, font, pitch, etc., of the data are discriminated to be stored in a data code memory 70. An analog image output of the image sensor 66, that is, the image containing form 10 and data is processed, and only necessary data is segmented in a data segmenting circuit 76. Since the only necessary data is extracted from the image, necessary data is readily identified out of the forms and data contained in the image and speedily and precisely read.