PURPOSE: To obtain a high light quantity by lighting a semiconductor light emitting element for processing period corresponding to an image pickup timing signal from a CCD image pickup TV camera and giving a pause of a prescribed time to the light emission.

CONSTITUTION: A semiconductor light emitting element 2 is lighted for a prescribed period including the image pickup time in response to an image pickup timing signal from a CCD image pickup TV camera 3 by the action of a lighting time control section 1 and the light emission is paused for a prescribed time. Thus, in comparison with the case of consecutive drive of the semiconductor light emitting element 2, the temperature rise of the semiconductor light emitting element 2 is less and then it is possible to increase the light emitting strength by supplying a large power to the light emitting element at lighting. Furthermore, when the light emitting strength is set equally to that of a conventional device through the setting, the power consumption of the device is reduced through the provision of the pause time and the service life of the device is extended.