PURPOSE: To improve the picture quality, by correcting a defective part of a video signal corresponding to a defective photo sensitive section of a solid-state image pickup element.

CONSTITUTION: If there exists a defect in one picture element (shown in the arrow), e.g., W in one line of the video signal outputted from the solid-state image pickup element, e.g., CCD41, the position of the defective part corresponds to the defective position produced in the photo sensitive section of the CCD41, and the defective part is included in the video signal at the same position at all times and outputted. This video signal is outputted from a buffer circuit 43 and applied to a sample-and-hold circuit 47, and a switching circuit 44 is switched with a control signal (b) outputted from an ROM (not shown). Thus, the picture element of the defective part is outputted at the same color signal W from an amplifier 46 preceding two picture elements. This output is applied to a sample-and-hold circuit (signal eliminating and synthesis circuit) 53. A signal eliminated for the defective video signal and synthesized with the same color signal W preceding two picture elements stored mentioned above in the eliminated part is outputted from an amplifier 52 of the circuit 53.