PURPOSE: To obtain an image pickup device having a wider dynamic range, by setting the gain of an electric signal to a prescribed value at the time of flash photographing and, at the same time, correcting the gain in accordance with the reflecting quantity of the flash.

CONSTITUTION: An electric signal obtained by means of a CCD1 is trnasmitted to an automatic gain control circuit (AGC) 3 through a signal processing circuit 2 and then introduced to a recording circuit 4. The gain control terminal 3a of the AGC3 is connected with a switching circuit 5 and the terminal 5a of the switching circuit 5 is connected with a flash generating circuit B. When the flash is irradiated upon an object at the time of flash photographing, reflected lights from the object are photoelectrically converted by a photoreceptor 104 and, when the reflecting light quantity exceeds a fixed value, the light emission of the flashing light source is stopped. Therefore, a control voltage which is given to the gain control input terminal 3a of the AGC3 from the flash generating circuit B through the switching circuit 5 is changed and the gain of the AGC3 is corrected.