PURPOSE: To obtain an image with large dynamic range in spite of incident light quantity.

CONSTITUTION: Horizontal transfer registers 4a, 4b to which the electric charge of a vertical transfer register 3 is supplied are provided at a CCD image pickup element 1. The electric charge of the vertical transfer register 3 is supplied to the horizontal transfer register 4a in the first half of one vertical blanking period. Also, the electric charge of the vertical transfer register 3 is supplied to the horizontal transfer register 4b in the last half of one vertical blanking period. Output signals from the horizontal transfer registers 4a, 4b are supplied to field memory 8a, 8b, respectively. The video output signals of the field memory 8a, 8b, after being synthesized by a synthesizing circuit 9, are outputted to a television monitor connected to a terminal 10.