PURPOSE: To enable satisfactory automatic white balance control with a simple configuration at low cost by calculating a target value for white balance by performing arithmetic processing to a video signal, and calculating difference between this target value and the current level of the video signal.

CONSTITUTION: Integrated values from integration circuits 35-37 are detected, and the target values of primary color signals R and B for white balance are calculated. The level difference between the present levels of the primary color signals R and B and the target values is calculated so that the level ratio of primary color signals R, G and B can be 1:1:1 with the level of the primary color signal G as a reference, two threshold values are provided corresponding to this difference, and one mode is selected among three modes based on the compared result of this level difference and two threshold values. Namely, in a hold mode, the gains of white balance amplifiers 23 and 25 are not varied. In a followup mode, the present value is increased/decreased just for a certain value and gradually made close to the target value. In a direct mode, the present value is directly changed into the target value.