Imaging apparatus capable of adding together signal charges from pixels and reading out the added pixel signals

An apparatus for taking an image of a subject comprising:

• mode setting means for setting either of first and second modes;
• an interline transfer imaging device having photosensitive sections each of which is composed of a plurality of pixels arranged in the vertical direction and responsive to incident light for producing charges, vertical transfer paths arranged alternately with the photosensitive sections in the horizontal direction, each of the vertical transfer paths being arranged to vertically transfer signal charges produced in a corresponding one of the photosensitive sections, a horizontal transfer path for transferring signal charges transferred by the vertical transfer paths to outside of the imaging device, and Bayer-arranged color filter elements each of which is aligned with a corresponding one of the pixels of the photosensitive sections;
• driving means for driving the imaging device, which, in the first mode, produces first vertical drive signals that cause signal charges produced in each of the photosensitive sections to be transferred from the vertical transfer paths to the horizontal transfer path at a first normal transfer rate, in the second mode, produces second vertical drive signals that cause signal charges produced in each of the photosensitive sections to be transferred from the vertical transfer paths to the horizontal transfer path at a second transfer rate N times the first normal transfer rate so that pixel signals from pixels corresponding to color filter elements of the same color in each of the photosensitive sections are added together in the horizontal transfer path, and, in each of the first and second modes, produces horizontal transfer signals that cause signal charges in the horizontal transfer path to be transferred to outside of the imaging device as a line of image signal;
• and
• processing means for processing pixel signals read out of the horizontal transfer path, the processing means, in the first mode, performing processing on the image signal output from the horizontal transfer path for conversion into image data, and, in the second mode, subjecting pixel signals from the horizontal transfer path which are produced from pixels corresponding to color filter elements of the same color and arranged in the horizontal direction to addition and averaging and processing the resulting image signal for conversion into image data.