Digital still camera

A digital still camera comprising:

• a solid state image pickup device including an output signal amplification circuit provided at a final stage of said image pickup device;
• a current amplification circuit connected to the output terminal of said image pickup device;
• a first current source for supplying a current to said output signal amplification circuit;
• a second current source for supplying a current to said current amplification circuit;
• and
• a current controller for, when a high sensitivity shooting mode is used for which the sensitivity is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, controlling either said current supplied to said output signal amplification circuit by said first current source or said current supplied to said current amplification circuit by said second current source.

A digital still camera comprising:

• image pickup means for reading signal charges accumulated in imaging pixels and transferring said signal charges along a vertical transfer path, wherein color filters of said imaging pixels are horizontally arranged so as to form same patterns on every other line;
• shooting mode selecting means for selecting either a low sensitivity mode or a high sensitivity mode;
• and
• driving means for driving said image pickup means, wherein, when said shooting mode selecting means select said low sensitivity mode, said driving means read signal charges from said image pickup device in the full-pixel reading mode, and when said shooting mode selecting means select said high sensitivity mode, said driving means read signal charges from said image pickup means in two or more even-numbered field reading modes.

A digital still camera comprising:

• image pickup means including an output signal amplification circuit provided at a final stage of said image pickup means;
• a current amplification circuit connected to the output terminal of said image pickup means;
• first current supplying means for supplying a current to said output signal amplification circuit;
• second current supplying means for supplying a current to said current amplification circuit;
• and
• current control means for controlling either said current supplied to said output signal amplification circuit by said first current supplying means or said current supplied to said current amplification circuit by said second current supplying means, when a high sensitivity mode having a value of sensitivity equal to or greater than a predetermined value is used for shooting image.

A method for shooting images by a digital still camera, comprising the steps of:

• selecting shooting mode for selecting either a low sensitivity mode or a high sensitivity mode;
• shooting image for picking up an image data and accumulating signal charges of the image data into each imaging pixel of a solid state image pickup device;
• and
• driving image pickup device for, if the low sensitivity mode is selected, reading the signal charges from said image pickup device in the full-pixel reading mode, and for, if the high sensitivity mode is selected, reading the signal charges from said image pickup device in two or more even-numbered field reading modes.

A method for shooting images by a digital still camera, comprising the steps of:

• measuring brightness for photometry process and measuring distance, when a shatter release button is pressed halfway down;
• checking shooting mode whether a sensitivity is set by a user or not, and setting a sensitivity automatically if the sensitivity is not set by a user;
• shooting image for picking up an image data of an object according to a light value obtained by the photometry process and the distance measured, and for accumulating signal charges of the image data into each imaging pixel of a solid state image pickup device, when the shutter release button is pressed completely;
• selecting reading mode for selecting full-pixel reading mode if the set sensitivity is equal to or grater than a predetermined value and selecting two-field reading mode if the set sensitivity is smaller than the predetermined value;
• reading image data for reading the signal charges of the image data accumulated in the image pickup device in the selected reading mode;
• and
• storing the read image data into a memory.