Image pickup apparatus and image pickup system

An image pickup apparatus configured to switch between a color and a black & white photographing modes, comprising:

• an image pickup optical system;
• an image pickup element that receives a light through the image pickup optical system and opto-electronically converts the received light;
• a first luminance detecting unit that detects a luminance of a photographed object based on a signal from the image pickup element;
• a second luminance detecting unit that detects the luminance of the photographed object by receiving a light without intervention of the image pickup optical system;
• and
• a filter converting mechanism for interposing any one of an infrared cutoff filter and an optical element on an optical path of the image pickup optical system, the infrared cutoff filter being interposed at a time of the color photographing mode, and the optical element being interposed at a time of the black & white photographing mode,
• wherein the infrared cutoff filter is exchanged with the optical element based on a detected result of the first luminance detecting unit, and the optical element is exchanged with the infrared cutoff filter based on detected results of the first and second luminance detecting units, and
• wherein a shape or material of the infrared cutoff filter is set in a manner such that when the infrared cutoff filter is interposed on an optical path of the image pickup optical system, the image pickup element is disposed at a position within a focal depth of the image pickup optical system.

An image pickup apparatus configured to switch between a color and a black & white photographing modes, comprising:

• an image pickup optical system;
• an image pickup element that receives a light through the image pickup optical system and opto-electronically converts the received light;
• a first luminance detecting unit that detects a luminance of a photographed object based on a signal from the image pickup element;
• a second luminance detecting unit that detects the luminance of the photographed object by receiving a light without intervention of the image pickup optical system;
• and
• a filter converting mechanism for interposing any one of an infrared cutoff filter and an optical element on an optical path of the image pickup optical system, the infrared cutoff filter being interposed at a time of the color photographing mode, and the optical element being interposed at a time of the black & white photographing mode,
• wherein the infrared cutoff filter is exchanged with the optical element based on a detected result of the first luminance detecting unit, and the optical element is exchanged with the infrared cutoff filter based on detected results of the first and second luminance detecting units, and
• wherein a shape or material of the optical element is set in a manner such that when said optical element is interposed on an optical path of the image pickup optical system, the image pickup element is disposed at a position within a focal depth of the image pickup optical system.