Image pickup apparatus, image pickup system, and image pickup apparatus driving method

An image pickup apparatus comprising a plurality of pixels, each of the plurality of pixels including:

• a photoelectric conversion unit;
• a first holding unit configured to hold a charge generated by the photoelectric conversion unit, at a location different from location of the photoelectric conversion unit;
• a second holding unit configured to hold a charge held by the first holding unit at a location different from locations of both of the first holding unit and the photoelectric conversion unit;
• an amplifying unit including an input node and configured to output a signal based on a charge transferred to the input node from the second holding unit, the input node being a different node from the second holding unit,
• a first transfer unit configured to transfer a charge from the photoelectric conversion unit to the first holding unit;
• a second transfer unit configured to transfer a charge from the first holding unit to the second holding unit;
• a third transfer unit configured to transfer a charge from the second holding unit to the third holding unit;
• a first discharge unit configured to discharge a charge of the first holding unit,
• wherein the first discharge unit includes a charge draining node which is a node different from the input node;
• and
• wherein the first discharge unit is configured to discharges a charge held by the first holding unit to the charge draining node.