Solid-state image pickup element

An image pickup apparatus comprising:

• a plurality of pixels arranged two-dimensionally, each of said plurality of pixels including a photoelectric conversion portion, a first holding portion which holds a signal from said photoelectric conversion portion, and a read-out portion which reads out a signal from said first holding portion;
• a drive circuit which has:
• (1) a first mode for simultaneously transferring photoelectric conversion signals, obtained in the photoelectric conversion portions included in the respective pixels arranged two-dimensionally, to the first holding portions corresponding to the respective photoelectric conversion portions of the pixels, and thereafter reading out continuously, via respective said read-out portions, the signals held in the first holding portions included in the respective pixels arranged two-dimensionally, wherein the signals held in the first holding portion comprise a photoelectric conversion signal and a noise signal;
• and (2) a second mode for reading out continuously, via respective said read-out portions, noise signals from said plurality of pixels arranged two-dimensionally, without reading out the photoelectric conversion signals from said plurality of pixels arranged two-dimensionally;
• and
• a correction circuit which corrects a first signal which includes the photoelectric conversion signal read out in the first mode, using a second signal which includes the noise signal read out in the second mode.