To provide an image pickup element generating the moving image and the still image of high image quality by setting the prescribed number of image elements, thinning the number of image elements at equal intervals, transferring them to a vertical transfer means and transferring/outputting transferred image element signals in a horizontal direction.

An image element signal is read to a vertical transfer part 12 during a vertical part blanking period. The vertical transfer part 12 sequentially transfers the image element signals to a vertical direction in a horizontal blanking period. A horizontal transfer part 13 sequentially outputs the image element signals for one line, which are transferred from the vertical transfer part 12, from an output terminal 15 through an output amplifier 14 in a horizontal scanning period. The color filter array of image pickup elements is set in the vertical stripe form of three primary colors RGB. In the case of a vertical stripe filter, the thinning/reading of the equal intervals can be executed. Thus, video signals fitted to the generation of a moving image and a still image different in resolution can be outputted and the image elements are thinned at the equal intervals. Thus, the image of high image quality with less folding noise can be obtained.