PURPOSE: To easily and quickly retrieve an objective picture frame considerably by providing a synchronizing mark correspondingly to each picture frame on an information recording medium and seeing a retrieval index mark and/or the picture frame through a light shielding and transmitting means each time when the synchronizing mark is detected by a detecting means.

CONSTITUTION: A black and rectangular synchronizing mark 22 is given to a part corresponding to each picture frame C. When a film transparent part between synchronizing marks 22 of information frames passes the front end position of an optical fiber 241 of the first photo sensor 231, the light beams of a film illuminating lamp 11 are made incident on the inside of the optical fiber 241 through this film transparent part and are transmitted to the photo sensor 231. When the synchronizing mark 22 is placed in said front end position, the light beams into the optical fiber 241 are intercepted to break the light transmission to the photo sensor 231. The synchronizing mark 22 is detected by this break.