To detect in real time a change in the amount of light directly entering a light receiving part and to read out optical information in a suitable amount of light even when the amount of incident light can not be predicted or the amount of incident light suddenly changes form an estimated value.

This device has a charge transfer part 9 for generating, storing, and transferring a signal charge responsive to incident light, an output part outputting the signal charge transferred by the charge transfer part 9 as an electric signal, a semiconductor region 4 generating a photo current responsive to the amount of the incident light, a light shielding film 15 formed on the semiconductor region 4 and having an aperture 16, and a readout part for reading out the photo current generated by light entering the semiconductor region 4 through the aperture 16 outside the semiconductor region 4, wherein the photo current is generated independently of the charge transfer part 9. This produces in real time the electric signal responsive to the amount of light entering the device in the semiconductor region 4 while the semiconductor region 4 is exposed to the light.