the tv value and the rapid discharge operation can be carried out after exposure as described above after completion of the rapid discharge operation from the vertical ccds 32 u03c6sg is input to the sensor gate terminal 35 sg see time t 6 in addition u03c6v which is adjusted so that the vertical ccds 32 read out the signal charges accumulated in the pixels arranged in the even rows is input to the first through fourth vertical transfer terminals 35 v 1 35 v 4 by inputting u03c6sg and u03c6v described above the signal charges generated by and accumulated in the pixels 31 of the even rows during the period from time t 3 to time t 4 are read out by the vertical ccds 32 the frequency of u03c6v is changed again to the first frequency after reading out the signal charges by changing the frequency of u03c6v to the first frequency signal charges can be transferred to the horizontal ccd 33 without transfer error when the transfer of the signal charges in all the pixels 31 in the even rows by the vertical ccds 32 and the horizontal ccd 33 is completed reading out from the even field finishes see time t 7 after finishing the reading out from the even field the frequency of u03c6v is changed again to the second frequency and electrical charges stored in the vertical ccds 32 are rapidly discharged see the period from time t 7 to time t 8 unlike reading the signal charges from the even field only a single rapid discharge operation is carried out before reading out the signal.