Abstract: A protective apparatus for a pick-up tube of a television camera includes a photo-electric conversion element for detecting the intensity or amount of light incident on the pick-up tube. A shutter or reflector is disposed in the optical or light path from the outside of a housing for the pick-up tube to its target screen and is rotated by a drive device to be capable of preventing an external light from being incident on the target screen of the pick-up tube when the intensity of the external light detected by the photo-electric conversion element exceeds a predetermined value. A control circuit is provided which will operate the drive device to rotate the shutter or reflector to such a state where the external light is prevented from being incident on the target screen of the pick-up tube when the intensity of the external light detected by the photo-electric conversion element exceeds the predetermined value.