Abstract: A plurality of storage pixels within each unit pixel are arranged successively so that signal electrons for each storage pixel are moved independently through the storage pixels. Signal electrons newly generated in a photosensitive pixel are added to relevant signal electrons among the signal electrons moved independently through the storage pixels. That is, signal electrons generated in the photosensitive pixel for each of highly relevant frames are superimposed in the same storage pixel and stored in each storage pixel. The signal electrons stored in each storage pixel are subsequently amplified in and outputted from an output amplifier only once. Thus, read noise occurs only once at the output amplifier, to obtain images of high signal-to-noise ratio.

Abstract: A photographing apparatus includes a photographing plan memory for setting photographing conditions based on a predetermined photographing plan, a vibration sensor for detecting vibration caused by an explosion of a balloon serving as a photographic subject, and a trigger generating circuit for taking in the timing of detection by the vibration sensor as a trigger. The above photographing plan is prepared beforehand for changing from low-speed photography to high-speed photography in response to the trigger, and changing from high-speed photography to low-speed photography after acquiring “40 frames”. With this plan, the low-speed photography is adopted before and after the balloon explosion, an amount of photographic data tends to be small. Photographs may be taken out within limited photographic data, even with a limited memory capacity. At a moment of balloon explosion, rapid variations due to the explosion may be photographed by high-speed photography with high accuracy.

Abstract: A solid state imaging device including a plurality of two-dimensionally arrayed light receiving pixels which generate electrical charges according to the strength of the incident light; at least two accumulating pixels for each of the light receiving pixels for accumulating signal electrical charges generated by the light receiving pixel, so that a plurality of frames of different times can be stored; a light shield for shutting off light entering the accumulating pixels and having an aperture at each of the light receiving pixels; and an opaque cover having a low reflectivity and laid over the light shield. The low reflectivity opaque cover, or the anti-reflection cover, has the same pattern as the light shield. Thus the incident light hardly reflects on the anti-reflection cover, and the harmful multiply reflecting lights are minimized. Further, the incident light hardly passes through the anti-reflection cover.