DIGITAL CAMERA

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enable a digital camera to operate at high-speed by removing unstable factors at the start of the closing operation of a mechanical shutter. SOLUTION: The digital camera is equipped with an image pickup element 1 which photographs a subject, a shutter blade 2 which is arranged in front of the image pickup element 1, an actuator 3 which opens and closes the shutter blade 2, a position detection part 4 which detects the position of the shutter blade 2 and outputs a trigger signal, and a control part 5 which perform on/off control over the image pickup element 1 and actuator 3 in seconds corresponding to the luminance of the subject according to the trigger signal. The control part 5 after turning on the actuator 3 according to a photography indication so that the shutter blade 2 begins to be closed, measures seconds according to the trigger signal outputted from the position detection part 4 and turns on the image pickup element 1 to start taking a picture, and then completes the photography when the shutter blade 2 is perfectly closed. The position detection part 4 comprises a cut 25 formed in the shutter blade 2 and an optical sensor 41 which optically detects it and outputs the trigger signal.