IMAGE PICKUP DEVICE AND ITS MODE SELECTING METHOD

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image pickup device that provides support forms respectively suitable for a moving picture and a still picture and can photograph both the moving picture and the still picture with high quality in a natural video image without a sense of incongruity. SOLUTION: In the image pickup device with a flat main body outer shape in a 1st support form being a device main body support form in a moving picture photographing mode where the size in the vertical direction is greater than the size in the lateral direction with respect to an optical axis, in the case of a 2nd support form supporting the device main body where the length direction of the flat shape is turned laterally by a prescribed angle with respect to the optical axis as the outer shape of the device main body in a still picture photographing mode, operation buttons are placed at positions at which the photographing in the 2nd support form is available. An image pickup means has an image pickup element that applies photoelectric conversion to an object light and a lens to focus the object light to an image pickup area of the image pickup element, the lens is placed above the front side of the flat shape and a strobe lighting section is placed under the front side.