An image pickup method and an image pickup apparatus are provided which can pick
up an image with a broad substantial dynamic range even with a video camera or
the like which is likely to be subject to image shifts. In increasing an apparent
dynamic range of a video signal by synthesizing a single image from a plurality
of images sequentially picked up at different exposure amounts, if a difference
between a motion vector between pixels in a plurality of images and a motion vector
between images is larger than a predetermined threshold value, the pixel is not
used for synthesization. Even a video signal having an image shift caused by a
motion of an object itself or hand vibration can be subjected to a practically
usable dynamic range increasing process.