Image pickup system having an image pickup device including an image pickup element for picking up the image of an object and outputting image data, a compression encoding circuit for effecting compression encoding of the image data, a wireless transmission circuit for modulating the compression encoded image data and transmitting the data to a wireless transmission channel, and a first connector adapted to be electrically and mechanically connected, in a detachable manner, to a display device for displaying the image picked-up by the image pickup element and to transmit the image data from the image pickup element. The system also includes a display device including a wireless reception circuit for receiving the transmitted image data from the wireless transmission channel. The display device selectively receives first or second image data and processes the received image data to output an image signal of a predetermined format.