An operating condition judging means judges at least one of consumed current, whether or not a mechanically driven part is being operated, the supply voltage level, the ambient temperature, whether or not the lens stop device is operative, whether or not the strobo device is being charged, and whether or not access operation of a recording device is being performed. A controller controls a frequency of sweep-out of unnecessary charge in the imaging element on the basis of the output of an operating condition judging device. Thus, it is possible to effectively reduce the peak consumed current through the entire imaging apparatus, reduce the power consumption and extend the battery life.