The image taking apparatus includes: a CCD which takes an image of a subject to obtain a shot image; a processor-side CPU which has three or more photometric modes having different analysis schemes to measure brightness of the shot image by analyzing the shot image taken by the CCD; and an aperture for reducing light from a light source based on the brightness measured by the processor-side CPU. In the processor-side CPU, two or more of the photometric modes corresponding to a selecting operation are selected, and one of the selected photometric modes is cyclically switched between the selected photometric modes upon reception of the switching operation instructing the switching.