A solid-state image pickup apparatus including a pixel section, a column circuit, and a column circuit controlling section. The pixel section includes a plurality of unit pixels arranged in a matrix and converts an input optical signal to an electric signal. The column circuit processes the electric signal which is outputted from the pixel section column by column. The column circuit current controlling section reduces current of the column circuit, whose electric signal is not read out, than current of column circuit whose electric signal is read out, when a first mode which thins out and reads out electric signals of column circuits is set.