A reproducing apparatus includes a reproduction unit transporting a tape-shaped recording medium and reproducing an image data string including coded image data from the recording medium, where the image data is coded by selectively using intraframe coding and interframe predictive coding for every frame, a memory storing the image data string, a decoding unit reading and decoding the image data string stored in the memory, an instruction unit generating an instruction to reproduce in a normal reproduction mode or a slow reproduction mode, and a control unit, responsive to the instruction to start the slow reproduction mode, controlling the reproduction unit to reproduce the image data string while transporting the recording medium at a speed of the normal reproduction mode until a predetermined amount of the image data string is accumulated in the memory, and thereafter, reproducing the image data string while transporting the recording medium at a speed corresponding to the slow reproduction mode.