A solid-state image-sensing element 1 is fed with, from a coupling controller 4, a signal .phi.Sv that couples together the photoelectric conversion portions of every predetermined number of vertically adjacent pixels and a signal .phi.Sh that couples together the photoelectric conversion portions of every predetermined number of horizontally adjacent pixels. This sets the numbers of pixels of which the photoelectric conversion portions are coupled together horizontally and vertically. A pixel output controller 5 feeds a signal that controls the connection between the photoelectric conversion portion and the signal output portion in each pixel, and, within each group of pixels so coupled together, signals are outputted from one of those pixels.