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.