PURPOSE: To easily sort an article to be sorted without using a complicated electric circuit and complicated machine parts, by placing the article to be sorted on a rotatably moving photoconductive film, and irradiating the same with light to change the charged amount thereof.

CONSTITUTION: Articles 1a, 1b to be sorted are successively carried onto a photoconductive film 3 and irradiated with light by a photoconductive film irradiating means 5 while passed under said irradiating means 5. Whereupon, the preliminarily uniformly charged photoconductive film 3 generates the change in its conductivity by transmitted light and attraction or repulsive force is different between the articles 1a, 1b to be sorted and the photoconductive film 3 and the articles 1a, 1b to be sorted are fallen at a position where balance is lost to be distributed to the left and right of a separation plate 6. As mentioned above, a complicated electric circuit for sorting and a discharging machine are not required and sorting is performed by the photoconductive film.