A video endoscope system includes an endoscope having in its imaging system a solid state imaging device for generating a video signal of an image of an object to be observed or examined which in turn is transmitted through a control circuit to a CRT display to be visualized thereon as a television picture and to a video tape recorder. A manually operable control switch on a hand-held control section of the endoscope actuates the video tape recorder to start recording the transmitted video signal on a video tape when desired. The provision of the control switch operable remotely from the video recorder permits an endoscope operator to start the video recorder when desired, without calling on others observing the television picture to perform the recording operation, which avoids the risk of delays and faulty communications that might otherwise result.