A cornea imaging apparatus comprising: an illumination optical system (14, 18) having an illumination source for directing a slit light beam on a diagonal into an eye under examination; an imaging optical system having a photoelectric element for receiving a reflected light beam produced by reflection of the slit light beam from a cornea of the eye under examination, and for imaging the cornea; actuating means (112, 114, 116) for moving the illumination optical system and the imaging optical system in totality in a direction nearer to or further from the eye under examination to bring about focussing; imaging process control means (S3, 116); wherein: said imaging process control means (S3, 116) is an imaging process retracting control means arranged to control the actuating means during an imaging operation by the imaging optical system, to retract the illumination optical system and the imaging optical system in a direction away from the eye under examination; the apparatus further comprises continuous imaging means (S6, 112) is arranged to take multiple images of the cornea at different times and positions by the photoelectric element of the imaging optical system during a retracting operation by the imaging process retracting control means; the apparatus further comprises imaging operation control means is arranged to control imaging operation status of the cornea by the continuous imaging means during the retracting operation by the imaging process retracting control means, with reference to a photoreception signal of reflected light from the cornea of the eye under examination; and said continuous imaging means is configured to initiate taking multiple images of the cornea upon detection of a reflected light from a rear edge of the cornea based on the photoreception signal obtained during the retracting operation by the imaging process retracting control means. an illumination optical system (14, 18) having an illumination source for directing a slit light beam on a diagonal into an eye under examination; an imaging optical system having a photoelectric element for receiving a reflected light beam produced by reflection of the slit light beam from a cornea of the eye under examination, and for imaging the cornea; actuating means (112, 114, 116) for moving the illumination optical system and the imaging optical system in totality in a direction nearer to or further from the eye under examination to bring about focussing; imaging process control means (S3, 116); wherein: said imaging process control means (S3, 116) is an imaging process retracting control means arranged to control the actuating means during an imaging operation by the imaging optical system, to retract the illumination optical system and the imaging optical system in a direction away from the eye under examination; the apparatus further comprises continuous imaging means (S6, 112) is arranged to take multiple images of the cornea at different times and positions by the photoelectric element of the imaging optical system during a retracting operation by the imaging process retracting control means; the apparatus further comprises imaging operation control means is arranged to control imaging operation status of the cornea by the continuous imaging means during the retracting operation by the imaging process retracting control means, with reference to a photoreception signal of reflected light from the cornea of the eye under examination; and said continuous imaging means is configured to initiate taking multiple images of the cornea upon detection of a reflected light from a rear edge of the cornea based on the photoreception signal obtained during the retracting operation by the imaging process retracting control means. said imaging process control means (S3, 116) is an imaging process retracting control means arranged to control the actuating means during an imaging operation by the imaging optical system, to retract the illumination optical system and the imaging optical system in a direction away from the eye under examination; the apparatus further comprises continuous imaging means (S6, 112) is arranged to take multiple images of the cornea at different times and positions by the photoelectric element of the imaging optical system during a retracting operation by the imaging process retracting control means; the apparatus further comprises imaging operation control means is arranged to control imaging operation status of the cornea by the continuous imaging means during the retracting operation by the imaging process retracting control means, with reference to a photoreception signal of reflected light from the cornea of the eye under examination; and said continuous imaging means is configured to initiate taking multiple images of the cornea upon detection of a reflected light from a rear edge of the cornea based on the photoreception signal obtained during the retracting operation by the imaging process retracting control means.