An image pickup apparatus, adapted to be used with a remote control apparatus external to the image pickup apparatus, the image pickup apparatus comprising: image pickup means for generating an image signal by performing photoelectric conversion on an optical image; face detection means for detecting one or more faces based on the image signal generated by the image pickup means; identification information generating means for allocating identification information to each face detected by the face detection means; communication means (112, 113) operable to send the image signal generated by the image pickup device and the identification information allocated to each face by the identification information generating means to the remote control apparatus, and also operable to receive from the remote control apparatus: the identification information of a detected face that is specified, by a user of the remote control apparatus, as a face for tracking in the case that the user specifies an object for tracking that is a face to which identification information is allocated; and position information of an object that is specified by the user as an object for tracking in the case that the user specifies an object for tracking that is not a face to which identification information is allocated; determination means operable to determine whether the communication means receives, from the remote control apparatus, the identification information or the position information; and control means operable to: control tracking of the face specified for tracking in the case that it is determined that the identification information is received from the remote control apparatus; and control tracking of the object specified for tracking in the case that it is determined that the position information is received from the remote control apparatus. image pickup means for generating an image signal by performing photoelectric conversion on an optical image; face detection means for detecting one or more faces based on the image signal generated by the image pickup means; identification information generating means for allocating identification information to each face detected by the face detection means; communication means (112, 113) operable to send the image signal generated by the image pickup device and the identification information allocated to each face by the identification information generating means to the remote control apparatus, and also operable to receive from the remote control apparatus: the identification information of a detected face that is specified, by a user of the remote control apparatus, as a face for tracking in the case that the user specifies an object for tracking that is a face to which identification information is allocated; and position information of an object that is specified by the user as an object for tracking in the case that the user specifies an object for tracking that is not a face to which identification information is allocated; the identification information of a detected face that is specified, by a user of the remote control apparatus, as a face for tracking in the case that the user specifies an object for tracking that is a face to which identification information is allocated; and position information of an object that is specified by the user as an object for tracking in the case that the user specifies an object for tracking that is not a face to which identification information is allocated; determination means operable to determine whether the communication means receives, from the remote control apparatus, the identification information or the position information; and control means operable to: control tracking of the face specified for tracking in the case that it is determined that the identification information is received from the remote control apparatus; and control tracking of the object specified for tracking in the case that it is determined that the position information is received from the remote control apparatus. control tracking of the face specified for tracking in the case that it is determined that the identification information is received from the remote control apparatus; and control tracking of the object specified for tracking in the case that it is determined that the position information is received from the remote control apparatus.