Patent ID: 7265913

Claim:
A movable lens control device for controlling movements of a plurality of movable lens groups of a photographing optical system in an optical axis direction, said plurality of movable lens groups including at least one first movable lens group and a second movable lens group, said movable lens control device comprising: a lens driving device for moving said first movable lens group and said second movable lens group in said optical axis direction; a position detector for detecting a position of said second movable lens group and determining whether said second movable lens group is in a predetermined normal moving range thereof; and a controller which controls operations of said lens driving device to stop said first movable lens group and to move said second movable lens group to a position within said normal moving range upon said position detector determining that said second movable lens group is positioned outside of said normal moving range during a movement of said first movable lens group from a predetermined initial position thereof.