Patent ID: 7889985

Claim:
An imaging apparatus for forming an optical image of a subject on a light-receiving surface of an imaging element via a photographing lens; the imaging apparatus comprising: a first focusing position setting device which detects a person's face based on an image signal obtained from the imaging element, wherein when a face is detected, a subject distance is calculated based on a size of a particular portion of the detected face, and a focusing position of the photographing lens is set in order to focus on the subject positioned at the calculated subject distance, and when a face is not detected, a predetermined position is set as the focusing position; a second focusing position setting device which detects a person's face based on an image signal obtained from the imaging element, wherein when a face is detected, a subject distance is calculated based on a size of a particular portion of the detected face, the photographing lens is moved in a preset search range, focus evaluation values are calculated based on an image signal obtained from imaging element during the moving process of the photographing lens, a position at which the focus evaluation value peaks at a position corresponding to the person's face is detected based on the calculated focus evaluation values and the subject distance, and the detected position is set as the focusing position, and when a face is not detected, the photographing lens is moved in a preset search range, focus evaluation values are calculated based on an image signal obtained from imaging element during process of the photographing lens, a position where the focus evaluation value peaks on the minimum object distance side is detected, and the detected position is set as the focusing position; a two-stage-stroke-type release button which has half-pressing and full-pressing stages; a release button determination device which determines whether the release button has been half pressed or fully pressed directly; and a setting device which sets the second focusing position setting device as a focusing position setting device of the photographing lens when the release button is half pressed, and sets the first focusing position setting device as the focusing position setting device of the photographing lens when the release button is fully pressed directly.