Patent ID: 8427554

Claim:
An imaging apparatus comprising: an imaging unit configured to perform photoelectric conversion of an optical image; an optical zoom unit configured to perform optical magnification variation in response to a zooming operation; an electronic zoom unit configured to perform electronic magnification variation on a signal output from the imaging unit; and a controller configured to operate the electronic zoom unit together with the optical zoom unit in a first zoom range from a wide-angle side in response to the zooming operation, to operate the optical zoom unit without operating the electronic zoom unit in response to the zooming operation in a second zoom range, which is closer to a telephoto side than the first zoom range, and to operate the electronic zoom unit together with the optical zoom unit in response to the zooming operation in a third zoom range, which is closer to the telephoto side than the second zoom range; wherein the first, second and third zoom ranges constitute the total zoom range obtainable by the imaging apparatus in that the first zoom range extends from the wide-angle side to a first point, the second zoom range extends from the first point to a second point, which is closer to the telephoto side than the first point, and the third zoom range extends from the second point to the telephoto side.