Patent ID: 7505077

Claim:
A lighting control apparatus of a photographing apparatus, comprising: a release switch that is used for starting an exposure time; and an AF unit that performs an AF sensing operation and a focusing operation; a lighting device that illuminates a photographic subject by receiving a pulse signal which has a predetermined cycle; a continuous imaging control processor that performs a continuous imaging operation during which a plurality of images of said photographic subject are continuously imaged; and a pulse-signal generating processor that supplies said pulse signal to said lighting device with a first duty ratio in the exposure time, and with a second duty ratio, which is smaller than said first duty ratio, in a post-exposure time, which is the time between said exposure time termination and the next exposure time start, said second duty ratio being set to a value which is larger than 0%, when a result of a current AF sensing operation, which was performed immediately after said release switch was switched to the on state, is different from the result of a previous AF sensing operation, which was performed immediately before said release switch was switched to the on state.