Patent ID: 7853136

Claim:
An image pickup apparatus comprising: an imaging optical system; a display unit; detecting means for performing focus detection in phase difference detection; focusing means for performing focus control of a lens in the imaging optical system on the basis of the result of the focus detection by the detecting means; imaging means capable of generating an image signal concerning an optical image of a subject, received through the imaging optical system in which the focus control of the lens is performed; electronic zoom means for zooming in or out the image of the subject displayed in the display unit on the basis of the image signal generated by the imaging means by performing signal processing to the image signal; and switching means for switching between an electronic zoom active state in which the electronic zoom means is activated and an electronic zoom inactive state in which the electronic zoom means is inactivated, wherein the detecting means includes a sensor unit including a first licensor and a second licensor in which pixels are arranged; setting means for setting detection sections having the same section length in the first licensor and the second licensor; focus detecting means for performing the focus detection in the phase difference detection on the basis of an optical image of the subject detected in each detection section set in the first licensor and the second licensor; and section length controlling means for making the section length of the detection section in the electronic zoom active state shorter than that of the detection section in the electronic zoom inactive state.