Patent ID: 7415201

Claim:
An auto focusing device for a camera comprising: an image taking lens; a focus detecting section which detects a focused state of the image taking lens; an AF mode setting section which sets an AF mode of the camera to either a first AF mode in which upon detecting the focused state of the image taking lens, the focus detecting section is prohibited from subsequently performing a focus detecting operation, or a second AF mode in which even after detecting the focused state of the image taking lens, the focus detecting section continuously performs a focus detecting operation; an auxiliary light emitting section which emits an auxiliary light to the object in association with the focus detecting operation by the focus detecting section, if the object has a low luminance; and an emission control section which limits the number of times that the auxiliary light emitting section emits the auxiliary light to the object to one per a predetermined number of operations by the focus detecting section, if the AF mode setting section has set the AF mode to the second AF mode.