Patent ID: 8018524

Claim:
An image-pickup apparatus comprising: an image-pickup element that includes first type pixels photoelectrically converting an object image formed by a light flux from an image-pickup optical system, and second type pixels photoelectrically converting plural images formed by plural light fluxes divided from the light flux from the image-pickup optical system; a controller that performs focus control based on a contrast evaluation using signals from pixels in a contrast evaluation area among the first type pixels; and a phase difference focus detector that detects phase differences of respective pairs of images of the plural images using signals from the second type pixels, the pairs of images being respectively formed in plural phase difference detection areas provided in the contrast evaluation area, and that calculates information on an in-focus position of the image-pickup optical system or object distance for each phase difference detection area based on each phase difference; wherein the controller changes the contrast evaluation area based on the information calculated for the respective phase difference detection areas.