Patent ID: 7782548

Claim:
A lens barrel for forming an optical image of a subject on an imaging element, comprising: a first lens unit having a first lens element and a first lens support frame supporting the first lens element; a second lens unit having a second lens element arranged to vary the focal length by moving relative to the first lens element in the optical axis direction, and a second lens support frame supporting the second lens element; a focus lens unit having a focus lens arranged to vary the focal state of the optical image by moving relative to the first lens element or the second lens element in the optical axis direction, and a focus lens support frame supporting the focus lens; a zoom mechanism arranged to relatively move the first lens unit and the second lens unit in the optical axis direction, having a zoom operating unit arranged to be operated by the user, with which the operating force inputted to the zoom operating unit is mechanically transmitted to at least one of the first lens unit and the second lens unit; a focus actuator supported by the zoom mechanism to move integrally with the first lens unit, and configured to utilize electric power to drive the focus lens unit in the optical axis direction with respect to the first lens unit; a starting point detector configured to detect whether or not the focus lens unit is disposed at a starting point position with respect to the first lens unit; and a drive controller configured to control the focus actuator so that the focus lens unit moves within a tracking range including the starting point position.