Patent ID: 7515199

Claim:
A lens apparatus for use in a camera system including the lens apparatus including an optical system having a focusing lens, and a camera detachably mounting the lens apparatus thereon, and having a focus state detector for detecting a focus state of an image obtained by the optical system, the lens apparatus including: a lens holding member holding the focusing lens; a supporting member for supporting the lens holding member movably in the direction of an optical axis of the optical system; a first drive mechanism for moving the supporting member in the direction of the optical axis of the optical system; a second drive mechanism for moving the lens holding member in the direction of the optical axis; and a controller for controlling the first drive mechanism and the second drive mechanism on the basis of a result of detection by the focus state detector; wherein the driving accuracy of said second drive mechanism is higher than the driving accuracy of said first drive mechanism, the driving range of said first drive mechanism is greater than the driving range of said second drive mechanism; and wherein if said lens holding member is not at a predetermined position in said supporting member, said controller moves said lens holding member to the predetermined position in said supporting member by said second drive mechanism, detects focus state by said focus state detector and moves the supporting member in the direction of said optical axis by said first drive mechanism on the basis of the result of the detection until a defocus amount comes within a first focus range, and thereafter again detects focus state by the focus state detector and moves the lens holding member in the direction of the optical axis by said second drive mechanism on the basis of the result of the detection until the defocus amount comes within a second focus range.