Patent ID: 8582016

Claim:
A photographing apparatus, comprising: an image pickup unit having an imaging surface; and a control unit configured to cause a movement of at least one lens arranged in the photographic apparatus in a first direction and in a second direction opposite to the first direction, the control unit being further configured to determine a state of focus of a subject being photographed based on a phase difference between a first image, which is generated on the imaging surface of the image pickup unit after the at least one lens has moved in the first direction, and a second image, which is generated on the imaging surface of the image pickup unit after the at least one lens has moved in the second direction, the control unit also being configured to cause movement of a lens group a distance determined according to the state of focus to bring the subject into focus; wherein the first direction and the second direction are substantially perpendicular to an optical axis of the at least one lens, and wherein the lens group is moved the distance along the optical axis.