Patent ID: 8521015

Claim:
An autofocus apparatus comprising: an imaging unit configured to capture an object image entered through a focus lens and output image data; a detection unit configured to detect a focus signal representing a contrast state of the object image based on the image data; a focus adjustment unit configured to repeatedly perform a focus adjusting operation for adjusting a position of the focus lens based on the detected focus signal during a period from receiving an instruction of the focus adjusting operation and until receiving an instruction of a recording processing; a storage unit configured to store focus information indicating whether or not the object image is in-focus state in the focus adjusting operation; and a setting unit configured to set a scanning range of the focus lens for acquiring the focus signal in the subsequent focus adjusting operation based on the focus information; wherein the setting unit sets the scanning range in a first range in the case that the focus information indicates that the object image is in-focus state, and sets the scanning range in a second range which is wider than the first range in the case that the focus information indicates that the object image is not in-focus state.