Patent ID: 7505678

Claim:
A control apparatus for controlling a driver driving an optical element of an image pickup device to adjust a focus position of the image pickup device in the capturing of an image of a subject, the control apparatus comprising: focus position control process startup means for managing a startup of a focus position control process, the focus position control process for controlling the focus position through controlling the driver in response to a change pattern of a relative angle variation, the relative angle variation being a change per unit time of a relative angle of the image pickup device with respect to the subject; focus position control process executing means for executing the focus position control process that is started under the control of the focus position control process startup means; and startup condition adjusting means for adjusting a startup condition of the focus position control process, started by the focus position control process startup means, based on a change in a saturated luminance count contained in the image captured in the focus position control process executed by the focus position control process executing means.