Patent ID: 7598997

Claim:
An imaging apparatus, comprising: focus control means for sequentially detecting a focal point while moving a focal lens to each of a plurality of positions and stopping the focal lens at the focal point so as to perform an automatic focusing operation; and range control means for causing said focus control means to perform the automatic focusing operation by limiting a movable range of the focal lens to a range narrower than an entire focus range with an immediately preceding focal point so as to include a smaller number of the positions, when, at a time of taking a picture, the number of the positions to be used by the focus control means to move the focal lens for detecting the focal point is larger than a predetermined number and a predetermined condition is satisfied, wherein said range control means causes said focus control means to perform the automatic focusing operation by the entire focus range including the number of the positions, when, at the time of taking the picture, at least one of a following criteria is satisfied, the number of the positions to be used by the focus control means to move the focal lens for detecting the focal point is smaller than the predetermined number and the predetermined condition is not satisfied.