Patent ID: 7868944

Claim:
A control unit for an optical apparatus that includes a lens member that is movable, and an actuator, said control unit comprising: a drive mechanism that is changeable between a first state at which the drive mechanism is capable of transmitting a driving force of the actuator to the lens member through a mechanical connection and a second state at which the drive mechanism is incapable of transmitting the driving force to the lens member by releasing the mechanical connection, a determination part configured to determine whether or not a movable member provided to the optical apparatus or to an apparatus attached to the optical apparatus is to pop up, a pop-up of the movable member giving a vibration impact to the optical apparatus; and a controller configured to control, prior to the pop-up of the movable member, the actuator so that the drive mechanism is changed from the first state to the second state to prevent the lens member from being moved by the vibration impact given by the pop-up of the movable member, when said determination part determines that the movable member is to pop up, wherein the actuator is driven in a direction opposite to a direction in which the actuator has driven immediately before the lens member was stopped at a current position, when the drive mechanism is changed from the first state to the second state.