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, includes a relative
angle variation calculating unit for calculating a relative angle
variation, a mode change detecting unit for detecting of a change of a
mode of the relative angle variation through determining whether the mode
of the relative angle variation, calculated by the relative angle
variation calculating unit, is a stable mode involving a small amount of
change or an unstable mode involving a large amount of change, and a
focus position control process startup unit for managing a startup of a
focus position control process controlling the focus position through
controlling the driver in response to a pattern of the change of the mode
detected by the mode change detecting unit.