Lens apparatus controllable via multiple control sources and image pickup system including the lens apparatus

A lens apparatus system comprising:

• a plurality of lens apparatuses each comprising:
• at least one optical element drivable in accordance with control commands from a plurality of control sources, including another lens apparatus among the plurality of lens apparatuses;
• a communication unit configured to communicate with the another lens apparatus;
• a driving state setting unit configured to set each of the at least one optical elements of the plurality of lens apparatuses to one of a master driving state or a slave driving state;
• a driving state identification unit configured to identify the driving state set to each of the at least one optical elements of the plurality of lens apparatuses;
• a control source information output unit configured to output, for each driving state of each of the at least one optical elements of the plurality of lens apparatuses, control source information that specifies a priority order to be used to preferentially select a control command from a control source having a higher priority order among control commands from the plurality of control sources;
• and
• a command determination unit configured to determine a control command for controlling drive of the corresponding at least one optical element based on the control source information output from the control source information output unit,
• wherein the communication unit outputs, when driving the optical element set to the master driving state, a control command for the corresponding at least one optical element of the another lens apparatus,
• wherein in the slave driving state, the control source information output unit outputs control source information that is different from the control source information in the master driving state to the command determination unit, and
• wherein control command output from the another lens apparatus in the master driving state has a highest priority among the control source information.