Image pickup apparatus

An image pickup apparatus, comprising:

• an image pickup optics system that forms an optical image of a subject on an imaging surface;
• a variable magnification lens that is part of the image pickup optics system, that is provided to be movable in a direction of an optical axis of the image pickup optics system, and that enlarges or reduces the optical image formed on the imaging surface in association with a movement of the variable magnification lens;
• a position detection unit that detects a position of the variable magnification lens in the direction of the optical axis;
• a storage unit that stores, as output characteristic information about a characteristic of an output of the position detection unit according to a position of the variable magnification lens in the direction of the optical axis, information including a wide-angle-end output value, which is an output value of the position detection unit when the variable magnification lens is made to touch a wide-angle end, a telephoto-end output value, which is an output value of the position detection unit when the variable magnification lens is made to touch a telephoto end, and a slope of a linear line obtained when the characteristic of the output of the position detection unit according to the position of the variable magnification lens in the direction of the optical axis is linearly approximated in each of a plurality of small sections into which a movement section from the wide-angle end to the telephoto end of the variable magnification lens is partitioned;
• and
• a driving control unit that performs a control for moving the variable magnification lens on the basis of the output characteristic information, wherein
• the driving control unit performs the control for moving the variable magnification lens on the basis of the output characteristic information so that a result of a multiplication between an inverse number of a slope of a linear line corresponding to a small section to which a current position of the variable magnification lens belongs and the amount of an output change of the position detection unit per unit time can become constant.