To provide a photographing lens driving controller capable of preventing groups of lenses from interfering with each other and controlling drive of the groups of lenses properly when abnormality occurs in travel locus of the group of lenses due to receiving unexpected impact during start operation.

This photographing lens driving controller includes a 3 group 1B of retracting drive system provided to move between an evacuation position where it is evacuated from a photographing optical axis and a position on the photographing optical axis, a motor 4B for the 3 group for driving the 3 group 1B, a CPU 5B and a motor driver 5A for controlling drive of the motor 4B for the 3 group, a 3 group travel locus detection device 9C for detecting travel locus of the 3 group 1B, and the CPU 5B for determining whether abnormality occurs in a driving state of the 3 group 1B when starting or not based on the travel locus of the 3 group 1B detected by the 3 group travel locus detection device 9C. The CPU 5B controls drive of the 3 group 1B when starting in accordance with the result of determining whether abnormality occurs in the driving state or not.