To provide an imaging apparatus and a method for controlling the movement of lenses constituting a photographic optical system in which a rear lens frame is reset to an initial usable state when the rear lens frame, out of a front lens frame and the rear lens frame adjacent on an optical axis, does not move.

The second and third lenses 18 and 22 are arranged front and rear along the optical axis of the photographic optical system, and the second and third lenses 18 and 22 are held by the second lens frame 20 and the third lens frame 24 respectively. When the third lens frame 24 does not move forward by a commanded moving amount, the second lens frame 20 are moved backward to the housing position. When the second lens frame 20 moves backward, it is made to abut on the third lens frame 24 so as to move the third lens frame 24 backward together with the second lens frame 20, thereby returning the third lens frame 24 to the housing position.