An image pickup apparatus capable of focusing on an object with stability based on a recognized object area. A video camera includes an image pickup device for picking up an image formed by an image-pickup optical system including a focus lens, a face detection processing circuit for detecting, based on a video signal output from the image pickup device, an object area on an imaging screen and the likelihood of an object being present in the object area, and a computer for controlling a focus adjustment based on the object area when determining that the likelihood detected by the face detection processing circuit satisfies a predetermined condition, which is varied according to an imaging state.