An image pickup system includes: an optical system including a focus lens unit; a camera platform apparatus driving the optical system to pan and tilt; a measuring unit measuring a distance to an object, the measuring unit operable to be driven independently from the pan/tilt-driving of the optical system; and a controller storing panning/tilting positions of the optical system as pre-set positions, and controls driving of the optical system to the pre-set positions, wherein upon input of a drive command for driving the optical system to the stored pre-set positions, the controller drives the measuring unit so that a panning position of the measuring unit and the stored panning position correspond to each other and starts measurement by the measuring unit before completion of the driving of the optical system to the stored panning/tilting positions.