An imaging apparatus is arranged to perform a focus detection in each of focus detection areas set on an image pickup plane; select first area and second areas from among the focus detection areas on the basis of the focus detection result; pick up an optical image which is formed at each of a first focus position at which the selected first area is in focus and a second focus position at which the selected second area is in focus and generate image data; determine an area to be processed on the basis of the image data; execute a predetermined processing to the image data on the basis of a determination result. The second area is selected based on the number of focus detection areas satisfying a predetermined condition from among the focus detection areas each having a depth difference from the first area in a predetermined range.