An automatic focusing device for a camera is disclosed. The automatic focusing device has sensing means for sensing light intensity distributions within narrow and wide areas of a field of view of an objective lens, respectively and can be operated in either operation mode of one-shot AF mode and continuous AF mode. When the one-shot AF mode is designated, said narrow area which is narrower than said wide area is automatically selected for focus condition detection and, when the continuous AF mode is designated, said wide area is automatically selected.