An automatic focusing camera, after determining composition of an object being photographed within a range finding frame disposed at the center of a finder, repeats operations of detecting a range difference between an image forming position and a predetermined focusing position of the object and of storing the detected range difference, before a shutter release button is half-depressed, and, after being half-depressed, drives a taking lens in accordance with a range difference based on the latest information stored immediately before the half-depression to stop the taking lens at the predetermined focusing position, thereby enabling the lens setting without a time lag even when the object being photographed is in a low brightness.