A photographic copier includes a rod lens array held to a carrier and moved parallel to an original picture by a motor. Limit switches sense whether the array is in either stop position at both ends of the range of movement During movement, if the array is found to reach either stop position, then a control circuit stops the operation of the motor. When the rod lens array is started, if the limit switches sense that the rod lens array is not in either stop position, then the control circuit operates the motor to return the array to either stop position.