An optical head device includes a light source for emitting light; an optical system for focusing the light emitted by the light source onto an information medium to form a light spot; a photodetector including a plurality of light detection areas for receiving the light reflected by the information medium and for outputting photocurrents in accordance with the respective amount of the light received; a holographic optical element for diffracting the light reflected by the information medium and for directing the light to the photodetector; and a signal processing circuit section for obtaining a focusing error signal and a tracking error signal for controlling the light spot using the photocurrents. The signal processing circuit section obtains the focusing error signal from the photocurrents which are obtained in accordance with the amount of light of one of .+-.Nth-order diffracted beams, and obtains the tracking error signal from the photocurrents which are obtained in accordance with the amount of light of the other of the .+-.Nth-order diffracted beams.