A drive mechanism for a camera includes a movable member located behind a
photographing lens and linearly moved along an optical axis thereof, the
movable member supporting an image pickup device; an AF coil secured to
the movable member or an immovable member of the camera; a magnetic force
generating device which is secured to the other of the movable member and
the immovable member, so as to linearly move the movable member in the
optical axis direction relative to the immovable member by applying a
magnetic field upon the AF coil; and a controller which controls the
direction of electric current flowing in the AF coil so that image light
transmitted through the photographing lens is converged onto an image
pickup surface of the image pickup device. The AF coil is a planar coil
which is wound on a plane parallel with the optical axis.