A fundus photographing apparatus includes: an illuminating optical system for illuminating a fundus of an examinees eye a focus target presenting unit for projecting a focus target for focusing to the fundus via an objective lens a photographing element for photographing the fundus to obtain a fundus image and detect the focus target a diaphragm in a position substantially conjugate with a pupil of the examinees eye with the objective lens therebetween a focusing lens moved along an optical axis to focus on the fundus and a controlling device for moving the focusing lens along the optical axis based on a result of detection of the focus target by the photographing element with a position where a first distance from the diaphragm to the fundus is substantially equal to a second distance from an image of the diaphragm to the fundus image as a reference position of the focusing lens.