PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an endoscope apparatus and a method for driving the same for easy and efficient inspection by selecting a curving speeding in accor dance with the range of a visual field the setting of which is changed. SOLUTION: The endoscope apparatus 1 has an endoscope 2 provided with an insertion part 2a which can have an optical adapter 18 fitted to a tip part body 11 and a driving part 16 for curvingly driving the curved part 12 of this insertion part 2a and a control part 17 for controlling the drive of this part 16. An operation instruction signal from the selection button 53 of a remote controller 6 is inputted to the microcomputer 71 of the part 17, thereby information on the kind (the range of a visual field) of the optical adapter 18 can be obtained. The microcomputer 71 recognizes the kind (the range of a visual field) of the adapter 18 based on the information on the kind (the range of a visual field) of the adapter 18 as an adapter recognition means, and selects the above curving speed set in advance in accordance with the kind (the range of a visual field) of the adapter 18 recognized as a speed setting means.
