A battery operated camera having a zoom lens in which film advance is controlled by counting pulse signals generated by film perforations and a first film frame is automatically placed in an exposure aperture when the film is loaded. The camera is set to an initial operation mode upon the battery being replaced. The initial operation mode is cleared in cooperation with shutter release when the camera is in the initial operation mode, so as to avoid an advance of several frames upon replacing the batter. A switch is provided in association with the lens barrier, and conditions of the switch are read upon replacing the battery so as to retract the zoom lens when a switch condition indicating that the lens barrier is closed is read or to extend the zoom lens when a switch condition indicating that the lens barrier is open is read. A data recording unit is provided and consists of liquid crystal segments for forming digits to be recorded, the liquid crystal segments being controlled to make all the segments visible for a predetermined time period upon loading of a new battery.
