Recording operation control device for camera

A recording operation control device for a camera, which can perform time-lapse photography at a predetermined time interval, comprises an external memory control unit and an image data writing unit. The external memory control unit opens or closes a file defined in the external memory, which is detachably attached to the camera body, when image data is recorded in the external memory. The image data writing unit can write image data to an internal memory and the external memory. The external memory control unit maintains the open state of the file, and the image data writing unit records image data in the external memory without storing it in the internal memory, when the time interval is shorter than the processing time.