Patent ID: 8085335
Filing Date: 2011-12-27
Classification: G02B,G03B

Abstract:
1. An image pickup apparatus comprising: an image-pickup optical system; three color separation prisms that separate incident light guided by the image-pickup optical system into three light components of three primary colors and that emit the three light components; and three image pickup elements that respectively receive the three light components emitted from the color separation prisms so as to produce image signals corresponding to the three light components, wherein, of the three color separation prisms, a first color separation prism that first receives the incident light has an edge extending parallel to an incidence plane, wherein the image-pickup optical system includes a plurality of lenses, one of the lenses being a final lens disposed closest to the first color separation prism, and the image-pickup optical system has a plate-like fixed aperture stop disposed between the final lens and the first color separation prism, wherein the fixed aperture stop has an aperture that limits the incident light, wherein an edge section of the aperture has a plurality of projections and depressions arranged at least in parallel to the edge, as viewed from an optical-axis direction of the final lens, wherein the plurality of projections and depressions has a first set of projections and depressions with one of the first set of projections and depressions defining a first wave pattern and a second set of projections and depressions with one of the second set of projections and depressions defining a second wave pattern different from the first wave pattern and wherein the first set of projections and the second set of projections are arranged in a manner that one first wave pattern is disposed between and connected to two adjacent second wave patterns and one second wave pattern is disposed between and connected to two adjacent first wave patterns to form a repetitive sequence of the first and second wave patterns.