Patent ID: 8837929

Claim:
An imaging apparatus comprising: a front lens group which constitutes part of an imaging optical system of said imaging apparatus and is provided at a fixed position with respect to an optical axis direction, wherein said front lens group includes at least one front lens element and a prism, in that order from an object side, and wherein light rays exiting from said front lens element along a first optical axis are reflected by said prism to travel along a second optical axis that is nonparallel to said first optical axis; at least one rear lens group which constitutes another part of said imaging optical system and is provided closer to an image plane side than said front lens group; a prism holder which supports at least said prism of said front lens group; a movable frame which supports said front lens element of said front lens group and is supported by said prism holder to be movable along a plane orthogonal to said first optical axis; and a driver which drives said movable frame along said plane, in response to vibrations applied to said photographing optical system, to reduce image shake on said image plane, wherein said driver comprises a permanent magnet and a coil positioned in a magnetic field of said permanent magnet, wherein one of said permanent magnet and said coil is a movable element which is fixed to said movable frame to move with said movable frame, wherein the other of said permanent magnet and said coil is a fixed element, which does not move with said movable frame, and wherein a position of said fixed element is determined by said prism holder; wherein said movable frame comprises: a lens holding portion which holds said front lens element; and a movable element holding portion which holds said movable element and is formed closer to said image plane side than said lens holding portion in a direction of said first optical axis, wherein said movable element, which is held by said movable element holding portion, is positioned within a range of thickness of said prism in said direction of said first optical axis.