Patent ID: 7545547

Claim:
A scanning unit that scans a scanning target surface by using light fluxes, the scanning unit comprising: a light source having a plurality of surface emitting lasers; a deflector that deflects light fluxes output by the light source; and an optical system that is arranged in an optical path between the light source and the deflector, and includes a first optical system that leads the light fluxes output by the light source to the deflector and a second optical system that leads the light fluxes deflected by the deflector to the scanning target surface, wherein an absolute value of a lateral magnification in a main scanning direction is larger than an absolute value of a lateral magnification in a sub-scanning direction in the optical system, and a beam diameter in the sub-scanning direction on the scanning target surface is equal to or smaller than a beam diameter in the main scanning direction on the same and larger than a scan line interval.