Patent ID: 7796347

Claim:
A lens barrel for forming an optical image of a subject, comprising: a first lens group configured to receive a light beam coming from the subject along a first optical axis, and having a bending optical element with which the light beam incident along the first optical axis is reflected in a direction along a second optical axis that intersects the first optical axis; a second lens group configured to receive the light beam passing through the first lens group; a third lens group configured to receive the light beam passing through the second lens group; a first support frame supporting the first lens group; a first support mechanism supporting the second lens group to be movable along the second optical axis with respect to the first lens group, and having a second support frame supporting the second lens group; and an optical path blocking unit having an optical path blocking mechanism provided to be capable of opening and blocking off the optical path along the second optical axis, a blocking drive motor configured to drive the optical path blocking mechanism, an optical element provided to be capable of being inserted into the optical path along the second optical axis and being retracted from the optical path, and an element drive motor configured to drive the optical element, the blocking drive motor and the element drive motor being disposed on opposite sides of a plane defined by the first optical axis and the second optical axis.