Patent ID: 7742097

Claim:
An optical device comprising: a) an image capturing unit configured to convert an incident light beam to an electric signal; b) an optical element arranged to be axially forward to an optical axis of said image capturing unit; c) a shutter device arranged to axially forward to an optical axis of said optical element, wherein said shutter device is arranged to face with a light beam incident surface of said optical element and have a shutter blade which is movable along the light beam incident surface of said optical element; d) an insulation member arranged to the shutter blade; and e) an electric control unit provided for at least one of electrostatically charging and neutralizing said insulation member, wherein said insulation member electrostatically charged by the electric control unit is moved along the light beam incident surface of said optical element and an alien substance adhering to the light beam incident surface of said optical element is absorbed to the electrostatically charged insulation member, wherein the shutter blade can be switched at least between a first operation speed and a second operation speed, wherein said optical device can be switched at least between a cleaning mode where the shutter blade is driven to an open state thereby exposing the light beam incident surface of the optical element or the image capturing unit, and an image capturing mode where image capturing of an object is performed, and wherein in the cleaning mode said optical device causes the shutter blade to operate at the first operation speed, and in the image capturing mode said optical device causes the shutter blade to operate at the second operation speed.