Patent ID: 7773321

Claim:
A lens unit comprising: a first lens group arranged on a first optical axis, in which a light flux from an object enters the first lens group along the first optical axis; a second lens group arranged on a second optical axis; an optical-path bending member having a reflection surface for bending the light flux along the first optical axis in a first direction along the second optical axis; a movable frame holding the first lens group; a stationary frame holding the movable frame movably in a second direction along the first optical axis, and adopted to telescopically house the movable frame therein; and a bending-member moving mechanism for moving the optical-path bending member, wherein when an image is taken, the movable frame protrudes from the stationary frame and the optical-path bending member is arranged at a position so as to bend the light flux along the first optical axis in the first direction along the second optical axis, when the lens unit retracts fully, the bending-member moving mechanism moves the optical-path bending member in a direction substantially perpendicular to a plane to retreat the optical-path bending member from an area where the first lens group is to be housed in the stationary frame, where the plane is formed by the first optical axis and the second optical axis, and the movable frame is in a shape such that the movable frame houses the retreated optical-path bending member when the lens unit retracts fully.