Patent ID: 8041204

Claim:
An optical element position control mechanism comprising: an optical element holding member which holds an optical element of a plurality of optical elements of a photographing system; an advancing/retracting movement guide member which guides said optical element holding member in an optical axis direction of said photographing system to be movable in said optical axis direction; a biasing device including an arm, said arm being swingable about a swing axis which is substantially orthogonal to said optical axis and being engaged with said optical element holding member, wherein said biasing device simultaneously exerts via said arm both a biasing force in a direction of movement of said optical element holding member that is guided by said advancing/retracting movement guide member and a biasing force in a direction orthogonal to said direction of movement of said optical element holding member on said optical element holding member; and a rotational ring that rotates to move at least one of said optical elements, wherein said rotational ring is provided separately from said optical element held by said holding member, and wherein said biasing device is positioned radially outside said rotational ring.