Patent ID: 7733415

Claim:
An illumination apparatus for image-taking comprising: a light source; a reflective member; and an optical member which is disposed closer to a light irradiation side than the light source and has includes an emergence surface and an entrance surface integrally formed as a refractive surface, the entrance surface being integrally formed in continuous concave curved shape which includes no convex portion at least on the light source side, wherein the entrance surface includes a first area which receives a first light component emitting from the light source at an angle smaller than a first angle with respect to an irradiation optical axis and a second area which receives a second light component emitting from the light source at an angle larger than the first angle with respect to the irradiation optical axis, the first and second areas being integrally formed as continuous concave curved surface which faces the light source, the second area being positioned closer to the light source than the first area in a direction of the irradiation optical axis, wherein the optical member has includes a reflective surface which reflects the second light component entering the optical member from the second area, the second light component reflected by the reflective surface and then emerging from an area of the emergence surface from which the first light component emerges, the reflective surface being a total reflecting surface continuing from one end of the entrance surface toward an end of the emergence surface, wherein the reflective member directs a third light component emitting from the light source toward the entrance surface, an angle at which the third light component emits from the light source being larger than the angle at which the second light component emits with respect to the irradiation optical axis, and wherein the following condition is satisfied: 45°≦φ<90° where φ represents one of an inclination of the second area with respect to the irradiation optical axis and an inclination of a tangent to the second area on an acute angle side.