Patent ID: 8836856

Claim:
An imaging unit, comprising: an incident-side optical system on which light rays reflected from a photographic object are incident; an incident-side prism including a first incident surface which is orthogonal to an optical axis of said incident-side optical system and on which said light rays that are passed through said incident-side optical system are incident, a first reflecting surface which reflects said light rays incident thereon, and a first exit surface from which said light rays reflected by said first reflecting surface emerge; an exit-side prism including a second incident surface onto which said light rays that emerge from said first exit surface are incident, a second reflecting surface which reflects said light rays incident thereon in a direction toward said photographic object, and a second exit surface from which said light rays reflected by said second reflecting surface emerge; and an image sensor which faces said second exit surface and receives said light rays that emerge from said second exit surface, wherein said first incident surface is positioned closer to said photographic object side than said second exit surface, wherein a deflection angle of parallel light rays that travel along and parallel to said optical axis, of said incident-side optical system, at said first reflecting surface is greater than 90°, wherein a deflection angle of said parallel light rays, which are reflected by said first reflecting surface, at said second reflecting surface is smaller than 90°, wherein said deflection angle of said parallel light rays at said first reflecting surface is an angle of 90°+α°, and wherein said deflection angle of said parallel light rays by said second reflecting surface is an angle of 90°−α°.