Patent ID: 8754920

Claim:
A scanning optical apparatus, comprising: two light source units; a deflecting unit for deflecting two light beams for scanning emitted from the two light source units by different deflection surfaces; and two imaging optical systems disposed corresponding to the two light beams for scanning deflected by the different deflection surfaces of the deflecting unit, wherein: the two imaging optical systems form images of the two light beams for scanning deflected by the different deflection surfaces of the deflecting unit on photosensitive members of different hues; the two imaging optical systems are disposed to be opposed with respect to the deflecting unit in a sub-scanning cross section; and a reflectance of a first reflecting optical element disposed in an optical path between the photosensitive member and the deflection surface passed by a light beam corresponding to an image of a hue having low brightness, between the two light beams emitted from the two light source units, is lower than a reflectance of a second reflecting optical element disposed in an optical path between the photosensitive member and the deflection surface passed by a light beam corresponding to an image of a hue having high brightness, between the two light beams emitted from the two light source units.