Patent ID: 7507040

Claim:
A retractable lens system having a plurality of optical elements positioned on a common optical axis to constitute a photographing optical system when said retractable lens system is in a ready-to-photograph position, at least one optical element of said plurality of optical elements being a radially-retractable element which is movable to a radially-retracted position outside of said common optical axis, said retractable lens system comprising: a linearly movable frame which supports said radially-retractable optical element, and is guided linearly in said common optical axis direction; a rotatable member, positioned around said linearly movable frame, for moving said linearly movable frame between a ready-to-photograph position and a retracted position in said common optical axis direction when said rotatable member is rotated by a rotating drive member; a retracting member which retracts said radially-retractable optical element from said ready-to-photograph position on said common optical axis to said radially-retracted position by a force produced by a relative movement between said linearly movable frame and said retracting member in said common optical axis direction; and an accommodating portion formed on said rotatable member, wherein at least a portion of said radially-retractable optical element enters said accommodating portion of said rotatable member when said radially-retractable optical element is moved to said radially-retracted position from said ready-to-photograph position on said common optical axis.