Patent ID: 7753598

Claim:
A lens barrel movable between a first state, in which a plurality of optical elements of a photographing optical system are all aligned on an optical axis, and a second state in which at least one radially-retractable optical element included in said plurality of optical elements is retracted to a radially-retracted position which is eccentric with respect to said optical axis and moved rearward in said optical axis direction, said lens barrel comprising: a support ring; a radially-retractable optical element holding frame which supports said radially-retractable optical element, and is supported by said support ring to be movable between a first position corresponding to said first state, in which said radially-retractable optical element is positioned on said optical axis, and a second position corresponding to said second state, in which said radially-retractable optical element is positioned at said radially-retracted position, said radially retractable optical element holding frame being movable for a predetermined distance in the optical axis direction relative to said supporting ring; and an optical-axis-direction-movement limit device which limits movement of said radially-retractable optical element holding frame in said optical axis direction relative to said support ring to a distance different than the predetermined distance when said radially-retractable optical element holding frame is at said first position.