Patent ID: 8922660

Claim:
An image pickup apparatus comprising: a light emitting unit and a light receiving unit, wherein the light emitting unit and the light receiving unit are arranged in parallel and oriented toward a front direction of the image pickup apparatus to face an object, of which an image is to be picked up; a first light path changing unit; and a second light path changing unit, wherein the first light path changing unit is movable from a first state, in which a light flux from the light emitting unit is guided toward a front direction of the image pickup apparatus, into a second state in which the light flux from the light emitting unit is divided into a first and second light flux, the first light flux is guided toward a front direction of the image pickup apparatus, and the second light flux is guided toward a side direction of the image pickup apparatus, and wherein the second light path changing unit is movable from a first state, in which a light flux from a front direction of the image pickup apparatus is guided to the light receiving unit, into a second state in which light fluxes from a front direction and a side direction of the image pickup apparatus are guided to the light receiving unit.