Patent ID: 8385733

Claim:
An image pickup apparatus comprising an image sensor and a photographing optical system, said image pickup apparatus forming an object image obtained through the photographing optical system onto an imaging surface of said image sensor, wherein said imaging surface includes an effective light-receiving area having a rectangular shape that is defined by short sides and long sides, wherein an optical surface of a lens that is provided closest to the image plane within the photographing optical system and which possesses an imaging function has a non-circular shape in a front elevational view, and wherein a boundary of the non-circular optical surface of said lens that is provided closest to the image plane includes two pairs of mutually parallel sides so that, upon said lens that is provided closest to the image plane being rotated about the optical axis relative to the imaging surface, an image area formed by said non-circular optical surface covers the rectangular effective light-receiving area of the imaging surface before and after rotation.