A portable camera is provided for, including a camera section, a body section, and an attachment portion, wherein the camera section and the body section are configured to contact one another along an angled surface that allows the camera section to swivel with respect to the body section. The attachment portion may also be connected to the body section via a magnet and may further include ports for attaching to a charging and/or data cable.

An optical apparatus that is capable of improving impact resistance thereof. A holding member holding the optical element is movably attached to a first member so that the optical element is movable between an entering position where the optical element enters into an optical path and a retracted position where the optical element is retracted from the optical path. The first member is movably attached to a second member. A driving member engages with the holding member and drives the holding member. A regulation member regulates a moving amount of the first member with respect to the second member. The regulation member is arranged so that a distance from an engagement position of the holding member and the driving member at the entering position to the regulation member is longer than a distance from the engagement position at the retracted position to the regulation member.

An imaging device includes an imaging unit that captures light which is formed into an image through an optical system capable of housing a lens with operating force by a user; an operating unit operated by the user; a display unit that displays an image; and a controller that is capable of setting a playback mode which is an operating mode to display on the display unit an image represented by image data stored in a storage medium, and an operating mode other than the playback mode, and that sets the playback mode when the lens is housed, regardless of whether or not operation to set the playback mode has been accepted through the operating unit.

An imaging device includes an imaging unit that captures light which is formed into an image through an optical system capable of housing a lens with operating force by a user; an operating unit operated by the user; a display unit that displays an image; and a controller that is capable of setting a playback mode which is an operating mode to display on the display unit an image represented by image data stored in a storage medium, and an operating mode other than the playback mode, and that sets the playback mode when the lens is housed, regardless of whether or not operation to set the playback mode has been accepted through the operating unit.

The lens barrel includes a first frame body, a second frame body, a support frame, and a retracting lens frame. The second frame body is supported by the first frame body. The support frame is supported by the second frame body and move with respect to the second frame body within a plane. The plane being perpendicular to the optical axis. The retracting lens frame is supported by the support frame and move around a retraction shaft during a transition period between an imaging enabled state and a housed state. The retraction shaft is substantially parallel to the optical axis. The second frame body, the support frame, and the retracting lens frame move in the optical axis direction with respect to the first frame body during the transition period. The first frame body restricts the movement of the support frame within the plane during the transition period.

The lens barrel includes a first frame body, a second frame body, a support frame, and a retracting lens frame. The second frame body is supported by the first frame body. The support frame is supported by the second frame body and move with respect to the second frame body within a plane. The plane being perpendicular to the optical axis. The retracting lens frame is supported by the support frame and move around a retraction shaft during a transition period between an imaging enabled state and a housed state. The retraction shaft is substantially parallel to the optical axis. The second frame body, the support frame, and the retracting lens frame move in the optical axis direction with respect to the first frame body during the transition period. The first frame body restricts the movement of the support frame within the plane during the transition period.

A camera includes a camera-unit rotatably held which can change its photographing direction by rotation, and a rotation detecting device for detecting the rotation. The rotation detecting device includes: a detection part having a lever which self-returns to a reference position; a cam part, with which the lever part is contact, including a cut-out part in a part thereof; and a rotary body rotatable together with the camera-unit. In one-directional rotation about a shaft, the rotary body transitions at least among a first state of the lever not facing the cut-out part, a second state of the lever facing the cut-out part at the reference position, and a third state of the lever not facing the cut-out part. The detection part detects which one of the first, second, and third states the rotary body is in, and determines the photographing direction of the camera-unit based on the detected state.

A camera includes a camera-unit rotatably held which can change its photographing direction by rotation, and a rotation detecting device for detecting the rotation. The rotation detecting device includes: a detection part having a lever which self-returns to a reference position; a cam part, with which the lever part is contact, including a cut-out part in a part thereof; and a rotary body rotatable together with the camera-unit. In one-directional rotation about a shaft, the rotary body transitions at least among a first state of the lever not facing the cut-out part, a second state of the lever facing the cut-out part at the reference position, and a third state of the lever not facing the cut-out part. The detection part detects which one of the first, second, and third states the rotary body is in, and determines the photographing direction of the camera-unit based on the detected state.

A device having a camera module, installed on the housing of the device such that the position of the camera module relative to the housing can be changed. One of the positions, an exposure position, involves optical elements which are oriented so as to be able to project light onto light-sensitive elements in order to produce an image on one or more sensors. A second position involves being flush against, and as close as possible to, the housing of the mobile device, by means of folding. The overall thickness of the camera module is structurally limited by the thickness of the thickest optical or light-sensitive element. The device contains structural elements for processing a digital representation of an image obtained from the light-sensitive elements. The camera module includes optical elements in the form of a set of thin lenses and/or mirrors, and one or a plurality of light-sensitive elements, namely sensors consisting of light-sensitive pixels. If the camera module has a plurality of sensors and a plurality of groups of lenses, separate light flows are directed onto corresponding sensors, wherein means for processing the digital representation of the image unite the images obtained from the sensors so as to produce a single image of increased quality. The use of a mobile device having such a camera module allows for producing high-quality images, especially in low-light conditions, while maintaining small device dimensions.

An image forming apparatus includes an apparatus body accommodating an image forming device, a foreign object detector that detects a foreign object beside the apparatus body, and a detector holding unit that holds the foreign object detector. The foreign object detector and the detector holding unit are movable together into the apparatus body.