Imaging apparatus

Abstract

An imaging apparatus for phase objects includes an imaging unit that images a phase object through an imaging lens, a light irradiation unit including a collimating unit that converts a light ray emitted from a light source into a substantially parallel light ray and a branching prism that branches and outputs the substantially parallel light ray such that the phase object is irradiated with the branched substantially parallel light rays in a plurality of different directions that are not parallel to an optical axis of the imaging lens, and a placement unit on which the phase object is placed in a region in which the light rays output in the plurality of different directions by the light irradiation unit first intersect each other.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.