Patent attributes
There is disclosed an imaging apparatus having: (a) a drive mechanism for moving an imaging device subunit having an imaging device in mutually perpendicular first and second directions; (b) a first actuator for moving the imaging device subunit in the first direction; (c) a second actuator for moving the imaging device subunit in the second direction; (d) a sensing device for detecting the direction of gravity; and (e) a dust-removing device for shaking off dust adhering to the imaging device subunit by moving the subunit using at least one of the two actuators. The dust-removing device has: a setting unit for setting a direction of motion in which the imaging device subunit is moved, based on the direction of gravity detected by the sensing device; and a selecting unit for selecting an actuator used to drive the imaging device subunit in the direction of motion set by the setting unit from the first and second actuators.