Light emitted from a taking lens 20 enters a first birefringent plate 1a
to be spatially divided along a first direction extending perpendicular
to the direction in which the light advances to achieve two separate rays
L10 and L20. The vibrational planes of the two light fluxes L10 and L20
emitted from the first birefringent plate 1a are converted to a
circularly polarized light by a phase plate 1c. The two light fluxes L10'
and L20' emitted from the phase plate 1c are each spatially divided into
two by a second birefringent plate 1d along a second direction extending
perpendicular to the first direction to achieve four separate rays L11,
L12, L21 and L22, to be guided to an imaging plane 15a of an imaging
device 15. At least either the first birefringent plate or the second
birefringent plate is constituted of lithium niobate, rutilo, Chilean
nitrate, or the like.