An object of this invention is to provide an image recording unit, which can pivot an image recording unit main body having a photographing optical system, which includes at least a photographing lens and an image pickup element, like the behavior of an eyeball, can realize a compact camera as a whole, and can reduce noise. In order to achieve this object, an image recording unit of this invention includes an image recording unit main body which accommodates at least a photographing lens and photographing apparatus in a case, and has a spherical surface portion for defining a driving surface at least on the outer surface of the case, support means for rotatably supporting the image recording unit main body to have a crossing point of at least two orthogonal axes as a center of rotation of the spherical portion, and frictional driving apparatus for frictionally driving the image recording unit main body independently in arbitrary directions by a frictional force generated between the driving surface and the support mechanism.