To provide an image reader which can easily make illuminance distributions on the surface of a document symmetrical before and after the read position in the scanning direction of the reader.

Reflector pedestals 12 and 13 are positioned so that the cross section of the internal surfaces of the curved sections 12a and 13a of the pedestals 12 and 13 crossing in the longitudinal directions of the pedestals 12 and 13 may constitute parts of an ellipse at one focal point of which a light source 11 is set up while the minor axis of the ellipse is on the optical path of the light. Then one illuminance distribution d1 controlled by the light quantity from the pedestal 12 side and the other illuminance distribution d2 which is controlled by the light quantity from the pedestal 13 side are made symmetrical with respect to the read position P on the document before and after the position P in the scanning direction by respectively selecting the forming and nonforming spots of a reflector 42 and an auxiliary reflector 43 on the internal surfaces of the curved sections 12a and 13a of the pedestals 12 and 13.