To provide light source equipment for an endoscope which regulates the maximum amount of illumination light in accordance with the amount of illumination light permitted in a connected scope.

The light source equipment for an endoscope radiates illumination light from a light source onto an incident end face of a connected light guide. The light source equipment has a plurality of diaphragm apertures having different aperture ratios or transmittances, a diaphragm means disposed between the incident end face and the light source for setting one of the diaphragm apertures selectively, a reading means for reading information about limitations of the amount of illumination light from a memory of the connected scope, and a control means for selecting the aperture ratio or the transmittance of the diaphragm means in accordance with the information read by the reading means and for controlling the diaphragm means not to set such a diaphragm aperture having an aperture ratio or transmittance exceeding the selected aperture ratio or transmittance.