PURPOSE: To clearly read not only a mounted original but also the pictures of an object arranged at a separate position.

CONSTITUTION: When a switch 17 is turned on, a flasher device 22 attached to an external flasher part 21 attached to an external housing part 21A irradiates the object 30 with the light of three colors R, G and B. The light reflected on the object 30 is passed through a window 10B for read, made incident on the internal part of a case body 10A, reflected on a mirror 19 and made incident on a lens 14. The lens 14 converges the light and a two-dimensional CCD 15 receives the converged light and reads the pictures of the object. An internal flashing part 11 provided with the flasher device 12 is freely attachably and detachably attached to a housing part 11A and is operated when the external flasher part 21 is not attached to the external housing part 21A. Also, a tripod 31 is attached to a fixing tool attachment part 18 and fixes this picture reader 1.