An object of the invention is to provide an endoscope that causes the balance of illumination light amounts in a front direction and a lateral direction to be distributed appropriately to obtain favorable endoscopic images. For that purpose, the present invention includes: a first objective lens 21 that causes an image of a forward object to be observed to be formed a circular second objective lens 22 that causes an image of a lateral object to be observed to be formed a first distance detection portion (9a, 41) that measures a distance between the first objective lens and the forward object to be observed a second distance detection portion (9a, 42) that measures a distance between the second objective lens and the lateral object to be observed a light guide 32a that guides illuminating light emitted from a light source 10 to a distal end side of an insertion portion a light distribution member 32 that distributes light from the light guide to the front of the first objective lens and to the side of the second objective lens light amount varying means 45 for changing light amount proportions with respect to light emitted to the front of the first objective lens and light emitted to the side of the second objective lens and a control portion 9b that controls the light amount varying means based on a first distance signal and second distance signal.
