An object of the present invention is to provide a drive device of an observation light switching mechanism which is capable of suppressing overloading of a drive motor and of realizing miniaturization, and for this purpose, the drive device of the present invention includes a filter section 42 where an optical filter 32 for generating light of a predetermined wavelength characteristic is arranged, and that is capable of arranging the optical filter at a first position and a second position different from the first position, a protruding portion 42x that is provided to the filter section, a transmission section 43 that includes a first groove portion 43d where the protruding portion contacts, and that moves the optical filter from the first position to the second position by rotating around a predetermined rotation shaft 41d and moving the protruding portion along the first groove portion, and a second groove portion 43e that is provided to the transmission section, along a tangent line direction of the protruding portion centering around the rotation shaft of the transmission section, in a state where the optical filter is moved to the second position.
