Abstract: The present invention relates to a portable imaging apparatus for imaging an internal area of an object, such as a body cavity, organ or passage of a human or animal. The imaging apparatus comprises an endoscope and a hand holdable image-viewing device releasably connectable to a proximal end of the endoscope. The endoscope comprises an image capture optical pathway and an illumination optical pathway. The image-viewing device comprises an image detector optically couplable to the image capture optical pathway, a display in communication with the detector and a light source optically couplable to the illumination optical pathway. In use, light is transmitted from the light source to the distal end of the endoscope via the illumination optical pathway and illuminates the internal area to be viewed. An optical image of the internal area is transmitted from the distal end of the endoscope to the image-viewing device via the optical image pathway and detected by the detector.