A universal prism device shortening lens axial length belongs to the technical field of optical systems and comprises a prism component and a shell. The prism component comprises an entrance prism, an emergent prism, at least one transition piece and at least two intermediate prisms. The universal prism device adopts the combination of a plurality of rectangular prisms, filter lenses and polarizers as well as modular design, thus being convenient for assembly and low in cost, realizing comprehensive functions of reducing system axial size, filtering and adjustable light decreasing, and corresponding series combination modes are also provided; the universal prism device can be universally used in various imaging systems and used for shortening the axial sizes of the imaging systems or actively and effectively utilizing the periphery spaces of the imaging system; and the device realizes imaging systems with flexible volume elasticity and is beneficial to the imaging systems to obtain better accessibility and portability.