In a light-scanning optical system, a luminous flux emitted from the light source is trimmed and imaged as a linear luminous flux extending in the main scanning direction by the first optical system onto the deflection surface of the deflector. The deflected luminous flux is then imaged on the plane to be scanned by the second optical system that establishes a substantially conjugate relationship between the deflection surface and the plane to be scanned. Part of the deflected luminous flux is reflected by a bending mirror arranged on the light path between the second optical system and the plane to be scanned, and detected by the photodetector that generates a write-start position synchronizing signal for controlling the timing of spotting the scanning start point on the plane to be scanned. The bending mirror thus operates as the luminous flux delimiting member for the incident luminous flux entering the photodetector. The light source may have a plurality of light emitting sections and in that case, the quantity of light detected by the photodetector is equalized for all the plurality of luminous fluxes emitted from the photodetector.