According to the improved apparatus for recording images using exposing optics equipped with a dust excluding mechanism which prevents optical paths of light beams from being blocked by dust particles, the dust excluding mechanism has a fan and at least two filters, and at least one of the filters which is provided upstream of an air stream generated by the fan is fitted to be detachable. With the improved image recording apparatus of the invention, not only during scanning exposure, in a standby mode and in a power OFF mode but also during filter replacements, one can prevent the entrance of the dust particles into the duct, thereby ensuring that the light beams issuing from the exposing optics during scanning exposure will not have any part of their paths blocked by the dust particles. As a result, one can record defect-free images of high quality that do not have any density unevenness occurring in the form of streaks due to the dust particles.