A sheet feeding unit having a holding section; a separation pad that contacts a sheet and imparts a conveyance resistance to the sheet; a separation roller that imparts a conveyance force to the sheet; a drive source that supplies driving force to the separation roller; a conveyance roller disposed at a position downstream of the separation roller, wherein the conveyance roller rotates at a circumferential speed greater than a circumferential speed of the separation roller, to impart conveyance force to the sheet, and wherein the conveyance roller and the separation roller are disposed so as to simultaneously contact the same sheet; and a drive shutoff unit, which shuts off the driving force supplied to the separation roller when the conveyance roller imparts the conveyance force to the sheet so the separation roller rotates in a following manner with the conveyance of the sheet.