A switchable imaging apparatus having an image display mode and an image capture mode, comprising: a display screen to provide a displayed image when the display screen is in a first display state, wherein the display screen is at least partially transparent when the display screen is switched to a second transparent state; a set of optical beam deflectors, each optical beam deflector being individually switchable between a first non-deflecting state and a second deflecting state wherein imaging light from a corresponding section of the scene is deflected into a camera positioned in a location peripheral to the display screen; and a controller which synchronously switches the display screen between the first display state and the second transparent state, and the individual optical beam deflectors between their first non-deflecting state and their second deflecting state, thereby providing the image display mode and the image capture mode.