The present invention relates to a water-soluble photosensitive compound represented by the general formula (1):
or by the general formula (2):
in the formula, X represents a direct bond, an alkylene group containing 1 to 5 carbon atoms, —CH2O—, —OCH2—, —CH2OCH2—, —O—, —S— or —SO2—, and Z represents —SO3−.Q+, —COO−.Q+ or —SO2NR2, in which Q+ represents Li+, Na+, K+ or N+R4 and R represents a hydrogen atom and/or an alkyl group containing 1 to 5 carbon atoms, said alkyl group optionally having one hydroxy, ether, carbonyl, carbonyloxy or oxycarbonyl group,
wherein a photosensitive group has an absorption maximum wavelength of not longer than 305 nm in the ultraviolet absorption spectrum thereof.