A light-pad microscope for observing a sample, the light-pad microscope having an illumination light path of an illumination light beam from a laser for illuminating the sample through an illumination objective lens and at least one viewing light path (40, 50) arranged for viewing the sample from a first viewing direction through a detection objective lens, wherein the sample is located in a medium, and wherein the illumination objective lens and the detection objective lens are dipped in the medium, the light-pad microscope comprising - the illumination objective lens; - the detection objective lens; - an illumination light path focussing arrangement in the illumination light path of the illumination light beam, wherein the illumination light path focussing arrangement comprises at least one of a cylindrical lens, an anamorphically shaped lens, a one-dimensional array of spherical or of aspherical lenses, or at least one anamorphically shaped mirror to focus the illumination light beam, the illumination light path focussing arrangement thereby defining a substantially two-dimensional object illumination region extending along an illumination direction of the illumination light path of the illumination light beam and a direction transverse thereto, for illumination of the sample; - an illumination region-confining device (27, 29) in the illumination light path of the illumination light beam for selectively illuminating a portion of the substantially two-dimensional object illumination region, the illumination region-confining device (27, 29) comprising at least a first aperture for confining the portion of the substantially two-dimensional object illumination region in the illumination direction of the illumination light path, and at least a second aperture for confining the portion of the substantially two-dimensional object illumination region in a direction transverse to the illumination direction of the illumination light path; - an additional objective lens arranged for viewing the sample at a second viewing direction from underneath the sample, the second viewing direction being different from the first viewing direction. - the illumination objective lens; - the detection objective lens; - an illumination light path focussing arrangement in the illumination light path of the illumination light beam, wherein the illumination light path focussing arrangement comprises at least one of a cylindrical lens, an anamorphically shaped lens, a one-dimensional array of spherical or of aspherical lenses, or at least one anamorphically shaped mirror to focus the illumination light beam, the illumination light path focussing arrangement thereby defining a substantially two-dimensional object illumination region extending along an illumination direction of the illumination light path of the illumination light beam and a direction transverse thereto, for illumination of the sample; - an illumination region-confining device (27, 29) in the illumination light path of the illumination light beam for selectively illuminating a portion of the substantially two-dimensional object illumination region, the illumination region-confining device (27, 29) comprising at least a first aperture for confining the portion of the substantially two-dimensional object illumination region in the illumination direction of the illumination light path, and at least a second aperture for confining the portion of the substantially two-dimensional object illumination region in a direction transverse to the illumination direction of the illumination light path; - an additional objective lens arranged for viewing the sample at a second viewing direction from underneath the sample, the second viewing direction being different from the first viewing direction.