A method of operating a microscopic image capturing apparatus, the apparatus comprising: a sample setting stage having a sample setting surface on which a sample can be set; an imaging unit, arranged so as to oppose the sample setting surface, successively imaging respective portions in an imaging object area on said sample setting surface; an objective lens, arranged between said imaging unit and said sample setting surface, forming, on said imaging unit, a localized microscopic image of an area, within the imaging object area, that is imageable by said imaging unit; a first driving mechanism arranged to adjust relative positions of said sample setting stage and said objective lens, by relatively moving at least one of said sample setting stage and said objective lens along a scan plane orthogonal to an optical axis of said objective lens; a second driving mechanism arranged to adjust relative positions of said sample setting stage and said objective lens, by relatively moving at least one of said sample setting stage and said objective lens along an optical axis direction of said objective lens; and a control unit, arranged to control said first and second driving mechanisms (38; 44), relatively moving the imageable area of said imaging unit along a predetermined scan direction while adjusting the focal point position of said imaging unit in the imaging object area, wherein said sample setting surface of said sample setting stage is inclined with respect to the scan plane, the method comprising the steps of: placing the sample on the sample setting surface; and characterised by controlling said first driving mechanism with said control unit such that the focal point position of said imaging unit is monotonically adjusted in only one direction along the optical axis of said objective lens while the imageable area of said imaging unit is being relatively moved in the predetermined scan direction within the imaging object area, wherein the inclination of the sample setting surface is set such that a surface of the sample that opposes said imaging unit across said objective lens is inclined with respect to the scan plane so that an in-focus image of each microscopic image area along the scan direction may be obtained by the monotonic adjustment of the position of the objective lens in only one direction along the optical axis of said objective lens. a sample setting stage having a sample setting surface on which a sample can be set; an imaging unit, arranged so as to oppose the sample setting surface, successively imaging respective portions in an imaging object area on said sample setting surface; an objective lens, arranged between said imaging unit and said sample setting surface, forming, on said imaging unit, a localized microscopic image of an area, within the imaging object area, that is imageable by said imaging unit; a first driving mechanism arranged to adjust relative positions of said sample setting stage and said objective lens, by relatively moving at least one of said sample setting stage and said objective lens along a scan plane orthogonal to an optical axis of said objective lens; a second driving mechanism arranged to adjust relative positions of said sample setting stage and said objective lens, by relatively moving at least one of said sample setting stage and said objective lens along an optical axis direction of said objective lens; and a control unit, arranged to control said first and second driving mechanisms (38; 44), relatively moving the imageable area of said imaging unit along a predetermined scan direction while adjusting the focal point position of said imaging unit in the imaging object area, wherein said sample setting surface of said sample setting stage is inclined with respect to the scan plane, the method comprising the steps of: placing the sample on the sample setting surface; and characterised by controlling said first driving mechanism with said control unit such that the focal point position of said imaging unit is monotonically adjusted in only one direction along the optical axis of said objective lens while the imageable area of said imaging unit is being relatively moved in the predetermined scan direction within the imaging object area, wherein the inclination of the sample setting surface is set such that a surface of the sample that opposes said imaging unit across said objective lens is inclined with respect to the scan plane so that an in-focus image of each microscopic image area along the scan direction may be obtained by the monotonic adjustment of the position of the objective lens in only one direction along the optical axis of said objective lens. placing the sample on the sample setting surface; and characterised by controlling said first driving mechanism with said control unit such that the focal point position of said imaging unit is monotonically adjusted in only one direction along the optical axis of said objective lens while the imageable area of said imaging unit is being relatively moved in the predetermined scan direction within the imaging object area, wherein the inclination of the sample setting surface is set such that a surface of the sample that opposes said imaging unit across said objective lens is inclined with respect to the scan plane so that an in-focus image of each microscopic image area along the scan direction may be obtained by the monotonic adjustment of the position of the objective lens in only one direction along the optical axis of said objective lens.