A method in which a sample is manipulated with manipulation light using an optical arrangement, and the sample is imaged by means of SPIM technique under illumination with illumination light, in particular excitation light for fluorescence excitation, in the form of an illumination light sheet, characterized in that the manipulation light and the illumination light are focused by a. the same objective of the optical arrangement arranged in an objective working position, or b. by different objectives of the optical arrangement, which are successively brought into an objective working position, and in that at least one deflection device of the optical arrangement is connected downstream of the objective located in the objective working position, which deflects either the illumination light or the manipulation light such that the illumination light and the manipulation light strike the sample from different directions, wherein, when the same objective is used for the manipulation light and the illumination light, the sample is exposed to the manipulation light and the illumination light separately in time and, when switching between exposure to the manipulation light and exposure to the illumination light, a distance difference along the optical axis of the objective is compensated for by displacing the objective along the optical axis thereof, which occurs in that the foci of the manipulation light and the illumination light do not have the same distance to the objective, and a. the illumination light sheet is a quasi-light sheet consisting of a continuously reciprocated illumination light beam, or that b. the illumination light sheet is a quasi-light sheet consisting of an illumination light beam continuously reciprocated with a beam deflection device of the optical arrangement adjustable with respect to the deflection angle, or that c. a cylinder optics of the optical arrangement is present, which generates the illumination light sheet. a. the same objective of the optical arrangement arranged in an objective working position, or b. by different objectives of the optical arrangement, which are successively brought into an objective working position, and in that at least one deflection device of the optical arrangement is connected downstream of the objective located in the objective working position, which deflects either the illumination light or the manipulation light such that the illumination light and the manipulation light strike the sample from different directions, wherein, when the same objective is used for the manipulation light and the illumination light, the sample is exposed to the manipulation light and the illumination light separately in time and, when switching between exposure to the manipulation light and exposure to the illumination light, a distance difference along the optical axis of the objective is compensated for by displacing the objective along the optical axis thereof, which occurs in that the foci of the manipulation light and the illumination light do not have the same distance to the objective, and a. the illumination light sheet is a quasi-light sheet consisting of a continuously reciprocated illumination light beam, or that b. the illumination light sheet is a quasi-light sheet consisting of an illumination light beam continuously reciprocated with a beam deflection device of the optical arrangement adjustable with respect to the deflection angle, or that c. a cylinder optics of the optical arrangement is present, which generates the illumination light sheet. a. the illumination light sheet is a quasi-light sheet consisting of a continuously reciprocated illumination light beam, or that b. the illumination light sheet is a quasi-light sheet consisting of an illumination light beam continuously reciprocated with a beam deflection device of the optical arrangement adjustable with respect to the deflection angle, or that c. a cylinder optics of the optical arrangement is present, which generates the illumination light sheet.