An illumination device for use in an ophthalmic procedure, the illumination device comprising: a housing; a blue diode laser positioned within the housing; a green diode laser positioned within the housing; a red diode laser positioned within the housing; an optical fiber illumination probe having proximal and distal ends and externally connected at its proximal end to the housing; a lens; and beam combining and beam steering optical elements (30A-30C, 40) arranged to collinearly combine an output beam from the blue diode laser, an output beam from the green diode laser, and an output beam from the red diode laser to form an illumination beam and direct the illumination beam through the lens to focus into the proximal end of the optical fiber illumination probe; characterized in that: the optical fiber illumination probe comprises an optical fiber having a numerical aperture greater than or equal to about 0.4 and an untapered single diameter core having a diameter less than or equal to about 200 microns, and a needle-like sheath at its distal end, the needle-like sheath is adapted for insertion into an eye to illuminate internal eye tissue with the illumination beam, and the illumination beam is focused by the lens into the untapered single diameter core; the green diode laser emission is centered at about 515 nm; and the illumination device comprises an optical filter having a transmittance less than or equal to about 0.1% in a stop band centered at about 532 nm for a therapeutic laser beam emission centered at about 532 nm, a pass band having a transmittance greater than or equal to about 85% at about 515 nm for emission from the green diode laser, and a transmittance greater than or equal to about 85% for emission from the blue diode laser and emission from the red diode laser. a housing; a blue diode laser positioned within the housing; a green diode laser positioned within the housing; a red diode laser positioned within the housing; an optical fiber illumination probe having proximal and distal ends and externally connected at its proximal end to the housing; a lens; and beam combining and beam steering optical elements (30A-30C, 40) arranged to collinearly combine an output beam from the blue diode laser, an output beam from the green diode laser, and an output beam from the red diode laser to form an illumination beam and direct the illumination beam through the lens to focus into the proximal end of the optical fiber illumination probe; characterized in that: the optical fiber illumination probe comprises an optical fiber having a numerical aperture greater than or equal to about 0.4 and an untapered single diameter core having a diameter less than or equal to about 200 microns, and a needle-like sheath at its distal end, the needle-like sheath is adapted for insertion into an eye to illuminate internal eye tissue with the illumination beam, and the illumination beam is focused by the lens into the untapered single diameter core; the green diode laser emission is centered at about 515 nm; and the illumination device comprises an optical filter having a transmittance less than or equal to about 0.1% in a stop band centered at about 532 nm for a therapeutic laser beam emission centered at about 532 nm, a pass band having a transmittance greater than or equal to about 85% at about 515 nm for emission from the green diode laser, and a transmittance greater than or equal to about 85% for emission from the blue diode laser and emission from the red diode laser. the optical fiber illumination probe comprises an optical fiber having a numerical aperture greater than or equal to about 0.4 and an untapered single diameter core having a diameter less than or equal to about 200 microns, and a needle-like sheath at its distal end, the needle-like sheath is adapted for insertion into an eye to illuminate internal eye tissue with the illumination beam, and the illumination beam is focused by the lens into the untapered single diameter core; the green diode laser emission is centered at about 515 nm; and the illumination device comprises an optical filter having a transmittance less than or equal to about 0.1% in a stop band centered at about 532 nm for a therapeutic laser beam emission centered at about 532 nm, a pass band having a transmittance greater than or equal to about 85% at about 515 nm for emission from the green diode laser, and a transmittance greater than or equal to about 85% for emission from the blue diode laser and emission from the red diode laser.