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 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 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 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 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 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. <EOS>