Patent ID: 8203783

Claim:
A microscope comprising: a condenser lens that is provided in an illumination light path and in which at least one optical device is insertable into and removable from an illumination light axis for switching observation method; a first polarizing plate that is provided in the same light axis as the optical device and is insertable into and removable from the illumination light axis integrally with the optical device; and a second polarizing plate that is provided in the illumination light axis independently from insertion and removal of the optical device into and from the illumination light axis, wherein: the optical device is a slit for relief contrast with a third polarizing plate provided on a part thereof, the first polarizing plate is a polarizing plate for relief contrast, the second polarizing plate is a polarizing plate for differential interference or a polarizing plate for polarization observation, vibration directions of the first polarizing plate and the second polarizing plate are nearly the same, and the microscope further comprises: a fourth polarizing plate for differential interference or polarization observation fixedly provided in an observation light axis; and a depolarizer provided in a position at the fourth polarizing plate side with respect to the slit for relief contrast.