An image pickup system is equipped with a cylindrical lens CL, which, for a light flux emitted from light source 1, converges only light flux components of a single direction within a section perpendicular to the direction of propagation of the light flux, an objective lens OL, on which the light flux emitted from cylindrical lens CL is made incident after the light flux has passed the convergence position of cylindrical lens CL, and a galvanomirror 3a, which is disposed along the optical path of the abovementioned light flux between cylindrical lens CL and objective lens OL. Light flux emitted from a sample S in accordance with the incidence of a slit-shaped light flux onto sample S is captured by a TV camera 7.