Optical apparatus for projecting a line of light includes a diode-laser bar having a plurality of individual emitters, input and output microlens arrays, a lens and other optical elements. The diode-laser bar, the microlens arrays, and the lens are configured and arranged such that the microlens arrays form three or more slow-axis intermediate near-field images of each emitter in a plane immediately adjacent the output microlens array, and in a telecentric arrangement with the lens. The lens and the optical elements project overlapping elongated far-field images of the intermediate near-field images to form the line of light.