A microscope system comprises: a control means (18) capable of generating
electric control signals (18a); a spatial modulator means (7) having an
illuminated surface (7a) to be illuminated by light emitted by a light
source (1), and capable of receiving the electric control signal and of
spatially modulating reflection characteristic or transmission
characteristic of the illuminated surface by a spatial frequency
specified by the electric control signal; an illuminating optical means
(8, 11) for illuminating a specimen (12) with light spatially modulated
by the spatial modulator means; an image detecting means (15) for
detecting a signal image formed by signal light emitted by the specimen
illuminated by the illuminating optical means; and an arithmetic means
(16) for processing signal images formed by using the spatial frequency
of at least three different phases set by the control means and detected
by the image detecting means to obtain an optical sectioned image.