A laser scan type fluorescence microscope includes a laser light source
section, an objective optical system for condensing excitation light from
the laser light source section on a sample, a scanning device to scan a
surface of the sample with the excitation light from the laser light
source section, a pupil projection lens arranged between the scanning
device and the objective optical system, a detection optical system for
detecting fluorescence that emanates from the sample and passes the
objective optical system and the pupil projection lens. The objective
optical system has an objective lens and an image forming lens for
forming an intermediate image of the sample, and a back focal position of
the objective lens is made conjugate with a position near the scanning
device by the image forming lens and the pupil projection lens, wherein
the following condition is satisfied: 0.15.ltoreq.D/L.ltoreq.0.5, where D
is a parfocal distance of the objective lens, and L is a distance from
the sample surface to the position conjugate with the back focal position
of the objective lens and located near the scanning device.