A scanning microscope includes an excitation light beam, a stimulation light beam, an objective, an optical component and an optical system, The excitation light beam optically excites a first area of a specimen. The stimulation light beam triggers a stimulated emission or an additional excitation in a second area of the specimen, the second area at least partially overlapping with the first area of the specimen. The objective focuses the excitation light beam and the stimulation light beam. The optical component influences a shape of the focus of the excitation light beam and/or of the stimulation light beam. The optical system images the optical component into the pupil of the objective and adjusts a size of an image of the optical component.