Apparatus and method to reduce vignetting in microscopic imaging

A method for correcting the intensity of light across the field of view of an image sensor in a microscope apparatus to correct for the vignetting of light from a light source of the microscope apparatus, the microscope apparatus including an image sensor having pixels, and a specimen stage, wherein light from the light source travels along a light path to the specimen stage and then to the image sensor the method comprising the steps of:

• interposing a programmable spatial light modulator, pSLM, in the light path between the light source and the image sensor, the pSLM having a plurality of pixels;
• and
• modulating the intensity of light passing through one or more pixels of the plurality of pixels of the pSLM to produce an altered illumination landscape at the field of view of the image sensor that reduces the effects of vignetting of light that would otherwise be produced at the image sensor.