Abstract: A TIRFM-capable microscope including: a light source that generates/emits incoherent excitation light onto an optical path that includes a first projection lens system, a spatial filter, a second projection lens system and an objective. The TIRFM-capable microscope also includes a controller; wherein the first projection lens system projects excitation light onto the spatial filter that filters the excitation light with two-dimensional patterns, the spatial filter lies in a plane conjugate to a back focal plane of the objective which includes an objective lens that directs excitation light onto and receives fluorescent light from the sample, wherein, for a numerical aperture NAObj of the objective and a refractive index nspec of the sample NAObj>nspec, and the controller activates the spatial filter to select/generate various two-dimensional patterns and selects/adjusts the position/shape/size of the pattern such that TIRF illumination of the sample is generated.