Abstract: A method and apparatus for nanoscopy comprising a salt microlens. The microlens-based nanoscope comprises a conventional microscope, a microlens, and a XYZ piezoelectric stage is shown (SEE FIG. 1A). The microlens is mounted on a Z-stage and can be driven to accomplish the scanning. The specimen is placed above the microlens which is a plano-convex lens. The set up employed for the Salt Microlens for Ultra-high Resolution Imaging (SAMURI) can use a halogen-tungsten lamp with a dominant wavelength at 600 nm. A magnified virtual image of the specimen is obtained when the distance between microlens and specimen is less than the focal length of the microlens. The virtual image can then be magnified by the microscope and captured by eyes or a CCD camera.