Abstract: A scanning apparatus with large resolution capacity utilizes a laser means as a light source (1), the light beam (L1) of which is deflected such as to substantially follow the optical axis of an f-.theta. lens (5) after having passed a diverging lens (2). A rotating polygon mirror or spinner (4) is disposed on the opposite side of the f-.theta. lens (5), such that a reflected sweeping beam is obtained. This sweeping beam is allowed to pass once again through the f-.theta. lens (5) and is divided in beam dividers (7,10) for generating a sweeping scanning beam (L3) and a reference beam (L5). The dots (P, Q) formed by the scanning and reference beams (L3, L5) sweep muturally simultaneous, the dot (Q) of the reference beam being utilized to define, with the aid of a clock pulse scale (11), the exact position of the scanning beam dot (P) on a scanned object (K).