Abstract: An autofocus system according to the present invention comprises: a light source; a focusing illumination optical system that forms an optical image generated with light from the light source on a target object through an objective lens; a focusing image forming optical system that receives through the objective lens reflected light generated as the optical image is reflected off the target object and forms a reflected image of the optical image; a photoelectric converter that is provided at an image forming position at which the reflected image is formed by the focusing image forming optical system to detect the reflected image; a signal output device that outputs a signal for controlling a focus actuator based upon a signal corresponding to the reflected image obtained at the photoelectric converter; and an image forming position adjustment device that adjusts an offset quantity between a focus position of the objective lens and an image forming position of the optical image by moving at least one of the im

Abstract: An autofocus system according to the present invention comprises: a light source; a focusing illumination optical system that forms an optical image generated with light from the light source on a target object through an objective lens; a focusing image forming optical system that receives through the objective lens reflected light generated as the optical image is reflected off the target object and forms a reflected image of the optical image; a photoelectric converter that is provided at an image forming position at which the reflected image is formed by the focusing image forming optical system to detect the reflected image; a signal output device that outputs a signal for controlling a focus actuator based upon a signal corresponding to the reflected image obtained at the photoelectric converter; and an image forming position adjustment device that adjusts an offset quantity between a focus position of the objective lens and an image forming position of the optical image by moving at least one of the im

Abstract: In order to appropriately position a specimen within a view finder of a microscope, the stage supporting the specimen must be quickly and smoothly moved in all directions of two dimensions X and Y. According to the present invention, this can be accomplished by dividing a tilt angle of an operation lever of a joy stick into three regions, an insensitive band, a low velocity region and a high velocity region. For each of latter two regions, a relevant signal is produced by the joy stick and transferred to a microcomputer which controls stage driving motors by sawtooth pulse voltages. The velocities of X- and Y-stages are generally setted in the microcomputer so as to be high for the high speed region and low for the low speed regions, and movements in X- and Y-directions alternate by a short time interval, thus quick and smooth movements of stages being enabled.