In a flow cytometer, an objective lens for focusing an input laser-radiation beam including at least four different laser-radiation wavelengths in a common plane includes only three singlet lens-elements. Two of the elements are cylindrical elements arranged as a cylindrical telescope for shaping and reducing the size of the input laser-beam. The third element is a spherical element arranged to focus the reduced size beam in the common plane. In one example, all three elements are made from the same optical material.