An endoscope including: a main body; a shaft; and an optical fiber bundle extending through the shaft from the main body to a distal end of the shaft, wherein the optical fiber bundle terminates at the distal end of the shaft at an illumination exit, and the optical fiber bundle terminates at the main body at a light-guiding connector for attachment of an optical cable, and the light-guiding connector is configured to reduce an absorption, by a material of the light-guiding connector, of light that cannot be coupled from the optical cable into the optical fiber bundle.