Apparatus and methods relating to microscopes having specific control of the light that contacts a sample and/or a light detector, such as the eye of the user, a charge couple device or a video camera. The improved control includes enhanced, selective control of the angle of illumination, quantity of light and location of light reaching the sample and/or detector. The microscopes comprise one or more spatial light modulators in the illumination and/or detection light path of the microscope at one or both of the conjugate image plane of the aperture diaphragm of the objective lens and the conjugate image plane of the sample.