To provide a proximity field optical microscope which is constituted to alternatively switch a plurality of probes to scanning states by means of a switching mechanism.

A probe 5 is arranged with its front end at a prescribed interval from a sample 1 and can scan the sample 1 when a sample state 2 is moved by means of a scanner 4 for scanning. The light emitted from a light source 3 and passes through the sample 1 is fetched to the probe 5 near the surface of the sample 1, detected by means of a photodetector 8 through a condensing optical system 6 and a pinhole 7, and displayed on a monitor 11 as a scanning proximity field optical microscope image after the light is subjected to signal processing at a computer 10. A plurality of probes 5 is attached to the sliding member 15b of a switching mechanism 15 through attachments 16 and, when the member 15b is moved through a controller 9, a prescribed probe 5 is switched to a scanning state.