A surgical microscope system having a stereoscopic optical system, an imaging unit, and a monitor display. The stereoscopic optical system has two optical paths and forms a 3D image of an object. The imaging unit forms two images of the object from two light beams focused in the optical paths. The monitor display displays the images of the object which the imaging unit has formed. The surgical microscope system further comprises an observation-light receiving section located in the optical paths for determining an observation field, an observation-light emitting section located in the monitor display for applying the images formed by the imaging unit, and reflectors arranged between the observation-light receiving section and the observation-light emitting section. The observation-light receiving and the observation-light emitting sections are located close to each other and a barrel holds the sections together. Images displayed on the monitor display are projected such that the observer perceives a 3-dimensional virtual image located at a distance from the observer equal to the actual distance between the observer and the object.