Process for the acquisition of images from a sample with a microscope, wherein detected image data that correspond to three dimensional probe regions are detected and stored to memory, wherein data compression ensues in that the data of images lying next to one another and over one another on the probe are taken into consideration during compression. A stack of images is advantageously recorded and images that are respectively adjacent in the image stack are consulted for the compression of data. Temporally and/or spectrally detected and stored data shall be consulted for the compression of data.