APE\'s Carpe is a handy option for reviewing the management of short laser pulses in an optical microscope system. The Carpe autocorrelator measures the pulse duration at both the sample location and the input of the microscope. A comparison of the pulse widths obtained at these two spots enables you to calculate the pulse broadening effect. This effect is caused by dispersion of the microscope optics, but also depends to a large extent on the pulse width of the incoming laser beam. Furthermore, power detection at the sample location supports systematic and quantitative studies which explore how laser power affects samples or the fluorescence lifetime of probes. By examining the influence of the laser pulse duration, the power, and the dispersion of the microscope optics, you can fine-tune and optimize microscopy imaging at the relevant spot. These measurements can be also done using large NA (numerical aperture) or immersion lenses.