An apparatus is disclosed for measuring the spectra of a high optical density sample having substantially known optical properties. In a preferred embodiment, the apparatus comprises: a laser for producing a light beam; a Raman cell responsive to the light beam for generating a first light containing a plurality of preselected wavelength components; an optical system for directing the first light through the sample; a dispersion device for spatially separating the first light passed through the sample into its plurality of preselected wavelength components; a plurality of light detectors positioned to respectively receive the spatially-separated preselected wavelength components and to convert the photons in each of the spatially-separated preselected components into a plurality of associated photocurrents having amplitudes respectively representative of the numbers of photons in the spatially-separated preselected wavelength components; and a photon counter for respectively converting the plurality of associated photocurrents into a plurality of photon counts corresponding to the transmittance of the sample at the respective preselected wavelength components of the first light passing through the sample. In a modification of the invention, the apparatus further includes an energy meter adapted to receive a portion of the light beam for generating an energy signal representative of the total energy in the light beam, and processing means responsive to the plurality of photon counts and to the energy signal for determining the output transmittance of the sample at the preselected wavelength components of the first light passing through the sample.