A method for monitoring and/or inspecting material webs which are moving in the direction of a material web length (y) and/or a material web width (x), wherein the method comprises the following steps: taking a first picture of a first portion of a material web at a first point in time with a camera which comprises a matrix chip with a binning function; and taking a second picture of a second portion of the material web at a second point in time with the camera; wherein the first portion and the second portion are two identical or corresponding material web portions, or the second portion is a subsidiary portion or a corresponding subsidiary portion of the first portion of the material web; wherein for the first picture, a first binning step level is used in which in each case a first number of pixels of the matrix chip are grouped together using the binning function and, for the second picture, a second binning step level is used in which in each case a second number of pixels of the matrix chip are grouped together using the binning function, and wherein the first number of pixels which are in each case grouped together is higher than the second number of pixels which are in each case grouped together, as a result of which a physical zoom function is achieved for the second picture; and wherein for the first picture, a first active area of the matrix chip is used in order to cover a first field of vision and, for the second picture, a second active area of the matrix chip is used in order to cover a second field of vision, wherein the first active area and correspondingly the first field of vision are as large as or larger than the second active area and correspondingly the second field of vision, and wherein the first active area and the second active area are not identical. taking a first picture of a first portion of a material web at a first point in time with a camera which comprises a matrix chip with a binning function; and taking a second picture of a second portion of the material web at a second point in time with the camera; wherein the first portion and the second portion are two identical or corresponding material web portions, or the second portion is a subsidiary portion or a corresponding subsidiary portion of the first portion of the material web; wherein for the first picture, a first binning step level is used in which in each case a first number of pixels of the matrix chip are grouped together using the binning function and, for the second picture, a second binning step level is used in which in each case a second number of pixels of the matrix chip are grouped together using the binning function, and wherein the first number of pixels which are in each case grouped together is higher than the second number of pixels which are in each case grouped together, as a result of which a physical zoom function is achieved for the second picture; and wherein for the first picture, a first active area of the matrix chip is used in order to cover a first field of vision and, for the second picture, a second active area of the matrix chip is used in order to cover a second field of vision, wherein the first active area and correspondingly the first field of vision are as large as or larger than the second active area and correspondingly the second field of vision, and wherein the first active area and the second active area are not identical.