Focusing method for an optical instrument for magnified viewing of an object, wherein the instrument has an instrument optical unit, a setting unit for setting the focus position when viewing the object by means of the instrument optical unit, and a recording unit recording the object by means of the instrument optical unit, and wherein the method comprises the following steps: a) producing at least two recordings with different focus positions, b) applying a plurality of different sharpness functions that each have an absolute extremum that indicates the optimum focus position to be set for the viewing and that lies in a near-focus region of the sharpness function that is adjoined on both sides by a far-focus region that is more susceptible to disturbances during the recording than the near-focus region and therefore contains local secondary extrema, in each case to each of the at least two recordings and evaluating with the focus position as variable such that for each sharpness function a sharpness function change direction of the focus position for arriving at the optimum focus position is calculated, characterized in that the sharpness function change direction in step b) is determined by means of a gradient calculation, wherein in each case a gradient is determined, and wherein the method furthermore comprises the following steps: c) determining a main change direction based on all sharpness function change directions by a majority rule or weighted majority rule from among all sharpness change directions, and determining whether the focus positions of the at least two recordings lie in the far-focus region or near-focus region in the manner such that the focus positions of the at least two recordings lie in the near-focus region if all sharpness function change directions point in the same direction, and that the focus positions of the at least two recordings lie in the far-focus region if not all sharpness function change directions point in the same direction, d) using the determined main change direction during further focusing, wherein the determination performed in step c) of whether the focus positions of the at least two recordings lie in the far-focus region or near-focus region is taken into account during further focusing in the manner such that, during further focusing, the step width for changing the focus position for further recordings is set larger if the far-focus region has been ascertained than if the near-focus region has been ascertained. a) producing at least two recordings with different focus positions, b) applying a plurality of different sharpness functions that each have an absolute extremum that indicates the optimum focus position to be set for the viewing and that lies in a near-focus region of the sharpness function that is adjoined on both sides by a far-focus region that is more susceptible to disturbances during the recording than the near-focus region and therefore contains local secondary extrema, in each case to each of the at least two recordings and evaluating with the focus position as variable such that for each sharpness function a sharpness function change direction of the focus position for arriving at the optimum focus position is calculated, c) determining a main change direction based on all sharpness function change directions by a majority rule or weighted majority rule from among all sharpness change directions, and determining whether the focus positions of the at least two recordings lie in the far-focus region or near-focus region in the manner such that the focus positions of the at least two recordings lie in the near-focus region if all sharpness function change directions point in the same direction, and that the focus positions of the at least two recordings lie in the far-focus region if not all sharpness function change directions point in the same direction, d) using the determined main change direction during further focusing, wherein the determination performed in step c) of whether the focus positions of the at least two recordings lie in the far-focus region or near-focus region is taken into account during further focusing in the manner such that, during further focusing, the step width for changing the focus position for further recordings is set larger if the far-focus region has been ascertained than if the near-focus region has been ascertained.