A device for direct optical recording of security-relevant objects without imaging optical elements, containing a placement surface for the objects, under which a sensor layer is arranged, which has light-sensitive elements in a two-dimensional regular pixel grid, characterised in that - the sensor layer is provided in a layered body with electronics based on thin-film transistor technology, - the sensor layer is located on a carrier layer that is transparent at least in the visible wavelength range, - the light-sensitive elements of the sensor layer have a distance to the object (102, 118) to be recorded on the placement surface of less than the pixel centre-to-centre distance defined by the pixel grid, - further electronics for image storage and image analysis are present, which have an evaluation of at least one parameter that provides information about the quality of the image recording and which changes when the exposure time is adjusted, - the light-sensitive elements of the sensor layer within the electronics based on TFT technology each have an electronic control unit for controlling the exposure time in order to read out the light-sensitive elements again with a different exposure time adapted to the present image recording by means of the further electronics for image storage and image analysis in order to improve the evaluated parameter, - as security-relevant objects, at least one object from the group of personal identification documents, passports, driving licences or from the group of fingerprints, palm prints or other skin prints can be placed individually on the placement surface in order to record images of an object selected as required from both groups, and - a light source is provided as a primary light-emitting layer such that at least light components from the primary light-emitting layer can illuminate the object (102, 118) to be recorded from the direction of the sensor layer through the placement surface, wherein all layers of the layered body which are located between the primary light-emitting layer and the placement surface transmit at least light components in the visible wavelength range. - the sensor layer is provided in a layered body with electronics based on thin-film transistor technology, - the sensor layer is located on a carrier layer that is transparent at least in the visible wavelength range, - the light-sensitive elements of the sensor layer have a distance to the object (102, 118) to be recorded on the placement surface of less than the pixel centre-to-centre distance defined by the pixel grid, - further electronics for image storage and image analysis are present, which have an evaluation of at least one parameter that provides information about the quality of the image recording and which changes when the exposure time is adjusted, - the light-sensitive elements of the sensor layer within the electronics based on TFT technology each have an electronic control unit for controlling the exposure time in order to read out the light-sensitive elements again with a different exposure time adapted to the present image recording by means of the further electronics for image storage and image analysis in order to improve the evaluated parameter, - as security-relevant objects, at least one object from the group of personal identification documents, passports, driving licences or from the group of fingerprints, palm prints or other skin prints can be placed individually on the placement surface in order to record images of an object selected as required from both groups, and - a light source is provided as a primary light-emitting layer such that at least light components from the primary light-emitting layer can illuminate the object (102, 118) to be recorded from the direction of the sensor layer through the placement surface, wherein all layers of the layered body which are located between the primary light-emitting layer and the placement surface transmit at least light components in the visible wavelength range.