Method for optical shape detection and/or examination of an item, comprising the following steps: - arranging at least one camera, at least one linear lighting element (B1, B2) and an item relative to one another in such a way that an item surface can be lighted by the at least one lighting element and captured by the camera; - effecting a relative movement at least between two elements selected from a group consisting of the item, the at least one lighting element (B1, B2) and the camera, a movement direction being at an angle other than 0° to the at least one lighting element (B1, B2); - capturing an image sequence of the item surface using the camera during the relative movement, the item surface being imaged in an image plane of the camera; - lighting the item surface during exposure of the image plane using the at least one lighting element (B1, B2) characterised by - evaluating the captured image sequence for local surface inclinations in two mutually orthogonally orientated directions, - at least two linear lighting elements being used, - the lighting elements (B1, B2) being at an angle other than 0° to one another, - the movement direction being at an angle other than 0° to two lighting elements (B1, B2) of the at least two lighting elements (B1, B2), - the item surface being lighted during exposure of the image plane using at least one of the lighting elements (B1, B2), - to distinguish the projections of the lighting elements (B1, B2) from one another a. a time-multiplexing method being carried out, or b. a colour-multiplexing method being carried out, or c. the lighting elements (B1, B2) being arranged in such a way that the point at which the lighting elements cross is positioned eccentrically, at the edge of at least one of the lighting elements and/or not in the region of a lighting line of a lighting element, or the lighting elements (B1, B2) being arranged mutually offset, so that local surface inclinations are calculated in two mutually orthogonally orientated directions. - arranging at least one camera, at least one linear lighting element (B1, B2) and an item relative to one another in such a way that an item surface can be lighted by the at least one lighting element and captured by the camera; - effecting a relative movement at least between two elements selected from a group consisting of the item, the at least one lighting element (B1, B2) and the camera, a movement direction being at an angle other than 0° to the at least one lighting element (B1, B2); - capturing an image sequence of the item surface using the camera during the relative movement, the item surface being imaged in an image plane of the camera; - lighting the item surface during exposure of the image plane using the at least one lighting element (B1, B2) - evaluating the captured image sequence for local surface inclinations in two mutually orthogonally orientated directions, - at least two linear lighting elements being used, - the lighting elements (B1, B2) being at an angle other than 0° to one another, - the movement direction being at an angle other than 0° to two lighting elements (B1, B2) of the at least two lighting elements (B1, B2), - the item surface being lighted during exposure of the image plane using at least one of the lighting elements (B1, B2), - to distinguish the projections of the lighting elements (B1, B2) from one another a. a time-multiplexing method being carried out, or b. a colour-multiplexing method being carried out, or c. the lighting elements (B1, B2) being arranged in such a way that the point at which the lighting elements cross is positioned eccentrically, at the edge of at least one of the lighting elements and/or not in the region of a lighting line of a lighting element, or the lighting elements (B1, B2) being arranged mutually offset, so that local surface inclinations are calculated in two mutually orthogonally orientated directions. a. a time-multiplexing method being carried out, or b. a colour-multiplexing method being carried out, or c. the lighting elements (B1, B2) being arranged in such a way that the point at which the lighting elements cross is positioned eccentrically, at the edge of at least one of the lighting elements and/or not in the region of a lighting line of a lighting element, or the lighting elements (B1, B2) being arranged mutually offset,