Optical examination device for a component having a first and second examination region (POS B, POS C), having • an imaging device for optically acquiring lateral surfaces (12a, 12b, 12c, 12d, 12e) of a component, wherein the imaging device is configured to ∘ to acquire an image of one of the lateral surfaces of the component in the first examination region (POS B) and ∘ to acquire an image of a plurality of the lateral surfaces of the component in the second examination region (POS C); • a component conveyor, which ∘ has a holding device for the component, and which ∘ is configured to convey the held component along a component path to the first and to the second examination region; wherein • the imaging device having ∘ an image acquisition device, having a camera and which is configured to be pointed at a lateral surface of the component in the first examination region (POS B), and ∘ an image directing device, which is configured to direct an image of a plurality of the lateral surfaces (12b, 12c, 12d, 12e) of the component from the second examination region (POS C) into the image acquisition device and ∘ an imaging focusing device, which focuses an image of a plurality of the lateral surfaces (12b, 12c, 12d, 12e) of the component from the second examination region (POS C) onto the camera or the image directing device, and the component conveyor is configured to continuously convey the component along the component path, and wherein the image acquisition device comprises the camera in order to acquire the image of the component in the first examination region (POS B) separately from the image of the component in the second examination region (POS C), and wherein the image acquisition device is configured to be pointed along a first light path at a lateral surface of the component in the first examination region (POS B), and the image directing device is configured to direct an image of a plurality of the lateral surfaces (12b, 12c, 12d, 12e) of the component in the second examination region (POS C) into the first light path, directed towards the image acquisition device. • an imaging device for optically acquiring lateral surfaces (12a, 12b, 12c, 12d, 12e) of a component, wherein the imaging device is configured to ∘ to acquire an image of one of the lateral surfaces of the component in the first examination region (POS B) and ∘ to acquire an image of a plurality of the lateral surfaces of the component in the second examination region (POS C); ∘ to acquire an image of one of the lateral surfaces of the component in the first examination region (POS B) and ∘ to acquire an image of a plurality of the lateral surfaces of the component in the second examination region (POS C); • a component conveyor, which ∘ has a holding device for the component, and which ∘ is configured to convey the held component along a component path to the first and to the second examination region; wherein ∘ has a holding device for the component, and which ∘ is configured to convey the held component along a component path to the first and to the second examination region; wherein • the imaging device having ∘ an image acquisition device, having a camera and which is configured to be pointed at a lateral surface of the component in the first examination region (POS B), and ∘ an image directing device, which is configured to direct an image of a plurality of the lateral surfaces (12b, 12c, 12d, 12e) of the component from the second examination region (POS C) into the image acquisition device and ∘ an imaging focusing device, which focuses an image of a plurality of the lateral surfaces (12b, 12c, 12d, 12e) of the component from the second examination region (POS C) onto the camera or the image directing device, and ∘ an image acquisition device, having a camera and which is configured to be pointed at a lateral surface of the component in the first examination region (POS B), and ∘ an image directing device, which is configured to direct an image of a plurality of the lateral surfaces (12b, 12c, 12d, 12e) of the component from the second examination region (POS C) into the image acquisition device and ∘ an imaging focusing device, which focuses an image of a plurality of the lateral surfaces (12b, 12c, 12d, 12e) of the component from the second examination region (POS C) onto the camera or the image directing device, and