Method for optically measuring an object with a reflective and/or partially reflective surface, wherein there is produced by means of a pattern generator a flat pattern which is varied in terms of at least one optical property in such a manner that at least in part-regions a large number of different points (p) or a large number of different groups of points can be distinguished from each other, wherein at least portions of the pattern are reflected by a reflective surface of the object as a reflected pattern onto a detector of a camera unit , wherein the reflected pattern is converted by means of the detector into a camera image , wherein a relationship between points (q) of the camera image and corresponding points (p) of the pattern can be described by means of a correspondence function which is dependent on geometric properties of the reflective surface of the object , characterised in that at least one of the geometric properties of the reflective surface of the object is established by using differential geometric properties of a transformation provided by the correspondence function by means of a calculation unit, wherein the correspondence function is derived at least once locally and, from a consideration of the correspondence function and the derivative(s) thereof, information items relating to the geometric nature of the reflective surface are obtained, and in that , when parameters of the correspondence function are calculated and/or when differential geometric properties of a transformation provided by the correspondence function for a point (q) of the camera image are calculated, a neighbourhood of this point is used in the camera image . wherein there is produced by means of a pattern generator a flat pattern which is varied in terms of at least one optical property in such a manner that at least in part-regions a large number of different points (p) or a large number of different groups of points can be distinguished from each other, wherein at least portions of the pattern are reflected by a reflective surface of the object as a reflected pattern onto a detector of a camera unit , wherein the reflected pattern is converted by means of the detector into a camera image , wherein a relationship between points (q) of the camera image and corresponding points (p) of the pattern can be described by means of a correspondence function which is dependent on geometric properties of the reflective surface of the object , characterised in that at least one of the geometric properties of the reflective surface of the object is established by using differential geometric properties of a transformation provided by the correspondence function by means of a calculation unit, wherein the correspondence function is derived at least once locally and, from a consideration of the correspondence function and the derivative(s) thereof, information items relating to the geometric nature of the reflective surface are obtained, and in that , when parameters of the correspondence function are calculated and/or when differential geometric properties of a transformation provided by the correspondence function for a point (q) of the camera image are calculated, a neighbourhood of this point is used in the camera image . <EOS>