A device for producing a plurality of images for assisting in characterizing skin lesions, the device comprising a capturing unit , in particular a video dermatoscope, for selectively illuminating and capturing recordings of an area of skin presenting a skin lesion , the capturing unit comprising magnifying optics providing optical magnification of the area of skin for capturing morphological structures of the skin lesion ; a focusing unit associated with the magnifying optics and configured to place a focal plane (F) of the magnifying optics in a plurality of different depth planes (t 1 , ..., t n ) below a skin surface (t 0 ) of the area of skin starting from the skin surface, preferably in steps; a control unit configured to control the focusing unit and/or the capturing unit and preferably controlling them in such a manner that the capturing unit captures a recording when the focal plane (F) is located in a respective depth plane (t 1 , ..., t n ); a processing and output unit for image production based on the image information provided by the capturing unit ; and the processing and output unit being configured to display a respective detail image of morphological structures of the skin lesion in a respective depth plane (t 1 , ..., t n ) as a live video image and/or as an individual image in combination with a variable control element for displaying and/or adapting the respective depth plane (t 1 , ..., t n ) and/or in combination with a captured reference image of the skin lesion , characterized in that the magnifying optics provides at least 160 x, preferably at least 240 x optical magnification of the area of skin for capturing morphological structures of the skin lesion , and the focusing unit is configured to selectively place the focal plane (F), automatically or manually, in a depth plane (t 1 , ..., t n ) of 1 to 50 μm below the skin surface (t 0 ). a capturing unit , in particular a video dermatoscope, for selectively illuminating and capturing recordings of an area of skin presenting a skin lesion , the capturing unit comprising magnifying optics providing optical magnification of the area of skin for capturing morphological structures of the skin lesion ; a focusing unit associated with the magnifying optics and configured to place a focal plane (F) of the magnifying optics in a plurality of different depth planes (t 1 , ..., t n ) below a skin surface (t 0 ) of the area of skin starting from the skin surface, preferably in steps; a control unit configured to control the focusing unit and/or the capturing unit and preferably controlling them in such a manner that the capturing unit captures a recording when the focal plane (F) is located in a respective depth plane (t 1 , ..., t n ); a processing and output unit for image production based on the image information provided by the capturing unit ; and the processing and output unit being configured to display a respective detail image of morphological structures of the skin lesion in a respective depth plane (t 1 , ..., t n ) as a live video image and/or as an individual image in combination with a variable control element for displaying and/or adapting the respective depth plane (t 1 , ..., t n ) and/or in combination with a captured reference image of the skin lesion , characterized in that the magnifying optics provides at least 160 x, preferably at least 240 x optical magnification of the area of skin for capturing morphological structures of the skin lesion , and the focusing unit is configured to selectively place the focal plane (F), automatically or manually, in a depth plane (t 1 , ..., t n ) of 1 to 50 μm below the skin surface (t 0 ). <EOS>