The invention relates to a measuring device (10) for optically measuring a distance to a target object (15). Said measuring device (10) comprises an emitter device (12) for emitting an optical measuring beam (13) to the target object (15), a capturing device (14) comprising a detection surface (66) for detecting an optical beam (16) returned by the target object (15) and an evaluation device (36). Said detection surface (66) has a plurality of pixels, each pixel having at least one light-sensitive element and each of the plurality of pixels is connected to the evaluation device (36). Said emitting device and the capturing device are configured in such a manner that the optical measurement beam returned by the target object simultaneously illuminates a plurality of pixels. Said evaluation device is configured in such a manner that detection signals of a plurality of pixels are guided to at least one of the plurality of distance determining devices, based on the fact that the distance determining device determines distance data which is in correlation with the distance between the measuring device and the target object. Said evaluation device is designed such that the distance between the measuring device and the target object which is to be determined is based on an evaluation of distance data, which is determined by the plurality of distance determining devices.