An apparatus for identifying the position of defects (100) in bodies (2), in particular in wooden bodies such as logs or planks, comprises feed means (3) for moving the body (3) along a feed direction (A), an emitter (5) designed to direct towards the body (2) a plurality of beams (6', 6'', 6''') of electromagnetic radiation lying in lying planes (P1, P2, P3) set at different angles to each other and transversal to the feed direction (A), and a plurality of sensors (8', 8'', 8''') each facing the emitter (5) for receiving a respective beam (6', 6'', 6''') after the beam (6', 6'', 6''') has passed through the body (2). The lying planes (P1, P2, P3) are positioned one after another along the feed direction (A), allowing the same portion of the body (2) to be struck by successive beams (6', 6'', 6''') as the body (2) is fed forward. A method for identifying the position of defects in bodies, in particular in wooden bodies such as logs or planks, comprises the steps of feeding a body (2) along a feed direction (A), striking at least one portion of the body (2) with a plurality of beams (6', 6'', 6''') of electromagnetic radiation lying in respective lying planes (8', 8'', 8''') which are set at different angles to the feed direction (A), and detecting a residual intensity of each beam (6', 6'', 6''') after it has emerged from the body (2) to evaluate an energy absorption by said portion of the body (2).