An optical instrument system produces and analyzes images of the surrounding area. The system includes an overview lens with a symmetry axis which produces a first circular image of the surrounding area. The system also includes an observation lens which captures a second image of the surrounding area, and which is pivotal over 360° about the symmetry axis, and which is spaced apart a predetermined distance from the overview lens. The observation lens has an optical axis which is perpendicularly to the symmetry axis. The system includes an imaging optics system which reproduces the images of the surrounding area as overview image and observation image on a surface detector. A control unit controls the observation lens. An evaluation unit analyzes the images, and, for selected objects, which are detected both in the overview image and also in the observation image, determines the distance to said objects.