A measuring system includes a laser tracker (10), a target point marked by a reflector (12), a surveying apparatus (13), and an arithmetic and control unit (14). The laser tracker emits a measuring beam (M) which is reflected by the reflector, a process that is used for determining the distance between the laser tracker (10) and the reflector (12). The surveying apparatus has a known position and orientation relative to the measuring beam (M) while preferably being embodied as a survey camera. The inventive measuring system is designed so as to track the reflector (12) via the measuring beam (M). In a normal tracking mode (A), a measured value for controlling the orientation of the measuring beam (M) is derived from the detection of the measuring beam reflected by the reflector (12).