The present invention relates to a device for optical characterization of a sample and/or of the material(s) of the same having an illumination unit that can be orientated to illuminate with incident light a sample spatial portion into which the sample can be introduced, a detection unit which is orientated or can be orientated to image the sample introduced into the sample spatial portion by receiving light reflected by the sample, and which is configured to detect at least two different, preferably orthogonal, polarization components in the reflected light, and an evaluation unit with which, in the imaging data recorded by the detection unit, those imaged surface elements (reflection elements) of the sample can be identified, and with which the detected different polarization components for these reflection elements can be evaluated for optical characterization.