Abstract: A method for determining defects that occur while carrying out a surface modification method of a surface region of a component includes providing an image sequence of a surface region to be assessed. Each image of the image sequence shows an image detail of the surface region and the image details of the individual images overlapping at least partially. The method further includes assigning the individual images to at least two image classes, where at least one image class among the at least two image classes is indicative of a defective image class. The method further includes checking whether a set of individual images of a predeterminable number of directly consecutive individual images in the image sequence have been assigned to the defective image class, and outputting a defect signal.