A method for ascertaining a blind area of a camera includes a step of forming a first signal curve of a plurality of gradients, which have been determined as a function of gray values of adjacent image points of an image section of a first image recorded by the camera, and a second signal curve of a plurality of gradients, which have been determined as a function of gray values of adjacent image points of the image section of a second image recorded by the camera, the second image having been recorded with a time lag relative to the first image, and detecting the blind area, if a comparison of the first signal curve with the second signal curve shows that at least one section of the first signal curve is identical to a corresponding section of the second signal curve.