The growing clinical use of specular microscopy for the examination of the corneal endothelium demands accurate interpretation of the various abnormalities or "events" encountered in the specular image of diseased endothelia. In a new method of use of a large-field specular microscope, extensive areas of the posterior surface of the cornea may be viewed in apparent relief. In this "relief mode," any entities causing events in the specular image that interrupt the smooth posterior contours of the cornea can be seen by diffuse (as opposed to specularly reflected) light, and their true size, shape, and interrelationships are clearly shown. The relief and specular images occur in the same field of view and thus allow immediate elucidation of the nature of most events.