3D imaging systems are widely available and used for surveying, modeling and entertainment applications, but clear statements regarding their characteristics, performances and limitations are still missing. The VDI/VDE and the ASTME57 committees are trying to set some standards but the commercial market is not reacting properly. Since many new users are approaching these 3D recording methodologies, clear statements and information clarifying if a package or system satisfies certain requirements before investing are fundamental for those users who are not really familiar with these technologies. Recently small and portable consumer-grade active sensors came on the market, like TOF rangeimaging cameras or low-cost triangulation-based range sensor. A quite interesting active system was produced by PrimeSense and launched on the market thanks to the Microsoft Xbox project with the name of Kinect. The article reports the geometric investigation of the Kinect active sensors, considering its measurement performances, the accuracy of the retrieved range data and the possibility to use it for 3D modeling application.