Electrostatic potentials or electric fields are often measured in order to characterize materials or to make a diagnostic of an industrial installation. Electrostatic probes or field mills are widely used and sometimes considered equivalent. However, experimental configurations must be carefully analyzed to make a valid interpretation. Depending on the instrument, results and influence on the analyzed system are very different. An analysis of different situations shows the electrostatic conditions imposed by each instrument and the concept of unperturbed surface potential. This paper analyses from an electrostatic point of view some measurement cases representative of industrial situations or described in standards.