Disclosed herein is a method of characterizing particles in a sample. The method comprises illuminating the sample in a sample cell with a light beam, so as to produce scattered light by the interaction of the light beam with the sample; obtaining a time series of measurements of the scattered light from a single detector; determining, from the time series of measurements from the single detector, which measurements were taken at times when a large particle was contributing to the scattered light; determining a particle size distribution, including correcting for light scattered by the large particle.