I describe an improved implementation of a previously reported interferometric device, the sampling field sensor (SFS) [ Appl. Opt. 47, B32–B43 (2008)]. It provides X, Y, and $XY$ shearing interferometric information simultaneously (space multiplexed) with amplitude and polarization information while using time-multiplexed phase shifting. Its simple common-path configuration makes it compact and vibration insensitive, as demonstrated by the $\sim \lambda /125$ phase estimation repeatability that was below the coherent noise floor (estimated at $\sim \lambda /50$ ). The SFS may be viewed as an efficient, robust and accurate full-field optical–digital interface, easy to integrate with traditional imaging systems. This is demonstrated by using the sensor as the focal plane array of a transmitted-light microscope in a straightforward setup using an illumination path polarization phase shifter. This work is focused on a qualitative demonstration and presents phase, amplitude, and polarization images of different types of human cheek cells and Caenorhabditiselegans larvae.