Photoacoustic imaging combines aspects of optical and ultrasound imaging and, consequently, combines some of their particular advantages: imaging of specific tissue components in a depth up to several centimeters becomes possible with a high image contrast. The most straightforward strategy to produce photoacoustic images is point-wise excitation and detection in a scanning mode. The main focus of this work is to analyze and implement optical techniques to detect ultrasound vibrations in a photoacoustic system. We evaluate different interferometric systems, both point scanning and full field. Two techniques that were implemented and further discussed are the Laser Optical Feedback Imaging (LOFI), which is a sensitive, point scanning, heterodyne interferometer that uses the dynamics of the laser, and a full field, stroboscopic Mach-Zehnder to acquire ultrasound vibration measurements.We discuss the results from each system and its advantages with the intended application.