An active illumination range camera operable to determine distances to features in a scene, the range camera comprising: an imaging system characterized by a field of view, FOV, and comprising a photosensor having light sensitive pixels, and an optical system configured to collect light from a scene in the FOV and image the collected light onto pixels of the photosensor; an illumination system controllable to generate and direct a field of illumination, FOI, to illuminate at least a portion of the FOV; and a controller operable to: partition the at least a portion of the FOV into a plurality of zones, wherein partitioning the FOV into zones comprises determining a number of zones based on reflectance of features in the FOV for light transmitted by the illumination system and intensity of illumination available from the illumination system; control the illumination system to generate and direct a FOI to sequentially illuminate the zones in turn and thereby features of the scene within the zones; based at least in part on a given zone being illuminated by light transmitted in the FOI, activate pixels in a corresponding region of the photosensor on which the imaging system images light from the features in the zone to accumulate photocharge responsive to light reflected by the features from the transmitted light, and inactivate pixels on which light from the features is not imaged; and determine and use data based on the photocharge accumulated by the pixels to determine distances to features in the scene and provide a range image for the scene. an imaging system characterized by a field of view, FOV, and comprising a photosensor having light sensitive pixels, and an optical system configured to collect light from a scene in the FOV and image the collected light onto pixels of the photosensor; an illumination system controllable to generate and direct a field of illumination, FOI, to illuminate at least a portion of the FOV; and a controller operable to: partition the at least a portion of the FOV into a plurality of zones, wherein partitioning the FOV into zones comprises determining a number of zones based on reflectance of features in the FOV for light transmitted by the illumination system and intensity of illumination available from the illumination system; control the illumination system to generate and direct a FOI to sequentially illuminate the zones in turn and thereby features of the scene within the zones; based at least in part on a given zone being illuminated by light transmitted in the FOI, activate pixels in a corresponding region of the photosensor on which the imaging system images light from the features in the zone to accumulate photocharge responsive to light reflected by the features from the transmitted light, and inactivate pixels on which light from the features is not imaged; and determine and use data based on the photocharge accumulated by the pixels to determine distances to features in the scene and provide a range image for the scene. partition the at least a portion of the FOV into a plurality of zones, wherein partitioning the FOV into zones comprises determining a number of zones based on reflectance of features in the FOV for light transmitted by the illumination system and intensity of illumination available from the illumination system; control the illumination system to generate and direct a FOI to sequentially illuminate the zones in turn and thereby features of the scene within the zones; based at least in part on a given zone being illuminated by light transmitted in the FOI, activate pixels in a corresponding region of the photosensor on which the imaging system images light from the features in the zone to accumulate photocharge responsive to light reflected by the features from the transmitted light, and inactivate pixels on which light from the features is not imaged; and determine and use data based on the photocharge accumulated by the pixels to determine distances to features in the scene and provide a range image for the scene.