A method for operating a head-mounted display system including an imaging device, comprising: responsive to an indication that an ambient light condition in an environment is below a lighting threshold, determining an amount of motion of the head-mounted display relative to the environment based on one or more signals received from an inertial measurement unit included in the head-mounted display system; automatically selecting an exposure time, frame rate and a pixel-binning mode for the imaging device based on the determined amount of motion; capturing imagery from the environment using the automatically selected exposure time, frame rate and pixel-binning mode for the imaging device; and displaying the captured imagery at the head-mounted display system; wherein automatically selecting the exposure time, frame rate, and the pixel-binning mode for the imaging device based on the determined amount of motion includes: increasing an integration time and reducing a frame rate of the imaging device responsive to the amount of motion being below a motion threshold; and operating the imaging device in a binned-pixel mode responsive to the amount of motion being above the motion threshold; while operating the imaging device in the binned-pixel mode, receiving an indication that a signal-to-noise ratio of the imaging device is below a threshold; and reducing a frame rate of the imaging device in response to the indication that the signal-to-noise ratio of the imaging device is below the threshold. responsive to an indication that an ambient light condition in an environment is below a lighting threshold, determining an amount of motion of the head-mounted display relative to the environment based on one or more signals received from an inertial measurement unit included in the head-mounted display system; automatically selecting an exposure time, frame rate and a pixel-binning mode for the imaging device based on the determined amount of motion; capturing imagery from the environment using the automatically selected exposure time, frame rate and pixel-binning mode for the imaging device; and displaying the captured imagery at the head-mounted display system; wherein automatically selecting the exposure time, frame rate, and the pixel-binning mode for the imaging device based on the determined amount of motion includes: increasing an integration time and reducing a frame rate of the imaging device responsive to the amount of motion being below a motion threshold; and operating the imaging device in a binned-pixel mode responsive to the amount of motion being above the motion threshold; while operating the imaging device in the binned-pixel mode, receiving an indication that a signal-to-noise ratio of the imaging device is below a threshold; and reducing a frame rate of the imaging device in response to the indication that the signal-to-noise ratio of the imaging device is below the threshold. increasing an integration time and reducing a frame rate of the imaging device responsive to the amount of motion being below a motion threshold; and operating the imaging device in a binned-pixel mode responsive to the amount of motion being above the motion threshold; while operating the imaging device in the binned-pixel mode, receiving an indication that a signal-to-noise ratio of the imaging device is below a threshold; and reducing a frame rate of the imaging device in response to the indication that the signal-to-noise ratio of the imaging device is below the threshold. while operating the imaging device in the binned-pixel mode, receiving an indication that a signal-to-noise ratio of the imaging device is below a threshold; and reducing a frame rate of the imaging device in response to the indication that the signal-to-noise ratio of the imaging device is below the threshold.