A method to be implemented in a camera system, comprising: when the camera system is in a night mode, wherein the camera system includes a lens assembly, an image sensor, a memory for storing image data from the image sensor, and an IR illuminator which includes multiple IR illuminator elements, each of which can be individually turned on or off: illuminating by the IR illuminator a scene using a first IR light at a first illumination power; capturing by the image sensor a first image of the scene within a field of view of the lens assembly and storing in the memory first image data corresponding to the first image; determining whether a first region of the first image has an illumination level below a lower illumination threshold, resulting in loss of image detail in the first region due to underexposure, or an illumination level above an upper illumination threshold, resulting in loss of image detail in the first region due to overexposure; in response to the determining, when the first region has the illumination level below the lower illumination threshold: illuminating by the IR illuminator the scene using a second IR light at a second power level that is greater than the first illumination power; capturing by the image sensor a second image of the scene; and storing in the memory second image data corresponding to the second image; and when the first region has the illumination level above the upper illumination threshold: illuminating by the IR illuminator the scene using a third IR light at a third power level that is less than the first illumination power; capturing by the image sensor a third image of the scene; and storing in the memory third image data corresponding to the third image, characterized in that each of the multiple IR illuminator elements provides substantially uniform illumination to the scene, wherein the illuminating by the IR illuminator of the scene using a second IR light at a second power level that is greater than the first illumination power comprises increasing power to a first subset of the illuminator elements, and illuminating by the IR illuminator of the scene using a third IR light at a third power level that is less than the first illumination power comprises decreasing power to and/or turning off a second subset of the illuminator elements. illuminating by the IR illuminator a scene using a first IR light at a first illumination power; capturing by the image sensor a first image of the scene within a field of view of the lens assembly and storing in the memory first image data corresponding to the first image; determining whether a first region of the first image has an illumination level below a lower illumination threshold, resulting in loss of image detail in the first region due to underexposure, or an illumination level above an upper illumination threshold, resulting in loss of image detail in the first region due to overexposure; in response to the determining, when the first region has the illumination level below the lower illumination threshold: illuminating by the IR illuminator the scene using a second IR light at a second power level that is greater than the first illumination power; capturing by the image sensor a second image of the scene; and storing in the memory second image data corresponding to the second image; and when the first region has the illumination level above the upper illumination threshold: illuminating by the IR illuminator the scene using a third IR light at a third power level that is less than the first illumination power; capturing by the image sensor a third image of the scene; and storing in the memory third image data corresponding to the third image, when the first region has the illumination level below the lower illumination threshold: illuminating by the IR illuminator the scene using a second IR light at a second power level that is greater than the first illumination power; capturing by the image sensor a second image of the scene; and storing in the memory second image data corresponding to the second image; and illuminating by the IR illuminator the scene using a second IR light at a second power level that is greater than the first illumination power; capturing by the image sensor a second image of the scene; and storing in the memory second image data corresponding to the second image; and when the first region has the illumination level above the upper illumination threshold: illuminating by the IR illuminator the scene using a third IR light at a third power level that is less than the first illumination power; capturing by the image sensor a third image of the scene; and storing in the memory third image data corresponding to the third image, illuminating by the IR illuminator the scene using a third IR light at a third power level that is less than the first illumination power; capturing by the image sensor a third image of the scene; and storing in the memory third image data corresponding to the third image,