A method for enhancing the performance of a video camera capable of switching between night-mode operation and day-mode operation, comprising acquiring a first sequence of images with the video camera without a second filter setup arranged in front of an image sensor of the video camera and without any IR-cut filter arranged in front of the image sensor , i.e., with the video camera operating in night-mode, acquiring a second sequence of images with the video camera with the second filter setup in front of the image sensor of the video camera, the second filter setup comprising an IR-transmission filter of known transmission characteristics and having a transmission in the IR-region of above 30% and below 100% and spatially uniform transmission over its active area such that every pixel of the image sensor will be affected uniformly, wherein the second filter setup has a transmission of visual light of 100% and wherein the first and second sequences of images are consecutive or interleaved, using the first and the second sequences of images to calculate a contribution of visual light in images in the first sequence of images and the second sequence of images, and utilizing an assessment of the calculated contribution to improve the performance of the video camera by, switching the video camera from night-mode to day-mode based on the contribution of visual light in the images in the first sequence of images and the second sequence of images, or to deduce and add color information to images acquired with full or partial transmission of IR-radiation to the image sensor based on the contribution of visual light in the images in the first sequence of images and the second sequence of images. acquiring a first sequence of images with the video camera without a second filter setup arranged in front of an image sensor of the video camera and without any IR-cut filter arranged in front of the image sensor , i.e., with the video camera operating in night-mode, acquiring a second sequence of images with the video camera with the second filter setup in front of the image sensor of the video camera, the second filter setup comprising an IR-transmission filter of known transmission characteristics and having a transmission in the IR-region of above 30% and below 100% and spatially uniform transmission over its active area such that every pixel of the image sensor will be affected uniformly, wherein the second filter setup has a transmission of visual light of 100% and wherein the first and second sequences of images are consecutive or interleaved, using the first and the second sequences of images to calculate a contribution of visual light in images in the first sequence of images and the second sequence of images, and utilizing an assessment of the calculated contribution to improve the performance of the video camera by, switching the video camera from night-mode to day-mode based on the contribution of visual light in the images in the first sequence of images and the second sequence of images, or to deduce and add color information to images acquired with full or partial transmission of IR-radiation to the image sensor based on the contribution of visual light in the images in the first sequence of images and the second sequence of images. <EOS>