A video camera system comprising: an imaging system having a camera lens , an image sensor , and a retractable IR-cut filter , and a control unit , wherein the video camera system has a day-mode in which the IR-cut filter is arranged in front of the image sensor , and a night-mode in which the IR-cut filter is retracted from its position in front of the image sensor , wherein the video camera system has a field of view defined by properties of its imaging system, the video camera system further comprising a separate light sensor for measuring an ambient light level forming a basis for a decision regarding when to actuate a transfer from night-mode to day-mode, or vice versa, characterized in that the separate light sensor having imaging optics and is configured to enable adjustment to measure an ambient light level in a variable field of view and in that the separate light sensor is further configured to enable adjustment to measure the ambient light level in a scene currently being imaged by the video camera system in a current field of view of the video camera system by means of: the separate light sensor comprising a first and a second light sensor having imaging lenses of different focal length, and the control unit combining a light sensor reading from the first and the second light sensor, wherein a weight given to the reading from the first and the second light sensor, respectively, varies as a function of the current field of view of the video camera system. an imaging system having a camera lens , an image sensor , and a retractable IR-cut filter , and a control unit , wherein the video camera system has a day-mode in which the IR-cut filter is arranged in front of the image sensor , and a night-mode in which the IR-cut filter is retracted from its position in front of the image sensor , wherein the video camera system has a field of view defined by properties of its imaging system, the video camera system further comprising a separate light sensor for measuring an ambient light level forming a basis for a decision regarding when to actuate a transfer from night-mode to day-mode, or vice versa, characterized in that the separate light sensor having imaging optics and is configured to enable adjustment to measure an ambient light level in a variable field of view and in that the separate light sensor is further configured to enable adjustment to measure the ambient light level in a scene currently being imaged by the video camera system in a current field of view of the video camera system by means of: the separate light sensor comprising a first and a second light sensor having imaging lenses of different focal length, and the control unit combining a light sensor reading from the first and the second light sensor, wherein a weight given to the reading from the first and the second light sensor, respectively, varies as a function of the current field of view of the video camera system. the separate light sensor comprising a first and a second light sensor having imaging lenses of different focal length, and the control unit combining a light sensor reading from the first and the second light sensor, wherein a weight given to the reading from the first and the second light sensor, respectively, varies as a function of the current field of view of the video camera system. <EOS>