Method for improving image quality in images acquired by a near-infrared sensitive video camera and such a camera

A method for improving image quality in images acquired by a near-infrared sensitive video camera viewing a scene, the method comprising:

• dynamically detecting a setting of an infrared (IR) -illuminator of the near-infrared sensitive video camera, the IR-illuminator illuminating the scene, wherein the setting of the IR-illuminator comprises one or more of:
• a zoom level of the IR-illuminator, and
• a shape of a light distribution of the IR-illuminator;
• dynamically acquiring a gain setting map for the near-infrared sensitive video camera, the acquired gain setting map being associated with the dynamically detected setting of the IR-illuminator and comprising individual gain settings for pixels or group of pixels of the near-infrared sensitive video camera, wherein dynamically acquiring the gain setting map is based on accessing a database comprising gain setting maps associated with specific settings of the IR-illuminator and on the dynamically detected setting of the IR-illuminator;
• and
• dynamically adjusting a gain setting of the near-infrared sensitive video camera based on the acquired gain setting map.