A method of performing better controlled switching between day mode and night mode imaging in a camera, where those illuminants contributing to the ambient light in day mode are considered when determining the visible light during night mode. Characteristic values of those illuminants are mixed with several levels of IR light to simulate the presence of an IR illuminator, and these characteristic values are compared to corresponding values derived from the color components of the ambient light in night mode in order to determine the IR proportion, and from that the amount of visible light.