Disclosed herein are techniques for camera illuminator control. These techniques can be used in cameras that include an RGBIR (red green blue infrared) camera sensor and two illuminators—one visible light illuminator and one infrared illuminator. The techniques provide timing and control for such cameras for a variety of different camera modes. Particular camera modes may be defined as having different camera mode values for different camera mode parameters. That is, any particular camera mode is defined by a particular camera mode value for each of a set of camera mode parameters. Different parameters include a flash periodicity parameter, a simultaneity parameter, an autoexposure mode parameter, a shutter mode parameter, and a frame drop parameter.