Various embodiments are disclosed for setting a depth camera light source operating temperature in a thermal tuning mode executed during a depth camera manufacturing process. One embodiment of a method includes illuminating a target with light from a light source at a plurality of light source temperatures; for each light source temperature, sensing an intensity of reflected light received at a light sensor through a light filter positioned intermediate the target and the light sensor; approximating a frequency response relationship between a light filter cutoff frequency and a light source emission wavelength based on a comparison of the sensed intensities and stored reference data; generating a temperature set point so that the light source emission wavelength does not overlap the light filter cutoff frequency by more than a predetermined overlap threshold; and programming a temperature controller to control the light source to the temperature set point during depth camera operation.