Lighting device for a camera as well as methods of operation thereof

There is provided an illumination device for a camera. The illumination device includes a light emitting semiconductor chip (1) having a plurality of individually controllable emission regions (2A, 2B, 2B ') contains. The lighting device further includes an optical element (15) which is adapted to the emission regions (2A, 2B, 2B ') emitted light (210, 220) to form a beam. The illumination device (10) is designed such that by means of individually controllable emission regions (2A, 2B, 2B ') have different beam profiles of the beam are adjustable. Furthermore, a camera, a method of operating the lighting device and an operating method are given for the camera.