1. A system for performing an optical navigation operation, the system comprising: a driver circuit configured to provide a drive current to a light source to produce light on a target surface; an image sensor configured to capture frames of image data of the target surface illuminated by the light; a navigation engine operably connected to the image sensor to receive the frames of image data, the navigation engine being configured to generate displacement values based on comparisons of the frames of image data; and an automatic drive current adjuster operably connected to the image sensor to receive the frames of image data, the automatic drive current adjuster being configured to determine whether each of the frames of image data belongs to one of at least first and second types of frames of image data with respect to brightness characteristics of the frames of image data, the automatic drive current adjuster being further configured to count the frames of image data belonging to the first and second types of frames of image data, the automatic drive current adjuster being further configured to direct the driver circuit to adjust the drive current to the light source depending on counts of the frames of image data belonging to the first and second types of frames of image data.