diff --git a/modules/imgproc/src/pyramids.cpp b/modules/imgproc/src/pyramids.cpp
index e7d315cb5..672e91113 100644
--- a/modules/imgproc/src/pyramids.cpp
+++ b/modules/imgproc/src/pyramids.cpp
@@ -203,7 +203,8 @@ pyrDown_( const Mat& _src, Mat& _dst, int borderType )
     CastOp castOp;
     VecOp vecOp;
 
-    CV_Assert( std::abs(dsize.width*2 - ssize.width) <= 2 &&
+    CV_Assert( ssize.width > 0 && ssize.height > 0 && 
+               std::abs(dsize.width*2 - ssize.width) <= 2 &&
                std::abs(dsize.height*2 - ssize.height) <= 2 );
     int k, x, sy0 = -PD_SZ/2, sy = sy0, width0 = std::min((ssize.width-PD_SZ/2-1)/2 + 1, dsize.width);
 
diff --git a/samples/cpp/image_sequence.cpp b/samples/cpp/image_sequence.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..3bb23f00b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/samples/cpp/image_sequence.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,57 @@
+#include <opencv2/core/core.hpp>
+#include <opencv2/highgui/highgui.hpp>
+
+#include <iostream>
+
+using namespace cv;
+using namespace std;
+
+static void help(char** argv)
+{
+    cout << "\nThis sample shows you how to read a sequence of images using the VideoCapture interface.\n"
+         << "Usage: " << argv[0] << " <image_mask> (example mask: example_%%02d.jpg)\n"
+		 << "Image mask defines the name variation for the input images that have to be read as a sequence. \n"
+		 << "Using the mask example_%%02d.jpg will read in images labeled as 'example_00.jpg', 'example_01.jpg', etc."
+         << endl;
+}
+
+int main(int argc, char** argv)
+{
+    if(argc != 2) 
+    {
+        help(argv);
+        return 1;
+    }
+
+    string first_file = argv[1];
+    VideoCapture sequence(first_file);
+    
+    if (!sequence.isOpened())
+    {
+        cerr << "Failed to open the image sequence!\n" << endl;
+        return 1;
+    }
+    
+    Mat image;
+    namedWindow("Image sequence | press ESC to close", 1);
+    
+    for(;;)
+    {
+        // Read in image from sequence
+        sequence >> image;
+		
+        // If no image was retrieved -> end of sequence
+        if(image.empty())
+        {
+            cout << "End of Sequence" << endl;
+            break;
+        }
+        
+        imshow("Image sequence | press ESC to close", image);
+
+        if(waitKey(500) == 27)
+            break;
+    }
+
+    return 0;
+}