Thank you for your answer! I've yet to find a good introduction into QML for C++ developers, but I was a little put off by the somewhat convoluted approach as different tutorials either don't show any QML or only use it soley to develop a very simple application.

The main problem I'm struggling is with QML is the ability to generate a GUI based on some set preferences. In my case the amount of e.g tabs in the "Options" pane should be defined by the amount of video files which are currently loaded. Is this easily possible to programatically extend QML GUIs?

@jgmills Your problem is that you are importing some Pylon headers in the wrong order/missing some include.
Basler suggest importing first the #include <pylon/PylonIncludes.h> and after all the others needed in your headers file.
Checking the latter include you can find a comment:

// PylonPlatform.h must be included before including any GenICam/GenApi header files, // to ensure that the GENICAM_COMPILER_STR macro used by GenICam/GenApi is set properly #include <pylon/Platform.h> #include <pylon/PylonLinkage.h>

That macro next enables the definition of GENICAM_USER_ALWAYS_LINK_RELEASE. This definition tells the compiler to link the library with the MD specification also in debug mode.
Concluding, to be able to work in debug mode you can choose between:

In your headers that need some pylon include, add as first the #include <pylon/PylonIncludes.h> If you want to avoid all the inclusion made by the latter, in your headers that need some pylon include, add as first the #include <pylon/Platform.h> and the #include <pylon/PylonLinkage.h>