I tested the stealthcam i390 as a possible low-cost camera solution. The camera is very large and heavy. It can be locked with stealthcam's locking device or a homemade solution. The homemade solution I used requires a slim, long padlock which is placed through the hole in the camera case. A bicycle lock is then secured around the tree and the camera is secured to the bicycle lock with the padlock.
The camera's performance is nothing to write home about. It takes some time for the camera to fire up and take a photo. The camera's sensor doesn't seem to work very well either. I tested by walking, crawling, and having a live dog cross the camera. Although it does trigger for the most part, detection seems somewhat random and flaky. It also doesn't seem very easily triggered by small species, which may be a plus or minus depending on one's needs. The flash overexposes any night photos if placed anywhere near the ground or if the animal is very close. I had to tape a piece of paper over the flash to reduce this problem. The camera is sometimes setup by sunlight, but not nearly as easily/often as the Wildview 2MP camera. An example photo is attached. Finally, because the camera is so large there is a tendency for smaller species to get cut out of the photo if the camera is placed upright near ground level. At the end of the day, all of the disadvantages of the camera are just too much to deal with just to avoid having film processed. By the time I factor in gas and time, I would rather pay for film processing than deal with the frustrations of trying to force this camera to function as I'd like.
The camera's performance is nothing to write home about. It takes some time for the camera to fire up and take a photo. The camera's sensor doesn't seem to work very well either. I tested by walking, crawling, and having a live dog cross the camera. Although it does trigger for the most part, detection seems somewhat random and flaky. It also doesn't seem very easily triggered by small species, which may be a plus or minus depending on one's needs. The flash overexposes any night photos if placed anywhere near the ground or if the animal is very close. I had to tape a piece of paper over the flash to reduce this problem. The camera is sometimes setup by sunlight, but not nearly as easily/often as the Wildview 2MP camera. An example photo is attached. Finally, because the camera is so large there is a tendency for smaller species to get cut out of the photo if the camera is placed upright near ground level. At the end of the day, all of the disadvantages of the camera are just too much to deal with just to avoid having film processed. By the time I factor in gas and time, I would rather pay for film processing than deal with the frustrations of trying to force this camera to function as I'd like.
No comments:
Post a Comment