I'm sure many of you are already aware that the website http://www.chasingame.com offers reviews of trail cameras and associated equipment.
What you probably don't know is that many of their reviews are based on camera placements around feeders or baits and so a camera may see more intense activity than what it might normally go through, such as being used by people like us - who plant them, cross our fingers and hope that we get something.
The point is, stuff like battery usage & drain statistics that this site offers is based on the actual usage of the camera in the environment that they have set it up in. And it is these environments that drastically vary from our setups, which means we really should take some of the information provided with caution.
I can tell you that a camera in the bush that sees little traffic and has a good set of batteries in it will last longer than that specified by chasingame. Sometimes over 100% longer. I recall a friend mentioning that the batteries in his trail camera have been in there for quite some time. Now, I know it's not "consistent" use, but still, if you add up the days & hours it has been operating...this is when you start to see real world results
To me, battery life is very important because the areas that I want to research are at least a few hours away. These are places where I simply cannot attend over the lunch hour....no, these are areas where I have to set aside a half or full day to get up there, hike in, plant the cam, **Test the Cam**, then make the drive back. (Notice how I highlighted 'test the cam' ? Can't be overstated) .
So you see, to me, I want to be able to plant the cam and not have to worry about it running low only after a few days, otherwise it really doesn't make the trip worthwhile.
Mind you, some of us - me especially, will jump on a trail cam deal regardless of the performance and longevity in the field, but hey, thats what experimentation is all about. As we learn from our experiences, we pass along info to others so they are better informed!
In closing, I have a Wildview EzCam that chasingame had reviewed and they mentioned that after 12 days and 549 photos, the camera was done (batteries exhausted). This was using new "C" Energizer batteries in a baited area. The review is here: http://www.chasingame.com/index.php?id=106
What I wanted to do was put my camera to the test and see how it compares to their findings, based on different circumstances.
The differences would be: 1) A non-baited area and 2) different batteries
(When I say non-baited, it doesn't mean that I can't put the camera near a place that naturally draws animals, such as a blueberry patch. But putting out salt licks, seed, corn, anything like that -no, that is considered baiting)
And so, I have my EzCam deployed with a new set of Sony stamina platinum batteries as a comparable substitute to the energizers (These batteries have gotten reviews), no bait, in an area that I feel will offer average animal activity yet it is not a "deer highway".
The camera is sitting attached to a tree overlooking a clearing that animals may travel through. Trying to reduce false triggers, I ensured that I had a bit of cover above to prevent heat-based snapshots from the sun. I also made sure that I did not expose the camera to the easterly sunrise / westerly sunset directions as to further eliminate false triggers.
Now for the math. This is the part I find intriguing.
Chasingame says 12 days with 549 photos before the unit died. Well, the first thing we do is divide that number (549) by 3. Why? well, the EzCam has no adjustable settings except for the date & time. Everytime there is motion detected, the camera takes 3 pictures, each 10 seconds apart.
This means that in those 12 days, there were 183 detections or 15.25 (I will round it down to 15) detections per day if we average it out across all 12 days.
So, it will be interesting to see how my deployment works out. I wonder if we will surpass these figures? Here is what I think. My daily detections will be minimal, say 3 or 4 per day, but my runtime will be longer, say 18 to 26 days? Maybe longer? I don't know but it will sure be interesting to find out.
And what about you other folks? How do your cameras compare to what has been reviewed about them? Are the reviews accurate? What has your testing shown?
I will share my results as soon as they are in, hopefully with some great pics!!
What you probably don't know is that many of their reviews are based on camera placements around feeders or baits and so a camera may see more intense activity than what it might normally go through, such as being used by people like us - who plant them, cross our fingers and hope that we get something.
The point is, stuff like battery usage & drain statistics that this site offers is based on the actual usage of the camera in the environment that they have set it up in. And it is these environments that drastically vary from our setups, which means we really should take some of the information provided with caution.
I can tell you that a camera in the bush that sees little traffic and has a good set of batteries in it will last longer than that specified by chasingame. Sometimes over 100% longer. I recall a friend mentioning that the batteries in his trail camera have been in there for quite some time. Now, I know it's not "consistent" use, but still, if you add up the days & hours it has been operating...this is when you start to see real world results
To me, battery life is very important because the areas that I want to research are at least a few hours away. These are places where I simply cannot attend over the lunch hour....no, these are areas where I have to set aside a half or full day to get up there, hike in, plant the cam, **Test the Cam**, then make the drive back. (Notice how I highlighted 'test the cam' ? Can't be overstated) .
So you see, to me, I want to be able to plant the cam and not have to worry about it running low only after a few days, otherwise it really doesn't make the trip worthwhile.
Mind you, some of us - me especially, will jump on a trail cam deal regardless of the performance and longevity in the field, but hey, thats what experimentation is all about. As we learn from our experiences, we pass along info to others so they are better informed!
In closing, I have a Wildview EzCam that chasingame had reviewed and they mentioned that after 12 days and 549 photos, the camera was done (batteries exhausted). This was using new "C" Energizer batteries in a baited area. The review is here: http://www.chasingame.com/index.php?id=106
What I wanted to do was put my camera to the test and see how it compares to their findings, based on different circumstances.
The differences would be: 1) A non-baited area and 2) different batteries
(When I say non-baited, it doesn't mean that I can't put the camera near a place that naturally draws animals, such as a blueberry patch. But putting out salt licks, seed, corn, anything like that -no, that is considered baiting)
And so, I have my EzCam deployed with a new set of Sony stamina platinum batteries as a comparable substitute to the energizers (These batteries have gotten reviews), no bait, in an area that I feel will offer average animal activity yet it is not a "deer highway".
The camera is sitting attached to a tree overlooking a clearing that animals may travel through. Trying to reduce false triggers, I ensured that I had a bit of cover above to prevent heat-based snapshots from the sun. I also made sure that I did not expose the camera to the easterly sunrise / westerly sunset directions as to further eliminate false triggers.
Now for the math. This is the part I find intriguing.
Chasingame says 12 days with 549 photos before the unit died. Well, the first thing we do is divide that number (549) by 3. Why? well, the EzCam has no adjustable settings except for the date & time. Everytime there is motion detected, the camera takes 3 pictures, each 10 seconds apart.
This means that in those 12 days, there were 183 detections or 15.25 (I will round it down to 15) detections per day if we average it out across all 12 days.
So, it will be interesting to see how my deployment works out. I wonder if we will surpass these figures? Here is what I think. My daily detections will be minimal, say 3 or 4 per day, but my runtime will be longer, say 18 to 26 days? Maybe longer? I don't know but it will sure be interesting to find out.
And what about you other folks? How do your cameras compare to what has been reviewed about them? Are the reviews accurate? What has your testing shown?
I will share my results as soon as they are in, hopefully with some great pics!!
By the way, I did catch a deer at about 3am passing by, but it was the only animal I captured. Attached are the pics. You can see the eyeshine and the rump.
EYESHINE MIDDLE, slightly to the right
RUMP, walking off to the right of the screen
Certainly not the best photos, especially given the fact that they are only 1.3mp, but in a pinch this camera works well and I ahvent had any operational issues with it.
One last thing....if you've lasted this long on this long and winded post (
)
I discovered what might be a little known secret gem (of course, I am not sure at this time but I am checking into it.....)
You know the Bushnell Trophy Cam - it's received some excellent reviews, has a great small size, long battery life, great trigger time and overall gives really good performance. They range from about $160 onwards, usually you find them for around $180
Well, Tasco is owned by Bushnell. And Tasco has a 5mp infra-red cam that is little known. Looks almost identical to the trophy cam. It is model 11-9215C but trying to find anymore than just some really general specs is like pulling teeth. I can't find a manual and I have emails into Bushnell to find out more about this camera since they dont have any resources on their site.
Why is this camera so appealing? Well, it can be had for $89 - $99. Yup, at that price, I might get two if the specs are in line with the nearly identical Bushnell product.
J
EYESHINE MIDDLE, slightly to the right
RUMP, walking off to the right of the screen
Certainly not the best photos, especially given the fact that they are only 1.3mp, but in a pinch this camera works well and I ahvent had any operational issues with it.
One last thing....if you've lasted this long on this long and winded post (
)I discovered what might be a little known secret gem (of course, I am not sure at this time but I am checking into it.....)
You know the Bushnell Trophy Cam - it's received some excellent reviews, has a great small size, long battery life, great trigger time and overall gives really good performance. They range from about $160 onwards, usually you find them for around $180
Well, Tasco is owned by Bushnell. And Tasco has a 5mp infra-red cam that is little known. Looks almost identical to the trophy cam. It is model 11-9215C but trying to find anymore than just some really general specs is like pulling teeth. I can't find a manual and I have emails into Bushnell to find out more about this camera since they dont have any resources on their site.
Why is this camera so appealing? Well, it can be had for $89 - $99. Yup, at that price, I might get two if the specs are in line with the nearly identical Bushnell product.
J
