BestCustomerReview
I bought my Panasonic NV-GS11 video camera from eBay and for the cost, it seemed perfect. I liked the feel of the camera, it's simplicity of use, until I tried to transfer my movie to a PC and that's when the trouble started!
Nobody really wants, or needs the best of anything. It doesn't matter, whether it's digital cameras, automobiles, homes, or jet airplanes. What we really want and expect, is value for our money. If I'm going to spend 0 for a camera, then I better get 0 worth of features and quality from that camera. If I spend 00 on a camera, then I better get 00 worth back as well. If you follow a few simple rules, you'll see how easy it is to get the best camera your money can buy.
Wireless capsule endoscopy (WCE) is a relatively new and under utilized technology. It is under utilized due to limited insurance coverage for the test. Many people have heard about the so-called "camera pill" but do not know when it can or should be done, or how it works. Many mistakenly believe that it might be a substitute for colonoscopy, a flexible lighted tube with a camera on the tip used to examine the large intestine. Colonoscopy is recommended to screen for colon cancer and the precursor of colon cancer, colon polyps, as well as a diagnostic exam for evaluation of intestinal bleeding, diarrhea or lower abdominal pain. WCE is not yet technically feasible for examination of the lower or large intestine known as the colon. Given Imaging was the first to develop this technology.
If there ever was a product that failed to live up to it's potential, the Flip Video Ultra Series Camcorder was that product. Small, easy to use, YouTube friendly, and everyone is doing the video thing these days. The Flip Video got all kinds of media love from USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, and even Oprah used a Flip Video on her show. It's truly a great idea whose time has come, and people are buying them up, in spite of all their problems. Speaking of their problems, lets have a look shall we.
Shooting videos with the Flip Video, and viewing them on the camera seems to work fine. The problem comes once you attach the the video camera to your PC or MAC. Problems include intermittent uploading of videos. Meaning, sometimes videos upload and sometimes they don't . Sometimes only a few will upload, and sometimes none. In addition uploads can be painfully slow. Some consumers have reported complete computer crashes while attempting to load their videos. Even MAC users have seen their virtually bullet proof systems crash when hooked up to a Flip Video. Pure Digital, the company behind the camcorder has been madly releasing software, and firmware updates for Flip Video. Some of the patches do seem to be helping.
The other thing to consider is the quality of the video you plan on creating. The Flip Video, probably creates quality slightly better videos than most cell phones, but not as good as the videos from a decent digital still camera. It seems to be geared to the YouTube crowd, as that's about where the quality of the videos seem to fit. If your looking to shoot family and friends videos you want as keepsakes, it's probably better to go with a dedicated camcorder. If your only a casual video shooter, than maybe you should spend a few extra bucks on your digital still camera, and make sure it's got good video features.
I don't mean to pick on the Flip Video too much, but there are a few other smaller problems as well:
- Small size of unit can be cumbersome for people with larger adult size hands.
- Interface is not as simple to use as it should be.
- Customer service unable to keep up due to the popularity of the camera, and numerous software problems.
- Lens quality and placement make it prone to scratching.
WCE is however the only way to directly visualize the much longer and smaller diameter of the small intestine.Typical reasons for wanting to see the small intestine include unexplained intestinal bleeding, anemia (low blood count), suspected Crohn's disease, tumors, or known polyp syndromes. Of the approximately 24 feet of small intestine a person has, only the upper 1 1/2 to 3 feet can typically be reached and seen by a scope from the mouth and only the last few inches to a foot can be seen at the time of a colonoscopy exam through the rectum. It has long been thought and taught that very few serious diseases occurred in the small intestine (cancers or inflammation like Crohn's or Celiac disease) that could not be diagnosed by upper or lower endoscopy or small intestine barium x-rays. Since WCE has begun to be used more frequently, more disease has been found than was previously thought to occur.
Celiac disease is a condition that affects the small intestine that can be associated with anemia, blood loss, lymphoma and cancer of the small intestine. Typically, upper scope exams make the diagnosis but people with poor response to gluten free diet or other warning signs such as weight loss, refractory anemia, blood loss or abdominal pain in whom WCE has not been performed may harbor other serious small intestine problems including lymphoma and cancer.
Crohn's disease is a chronic inflammation of the intestinal tract that does not yet have a cure and is of unknown cause. It invariably involves the small intestine and often only involves the small intestine. Sometimes, the diagnosis cannot be made with conventional colonoscopy and/or intestinal x-rays. The extent of small intestine involvement is also commonly not accurately determined by x-rays. WCE is emerging as the diagnostic test of choice for Crohn's disease, especially when combined with specific blood tests and a colonoscopy.
The capsule endoscopy procedure requires little preparation. Most doctors request the patient fast overnight before coming into the clinic early in the morning. The patient has some electrical recording wires attached to the skin of the abdomen that record the location of the capsule as it passes through the digestive tract. This helps the doctor reading the video recording with interpreting where the pill camera is and if it is being delayed in an area. A video recording device is worn on a belt and wirelessly receives the video recording from the pill camera as it travels through the intestine.
The pill camera is activated by popping it out of a magnetized blister pack. It is swallowed with a glass of water. The patient is typically asked not to drink anything except water for 2 hours so that the camera pill has time to exit the stomach before being exposed to food or drink that could impair the video recording. Usually, a light lunch is allowed after four hours. At the end of the day the patient returns to the office to turn in the recorder so that the video can be downloaded to a computer for viewing by the doctor.
Once activated, the small intestine pill camera battery lasts eight hours. Since the transit time from mouth to the end of the small intestine in most people is around 2-6 hours, this is more than adequate for the entire small intestine to be video recorded. However, some people have delayed emptying of their stomach, slow intestinal transit or areas of blockage or constriction that prevent the pill camera from reaching the end of the small intestine before the battery dies. When that happens no further recordings are transmitted. If the camera pill gets stuck, surgery may be required to remove it from the body. However, if this occurs, it is usually because a condition exists in the small intestine for which surgery is the treatment of choice.
Recently, a pill camera that has the ability to record video images from both ends and more rapidly, has been approved by the FDA and marketed as an alternative to standard upper endoscopy for examination of the esophagus. It is being marketed as a very quick, painless, and accurate method of screening for acid reflux, pre-cancer and cancer of the esophagus as well as varices of the esophagus. Varices are varicose type veins occurring in the esophagus of people with cirrhosis of the liver that if not treated with medication and/or rubber band ligation can bleed spontaneously and be life threatening. Insurance coverage for such examination is limited. Others limitations include the ability to only visualize the esophagus, leaving the stomach and upper small intestine unexamined in detail, and the inability to perform biopsies of abnormal appearing tissue. However, the ease and rapidity of the test appeals to people and will likely drive the popularity forward as long as insurance companies agree to cover the test.
WCE is being tested for examination of the colon but the larger diameter of the colon, presence of stool, and longer transit time are all technical limitations that have delayed the development. Several researchers, including a team at MIT, are working on a remote controlled pill camera with the ability to sample tissues and deliver treatments. One investigator is trying to create a pill camera that reproduces the movements of a beetle, effectively crawling through the intestinal tract, stopping and backing up under robotic remote control. The future looks promising and resembles The Fantastic Voyage through the human body. Until then, WCE is very helpful and appropriate for the evaluation of certain gastrointestinal conditions and the signs and symptoms as described above.
Acclaimed science fiction author Theodore Sturgeon was famous for a couple of adages known as Sturgeons Laws. My favorite, and the one most relevant to our discussion is, "Ninety percent of everything is crap." It's simple, direct and brutally honest. It also really helps narrow down our search. If the camera your looking at is not on at least one top ten list, then drop it from your search. If it doesn't have at least a four star review from someone, then drop if off your list. There are so many cameras to choose from these days, there's really no need to settle for anything less then the best.
The second step, and a little more effort intensive, is the trial run phase. You need to try out as many of the cameras on your now very short list (thanks to Theodore) as possible. Spend a day, and blitz your favorite camera stores. Go to two or three, and just annoy and pepper the sales staff with as many questions and requests as you can. If you go during off hours, you should have plenty of time and space to try out all the cameras you want. See if you can cajole them into letting you take a few home to try out. After this exercise, your short list should be really short. Maybe even a list of 1.
Of course if the above seems like to much work for you slackers out there, here's my short list of great cameras that are all money well spent. In the under 0 category, the Canon PowerShot A570IS. It's a simple point and shoot with 4x zoom lens, image stabilization, and Canon reliability. For the portability minded ultra compact Facebook crowd, you can't go wrong with the Canon PowerShot SD1000 Digital Elph. Slightly less image quality then the A570IS, and slightly more expensive, but a very easy traveler. Another favorite compact of mine is the Olympus Stylus 790SW. The only waterproof, shockproof, dust proof, and freeze proof camera I know.
Normally, when you connect a camera using the USB connection, your PC recognises the device and you can use it straight away. I had no end of problems getting the PC to do this and I thought the driver was at fault.
The answer, in hindsight, is that in the menu there are 2 items for the USB Function, "web camera" and "DV Studio" - the software for acquiring still photos from the camera. Choose "web camera", connect your camera to the PC via the USB connection and switch on the camera using the Playback mode. Check "My Computer" and there should be a video camera icon with "USB Video Device" beside it. Double click onto this icon will open up a page, where if you start your movie from the camera, you can see the results on the PC screen. Unfortunately, there's nowhere on this page where you can save the movie itself.
I searched with Google and found the answer. Many people had the same issue but there didn't seem to any answers. Eventually, I found one reply on a forum way down the page which provided the solution.
Download Windows Movie Maker from the Microsoft page. This is for Windows XP:-
http://www.download.com/Windows-Movie-Maker-Windows-XP-/3000-13631_4-10165075.html
Open Movie Maker and you will see " Capture from video device" This allows you to save your movie into a directory of your choice and later burn the movie onto a CD using your favourite software.
I hope this is of some help to you all with the same problem I had. If you need any further assistance, drop me an email to brianparkin@parkinspatch.com
Wireless capsule endoscopy (WCE) is a relatively new and under utilized technology. It is under utilized due to limited insurance coverage for the test. Many people have heard about the so-called "camera pill" but do not know when it can or should be done, or how it works. Many mistakenly believe that it might be a substitute for colonoscopy, a flexible lighted tube with a camera on the tip used to examine the large intestine. Colonoscopy is recommended to screen for colon cancer and the precursor of colon cancer, colon polyps, as well as a diagnostic exam for evaluation of intestinal bleeding, diarrhea or lower abdominal pain. WCE is not yet technically feasible for examination of the lower or large intestine known as the colon. Given Imaging was the first to develop this technology.
WCE is however the only way to directly visualize the much longer and smaller diameter of the small intestine.Typical reasons for wanting to see the small intestine include unexplained intestinal bleeding, anemia (low blood count), suspected Crohn's disease, tumors, or known polyp syndromes. Of the approximately 24 feet of small intestine a person has, only the upper 1 1/2 to 3 feet can typically be reached and seen by a scope from the mouth and only the last few inches to a foot can be seen at the time of a colonoscopy exam through the rectum. It has long been thought and taught that very few serious diseases occurred in the small intestine (cancers or inflammation like Crohn's or Celiac disease) that could not be diagnosed by upper or lower endoscopy or small intestine barium x-rays. Since WCE has begun to be used more frequently, more disease has been found than was previously thought to occur.
Celiac disease is a condition that affects the small intestine that can be associated with anemia, blood loss, lymphoma and cancer of the small intestine. Typically, upper scope exams make the diagnosis but people with poor response to gluten free diet or other warning signs such as weight loss, refractory anemia, blood loss or abdominal pain in whom WCE has not been performed may harbor other serious small intestine problems including lymphoma and cancer.
Crohn's disease is a chronic inflammation of the intestinal tract that does not yet have a cure and is of unknown cause. It invariably involves the small intestine and often only involves the small intestine. Sometimes, the diagnosis cannot be made with conventional colonoscopy and/or intestinal x-rays. The extent of small intestine involvement is also commonly not accurately determined by x-rays. WCE is emerging as the diagnostic test of choice for Crohn's disease, especially when combined with specific blood tests and a colonoscopy.
The capsule endoscopy procedure requires little preparation. Most doctors request the patient fast overnight before coming into the clinic early in the morning. The patient has some electrical recording wires attached to the skin of the abdomen that record the location of the capsule as it passes through the digestive tract. This helps the doctor reading the video recording with interpreting where the pill camera is and if it is being delayed in an area. A video recording device is worn on a belt and wirelessly receives the video recording from the pill camera as it travels through the intestine.
The pill camera is activated by popping it out of a magnetized blister pack. It is swallowed with a glass of water. The patient is typically asked not to drink anything except water for 2 hours so that the camera pill has time to exit the stomach before being exposed to food or drink that could impair the video recording. Usually, a light lunch is allowed after four hours. At the end of the day the patient returns to the office to turn in the recorder so that the video can be downloaded to a computer for viewing by the doctor.
Once activated, the small intestine pill camera battery lasts eight hours. Since the transit time from mouth to the end of the small intestine in most people is around 2-6 hours, this is more than adequate for the entire small intestine to be video recorded. However, some people have delayed emptying of their stomach, slow intestinal transit or areas of blockage or constriction that prevent the pill camera from reaching the end of the small intestine before the battery dies. When that happens no further recordings are transmitted. If the camera pill gets stuck, surgery may be required to remove it from the body. However, if this occurs, it is usually because a condition exists in the small intestine for which surgery is the treatment of choice.
Recently, a pill camera that has the ability to record video images from both ends and more rapidly, has been approved by the FDA and marketed as an alternative to standard upper endoscopy for examination of the esophagus. It is being marketed as a very quick, painless, and accurate method of screening for acid reflux, pre-cancer and cancer of the esophagus as well as varices of the esophagus. Varices are varicose type veins occurring in the esophagus of people with cirrhosis of the liver that if not treated with medication and/or rubber band ligation can bleed spontaneously and be life threatening. Insurance coverage for such examination is limited. Others limitations include the ability to only visualize the esophagus, leaving the stomach and upper small intestine unexamined in detail, and the inability to perform biopsies of abnormal appearing tissue. However, the ease and rapidity of the test appeals to people and will likely drive the popularity forward as long as insurance companies agree to cover the test.
WCE is being tested for examination of the colon but the larger diameter of the colon, presence of stool, and longer transit time are all technical limitations that have delayed the development. Several researchers, including a team at MIT, are working on a remote controlled pill camera with the ability to sample tissues and deliver treatments. One investigator is trying to create a pill camera that reproduces the movements of a beetle, effectively crawling through the intestinal tract, stopping and backing up under robotic remote control. The future looks promising and resembles The Fantastic Voyage through the human body. Until then, WCE is very helpful and appropriate for the evaluation of certain gastrointestinal conditions and the signs and symptoms as described above.
Pill Camera Records Video of the Inside of Your Intestinal TractI bought my Panasonic NV-GS11 video camera from eBay and for the cost, it seemed perfect. I liked the feel of the camera, it's simplicity of use, until I tried to transfer my movie to a PC and that's when the trouble started!
Normally, when you connect a camera using the USB connection, your PC recognises the device and you can use it straight away. I had no end of problems getting the PC to do this and I thought the driver was at fault.
The answer, in hindsight, is that in the menu there are 2 items for the USB Function, "web camera" and "DV Studio" - the software for acquiring still photos from the camera. Choose "web camera", connect your camera to the PC via the USB connection and switch on the camera using the Playback mode. Check "My Computer" and there should be a video camera icon with "USB Video Device" beside it. Double click onto this icon will open up a page, where if you start your movie from the camera, you can see the results on the PC screen. Unfortunately, there's nowhere on this page where you can save the movie itself.
I searched with Google and found the answer. Many people had the same issue but there didn't seem to any answers. Eventually, I found one reply on a forum way down the page which provided the solution.
Download Windows Movie Maker from the Microsoft page. This is for Windows XP:-
http://www.download.com/Windows-Movie-Maker-Windows-XP-/3000-13631_4-10165075.html
Open Movie Maker and you will see " Capture from video device" This allows you to save your movie into a directory of your choice and later burn the movie onto a CD using your favourite software.
I hope this is of some help to you all with the same problem I had. If you need any further assistance, drop me an email to brianparkin@parkinspatch.com
How to Save a Movie From a Panasonic NV-GS11 Video Camera to a PCLike so many people, you've decided to take advantage of the video sharing on the Internet. Congratulations, your decision to engage in video marketing aligns you with the fastest growing trend on the Net. Before you get started, you will need the right camera, but how do you know which one to pick? There are a few details to pay attention to help you decide.
The majority of videos you see on YouTube or any other video sharing sites are not created using a fancy high tech ,000 camera. You can stop worrying about breaking the bank. There are some exceptions, but unless you are looking to submit your videos to Stephen Spielberg for screenplays, you can create high quality videos for under 0 and as low as 0.
There are many different makes and models that fall into the price range of 0-0 that will give you the quality, functionality, and ease of use that you are looking for. A few months back I decided to check out the Flip Mino video camera. I paid 9 for the camera and for a tripod. This is a simple affordable solution that I would recommend for anyone looking to get started right away. I have used it on both a Mac and a PC with no issues. In addition, the Flip video camera comes out in an HD version that goes for 9.
One area of concern with the Flip Mino is that you can't see what you are doing. There is no swivel LCD screen that allows you to view the image you are recording. You will have to check out Insignia, Kodak, and Sony. They all have models under 0 with a swivel LCD screen.
If you are desperate to get videos up, you can always use a webcam. Most laptop computers have webcams as a standard built in feature. If you need to purchase a webcam they range in price starting at all of the way to 0. However, I would recommend if you are thinking about spending over 0 to invest in a portable camera such as the flip or a camera that also has video features. Quite simply, a hand held camera will allow you more mobility, inevitably making your videos more creative and diverse.
When you are online shopping for the right video camera there is no shortage of choices. Keep in mind you can always go to an electronics store to get a better feel for what you are buying. Once you have purchased your new camera, be sure to take it through a trial run from start to finish. Simply record a short "test" video and upload it to your computer. This will help you understand the process and ensure that the camera is compatible with your computer system.
If you are having trouble choosing what camera to go with, start asking around. Go to some forums or hang out on YouTube and find out what other people are using. There are plenty of affordable cameras available that will have you on the road to video marketing success.
If you are interested in seeing the quality of the videos created on this basic model (not the HD version which goes for 9) all of the videos on our YouTube channel have been recorded on a 9 Flip video camera.
Flip Video Camera is the Most Affordable Camera For Video Marketing and Quality TooIf you are considering installing a new video surveillance system, or expanding your existing video surveillance system, you might want to consider installing, or upgrading to a network IP video system. A network video surveillance system offers you a number of improvements over a traditional CCTV video system, like better image quality and lower cost to own and maintain.
A network IP system runs off a local area network, or LAN, which connects computers by ethernet. You access each camera like it was it's own computer, because it has it's own network IP address. You can control this camera from anywhere in the world and it makes for easier use than a traditional analog CCTV video system.
For years, Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) video surveillance systems were the only choice for video surveillance of your home or business. At first, the images from analog cameras were transmitted through cables to a quad, or monitor for viewing. With the advent of the Video Cassette Recorder (VCR), you were finally able to record the video to a VHS tape for future viewing. However, if you had to actually find an instance of needing the video for law enforcement, it required watching, or fast forwarding through hours of video.
This advanced to using a Digital Video Recorder (DVR) or DVR card in a computer to convert the analog video signals to digital formats. Then the video can be recorded to a hard disc, or burned to a DVR. They were still closed systems using CCTV cameras that were viewable only by the administrators of the surveillance system. Recent advancements have allowed those DVR's to have the ability to connect to the Internet, so you can remotely view the cameras from any Internet accessible computer or smart phone. The problems are that the cameras are still analog and the system is far from perfect.
While Network IP Cameras have been around since the mid-1990's, they were originally not as good as professional analog cameras. The allowed digital imaging, networking, and storage, though they were usually web-cams that let you view a tiny, grainy image over the Internet, or a local area network.
The times have changed; technology and IP technology have married up with the digital camera, to create the ultimate video surveillance system. IP network capable cameras have caught up with analog camera technology, and now exceed the quality of the video from traditional CCTV cameras.
The main benefits of an Network IP based video surveillance system is:
A complete digital solution, no need for DVR's or DVR cards. Ease of set-up, no video cables to run. Power the camera over your LAN, no power cables to run. Pan-Tilt-Zoom is built in, no need for additional hardware. 2-way audio is built in, now you can hear and talk to the person. Interlace problems are eliminated in high resolution cameras. The video is secure, and can be easily scalled as you needs grow.
These are the main advantages of a network surveillance system over an analog surveillance system, so you can make an educated decision before you purchase a new system, or upgrade an existing CCTV based system. You should know that IP cameras are more expensive then CCTV cameras, as they are considered a little computer by the network, and have the digitizing hardware built in.
The cost of installing a network IP camera system starts to pay for itself after 8 cameras, as you have a decreased labor cost due to no video cable to run, you just hook up a switch to a local area network and run your IP cameras off that.
What is the Difference Between Network IP Cameras and Analog CCTV Cameras?Infra Red Wildlife trail cameras can provide a fascinating insight into the nocturnal and daytime movements of elusive species such as otter, deer, foxes and red squirrels.
Infrared trail cameras are essentially mobile digital cameras which have a motion detection system that detects a human or animal intruder into an area, and triggers a camera which takes either a series of still images, or video footage.
Primarily designed for hunters to scout deer patterns in a hunting zone, these cameras are now more and more used for wildlife observation.
BBC Countryfile recently featured their Stealth Cam Prowler HD infra red scouting camera, showing how they can be used to great effect to capture footage of elusive animals such as river otters and badgers.
The RHS Chelsea Flower Show coverage on BBC also recommends the use of these infra red cameras for people looking to see who or what is lurking around their garden at night, and suggested they are particularly useful for capturing footage of the nocturnal movements of the badger.
Infrared and incandescent wildlife cameras
Some trail cameras are equipped with an incandescent flash which works similar to a home compact camera. This flash although powerful, should not be used when capturing footage of nocturnal animals as a bright flash can often scare and disorientate the animal causing injury, and also attract unwanted attention from humans who may steal the camera.
The Spypoint infrared cameras and Stealth Cam Prowler HD trail cameras feature a Stealth IR system which uses a series of high power infra red LED emitters to illuminate the subject some distance in front of the camera.
These infrared cameras are invisible to the human and animal eye, and will take either still or video footage in complete darkness without alerting the subject to the fact it is on camera.
Which Trail Camera
There are so many wildlife cameras on the market today, it's often difficult to decide which is the best for you.
It really depends on a few different factors, but we have listed the most popular with their essential differences.
Most modern trail cameras utilise the SD memory card format and have their own built in, limited, storage capacity.
We recommend the SanDisk memory cards, and a capacity of 4Gb or more.
These memory cards can be swapped over on location, and the footage downloaded to your laptop when you get home for review.
Some cameras feature a LCD screen to review captured footage and this is ideal for on location checking of what the camera has captured.
Stealth Cam Prowler HD
This camera is the ultimate High Definition video camera, and is the perfect choice for obtaining high quality video footage in 1080P High Definition and also captures sound, so you can hear conversation and/or movement through foliage.
It uses a stealth infra red combined with an 8MP camera to capture high quality still footage.
The Prowler HD is the most popular trail camera for wildlife trusts as they often like to play back footage in visitor centres, or at meetings.
Spypoint PRO X
The Pro X from Spypoint is the ultimate still image camera, and features a 12MP CCD to capture ultra high quality still shots. It also captures video with sound but although not HD, we think it is fantastic quality, with rich colours, depth of field and detail.
PRO X also has a built in LCD screen for watching captured footage and is ideal for on location reviewing of what the camera trap has captured.
It also operates with a High Power Infrared emitter but has the most sensitive detection of any trail camera we have experienced.
The Stealth Cam Prowler uses a PIR detector to capture movement, but the PRO X goes a step further with a motion detector and a heat signature detector. This not only makes the Pro X ultra sensitive, but it means less false alarms as the unit will only trigger when it detects a real target, and means less false alarms with branches of trees moving near the sensor etc.
The Pro X as with all the IR/B and IR/C, can be powered by a 12V or Lithium battery pack for when you may need to leave your camera unattended for extended periods.
SpyPoint IR/A and IR/B Trail Camera
We think the Spypoint IR/B is the best allround trail camera for wildlife monitoring. It provides high quality still shots from the high resolution CCD camera, and also provides video footage in black and white at night, and colour during the day.
Using an Infra Red IR emitter, the subject never knows its photo has been taken.
Prostalk 2MP Nature Camera
The Prostalk series of trail cameras are ultra small, and ideal for locations where the camera needs to be hidden.
A low resolution however means that the images are not the best, but it's ideal for security footage or for reviewing animal movements without needing high res images for publishing.
Setting up your Infra red wildlife camera
Location really depends on the level of security your camera will need to have. If the device is on your own ground, or garden, then placing it on a tree trunk or even in a bush, will be adequate.
However if you are scouting for wildlife in an area that is visited by the public you may need to secure the camera using a security cable kit, or mount it high enough out of reach, but remember to angle the camera down to the level you wish to capture.
No point capturing birds flying past and seeing a nice bit of sky instead of the badger eating grubs below!
The Spypoint trail cameras have an adjustable detection zone which is ideal for capturing footage of animals likely to walk close by or far away from the camera.
This is crucial in a situation where you have wildlife on a path approx 15meters away, and you have vehicles on a road approx 25meters away. You do not want to trigger the camera every time a bus goes past, but you don't want to miss out on the badger at night snuffling up the trail.
When placing your camera it's crucial you test out the detection before leaving the camera to capture wildlife. The Spypoint and Stealth Cam wildlife cameras both have test modes, where you can set the camera, and then walk about in front of the camera in the area you feel is most likely to get animal traffic.
I use my labrador pup as a bit of a "test dog". By simply leaving a few dog biscuits on the trail, I set her off to find them and watch that the camera picks up movement. My theory is a small lab pup is a more realistic target than a 15stone human.
Once you know the camera is detecting the zone you wish to capture, you need to think about what type of footage you need.
A series of still shots can be fired off, or a video of a variable duration. You can also set a time delay between triggers, so that you can have as little or as much footage as you like.
A customer of ours who monitors badger growth finds it handy to scatter a few raisins in front of the camera, and she records footage of the badgers as a video clip, and then has plenty of time to review the footage and record any data she needs.
Whatever camera you decide to go for, it's amazing just what goes on at the bottom of your garden whilst you are asleep.
We have seen lots of amazing footage from bears to badgers, and wolves to window cleaners, and even some footage from the USA captured on a Prowler HD which is mind boggling, could it really be bigfoot......?
Enjoy using your Trail Camera, and look out for the many online "best trail camera photo" competitions.
Visit our website news section for further help and advice in Trail Camera set up.
Infrared Wildlife Cameras - Trail Cameras Give a Fascinating Insight Into Wildlife Activity
