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Community => Photo & Video => Topic started by: Bob33 on July 14, 2009, 09:22:36 AM

Title: Poor results with all cameras
Post by: Bob33 on July 14, 2009, 09:22:36 AM: I'm about to give up. I can't seem to get any camera to work very well. I've tried the Cuddeback, the Bushnell, and now the Moultrie IR40. This morning I had my cat walk in front of the Moultrie at about 12 feet, in 60 degree weather, and it didn't trigger. I checked the camera from last night and had about five blank pictures.

Moultrie says this is their best selling camera, very few complaints, etc. etc. I've read the reviews and others don't have these problems (do they?).

Am I cursed? Is there a camera for less than $400 that really works well? I want something that would get a picture of an animal at 12 feet. Am I expecting too much?
Title: Re: Poor results with all cameras
Post by: whacker1 on July 14, 2009, 09:28:31 AM: Time to go to a homebrew for the money - otherwise get into the Reconyx. I put my homebrew camera out last week for the first time and got some good pictures of a doe. I will be posting in the next day. Haven't downloaded the pictures yet.

http://www.reconyx.com/

I didn't want to afford a reconyx, so I went the homebrew route. I will be building another homebrew this winter.
Title: Re: Poor results with all cameras
Post by: Skyvalhunter on July 14, 2009, 09:43:41 AM: If you are going to build a homebrew go with an external camera battery otherwise the battery life is poor.
Title: Re: Poor results with all cameras
Post by: tmike on July 14, 2009, 09:53:34 AM: Don't give up yet. Sounds like you have invested a lot of $. Keep experimenting and make sure you have all the settings correct. I know on my Moultries you have to set the motion sensors. Make sure your camera is set up no more than 3 feet off the ground. Good luck.
Title: Re: Poor results with all cameras
Post by: Antlershed on July 14, 2009, 09:54:17 AM: Are you sure your camera was aimed right? There is a good chance your cat was too low to the ground to get picked up by the sensor. My cuddeback capture took pics from 1" in front of the camera to about twenty feet away.
Title: Re: Poor results with all cameras
Post by: Bob33 on July 14, 2009, 10:05:23 AM: My camera was attached to a tree, about 3' off the ground, and about 10' from a trail where the cat walked. I tested the camera in "IR Aim Test" mode and it detected my hand movement, but not the cat.
Title: Re: Poor results with all cameras
Post by: BLKBEARKLR on July 14, 2009, 10:10:35 AM: I have 5 moultire's and never had a problem with any one of them. I would suggest playing with the sensors and adjustments some more.
Title: Re: Poor results with all cameras
Post by: Bob33 on July 14, 2009, 12:02:38 PM: "Can't you send Moultries back in and they fix them, or send you a new one for free?"

Yes, they said they would. The question is whether or not I have a defective one, or they all work this way.
Title: Re: Poor results with all cameras
Post by: brianb231 on July 14, 2009, 12:42:21 PM: well, I don't know if this helps you but,

I bought my first camera a few weeks back. It was a Moultrie D40 and everyone says they are cheap cameras, BUT....I set it up about 15ft off the trail about 6 ft high on the tree and angled it a bit down to the trail area. I did the IR aim and the Laser aim on it when setting it up. I have had awesome results. Dont know how many animals I am missing but I got 180 pictures of ELK over the course of 9 days. We just put my buddies StealthCAM out and it was more difficult to set up and test in the woods than the Moultrie D40. We have not checked it yet to see the results. Still Soaking!

For what it is worth,

Brian
Title: Re: Poor results with all cameras
Post by: brianb231 on July 14, 2009, 12:46:07 PM: Pics from the D40 from previous post. It was set to Moderate quality.
Title: Re: Poor results with all cameras
Post by: SHANE(WA) on July 14, 2009, 02:47:04 PM: Love my I40, always worked great
Title: Re: Poor results with all cameras
Post by: jackelope on July 14, 2009, 03:15:59 PM: it looks like you might have got a kangaroo in action in that 2nd one..
Title: Re: Poor results with all cameras
Post by: brianb231 on July 14, 2009, 03:59:45 PM: Yeah it does, I piced the wrong one, It was suppose to be this one.....
Title: Re: Poor results with all cameras
Post by: whacker1 on July 14, 2009, 04:22:39 PM: My homebrew lasts over 2 weeks in the field. so life shouldn't be an issue, unless you are looking to leave it out for months at a time.
Title: Re: Poor results with all cameras
Post by: Bob33 on July 14, 2009, 06:40:26 PM: Brian, you wrote "I set it up about 15ft off the trail about 6 ft high on the tree and angled it a bit down to the trail area. I did the IR aim and the Laser aim on it when setting it up. I have had awesome results."

Where exactly does your IR aim hit at 15 feet? How far off the ground did you point it?
Title: Re: Poor results with all cameras
Post by: brianb231 on July 14, 2009, 06:53:49 PM: well, I basically used the laser aim feature on the d40 to make sure that the trail area was the main focus. The IR aim seemed to fall right into place it spaned about a 20ft wide detection area out at 15-20 ft but it also detected about 30 ft out total past the trail. I was very impressed, but then again I had nothing to compare it too beings how this was the first camera for me. I guess if I put the camera lower on the tree i would not have to tilt it but I figured by tilting it a bit I would avoid some direct sun in the lense.

Not an expert by any means but it seems to work so far.

:dunno:
Title: Re: Poor results with all cameras
Post by: brianb231 on July 14, 2009, 07:03:53 PM: Actually if you look at the pics I posted up in the thread the big trees accross the trail actually got caught by the IR sensor when the wind was blowing hard one day and the limbs were moving. So you know that it was getting good detection distance. Maybe I got lucky, I dunno.
Title: Re: Poor results with all cameras
Post by: tmike on July 14, 2009, 07:18:58 PM: Bob have you tried setting it up and walking in front of it? I did that then put it in my room darkened and walked in to see if the flash went off. if your not getting anything their is something wrong with the camera. Also the internal memory has to be erased if your using an SD card. Just some ideas.
Title: Re: Poor results with all cameras
Post by: Buckrub on July 14, 2009, 08:04:18 PM: I have a ton of pics of nothing and half deer...keep on trying...still working here also. Moultrie seems to work when I don't screw up :dunno:
Title: Re: Poor results with all cameras
Post by: Bob33 on July 14, 2009, 08:18:47 PM: Yes I've tried walking in front of it. The green light goes on out to about 15-20 feet max. Doesn't get my cat, however, when he walks in the same place. It does get photos sometimes, so the internal memory is not the problem. I just don't think it's very sensitive.

I probably need to buy a Reconyx and be gone with the cheaper ones. Either that or keep trying the Moultries and Cuddlebacks and hope I get lucky and finally get a good one.
Title: Re: Poor results with all cameras
Post by: tmike on July 14, 2009, 08:25:15 PM: If your getting nothing or half deer try setting it up facing up or down the trail not perpendicular to it, Also try to consider the sun if you haven't. Bob if it's a Moultrie take it back and get another one if you can. I know those problems are frustrating.
Title: Re: Poor results with all cameras
Post by: coonhound on July 14, 2009, 08:30:46 PM: The biggest issue I have with the Moultrie is the wakeup period, these cameras go to sleep and require around 45 seconds to wake up. If you don't have bait to stop the critter you will most likely trigger the camera and take a picture of where it was 45 seconds ago. After it wakes up it's instant but that 1st time it's triggered it's the pits.

Coon
Title: Re: Poor results with all cameras
Post by: Bob33 on July 14, 2009, 08:41:45 PM: Wakeup period? I've not heard of that. Do all the Moultries have that? Thanks.
Title: Re: Poor results with all cameras
Post by: javman on July 14, 2009, 09:34:28 PM: If your camera is taking 45 seconds to trigger, there's something wrong with it. Even the $80 moultrie D40 takes less than 5 seconds to trigger.

It seems to me like my I40 takes 3-4 seconds to take a pic if it's cold. I've got pics of camprobbers 10 feet in front of the camera. Odds are, your cat is too low to trip the camera. If you want pics of small animals you're going to have to put the camera closer to the ground. Deer, elk and bear are much larger targets. When I setup my I40's, I try to keep the laser around waist level 20-30 feet out. The motion sensor is only good to about that range anyways.
Title: Re: Poor results with all cameras
Post by: Slider on July 14, 2009, 09:42:46 PM: The I40 will trigger in 3 seconds. If it isn't something is wrong with it. Walk slowing across in front of it say 15 feet away. You should be in the center of the picture.
Title: Re: Poor results with all cameras
Post by: coonhound on July 14, 2009, 09:54:55 PM: Quote from: javman on July 14, 2009, 09:34:28 PM
If your camera is taking 45 seconds to trigger, there's something wrong with it. Even the $80 moultrie D40 takes less than 5 seconds to trigger.

It seems to me like my I40 takes 3-4 seconds to take a pic if it's cold. I've got pics of camprobbers 10 feet in front of the camera. Odds are, your cat is too low to trip the camera. If you want pics of small animals you're going to have to put the camera closer to the ground. Deer, elk and bear are much larger targets. When I setup my I40's, I try to keep the laser around waist level 20-30 feet out. The motion sensor is only good to about that range anyways.

You are correct, I typed it a little quick I meant to say 4 - 5 seconds not 45 seconds unless the flash needs to charge then it can take two to three times that long. 4 seconds is plenty of time for a critter to walk through the picture window before it trips. Moultrie says it wakes up in 3 seconds but it seems to vary.

Sorry for the confusion,
Coon
Title: Re: Poor results with all cameras
Post by: Bob33 on July 19, 2009, 09:15:41 AM: Update: I still can't get satisfactory results with the Moultrie IR40.

Here is my setup: the camera is strapped to a tree, facing a trail that comes directly towards and away from the camera. The camera is 3 feet off the ground with nothing obstructing between the camera and the trail. The camera is angled downwards; the IR beam is hitting the ground at approximately 25 feet from the camera. The IR test confirms it is "working": when I walk and move the green light comes on.

This morning it was 51 degrees and calm. My cat walked on the trail, very slowly, away from the camera. It walked very slowly towards the camera. NOTHING.

I don't understand how a motion/heating sensing camera would not detect an animal the size of a cat, when it is 51 degrees.

For those with great results with the Moultrie, I have a question: how do you know what you're missing? You get some great shots of a deer, but how do you know a bobcat or cougar didn't pass through, or more deer, etc and you never got a photo?

I'm really disgusted. I've tried everything I can to get this camera to work. The Cabelas store is 50 miles away, so I don't want to keep swapping out Moultries. Moultrie says "send it in" and we'll get it back to you in 3 weeks. I lose 3 weeks and I just don't think it will work any differently.

I don't want a "home brew". What should I do?