Bear Cameras
[box]Update: The trail cameras I use were left on a tributary of the Pitt River for four weeks resulting in some unique footage of Grizzly and Black Bears. This footage over 8 gigabytes in all showed Grizzly Bears and Black Bears hunting for salmon day and night sometimes in close proximity. It also showed that Black Bears are poor hunters of live salmon and the Grizzly Bears of the Pitt River are a little better at it. The video called The Fishing Bears of the Pitt River was primarily made with the Bushnell Trophy cameras and additional footage was filmed with a Nikon D7000 and the Nikon Coolpix AW100 underwater digital camera. For more on the Bushnell Trophy cameras read on. [/box]
I have been receiving a few questions on theTV news item showing a Grizzly Bear video I captured in the Upper Pitt River (the Global TV report is linked here).
The footage captured by a remote game camera became newsworthy as it showed a Grizzly Bear trying to catch salmon in an area just 30 miles from Vancouver, B.C and in an area they are not known to live. I have been using remote cameras since the late 1970s mostly working at sporting events or aerial photography, but these game cameras are amazingly simple and fun to operate.
My original YouTube of the Grizzly Bear can be viewed here, see the Grizzly Bears fishing in the Pitt River Valley . Most of the questions I get are about the camera I used to capture the footage and how does the camera work. The cameras I used are “Game or Trophy Cameras” normally used by hunters to see what game comes and goes from their hunting areas and there are many of these cameras on the market. They cost between $200 – $500 dollars and are available at most large hunting/sporting goods retailers. I did a lot of research earlier this year on the cameras brands, models and features and finally settled on the Bushnell “Trophy HD” Trophy Cam (Color Model).
The camera shoots either video or still images with a maximum pixel size of 8 megapixels in still mode or 1920×1080 HD Video. It also has a Infrared nighttime mode assisted by 8 IR LED lighting which can’t be seen with the eye and carries to about 45 feet. It will shoot up to 60 seconds of video at a session and still images at user programmable intervals.
Twelve “AA” batteries power the camera and takes SD cards of up to 32gb in size. Make sure to get large memory cards, as the battery life is remarkable. And in video mode I placed the camera in the field for 2 weeks and captured over 16 gigabytes of data barely affecting the batteries. The camera is also water resistant which means it can be left in the field under the most inclement weather conditions.
The camera I use also has a small LCD screen so that test video can be taken and viewed in the field to check the angle of your shot. The setup of the cameras is not exactly intuitive when using the menus and I would suggest careful reading of the manual and shooting of some test videos at home before you head out into the bush.
The mounting of the camera is not as simple as it seems. Using the strap to attach the camera to a tree is simple enough, but refining the angle to get your shot requires putting a shim (a small stick for instance) to adjust the camera to shoot up or down a little. There is an accessory tree mount you can get for under $20, which will make the mounting of the camera a simple matter (see the links below). I also carry a small level to make sure the video shot has a straight horizon.
Other considerations
Place your camera carefully think about the game, the trails and feeding locations of the creatures you want to capture. Make sure the camera has a clear sightline (no overhanging trees, or bushes) and try not to disturb your chosen location too much when placing the cameras.
The cameras will carry a scent that animals can smell, and also your handling of the camera will leave a scent on the camera and the area. When I placed my first camera on a game trail to try and capture a cougar, a large Black Bear came over and liked the lens! See Bears on the Pitt River here.
On another occasion a camera I placed on a trail had a Black Bear walk by it 4 times over 5 days. The 5th time the bear came by it caught a smell of it, didn’t like it and bashed it around eventually knocking it to the ground. See the The Black Bear Bash here.
On my last shoot with 3 of these cameras placed within feet of Grizzly and Black Bears they didn’t notice the cameras at all, and sometimes seem to pose for a picture.
The reason for this is the cameras were placed near a stream full of spawning salmon, so the bears were more interested in the smells of the food source and had keyed in on that scent. During this outing the cameras were in place for two weeks and I have over 3 hours of video to review, edit and produce. So stay tuned for the “Bears in the Woods” feature to come.
Links:
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Which Tripod?
Tripods and Monopods
Over 30 odd years of being a photographer I have purchased many tripods amounting to $1000’s of dollars. What I learned is that I should have bought one good tripod and kept it for life.
Whats a good tripod you may well ask? And the answer would be it depends! The best tripod is one that you carry with you and use. So that means it should be lightweight (so you will carry it) and expensive (so that you will use it) if you buy a cheap heavy tripod it will probably never leave home.
What features should you look for in a tripod? These can be broken down into two types. Still photo tripods and Video tripods lets look at Still photography tripods first. I look for a still photography tripod without all the bells and whistles which means no fancy locking mechanisms for the legs, and definitely a simple tripod head without and all sorts of handles. These handles and fancy leg locks will just get broken off or stop functioning over a few months or years of use.
Next consider the weight of camera/lens combination you will be using on your tripod. The heavier camera and lens combination you plan to use on your tripod means that you will need a heavier, beefier tripod and tripod head.
So where to start? I purchase a Tripod and Tripod Head separately and I have three weights of tripods I use. Which tripod I will take will depend on the nature of my trip and the cameras I will be placing on them, here is what I currently use with links to the manufacturers website.
Still Photography Tripods
Light Weight (Backpacking) – Gitzo G1057 Carbon 6X
Medium Weight (Air Travel) – Gitzo Mountaineer G1228 great to carry, pack in your suitcase for travel.
Heavy Weight (The Ultimate in Support) – Gitzo Mountaineer G1348 needs an optional center column.
Tripod Heads
Ball Heads are a favourite of mine because they are sturdy, strong and versatile little workhorses. Remember to get a camera plate to match your camera/lens combination to the ball head of your choice.
There are lots of choices out there but the companies I turn to are
Video Tripods
With most DSLR’s capable of shooting full HD video these days the need to have a “video tripod” will become rapidly evident if you plan to pan during a shot.
While you can use still photo tripod for “locked down shots” in video it’s not designed to do pans where a levelling base or bowl with and a fluid head is needed where not only the tripod can be levelled, but the head van be levelled as well. This will allow a true horizontal pan during a shot and the use of a fluid head will ensure that a smooth pan both horizontally or vertically is attained. You can use a video tripod for still photography as a video tripod can be locked into position but generally you will find that video tripods are bulkier and heavier than still camera tripods.
What do I use will again it depends on shoots I want to take only one tripod I will use one of my Gitzo tripods and take a Ball head? But I when I want to shoot video I will attach a Acratech leveling base and a Gitzo fluid head this is a real slick hybrid I place on my still camera tripod for travelling
Looking for a good inexpensive video tripod for lightweight DSLR Video shoots? check out this Pearstone entry level Video Tripod VT2500B
And if you need something more robust my current favourite is this
Manfrotto Pro Video Head 504HD
with the Manfrotto 545B Pro Heavy-Duty
The bottom line do a little thinking about the shooting you plan to do with your tripod. How heavy is the gear plan to use, is video an important factor. Are you staying near home or studio for shoots or flying, hiking for shoots.
Remember buy a good one that fits your needs and make sure you use your new purchase!
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Using VR Lenses on a Tripod
Vibration Reduction (VR) is one of the standard questions that comes up in seminars I do. Can I use Nikon’s VR lenses on a Tripod? And the answer is… Maybe!
Here is what Nikon says:
There are two techniques when using a camera/lens mounted on a tripod; keeping the pan/tilt head loose or fluid (when panning or moving with a subject) and keeping the pan/tilt head locked down and rigid while using a cable release (time exposures or for the new HDR techniques).
With the following lenses/cameras VR should be “Off” when the camera is mounted on a tripod and the pan/tilt head is locked down and using a cable release:
- 105mm f/2.8G ED-IF AF-S VR Micro Nikkor
- 18-200mm f3.5-5.6 ED-IF AF-S VR DX Zoom-Nikkor
- 24-120mm f3.5-5.6G ED-IF AF-S VR Zoom-Nikkor
- 70-200mm f2.8G ED-IF AF-S VR Zoom-Nikkor
- 80-400mm f4.5-5.6D ED VR AF Zoom-Nikkor
- 70-300mm f4.5-5.6G IF-ED AF-S VR Zoom-Nikkor
- Coolpix 8800
With the following lenses/cameras VR should be “On” when the camera is mounted on a tripod and the pan/tilt head is loose (fluid) while using the cameras shutter release button:
- 105mm f/2.8G ED-IF AF-S VR Micro Nikkor
- 18-200mm f3.5-5.6 ED-IF AF-S VR DX Zoom-Nikkor
- 24-120mm f3.5-5.6G ED-IF AF-S VR Zoom-Nikkor
- 70-200mm f2.8G ED-IF AF-S VR Zoom-Nikkor
- 80-400mm f4.5-5.6D ED VR AF Zoom-Nikkor
- 70-300mm f4.5-5.6G IF-ED AF-S VR Zoom-Nikkor
- Coolpix 8800
Tripod Detection Mode
A feature of select NIKKOR VR (Vibration Reduction) lenses, Tripod Detection Mode automatically reduces vibration due to shutter release when the camera is mounted on a tripod.
It is often thought that using a tripod can fully prevent image blur caused by camera movement. But in fact, a tripod can minutely vibrate due to mirror and/or shutter movement at the time of exposure. This can result in slight blurring of the image. Nikon’s VR function automatically differentiates the frequency of this vibration from that of hand movement, and changes the algorithm to correct the image blur caused by this tripod movement. This feature is installed in some VR lenses, particularly super-telephoto lenses that are often used with a tripod. The following lenses employ an exclusive “Tripod mode” with which you can set this function at will.
- 200-400mm f4G ED-IF AF-S VR Zoom-Nikkor
- 200mm f2G ED-IF AF-S VR Nikkor
- 300mm f2.8G ED-IF AF-S VR Nikkor
- 400mm f/2.8G ED AF-S VR Nikkor
- 500mm f/4G ED AF-S VR Nikkor
- 600mm f/4G ED AF-S VR Nikkor
For all lenses VR should be “On” when the camera/lens is used on a monopod.
The Bottom Line
So what do I do? When using my VR lens on a tripod that is locked down into position. I will turn VR off and then if I remember that I am using a lens with Tripod Detection Mode I will turn it on. Anytime I am using a Tripod that is not locked down, or using a Monopod I will turn VR on.
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Self Assignment
Every once and a while I will post a “Self Assignment” it is something that I do on an infrequent basis just to keep my brain sharp when it comes to photography. It is a just for fun “assignment” not that I need much inspiration to go out and take a picture. It’s good for your brain to get out from behind a computer and go for a walk and look at the life that surrounds us. My self assignment this time was to creatively photograph a fire hydrant.
Seems simple enough a go out and capture a bright red object….. simple huh? You try it!
- Published in PhotoBlog