Anyone any good with Trailcams?

Jezholmes

Well-Known Member
Hi - the missus bought me a nifty little trailcam (Ltl Acorn 6210MM) that emails photos to me. It captures some great video (day and night), but the photos aren't so good - they really struggle with any movement and the animal is nearly always blurred. I've added some below and a link to a video to show the difference. Anyone any ideas whether this is standard or if there is a way I can improve the still images?
https://youtu.be/lKJ0T_FhStc
IMAG0156.jpgView attachment 57000View attachment 57001View attachment 57002
Thanks,
Jez
 
Tell them to stop and say cheese!!

i gave up with stills and went to video as a lot would trigger a picture but then not appear on the image
 
The background is beautifully in focus, it's just the animals are moving too fast for the shutter speed to capture them.

I don't know the Ltl Acorn and what controls are possible - do you happen to have a link to a pdf of the instructions at all?
 
I have been using cameras like this for a few years and they're great! I'd recommend trying to see if you can alter the shutter speed to make it faster, that'll make the pictures crisper and not blurry. However if the animals are moving fast then you'll always have a blurry image.. Videos is the best personally. Or put something down which will get the animals attention and stay still to have a sniff. I usually put down carrots for red deer, so just anything bait like which you know your target will enjoy.
 
I use my trail cams just for stills, I have 2 spare cards which are changed over when I walk around, also I find you learn a lot more looking around your ground...

Time is more important than quality of picture for me as I will be going to put a hole in it if I can...

Tim.243
 
If you take burst instead of single photo, chances are some of the pics are more clear.

And don't be tempted to use 12MP, the optics are just not up to it. Fills up the card for no gain, and uses more power. I usually go for the lowest MP setting. The preview pic sent by email is usually 640x480 (0.3MP) or 800x600 (0.5MP) and in most cases even they are sufficient.

Of course the burst mode uses more power and fills the card faster, as does the sending mode.
 
Look up Ron Bury on google. He is technical support for acorn. I've spoken to him a couple of times and have found him to be very helpful and knowledgeable. He prefers people to phone him instead of email, which i found refreshing. Definitely worth a call.
 
Thanks, I'll give him a try! The free email server I use allows me 20 a day, and a pesky little squirrel has fired it off 17 times this morning already!
 
Thanks, I'll give him a try! The free email server I use allows me 20 a day, and a pesky little squirrel has fired it off 17 times this morning already!

What are you trying to establish with the info? Do you shoot the land or just taking pictures as the Muntjac is on the list, granted you could be waiting for a Roe Buck to pass by....However you will have to be there to roll it over!
As I wrote in a previous post,when walking around your ground then you can take in far more than a snap shot of a trail cam.
The weather has been ok for going out so you cant blame the rain......

Tim.243
 
Last edited:
Thanks Tim, all fair points. I intended to the use the camera to identify timings and movements on the ground I shoot that is about an hour away from where I live. However, I thought I'd try it out locally in the woods by our house to check I had it set up ok and sending emails etc. - as it turned out my boys enjoyed seeing the results so much and learning about what lives only a few hundred yards from our house that I've yet to put it anywhere else.
I guess it would just be nice if the photos matched the video for quality.
jez
 
Thanks Tim, all fair points. I intended to the use the camera to identify timings and movements on the ground I shoot that is about an hour away from where I live. However, I thought I'd try it out locally in the woods by our house to check I had it set up ok and sending emails etc. - as it turned out my boys enjoyed seeing the results so much and learning about what lives only a few hundred yards from our house that I've yet to put it anywhere else.
I guess it would just be nice if the photos matched the video for quality.
jez

All good, I use one from Macro's made by Swan, mine are on steel stakes which I have found far easier to position than trying to find the right tree in the right spot...




Tim.243
 
All good, I use one from Macro's made by Swan, mine are on steel stakes which I have found far easier to position than trying to find the right tree in the right spot...




Tim.243

Can you tell me what diameter the stakes are please? I did knock some up for a member on here out of 6mm but they seemed a little flexible. Didn't want to make them too heavy though..
Do yours flex in the wind?
 
Can you tell me what diameter the stakes are please? I did knock some up for a member on here out of 6mm but they seemed a little flexible. Didn't want to make them too heavy though..
Do yours flex in the wind?

I used a piece of 6 mm reinforcing rod on 2 pairs of cameras, they don't have to stand up so high as you can tip them back to get the angle just right.
The 2 I am using for myself are fishing rod bank sticks as I used up the rou-bar on the other cameras!

The thread is 1/4 Whitworth which should stump most people these days lol

One good tip for setting them up a mate uses is he takes his digital camera with him, sets up the unit then walks past a few times, then checks the card on his camera to see the results.

However when they are set up right you can get cracking results..
SUNP0006_zpsyr1asdiw.jpg



Tim.243
 
Jez I don't think the camera is doing to bad on the last photo the fox is blured because the camera is trying to deal with the bight sky, giving a compromise. Try to get the camera background to be neutral light (no sky)

...and shoot a squirrel it'll save on the phone bill.

as others posted try to avoid moving vegetation a stormy night can clock up a few thousand photos.
 
Back
Top