What is a Camera Trap? Trail Camera vs. DSLR Camera Trap

[@actre]

Great to see you at at again ;-) I'm from the Netherlands in Europe and currently working with 2 trailcams (bushnell and Scoutguard, but going for browning) and 3 DSLR cameratraps. I've got 1 adjusted to IR, so the animals won't be scared especially for owls. (Camtraptions V2, Pelican case housing for camera and 2 offcamera flashes, 2 x SB28 with IR filter and Canon 1200D) , The set that produced the most is the one 1 started using this year. In the piece of forrest iám using i've gotten photos of 5 diffirent martens incl. badger, weasel (Cognisys scout PIR). Last cameratrap i just started working with is the active Scout Trail monitor from Cognisys, seems great but i am still waiting for the first useable pictures ;-) I've got Sabre sensor which i will be using next year for other projects so i think 2022 will be full of DSLR cameratrap for me.

[@NeilJernigan]

Awesome!! Thanks for sharing!!

[@AWARE-wildlife]

Hola Neil, hace tiempo que no veo un vídeo nuevo tuyo, echo de menos tus vídeos de fotografía de animales. Estoy que me subo por las paredes. Animo y espero verte pronto por el canal. Un saludo.😂

[@thuggfrogg]

Great video! Thanks for clearing this up... It was bugging me!

[@staciehagwood]

I just got the most recent Wildlife in NC magazine and saw your bobcat image. I noted in the narrative that you used camera traps and not wildlife cameras. Not knowing the difference I googled and came upon this video! Thanks for explaining the difference.

[@woodymeristem2223]

Good to see you back young fella. I began camera trapping with homebrewed units built around point-and-shoot digital cameras -- they were better than the commercial units available back then. Now I primarily use Browning and Bushnell units but also have two Toguards. I won't put an expensive build out in the woods -- too likely to be stolen. My best captures were a video of a fisher feeding on a road-killed raccoon for over four minutes, video of a bobcat ambushing a gray squirrel (unsuccessfully), stills of a family group of eastern coyotes (three in one image), stills of an injured buck (dragging broken front leg) four years in a row, and stills of two gray foxes fighting.

[@NeilJernigan]

That’s awesome! Thanks for sharing!

[@icantfly1001]

Great presentation! Greetings from Republic of Ireland.

[@NeilJernigan]

Thank you and thanks for watching!!

[@davidalanmedia]

Awesome! thanks for the walkthrough.

[@larrybillgorum87]

I've just recently started camera trapping, though I've been watching your videos and thinking about it for a long while now. So far, I've been concentrating on rodents and rabbits in my own yard, but I'm planning to get the trap out into the wilderness, once things in my area warm up enough for me to get out hiking and find some good spots. My first build is with a Rebel T7 and kit lens, contraptions wireless sensor, receivers and trigger, and three flashes. I'm already itching to build a second one, probably with a Nikon D600 this time for the larger sensor, (I'm a little disappointed with how the Rebel performs in low light and high ISO), and the huge selection of used Nikon manual focus lenses. Keep up the great videos. I'm always psyched when I see you've posted a new one!

[@NeilJernigan]

Thanks for watching and the kind words!! That sounds great! The Nikon D600 is a great camera for trapping. I'm going to start shooting more full frame cameras in my traps as well. Mainly for image quality and low light performance. I'm thinking about trying out the new Nikon Z5 for a future build.

[@DaSmokeDaddy]

I'm going to build a camera trap. Sorry if I missed it but what size is the Pelican case are you using for your Canon? I do a lot of wildlife photography but haven't ventured into a DSLR camper trap yet. I live in Bigfork Montana.

[@NeilJernigan]

Awesome!! It is a 1300

[@zenphotojourney]

I've been using the small trailcams for several years and a dslr camera trap for a few years now. The trailcams are good for scouting and for watching how the wildlife responds to the camera flash. My favorite picture I got last winter of a mountain lion getting a drink at a pool of water. The camera was set really low, just above the water and there was no wind so the reflection was perfect. To make it even better, one of the series that the camera took had another lion in the shadows behind the one drinking! I'm from Southern Utah, I use a Canon 5D mark 2 with Cognisys housing and lights in my camera trap and have both Stealthcam and Browning trailcams. Sometimes it takes a long time to get the shot I want but I'm learning patience. And learning how to judge the best spots to set up. I recently hiked a very long hike in the snow to check on my cameras. The camera trap itself I wasn't able to open because the fabric cover I put on the housing was coated with ice. However the trailcam watching it recorded it taking pictures of deer several times. I was able to put new batteries in the flashes and the small trailcams. I hope they'll be enough to last until I can get up there again.

[@NeilJernigan]

Wow, Melani! That sounds like an amazing photograph! Patience is definitely key and the more I camera trap the more I enjoy the wait. I don't mind, not having that instant gratification, so when we finally do get the photo we're after, it makes it that more special! Thanks for commenting and for watching!!

[@billpinnell9495]

I'm an old guy from Clover Bottom MO. and have been into photography for most of my life. I sort of lost interest back when the digital age took over as I felt the images could be manipulated too easily beyond the actual scene. I first learned about camera trapping 3 years ago and found myself interested enough to have now purchased 3 Canon rebel cameras, 10 sb28 flashes, cognsys Air & PIR sensors plus Pelican and Apache cases I have configured to house the cameras. I have about 75 acres available to place the traps and routinely capture fox, raccoons, opossums, coyotes, skunks, bobcats and other smaller critters,. Camera trapping has brought back the fun of photography. Your videos and photos are great and informative. Keep up the great work.

[@NeilJernigan]

Thats great to hear Bill! I think that's why I love it as much as I do. It reminds me of shooting film and actually working hard to create your photographs. There is no instant gratification and I like that! Thanks so much for watching and commenting!

[@ericmailander3361]

Great video and inspired by your tutorials. I live in the Bay Area of California and started with DSLR set-up mostly for mountain lion in nearby hills. I used Nikon D3300, camtraption sensor and Nikon SB-28 flashes. So far lots of lions on my trail cams but only a mother and her cubs on my DSLR set-up. Not the best pic of her rear-end but its a start! I look forward to your videos and keep up the great work!

[@NeilJernigan]

That awesome Eric! That's the only thing about where I live, not many exciting species like lions! I guess that's why I get so excited about bobcats! haha!!! Be sure to let me know when you get that magical photo! Thanks for watching and the kind words! -Neil

[@ericmailander3361]

@@NeilJernigan Will do! Coincidetally I got a big lion on my trail cam but not DSLR camera trap! Ugg! Need lots of patience with this hobby....

[@timserneels7163]

Love your videos . would love to share recent experience with my set up . I was set up to capture coyotes and the results were often boring as their nose was always to the ground. I added an electric contactor which I placed up by the bird feeder they come and visit . When the coyote gets detected the contactor snaps in and makes a noise , the coyote stops and looks and then about .8 seconds later it takes the picture . Its been a game changer on the quality of images .

[@DaveKentLive]

Great video! Thanks. Like the small headed bobcat.

[@NeilJernigan]

Thanks for watching!

[@BernardoSeguraSilva]

Hey, great video and lovely photo. I use all sorts of trail cameras and a panasonic gh4 to get high quality videos here in the mountains of Chile.

[@NeilJernigan]

Thats great!! I would like to add a 4k video camera trap to my arsenal! Love to incorporate them into my sets. Thanks for watching!

[@travismattison2176]

What kind of browning trail cams are you using?

[@andrewnoden9117]

Hi Neil I am using browning trail cameras around my home. I am building a DSLR setup at the moment but need the housing for the camera. I noted you use Canon rebel cameras in the video, what flash units do you use with it and what model of camera? Hope you will make a video on this Cheers Andrew in Ottawa Canada 🇨🇦

[@NeilJernigan]

That's great!! I use Nikon SB-28 flash units with the camtraptions wireless transmitters/receivers. I will make a video on soon about flashes with camera traps. Thanks for watching and let me know how your camera trap goes!! -Neil

[@NeilJernigan]

Also I use Canon Rebel T5 and T6 cameras :)

[@Elizabeth-ev6ep]

Hi Neil, I´ve started to do this too, got it catches!!! I have problems with the uv filter, it gets misty at about 5am, maybe because temperature changes drastically, does that happen to you?

[@NeilJernigan]

I very rarely have moisture issues. I do have a couple of small holes that I have drilled into my housings for when I shoot with cables. I'm thinking that allows the air within the case have the same moisture content as outside.

[@lgsvard]

Hi Neil, have been inspired from your videos and have build a DSLR phototrap this year, not any success so far, not a animal caught on a photo. The cold makes the batteries die in 3 days so makes much disturbance and more maintenance that I have time for. Hope the batteri life becomes better when spring arrives here in Sweden. On the trail camera I have seen a wolf, pine martin, wild pigs, red fox, moose. I use the Camptraption sensor like you, is would be interesting to know what settings you using on that. Thanks for your videos and that you get a great 2022.

[@NeilJernigan]

That’s awesome!! Yeah extreme cold will eat up the battery life. Sounds like you got some great potential subjects!! Good luck and let me know when you get that photo! I’m constantly changing my sensor settings based on what I’m trying to capture. I may do a video soon on how I set up my camtraptions sensors. Thanks for watching and the kind words!!

[@roybixby6135]

Using a cheap trailcam. In Australia I get some possums but mostly birds like cockatoos. I trigger DSLRs and Mirrorless cameras in the studio but its a little messy. I'd love to know if you have a simpler method of triggering a camera...

[@faerphoto]

I have some land I'd like to build on someday, so I bought a trail camera to put out there to see what wildlife might be there. I haven't gotten it setup yet though. It's a browning, but i don't remember the model. I've no idea what to do for settings. I've been watching a lot of trail cam videos, some good and some not so good, but I don't know what they do for settings to get an idea of what would work for me. Any suggestions? I'm only interested in video clips with it, and it drives me nuts watching videos that either start recording just as the animal disappears off frame or cuts the clip too soon. Any tips would be greatly appreciated. Cheers from Maine. :) Paula

[@NeilJernigan]

Trail cameras can be annoying in those situations. You may want to try either, adjusting the length of time the camera is recording, back the camera up a little to include more of the environment. Also, when setting up your camera I recommend doing a couple test walk throughs in different areas within the frame and immediately check the video. You want to make sure that the camera is in the right spot and won't miss any animals before leaving it for a long period of time! Hope this helps and thanks for watching!! -Neil

[@oneeyedphotographer]

The Frugal Filmmaker would use PVC for that camera stand. Check his channel. I am deciding what I need to buy before starting. I have an EOS 30D, OK if the battery is, and a 60D I could put to the task immediately. I think my flash would live in a PVC tube.

[@NeilJernigan]

When I first got started I used PVC pipes. I never enjoyed working with them so I switched the cheap plastic cases from a local hardware store. I love them and are easy to work with. I know lots of people that use PVC and love it. That 60D would be a great for a camera trap! Vari-angle lcd screens are so nice when your traps are in housings or really low to the ground!

[@oneeyedphotographer]

@@NeilJernigan Unglued, the PVC packs down really small.

[@brandontucker1265]

👍👍

[@NeilJernigan]

Thanks for watching Brandon!