Miranda & others, Finding a relatively inexpensive solution to a long term photography setup may not be possible. Here are some ideas though.
A couple of reasonably priced cameras with housing exist that can be set to do time-lapse pictures where you specify the time the camera is on (e.g. 7-8AM) and the picture interval (e.g. 15min). This would give you 2-4 pics per day. You have a 4MP camera option (PlantCam) for $80 not including memory cards and possible DIY power options http://swampschool.org/new/outdoor-nature-cameras/wetland-plantcam/ (note: they show some wetland field applications on this website) I just purchased one of these but haven't started using it yet but can possibly answer some related questions. For the price it looks like it will work well. The Swampschool mentions the unit will run for ~8wks. Might go longer with lithium batteries... Whether you can ID birds with only 4MP is another question. A higher end 8MP option with motion sensor capabilities and time-lapse capabilities (probably like those described above) is the Wingscapes BirdCam 2.0 (http://www.wingscapes.com/productdetail.aspx?id=WSCA02) ($199). Both products are actually made by Windscapes. I don't know if this will also run for 8wks or not. For DIY power options, you may want to check out this forum (http://www.timescapes.org/phpBB3/viewforum.php?f=12&sid=fce0929ad7886c3 9ca92703c42d305c4) on how to power time-lapse camera rigs. You can pretty much modify anything to run off extended power... This website also has information on DIY camera enclosures so you could go that route and use the previously mentioned Canon CHDK route. However, there are a lot of factors to consider when doing these (internal glare off glass, humidity) besides the obvious power and memory issues. Some pricey options (~$2K) can be found in a few different places- https://www.harbortronics.com/Products/TimeLapsePackage/ and http://www.video-monitoring.com/products.htm (I think you can rent these) If you google " sciencelookers" you'll see that this person has made some really inexpensive longterm time-lapse cameras and enclosures. Not sure if he/she'll loan you or sell you one... Cheers, Kurt ___________________________ Kurt Reinhart, Ecologist USDA-Agric. Research Service Fort Keogh Livestock & Range Research Laboratory 243 Fort Keogh Road Miles City, MT 59301-4016 Ph: (406) 874-8211 email: [email protected] personal educational website: http://www.iecology.net/ -----Original Message----- From: Ecological Society of America: grants, jobs, news [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Miranda Redmond Sent: Wednesday, April 21, 2010 1:04 PM Subject: Camera Help Needed Hi, I am looking to set up field cameras at different wetland sites to get an idea of what bird species are present. I would like the camera to be able to: -stay out in the field for 4 months without needing to be checked on -have a timer setting where it could take a few photos every morning (on a timer, ie one at 7 am and one at 8am) -be protected and safe from the elements -be fairly inexpensive I was thinking I could hook up the camera to a car battery or solar panels, and hopefully get a camera with an intervalometer built in. Does anyone have any recommendations? I know trail camera's have the power supply set up and will last in the field for a few months, but they are only used for taking motion detection photos. Let me know if you have any ideas and recommendations! Thank you! Miranda Redmond [email protected] (415) 300-6901
