Not in my back yard ... surely? *We have EVEN MORE cubs!*

I am pleased with it on the patio for the hedgehogs, you don't get the glare that you get from the other camera,
far more even lighting
Videos are really clear, only downside is sound is muffled but TBH I don't have the speakers of the laptop on anyway
so to me not a problem
I'll set it with a larger area tonight and see how that works

View: https://youtu.be/_TGhRumHabA
Nice bit of interaction shown there and the picture is good. For me what would improve IR video would be some software that would ”blacken” eyes :)
 
I am pleased with it on the patio for the hedgehogs, you don't get the glare that you get from the other camera,
far more even lighting
Videos are really clear, only downside is sound is muffled but TBH I don't have the speakers of the laptop on anyway
so to me not a problem
I'll set it with a larger area tonight and see how that works

View: https://youtu.be/_TGhRumHabA

Looks good Ingrid, definitely a more even illumination ... if that had been the H55 it would have blown out almost the entire area at that close distance.
Just to confirm that it's the Apeman H70?
One puzzle with that item is that it's advertised as 30mp but the spec says 20mp ... any thoughts from the box/instructions?



From my camera last night the Badger just made one visit and didn't eat all of the food as before.
The Vixen took some food that the Badger had obviously spilt onto the grass but although she sniffed the feed tray (the nearest to it she has approached so far) she didn't eat from it.
The dog Fox passed through about five times, sniffed the tray once but didn't eat just passed straight through, past the camera en route to somewhere else.
I am wondering if the scent of the Badger is discouraging them at all but I'm getting mixed messages from them :thinking:
 
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I'm also interested in hearing more about the H70... in my woodland the bright glare from the H55 can be very annoying.

Here are a couple of videos from mine.
My woods seem to be a 'walk through'... they come in one end, and follow a track and leave the other end, which has made setting the cameras somewhat easier in finding them. One we have moved to a clearing, the other is in a more challenging place due to undergrowth(May need to do a clear up after summer, ready for next spring).





 
Do bear in mind the H70 is a 'low glow' LED type, not the 'no glow' type like the H55. Low glow LEDs tend to have more range and illuminate more evenly, but they can be seen by people (potential thieves) and wildlife alike, like the glowing embers of a dying fire. The glow from the H55 is invisible to humans and most wildlife (although I think they can hear them start up as they occasionally give them a quick look when the filming starts).

So you pays your money and takes your choice, brighter but visible lighting, or invisibility and stealth. Currently, we can't have the best of both worlds. Spending a couple of hundred pounds on a trail cam will get you better, but if it's not there when you go back to collect it, that's going to hurt! At least with a sub £50 one it dulls the pain!

As for the new camera @Gremlin, try the 720p setting rather than full HD 1080p (one down from top) as the video frame rate is twice the speed (30fps rather than 15fps) and motion (like the hedgehog's legs) will look smoother, and I find there's not that much difference in video quality between the two and faster motion looks better at 720p.
 
Just to confirm that it's the Apeman H70?
One puzzle with that item is that it's advertised as 30mp but the spec says 20mp ... any thoughts from the box/instructions?

I'm also interested in hearing more about the H70... in my woodland the bright glare from the H55 can be very annoying.

Yes definately the H70, and photos do go up to 30MP, Video4k, box says 30MP
IR has 3 settings, that was on normal but you can set it higher or lower.
PIR detection seems almost instant, instead of just seeing the back legs of a fox running through
You can also set the the trigger interval from 5 sec up to a minute
Still learning as it only arrived sunday and that was first try so really pleased with it
Fox did visit and seemed totally unaware of the IR , going to see if I can get a longer view tonight
and I'll try and get over to the woods later in the week and see how it works there

Don't know if there has been a rush on trail cams, but the H70 is now £10 more then I paid for it
 
try the 720p setting rather than full HD 1080p

Will do but this was 4K not 1080p
Luckily most of the places I put it atm aren't public and the woods isn't either, fox didn't seem to notice and hedgehogs certainly didn't
My old cheaper camera did have a padlock hole on the door and you could bput a wire lockable strap on it
to keep it secure, I suppose the answer is to set the password, they may nick it but they can't use it until they
get past that
 
Don't know if there has been a rush on trail cams, but the H70 is now £10 more then I paid for it
I think it's a combination of lockdown amusement and the delay to Chinese imports that occurred due to their lockdown, etc. Cheap trail cams seemed to be in quite short supply a week or so ago from what I could see, so presumably supply and demand had increased the price.
 
Will do but this was 4K not 1080p
Luckily most of the places I put it atm aren't public and the woods isn't either, fox didn't seem to notice and hedgehogs certainly didn't
My old cheaper camera did have a padlock hole on the door and you could bput a wire lockable strap on it
to keep it secure, I suppose the answer is to set the password, they may nick it but they can't use it until they
get past that
Have a look at the video properties then (right button mouse click on the video file, choose 'Properties' from the menu list, and then click the 'Details' tab) and see what the frame rate is. Ideally it should be 30fps or more to give smooth looking motion, I find the HD 1080p setting on mine drops it to 15fps, so have a look what fps your camera gives at the top two or three highest settings.

I set the password on mine and have a small sticker on the outside top (so as not to defeat the camouflage) saying 'Warning! Tracking Device Fitted'. I hope this might discourage opportunistic thieves and prevent them from using it or selling it if they do nick it! Don't forget your password though!
 
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I find the HD 1080p setting on mine drops it to 15fps, so have a look what fps your camera gives at the top two or three highest settings.

Do you think the hedgehog running doesn't look ok ?
They are quick little devils when they want to be :)
 
Do you think the hedgehog running doesn't look ok ?
They are quick little devils when they want to be :)
I get what Mr B says about frame rate but on the H55 I didn't see anything that made me want to drop to 720, the Badgers, Foxes and Hedghog recordings in my garden seemed fine.
 
Is there any mileage in using a separate continuous IR light source?
 
Is there any mileage in using a separate continuous IR light source?

For what reason ?
Would you want it recording all the time, and you would need an external power supply, plus a hard drive as
a 32gb memory card only does 160mins on HD
 
I get what Mr B says about frame rate but on the H55 I didn't see anything that made me want to drop to 720, the Badgers, Foxes and Hedghog recordings in my garden seemed fine.

I'll see how good it is when I put it the grounds at the back later, should get the foxes and hedgehogs at least
 
For what reason ?
Would you want it recording all the time, and you would need an external power supply, plus a hard drive as
a 32gb memory card only does 160mins on HD
Well, I was thinking more even illumination etc, I guess from what you say, these cameras work by PIR :(. I’m using a Neos “security” camera that has an IR lamp but works by detecting movement by pixel changes like a “normal” camera.
 
Well, I was thinking more even illumination etc, I guess from what you say, these cameras work by PIR :(. I’m using a Neos “security” camera that has an IR lamp but works by detecting movement by pixel changes like a “normal” camera.

Typical high quality IR CCTV camera would be excellent but in my case the faff of running cables to the top of the garden just isn't worth it. The existing footage peaks my interest every morning and maybe the H70 (or equivalent) would enhance the illumination but it isn't going to affect the animal behaviour.
Now if the Badgers built a set in the garden, or the foxes used it as a playground for the cubs that would be a different situation ;)
 
Typical high quality IR CCTV camera would be excellent but in my case the faff of running cables to the top of the garden just isn't worth it. The existing footage peaks my interest every morning and maybe the H70 (or equivalent) would enhance the illumination but it isn't going to affect the animal behaviour.
Now if the Badgers built a set in the garden, or the foxes used it as a playground for the cubs that would be a different situation ;)
Yes, I see that. I have power in the shed at the bottom of the garden and it’s a fenced off area with pond so I’m thinking ... I have wi-fi there too via a “home-plug” thingy.
 
Yes, I see that. I have power in the shed at the bottom of the garden and it’s a fenced off area with pond so I’m thinking ... I have wi-fi there too via a “home-plug” thingy.
Sounds good :)
 
Typical high quality IR CCTV camera would be excellent but in my case the faff of running cables to the top of the garden just isn't worth it. The existing footage peaks my interest every morning and maybe the H70 (or equivalent) would enhance the illumination but it isn't going to affect the animal behaviour.
Now if the Badgers built a set in the garden, or the foxes used it as a playground for the cubs that would be a different situation ;)

When using 'low glow' trail cameras I've had the animal sometimes stop and look at the camera and change its route, as it can see it, and I've heard of occasions where an animal has been spooked enough to run off. That's fine if 'presence' is all you need to establish (and if you're not committing an offence by disturbing a legally protected species), but not much good if you want video of natural looking behaviour.

Certain city dwelling animals may be less susceptible to disturbance from lights, but with skittish and shy animals then I think 'no glow' is the best way to go, particularly if a camera is prone to being stolen or vandalised if it gives its location away.

As for the movement thing, I can usually tell the difference between 15fps and 30fps on video, but others may not be as bothered by the effect.

As for a 'permanent' IR illuminator, I use a home constructed 12 volt portable version for IR night vision video where I have to monitor certain wildlife species. It's not BBC Broadcast quality, but it does turn night into day for around 30 metres, so needs to be used carefully to avoid causing disturbance. As for watching wildlife in the garden, I still think a trail cam is probably the best way to go for most people.

 
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When using 'low glow' trail cameras I've had the animal sometimes stop and look at the camera and change its route, as it can see it, and I've heard of occasions where an animal has been spooked enough to run off. That's fine if 'presence' is all you need to establish (and if you're not committing an illegal act by disturbing a legally protected species), but not much good if you want video of natural looking behaviour.

Certain city dwelling animals may be less susceptible to disturbance from lights, but with skittish and shy animals then I think 'no glow' is the best way to go, particularly if a camera is prone to being stolen or vandalised if it gives its location away.

As for the movement thing, I can usually tell the difference between 15fps and 30fps on video, but others may not be as bothered by the effect.

As for a 'permanent' IR illuminator, I use a home constructed 12 volt portable version for IR night vision video where I have to monitor certain wildlife species. It's not BBC Broadcast quality, but it does turn night into day for around 30 metres, so needs to be used carefully to avoid causing disturbance. As for watching wildlife in the garden, I still think a trail cam is probably the best way to go for most people.


I've the 'no-glow' version (H55) but even so I have seen both Badger and Fox look directly at the camera, mid-clip, (hence not at startup). Is it actually looking at the camera, or to the direction of the camera, I can't say.
For the purposes of my rear garden the H55 has been fine as it's given me an insight into behaviour and a few laughs, as well as identifying for me that I have more visitors than I could have imagined.
Nice setup with your IR floods, I wish my garden activity warranted using anything like that ... might try another trailcam though :)
 
I've heard of occasions where an animal has been spooked enough to run off. That's fine if 'presence' is all you need to establish (and if you're not committing an offence by disturbing a legally protected species), but not much good if you want video of natural looking behaviour

Neither the fox nor the hedgehog took any notice, but as you say I mostly use the cameras to find out what is about
and never in public places
The woods are private, with a locked gate and occasionally someone wild camps there overnight, so hopefully the
camera won't be at risk, I would just like to know if the badgers are still there,been a while since I've managed to visit
 
Well at last we have confirmation that the Fox pair have at least one cub!

From last night's trailcam footage the dog Fox and cub had en evening's play in the back garden.
The cub looks well grown so was obviously born before I setup the camera but this is the first time we have had any sighting.
It was great to watch the interaction between the two animals ... few bits of 'empty' but I've yet to work out how to edit bits out, I probably need a different bit of free software.



Re: Using MicroSD cards in adapter.

I did this for the first time last night and switched the camera on ready to go.
This morning I took the card out and fitted another MicroSD card and switched to 'Test' in order to go to the Menu and format the card, however I just got the 'Apeman' logo for a few seconds and then a black screen, nothing I could do would get me into the menu!
First thought was that batteries must be down so brought it inside and replaced them with fully charged but still not able to get into the menu ... darn must have packed up!
Tried it with a normal SD card and 'bingo' the screen sprang into life and I was able to get into the menu.
Checked the MicroSD card and it had recorded the night's video clips without any issue, so don't know what is going on there,
Can't find any mention of MicroSD in the manual so I will ping an email to Apeman support a bit later and see what they say.
 
@gramps that is brilliant news and must make you feel so good capturing it :)
Thanks Adam, yes so pleased to see it, I was begining to wonder if they had lost their cubs, I suspect they have lost some as they normally have more than one ... though may have been more with mum :)
 
Ha those interactions are fabulous roger i'm thrilled for you
 
What a charming video, lovely to see the cub and adult fox playing. Hopefully you'll have a new regular visitor to your garden wildlife café now.

I regularly use micro SD cards in an adaptor in my H55s, and full size ones, so I don't think it will be due to the concept of using a micro SD card itself. Perhaps a slightly dodgy connection between the card and adaptor or adaptor and camera? Of is the micro SD card you tried of an incompatible type (too slow a data rate or too large a capacity)? It needs to be Class 6 or faster and no more than 32Gb in capacity.

Larger capacity Gb cards won't work, although I have read that someone formatted a card as FAT32 to trick the camera into accepting cards up to 128Gb. I've not tried this myself, and I assume it precludes formatting the card in the camera afterwards, but apparently this trick works on the H55 but not the H70 Apeman cameras. Don't blame me if you try it and break your card and/or camera though!
 
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@gramps
What a great privilege it is to see the interaction between the adult and cub.

SWMBO said it was like adult had the "it's like trying to here cats........" problem. Certainly made us both smile
 
Anyone got an idea what this is? On my security cam at 00: 28 this am. Too blurry for any definite ID but I’d be interested in impressions!

Edit: Removed the video because it’s not displaying fully and it’s mucking up the display of the forum thread in some way — too wide?
 
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Anyone got an idea what this is? On my security cam at 00: 28 this am. Too blurry for any definite ID but I’d be interested in impressions!

<a data-flickr-embed="true" href=" View: https://www.flickr.com/photos/dickparkin/49915556906/in/album-72157714377294968/
" title="IMG_0263"><img src="https://live.staticflickr.com/31337/49915556906_8cdb35b543_h.jpg" width="1600" height="900" alt="IMG_0263"></a><script async src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Seems to muck up the thread display for me so I think I should delete it later.
 
I will be an insect, probably a moth. The slow frame rate and shutter speed blurs the wing movement making the object look like its got wobbling triangles instead of wings and the reflection from the IR illuminator blows the colour out and turns them white. I've even had them look like mini angels on occasion (probably a lacewing) when recording night vision video outdoors. I imagine some 'paranormal' believers would be trying to work that up into all sorts of phenomena, but it's just an insect flying close to the camera.
 
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Ha those interactions are fabulous roger i'm thrilled for you
Thanks Stu, it was great to see a cub at last :)
What a charming video, lovely to see the cub and adult fox playing. Hopefully you'll have a new regular visitor to your garden wildlife café now.

I regularly use micro SD cards in an adaptor in my H55s, and full size ones, so I don't think it will be due to the concept of using a micro SD card itself. Perhaps a slightly dodgy connection between the card and adaptor or adaptor and camera? Of is the micro SD card you tried of an incompatible type (too slow a data rate or too large a capacity)? It needs to be Class 6 or faster and no more than 32Gb in capacity.

Larger capacity Gb cards won't work, although I have read that someone formatted a card as FAT32 to trick the camera into accepting cards up to 128Gb. I've not tried this myself, and I assume it precludes formatting the card in the camera afterwards, but apparently this trick works on the H55 but not the H70 Apeman cameras. Don't blame me if you try it and break your card and/or camera though!
Not sure on the 'Class 6' aspect ... here's the link to the product, if you can tell?

@gramps
What a great privilege it is to see the interaction between the adult and cub.

SWMBO said it was like adult had the "it's like trying to here cats........" problem. Certainly made us both smile

I loved it when the cub seems to be hiding behind the tree ... hide & seek then chase me, chase me. :LOL:

Hope it comes back.
 
I will be an insect, probably a moth. The slow frame rate and shutter speed blurs the wing movement making the object look like its got wobbling triangles instead of wings and the reflection from the IR illuminator blows the colour out and turns them white. I've even had them look like mini angels on occasion (probably a lacewing) when recording night vision video outdoors. I imagine some 'paranormal' believers would be trying to work that up into all sorts of phenomena, but it's just an insect flying close to the camera.
I usually get moths but they are much slower and the motion is recognisable. It is closer to the camera than I first thought, now I’ve looked at other clues. I think it’s probably another insect but the first person I asked thought it looked like bat. The reason I’m interested is that I had a Great Tit in that room yesterday (possibly two of them). They come in through a fly curtain on the back door and pass through at least one other room. Usually tits are quite well behaved, perching and sizing up the situation while I move the dog and open windows for them. Yesterday I thought it had gone and then it or another turned up later. Hence my puzzlement :)
 
Well at last we have confirmation that the Fox pair have at least one cub!

From last night's trailcam footage the dog Fox and cub had en evening's play in the back garden.
The cub looks well grown so was obviously born before I setup the camera but this is the first time we have had any sighting.
It was great to watch the interaction between the two animals ... few bits of 'empty' but I've yet to work out how to edit bits out, I probably need a different bit of free software.



Re: Using MicroSD cards in adapter.

I did this for the first time last night and switched the camera on ready to go.
This morning I took the card out and fitted another MicroSD card and switched to 'Test' in order to go to the Menu and format the card, however I just got the 'Apeman' logo for a few seconds and then a black screen, nothing I could do would get me into the menu!
First thought was that batteries must be down so brought it inside and replaced them with fully charged but still not able to get into the menu ... darn must have packed up!
Tried it with a normal SD card and 'bingo' the screen sprang into life and I was able to get into the menu.
Checked the MicroSD card and it had recorded the night's video clips without any issue, so don't know what is going on there,
Can't find any mention of MicroSD in the manual so I will ping an email to Apeman support a bit later and see what they say.
Nice to see the cub.

I have a problem with my cards in both my cameras at the moment. They both record, but when I put them back after downloading on to my pc, I cannot format either of them. They both make the screen go black and power off. At first it was one card in one camera, now it's both. I am using normal SD cards.
 
Nice to see the cub.

I have a problem with my cards in both my cameras at the moment. They both record, but when I put them back after downloading on to my pc, I cannot format either of them. They both make the screen go black and power off. At first it was one card in one camera, now it's both. I am using normal SD cards.
Ah, that's worrying for you ... my problem may not be MicroSD related then, though everything is fine with standard SD cards ATM :thinking:
 
Ah, that's worrying for you ... my problem may not be MicroSD related then, though everything is fine with standard SD cards ATM :thinking:
Yes... not sure what the problem is... I first thought it was because the batteries were losing their charge so then changed the batteries. But, there is plenty of charge in them, and they are both still recording, I just can't format them 'in camera'. I may, when I next bring them back try and delete the images on the card after transfer.
 
Yes... not sure what the problem is... I first thought it was because the batteries were losing their charge so then changed the batteries. But, there is plenty of charge in them, and they are both still recording, I just can't format them 'in camera'. I may, when I next bring them back try and delete the images on the card after transfer.

I haven't tried but is it possible to connect the camera to the USB port on your PC and format the card that way, (presume Fat32)?
 
Not sure on the 'Class 6' aspect.
It's the data transfer speed classification. Your card would appear to be Class 10, which is faster than Class 6, so it should be OK. I've not had my cameras refuse to format a card yet, I usually use SanDisk cards in mine. If it's a micro SD then perhaps try changing the card adaptor and see if using a different one helps? I used to have one adaptor that one of my computers didn't like. It seemed to work fine in everything else, jut that one PC that didn't like it! Isn't technology wonderful!
 
It's the data transfer speed classification. Your card would appear to be Class 10, which is faster than Class 6, so it should be OK. I've not had my cameras refuse to format a card yet, I usually use SanDisk cards in mine. If it's a micro SD then perhaps try changing the card adaptor and see if using a different one helps? I used to have one adaptor that one of my computers didn't like. It seemed to work fine in everything else, jut that one PC that didn't like it! Isn't technology wonderful!

Thanks, worth a try.
I've put a 32 gb Sandisk SD Extreme Pro in for tonight so that I don't risk missing anything if the cub returns.
I've got another camera coming tomorrow so more opportunity to experiment. :)
 
I haven't tried but is it possible to connect the camera to the USB port on your PC and format the card that way, (presume Fat32)?
I could I suppose.... maybe I'll bring one back when I next go to the woods
 
I set the password on mine and have a small sticker on the outside top (so as not to defeat the camouflage) saying 'Warning! Tracking Device Fitted'. I hope this might discourage opportunistic thieves and prevent them from using it or selling it if they do nick it! Don't forget your password though!


I've realsed that the 2 loops above the strap will take a padlock, so although I can't stop someone opening it and taking the memory card I can put yy steel cord round a tree or whatever and secure it, so may leave it in the woods overnight sometime
 
Wonderful. Such good quality too.

Is your set up the same as Mr Badger's, Roger ? It's huge.
 
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