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While these aren't new technology, and have been around awhile, prices have become pretty reasonable, and some of them have gotten very sophisticated. You can get everything from still photo cameras that are only good for daytime use to infrared nighttime still cameras that work even in extremely low light, to day and night time video cameras. Most of them have motion detection, and are good for hunters looking to see what animals are crossing their favorite hunting grounds, without having to sit and watch in the pre-season, to someone who just wants to know what is prowling around outside the house in the dark at night.

 

Some sell for as low as $69, with some as high as a $1000, and with all the different options, there is sure to be something for everyone. They are also weatherproof, and most of them come with a long lasting rechargeable battery, so you can leave it outside for days or weeks on end, and then when you want to see what it has captured, most of them have an SD card, like digital cameras use, so getting the images or video is fairly easy.

 

The first time i saw one in use, my in laws had a night time still image version set up outside their house, for capturing deer running through the back yard after dark. We used one that did video, on a recent camping trip, and captured a bear on video near our camp site.

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Better to capture the bear on a remote video camera like this! 

 

The GoPro Hero3 Black Edition, while in the $400 range, offers a lot of accessories, high-res still photos and HD video to 4K mode.  I lug around a Panasonic 1080P HD video camcorder for professional grade HD video filming; however, besides the Leica lens quality in my outfit, the Black Edition with three lens angles will likely become a portable choice for documentary journalism.

 

At Moab, the other journalists content themselves with hand held GoPros or stick them on dashboards when four-wheeling.  There are shoulder mounts and tripods, mini-shotgun mics and other accessories available in the emerging GoPro and aftermarket accessory lines.  This is also the setup for decent still photography, even enlargement prints to 11"x14" for sure, and the GoPro or a variety of 4/3 cameras are rapidly replacing traditional formats like my Nikon D300 35mm camera, which I use for wild horse photography.  (You can download the lower-res PDF proof sheet, these images make nice screen savers if you like horses!)

 

This is the era of home artwork, photography and videography, and especially for internet, Vimeo Pro or YouTube, an under $1000 camera and HD video outfit works!  Make sure the video is 1080P.

 

Moses

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Moses, a question about the GoPro. How well does it work in low level, or very low level light? I looked on their site and couldn't seem to find that info.

 

We use the Bushnell 8MP Trophy Cam HD Trail Camera with Night Vision, as it does not only still photos, but also video, but only in 720p, which, for what we use it for, is good enough for us. It is a trail camera, though, not an action camera, which means it is great for capturing images around your house, or out hunting or fishing. I have been looking into nighttime and low light action cameras, but most that i have seen run $750 and up.

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I took a closer look at the Black Edition Hero3, and here is the page:  http://gopro.com/cameras/hd-hero3-black-edition.  From what I see, the low-light enhancement is simply the currently available shooting modes compared to the previous models.

 

I use a Panasonic Professional AG-HMC40 AVCHD Camcorder with 10.6 MP Still and 12x Optical Zoom that does a great job in daylight and a very poor job in night time filming.  Without additional lighting, in fact, I find the night shooting totally unacceptable in 1080P.  I don't see anything that exciting with the ratings and fps film speeds of the GoPro Hero3 Black Edition, it's also limited to fps and resolution.

 

That said, there may be support lighting available for the GoPro, though this would defeat your purpose for wildlife night filming of any kind.  I would live with 720P and the Bushnell for what you're doing.  Does it have decent audio tracking?

 

Moses

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I looked up the specs on the camera we use, which can be found at http://www.bushnell.com/hunting/trail-cameras/trophy-cam/trophy-cam-hd-brown# It doesnt show any option for audio. I did find a few that do offer audio, but since this camera is strictly for trail, game, and hunting use, and not a full on action video camera, audio wouldn't really be of much use.

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  • 4 weeks later...
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Biggman100...I purchase most of my photographic and video camcorder products from B&H Photo and Video at New York City.  I'm on the mailing list for new products and today received a flyer with this panoramic, camouflage outdoor wildlife camera included.  What struck me is the claimed functionality and seemingly low price for such a device—if you need it.  It does both still photography and video with audio:

 

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/966494-REG/moultrie_mcg_12597_panoramic_game_camera_8_0.html?cm_mmc=EML-_-Newsletter_Newsletter-_-130910-_-Body_Retail_Panoramic-150-Trail-Camera

 

Haven't put hands on one but thought you, other members and guests might find this interesting...

 

Moses

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  • 7 years later...
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Good to know turoscea...I have an earlier Hero and find its light sensitivity exceptional.  I have merged many GoPro clips into high-end filming shoots with a DSLR and camcorder.  You cannot tell the difference.  Color balance and resolution are exceptional.  Easy to use.  If I had one camera on a desert island, it would be a GoPro with a solar electrical source for recharging!

I will look at the Hero 9...Thanks! 

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