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Wildlife Camera Trap with Sony Alpha Cameras
  • Dunk101Dunk101

    Hi

    I am a Wildlife Cameraman working for the last 10 years on a variety of Wildlife documentaries see link below for more info

    Many years back I worked with the guys at Magic Lantern to create a add on to allow a Canon camera to be woken up from sleep and triggered to start recording all through the shutter release cable. We got some really great results on BBC’s Planet Earth II for Snow Leopards allowing us to capture never before seen footage and the camera being able to last about 2 months on a set of External batteries.

    Times have changed since then and now we need high end 4K or even 6k in the camera traps. My question is anyone interested in developing an android app to sit on Sony Alpha Cameras to be able for it to be used as a camera trap inside the camera.

    We would need the following:

    Wake up camera from external trigger. Start recording 4K video for a set amount of time (determined in the camera). Any other signal from the external trigger is ignored until the set amount of time has been completed, after this time it’s counter of time will be reset to add an extra X amount of time.

    Then the auto sleep can turn off the camera ready for another trigger

    Thanks All the best

    Duncan www.duncanparker.co.uk

    Snow leopard shots Captured by the Magic Lantern firmware from BBC PE II are on site to watch.

  • 7 Replies sorted by
  • Dunk101Dunk101

    http://duncanparker.co.uk/wordpress/nature/

  • Vitaliy_KiselevVitaliy_Kiselev

    @Dunk101

    It is like very specific task for freelancer or such.

    And I am not even sure if such thing as waking up camera is possible with Sony cameras (using usual firmware). Even with Canon it require additional code as I understand.

    Also, if you ask me - you better try do some hardware instead, if camera can be waked up and you can shut it down using IR remote or port - it is much simpler and cheaper way. On hardware you can use UHF radio remote or wifi.

  • kellar42kellar42

    I know they build them with Panasonic cameras, seems like Sony should work. In fact these say they are for Sony, too, though they are rental only: https://www.tshed.co.uk/product/4k-camera-trap-system/

  • zcreamzcream

    Look at chdk. That's the place to do this sort of thing

  • Vitaliy_KiselevVitaliy_Kiselev

    @zcream

    He already wrote about ML (and chdk is precursor and base of ML). CHDK (and ML) is really controlled by Canon, contrary to that leaders of this will tell you.

  • zcreamzcream

    CHDK offers more than ML. I controlled 60+ cameras for a matrix time project many years ago. And I handled the sync using scripts.

    I dont care who (corporation?) controls it.

    There are motion activation scripts in the chdk menu - many wildlife photographers use it as well.

  • Vitaliy_KiselevVitaliy_Kiselev

    @zcream

    CHDK exist much longer and it more for geeks and specialized stuff now.

    I dont care who (corporation?) controls it.

    And you should care as it is most important thing, as CHDK can came to an end if few managers will have bad day after drinking party.

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