eBirdseed.com Wild Bird Feeding Blog

Hi all,

As some of you know, many of the pictures used on this site were taken by the NovaBird remote camera. The familiar shot below is just such a photo...



So after taking literally thousands of snapshots with the camera, here are my impressions, both good and bad:

Pro:

• When the conditions are right, it takes a superb picture. Check out our Flickr Library.
• Usage is simple...
  1. Make sure the camera contains a blank SD memory card.
  2. Plunk down the camera 15" away from the desired "paparazzi zone". (I typically use a tripod.)
  3. Hook up the battery.
  4. Turn on the camera.
  5. Go away.
  6. Come back after nature's actors have put on their show.
  7. Remove the memory card and replace it with an empty one, (or break the system down and take it indoors).
  8. Use the SD reader in your computer to view, save, and clear the bird pics off the SD card.
  9. Go back to step 1.
• The camera is fairly cheap... $80... Add to that a tripod and a couple of SD 256 MB memory cards, and we're talking $175 ballpark.
• The NovaBird looks to be rugged enough, but I'm never happy with plastic latches, hinges, etc. However, the ones on this camera seem sufficient.
• The battery has no problem providing 6 hours of continuous usage, and recharges overnight.

Con:

• The camera likes to take pictures when the conditions are wrong. That is to say that any movement in front of the camera (or the camera itself moving) will trigger a photo. This morning alone, the camera took 659 snapshots, of which only 34 were of value. And pawing through 600 images simply takes time.
• Setup is simple, but the battery pack leaves a lot to be desired. It's supposed to look like a rock. To be honest, it looks like a human brain. (In fact, the wife and I call it "The Brain".) And it's all too easy to forget to hook up the battery pack.
• While the camera is cheap, it's only a matter of time before a new model comes out with features such as a better and larger lens, the ability to adjust the focal length and shutter speed, and a built in battery.

I'll leave this review with a final thought... The familiarization process (for us at least) with the NovaBird camera took the following steps:

First: Ok, first we decided that it really does work, and it's capable of producing some pretty good pictures.
Second: Next came the realization that with a bit of care, the camera is capable of taking some very respectable pictures.
Third: Once we had the system in place, we could digitally capture any common bird we wanted in most (if not all) of its glory.
Forth: With hundreds of pictures of the usual feeder suspects tucked away... What was next?
Fifth: The only real challenge left was to go for images of creatures who really defy photography...



There you go...

See you by the feeders,

CapeCodAlan

P.S. Tune in next time to see amateur ornithology, crows' beaks, calculus, french fries, intelligence, and good ol' Mr. Darwin all come crashing together! Wheee Hawww!!!