Trail cameras? (As in motion detection cams..)

[Kattt]

Bob, I did not copy them, just downloaded them. There were many more. The camera takes 3 rapid shots, reloads very quickly and takes 3 more, repeats that as long as it detects movement. I only posted a few. I had over 30, many pretty identical to these and some blurrier.

I picked up the SD about 11:30 and downloaded them then. The camera is very fast, called Reconyx Hyperfire.

[Bob Gross]

OK, let me restate this. Apparently the bobcat was photographed at 1:05 a.m. Then it appears that you transferred the files from the card to a computer right after that. Correct?

–B.G.–

[Kattt]

No. I transferred them to a computer around 11:30 this morning. The pictures started at 1:05:35 and the last one was at 1:06:27.

Does that make sense?

[Bob Gross]

I believe you. There was evidence within the photo files that something happened afterward, around 1:30 a.m.

I thought maybe you were out retrieving the photos in the middle of the night.

Maybe it was only the bobcat asking for double prints to be made.

–B.G.–

[Kattt]

What is the evidence you are referring to? I am curious. There were many more pictures of me approaching the camera and my dog and what not. I just picked the ones I like best. The numbers 1,2 and 3 refer to the series of rapid fire shots. I am curious about what you are referring though.

[Bob Gross]

The EXIF data is collected by the camera, and it is appended to the JPEG, TIF, or RAW image file. That contains date and time information, camera type, camera settings, and a bunch of other stuff. Some cameras don't do this.

Often the photographer will get that file into an image editor and erase or change some of the EXIF data. For example, to add a copyright notice, to add an image title, to add a telephone number for contact, etc.

I thought some bits of EXIF data were remaining, but maybe not.

It's too bad that night photos use infrared light, so there is no color information.

–B.G.–

[Kattt]

Oh. I did not edit them at all. Just downloaded them on my ipad to the Photo album. I did crop some for my own enjoyment, but these are as is. I like that it shows time of day, temperature etc.

[Bob Gross]

"I like that it shows time of day, temperature etc."

Some people like it that way. With a normal camera, the EXIF data is appended onto the image file so that when you view the image, you see only the image. But then you can view the EXIF data using Photoshop or similar program. It is a little more like writing photo information on the back of a photo print.

Now that I think about it, I should have realized that when you posted the photos, the BPL server strips off any EXIF data that may have been embedded in it. That's because you could have had a copyright notice in the EXIF. BPL always wants to strip that off so that it can't be accused of using a copyrighted photo without permission.

–B.G.–

[Kattt]

Today I retrieved the SD card from one of my trail cameras, the one I have set up to take 10 second videos. There were about 30 videos from the last 2 days. I downloaded all the videos to my ipad. Four of the videos say AVI on them and they appear blank but when I click on them they play fine; the problem is that I cannot upload them anywhere, nor have any apps worked to convert these videos to a different format. I would not even know what to convert them to, but the apps either crash or tell me the file is null. I looked up AVI and with my limited understanding here AVI is a "container" for files.
My questions are
1. Can I do anything with these videos on my Ipad or should I bring the card to someone with a computer?
2. Why would my camera have four out of thirty videos in this different format? Taken the same day as regular videos, whatever that means ..since I can't tell what format those are..??

Just so happens that one of those 4 videos is a really nice one of a bobcat walking right up to the camera and turning its head before walking away.

Edited for spelling

[Nick Gatel]

I am not any kind of computer wizard. AVI are video files. Generally, I find the iPad the worst platform to use for file management.

A computer can be used to edit AVI files or even convert the file into a different format.

[Matthew Black]

That is a reasonable statement about any iOS device. You need to use bundled, but non-default applications to browse some exposed parts of the filesystem on a Macintosh; Image Capture. Plugging an iOS device into a Windows machine will permit much of the contents to be viewed by file type and copied to another location.

[Kattt]

Thanks Nick and Matt. I will bring the card to someone with a computer and have them covert it and mail me the videos. They are only 10 seconds so they should not be too big to email.
Matt, I have to study your answer….. :)
Any thoughts on why a mix of videos on my card? Why would the camera switch to a different format all by itself?

[Matthew Black]

The world is really fortunate I am not a teacher.

I don't know what types of video files the camera is producing and I am uncertain why it might produce more than one type of video file. What model of camera is it?

NVM, since it was identified in your first post.

[Bob Gross]

"Generally, I find the iPad the worst platform to use for file management. "

I side with Nick on this one.

–B.G.–

[Nick Gatel]

Kat,

You have the Moultrie 990i as mentioned in your first post, correct?

I did a quick search and see it takes pictures (JPG files), videos (AVI), and a special MLT file which is used by the software that comes with the camera.

Bob and the others know more about this than me. I have a couple cameras with SD cards. When I connect the camera directly to a computer it sees a certain file folder hierarchy. If I plug the SD card directly in the computer, the file structure is significantly different. I suspect the computer sees the camera as an ordinary USB drive, and the SD card as a different kind of storage device. No matter, the computer hasn't damaged any card using any method.

I have plugged both into my iPad 3 using the Apple Camera Connection kit, and all kinds of weird things happen. Some times it transfers all the pictures and other times the iPad is more confused than me. Anyway, I have quit using the iPad for anything photo or video related, other than transferring files via syncing in the default folders on my computer, which is running MS windows. Through all of this neither the computer or iPad did anything to change the SD card itself.

[Bob Gross]

I still side with Nick on this one.

I don't own any Apple stock, for a reason.

–B.G.–

[Kattt]

Thanks again Nick, and Bob.
Yes, the camera I have set up for video is the Moultrie. I have been researching it a bit tonight as well and it does sound like IPads are not working well with the videos for a number of people. And I thought I could do it all with my ipad. Oh well.

[Kattt]

In case someone else is limited to an ipad…
I uploaded the video to Flickr as is and it worked. Then I downloaded it from to an App called "file converter". Now the App that could not deal with it straight from the Photo Library suddenly recognized it and converted it.

[Author]

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