Photographic & Video Equipment
This is a contentious issue with almost as many opinions as products. While some of the product types typically used are listed below, I can only give you my take on it and suggest you do whatever seems good to you.
Ultimately it is not just about whipping out a camera as opportunity presents itself, although one should always be ready. Cameras are just tools that should be considered part of an overall strategy that will include habituation, scent masking, camouflage and any number of other situational parameters.
Mobile
- GoPro or other equivalent
- Phone camera
- Compact Camera
- SLR or Digital SLR Camera
- Handheld compact video recorder
- FLIR or Thermal Viewers/Cameras
Fixed
- Trail Cameras (visible, IR, passive or active, etc.)
- Plotwatcher Pro (Time Lapse)
- CCD Cameras (various types of visible or IR)
Considerations for Success
Equipment Choice
If we look at the success rate of these devices in Yowie research it’s not good. Many investigators have reported avoidance of the IR Trail Cameras (and no better with black LEDs), inconsistent operation from the PIR, too short a range on the Plotwatchers and when fitted with telescopic lenses, too narrow a field of view. It is safe to say that Yowies are so elusive as to have stretched the capacity of current technology to its limits.
It is theorised that they can see into the near infra-red (NIR) spectrum and I have seen it suggested that perhaps ultraviolet could be a better range for illumination at night. Unfortunately the ultraviolet camera and video market is not well represented to date. I have also read recently that it is suspected that deer, dogs, cats and possibly some other mammals can see into the UV range. So we may be facing the same problem as with IR, including bleed-through into the visible from UV illuminators. Either way it doesn't seem like a high percentage option.
Image Quality
Another huge factor is image quality. The cheaper cameras may give reasonable image quality for general use but if you wish to enhance and enlarge the recording/image there is not much to work with – hence the blurry images. The way I see it is that capturing more inconclusive blurry images and video isn't going to help the cause and something else needs to be done.
If for example you have a GoPro or hand held video camera that records in 720p or even 1080p that is still only a low number of megapixels (MP) resolution.
- 720p is 1280 (wide) x 720 (tall) = 0.9 MP
- 1080p is 1920 (wide) x 1080 (tall) = 2 MP
4k video format is starting to get somewhere with 8 MP (commercial format) and the GoPro Hero 4k is now on sale for around $550. The GoPro Hero 5 is rumoured to be capable of 8K (16MP) but will be expensive and a ways off yet. Currently the best bang for buck where resolution is concerned still seems to be the Digital Single Lens Reflex (DSLR) camera. An entry level Canon EOS 1200D provides 18MP for around $399 and there are older models available in used condition that have from 10 to 18MP that could be picked up cheaper.
Location & Camouflage
Where you put the camera and how you disguise it is probably just as important as anything else. I am at present unqualified to advise in this area so ask questions in the community for specific advice.
Suffice to say it is difficult, if not impossible to fool a Yowie and in all likelihood they will know where you put equipment in their area before Elvis has even left the building. The best idea is to try and make it less threatening so they may feel comfortable approaching it. This pretty much counts out IR illumination but I feel there is much to be explored yet in the area of camouflage and dispersement of equipment.
Camera Traps
Wildlife photographers routinely use Compacts and DSLRs in home brew Camera Traps with one or more external flashes that can be remotely triggered. The entire rig can be triggered by tripwire, sound, lightning flash, PIR, IR beam, laser beam or other custom made triggers. There are wireless remote flash triggers to remove cable runs and I guess what you come up with is limited only by your imagination. Below are some options I have been considering but there is much more online if you choose this avenue. Doing a Google Image search for
DSLR Camera Traps or just
Camera Traps will show you a range of products and DIY rigs. That does not mean that they will be successful in photographing a Yowie.
Ultimately if you don’t capture the scene at a high enough resolution you can’t enhance and enlarge with any degree of sharpness, the data just isn’t there to begin with.
Tricks & Tips
Just a couple of things I ran across while researching this that I thought worth mentioning. Remember I am no expert.
- Manual Focus - Camera Traps that rely on an autofocus system are often too slow to wake-up, focus and take a photo in the time the flash is active. Ensure you have either a compact or DSLR that can be manually focused. Put a stick in the ground where you think the subject may approach, focus on that, then fit the camera to the trap and remove stick.
- Pre-focus before walking around corners, obstacles or over rises. Once again autofocus is slow so good photographers will, as they are walking through the bush, camera in hand, focus on a corner or obstacle up a head and keep the button half pressed so they can just point and shoot should something come around the corner suddenly (or scoot across in front of them).
- Remote trigger function - ensure your camera has a remote trigger function (either wireless, cable or both) otherwise it will be useless in a trap apparatus. A lot of cheap compacts do not have either manual focus or remote trigger capabilities. You need to be able to interface a remote trigger device and/or secondary flash unit.
Possible Camera Trap Components (DSLR type)
Some items I have been considering as ideas for my own rig once I am financial enough to build and test it.
