Nikon D200 based set

[mikuni]

Here are my first attempts at a home brew set with a Nikon D200 in a "Pelican case clone". The flash is my old Nikon SB-22 with a Nikon TTL cord to get it a little off camera. PIR is one of those Chinese wonders (sub 5€) in a press on lid junction box.

2 second hand Nikon SB-28's are ordered. Some kind of camouflage for the boxes are also on my next plans.

The PIR is at the moment driven by a 9V dry battery. But i assume it will not last more than 1-2 nights. I have a 12v 7Ah gel battery that i might try if i leave it out for longer periods.

First night out, no pictures.

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Out at the momenta by a deer trail facing towards an open field.

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[Gartooth]

Neat.

Check the current draw on your PIR. Most draw extremely low current and batteries last a very long time. If you have trouble with false or early triggers you can glue a PVC coupling or small plastic tube around PIR fresnel.

[cameratrapcodger]

Nice work, good luck.

[mikuni]

After 2 days in the forest, I got a few pictures even if the weather is terrible and the animals do not move much.
Below is a few first shots.

[Gartooth]

What a beautiful spot! Very nice shots.

[mikuni]

Men at work, not always so glamorous this hobby...

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Fair weather the night I picked up ta camera to check the CF card

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[westcocanuck2]

Nikon D200 is a good camera.

[mikuni]

Neat.

Check the current draw on your PIR. Most draw extremely low current and batteries last a very long time. If you have trouble with false or early triggers you can glue a PVC coupling or small plastic tube around PIR fresnel.

After 2 nights out the 9V battery still showed about 9,15 V so the current cant be 65 mA, a typical 9V battery is supposed to be around 550mAh. The old 2007 nikon batteries showed around 85% charge (both) Flash (dry) batteries i did not measure, but the thing was still firing so i just let it be.

False triggering "oh yea" had a few where the animals stopped beside the camera/pir before heading from the forest out on the field.

Now the camera has been out for another 2 days, lets see what the voltages are tonight.

[mikuni]

New place and 3 nighs more, now we have the worst October in hundred years or so. Everything is wet and damp, and now also it starts to effect the picture quality (too often foggy window in the box), so I removed the whole set. Next time, i hope with a few added SB-28 flashes, now ith as been with a single SB-22. But here are a few pictures even if quality is...

The whole system has been up for 5 days in really crappy weather but still works, and D200 batteries are still over 75 %.

[ArthurV]

A great start.