Cam for watching birds

Rickoo

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Hello all,

I'm new here, please be kind!

I have a bunch of hobbies that I'm fairly proficient in, this is not one of them. We've got a few bird feeders/houses set up in the back yard/woods and I'm thinking having the ability to view bird activity on my laptop (or phone/ipad) would be pretty cool.

So, I'm hoping to set up a camera (PTZ) on the back of my house and have the ability to position it on the feeder/birdhouse of my choice. I would like to be able to zoom in on things maybe 50-150+ feet away from where the camera will be mounted.

We've been wanting to set up some security cameras around our property for a few years. Not quite ready yet, however, I'm hoping to set up a decent camera I can also use for security when I'm ready to add a NVR and a few more cameras.

A friend recommended Hikvision cameras. The ones I've found with high zoom (thinking maybe 20x?) are pretty pricey and I'm hoping there are cheaper options for a decent PTZ PoE camera with good zoom capabilities. I'm hoping in the $150-$300 range?

Any have any suggestions for cameras to look at? It looks like I'll also need a PoE adapter?
 

looney2ns

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Hi, be sure to study this> Cliff Notes.
You might want to look at this camera.
Buy once, cry once. Much easier to do it right the first time.
 

Rickoo

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Great link. Lot of good reading. Thanks. Also for the camera suggestion.
 

jack7

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Apparently there is a newer model of the SD49225T-HN.
The SD49225XA-HN.
Also look at the older forum threads on the SD49225T-HN.

I have a 25X PTZ which is about the same as the SD49225T-HN. It's great for bird feeders. Also, at night you can point it at the woods and motion detect all the animals passing by and just store the videos on the camera SD card if desired.
 

Rickoo

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I'm wondering how much I don't know that I don't know?

Will this camera be able to zoom in clearly to see good definition on birds? I expect it to be about 50 feet away from the feeder(s).

Also, would love to hear sound. Is there such a thing as a directional mic that could be integrated into the camera that would pic up sounds at the feeder it's pointing at?
 

looney2ns

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I'm wondering how much I don't know that I don't know?

Will this camera be able to zoom in clearly to see good definition on birds? I expect it to be about 50 feet away from the feeder(s).

Also, would love to hear sound. Is there such a thing as a directional mic that could be integrated into the camera that would pic up sounds at the feeder it's pointing at?
Yes and Yes.
Bullet Mic Review | IP Cam Talk
 

Rickoo

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That mic looks omnidirectional. I was thinking more like something that could somehow focus on the sounds coming from the specific feeder only.
 

CCTVCam

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Will this camera be able to zoom in clearly to see good definition on birds? I expect it to be about 50 feet away from the feeder(s).
If you look on the product page for this camera: SD49225T-HN | Dahua Technology

You'll find a section where it tells you the maximum distance at which it's possible to identify a person - in the case of that camera (the one recommended to you, it's 528 feet if I remember correctly from reading it a minute ago). Obviously that's based on a human sized object. However, considering your distance to the birds is 50 feet, you should be able to get a tight shot.
 

Rickoo

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Thanks Jack!

I take it the cam was zoomed in all the way? Detail on the bird looks good. Let me ask you, how far in front of the feeder are the red flowers?

What camera is it?
 

jack7

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20X on 25X camera.
The red flowers are about 8ft from the bird. There is another hanging basket about 15 ft away which is the blur at upper right.
The camera is Amcrest IP2M-858 which is about the same as Dahua SD49225T-HN. There are also Amcrest 12X 2M and 4M models.
If you have any interest in these, I suspect there may be some significant discounts on Amazon Black Friday from AmcrestDirect.

Here's some doves probably 25X zoom, at 40ft.

How about a deer at 40ft.
.
.
Any other types of birds or views you would like to see?
 

Rickoo

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Those are great. Thanks. How does the Amcrest do with sound? Will it pick up bird sounds at 30-35 feet?
 

jack7

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I'm not using audio. The cameras mentioned have an audio input connector for a powered microphone so you could put a mic in or on a bird feeder or wherever. This video describes the connectors on the cameras. Regarding POE, I had 12V power available near 858 camera for various reasons and used it for camera. Not sure if 858 has POE. I do use ethernet cable.
 
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