2019 UPDATE: If you want an amazing new long term time lapse camera, please check out the Afidus ATL-200 at www.AfidusCam.com. We also have a web site dedicated to sales and support of time lapse cameras at www.TimeLapseCameras.com. Customer care is very important to us and we are here to ensure your time lapse project is a success.
My relationship with Brinno happened by chance, I guess you could say I was discovered. Back in early 2013 a client asked me to do a long term time lapse project of a water tower being constructed. The goal seemed simple, a two to three minute YouTube video of the project as a public interest piece. I did not need to provide a live web feed but an occasional progression clip would be a bonus in the eye of my client.
A time lapse movie, although not new to me, presented a unique challenge in this situation. The camera was to be mounted on one water tower while filming the construction of a new tower over the course of six months.
My first task was researching camera options. The know issues were this installation had no access to power, the mount would be entirely outdoors and in Minnesota the temperature swing can be extreme.
Six months was way beyond the duration of DSLR camera. It could be done but would require a housing, intravalometer and frequent attention for battery changes.
I looked into and tested a trail camera with a built in intravalometer. A trail camera is great if you want to capture a deer, bear or other critter lurking in the woods but it was not well suited for my tower project.
My next thought was a GoPro or action camera with a time lapse feature. These cameras are great for what they do, but would require modification to extend the battery life and the time lapse functionality.
I looked into construction camera service providers. Some provide everything we needed, however, with ongoing costs. One of the larger providers was at $5,000 for equipment and $500 per month for the service, well beyond the budget of our simple project.
Eventually I ran across the Brinno web site, read the information and ordered a TLC200 f1.2 camera and weatherproof housing from Amazon. I could not believe all of my research came together in one simple to use and relatively inexpensive product. I did not read any reviews, I needed this camera.
The Brinno camera was installed and worked flawlessly for the six month duration. I will provide additional technical details in a later blog entry. At the completion of the construction we produced a compelling short video of the entire project and posted it on YouTube.
Within a week of the video's posting I was contacted by the Social Media Director for Phase3 Systems, the North America distributor for Brinno. Apparently, the tower video was one of the most extensive projects completed using a Brinno camera and Phase3 wanted additional details.
I provided some information and had a phone conversation with Chris Adams the President of Phase3. I had many thoughts and ideas regarding marketing and services which could be provided to end users. Over a short period of time, we built up a relationship and I was providing some real world technical experience to other end users.
Now, we are working on a Brinno Authorized Solutions Provider program and I am very excited to get started with this new venture. Essentially, I am the first of a number of planned providers who assist people in making the most out of their time lapse videos. The camera itself does a great job but there are considerations which are specific to each project. How will the camera get mounted, how often should a photo be captured, etc. After the video is complete some editing work may be desired which is a service we can provide.
I am very exited to continue my work with Brinno. I am experimenting with different time lapse projects, shooting situations and variables. Future blog posts will include real world examples, more Solutions Provider information, tips and suggestions.
For long duration time lapse, simplicity and cost there is no better time lapse solution than Brinno. From local installations in the Rochester, Minnesota area to assisting other end users, we are here to help.