An inexpensive compact automatic camera system for wildlife research

This paper describes the design, conversion, and deployment of a reliable, compact, automatic multiple-exposure photographic system that was used to photograph nest predation events. This system may be the most versatile yet described in the literature because of its simplicity, portability, and dependability. The system was very reliable because it was designed around a high quality, all-electronic camera. It was an inexpensive alternative (about US $110) to the few other commercially available photographic systems that offered similar features, and was the first system to provide these features in a compact, highly portable, and easily concealed field unit. Under all field conditions, in all seasons, day and night, the system consistently produced clear photographs of animals visiting artificial nests and scent- stations. This system was simple to operate because there was only one moving part, making malfunctions rare and easy to identify and fix