Contact us:

Non Typical Inc
860 Park Lane, Park Falls WI 54552

Tel: 715.762.2260
Fax: 715.762.2719

TRIGGER SPEED -
We measure trigger speed as the time from when an animal enters the sensor field of view to when the camera actually triggers. Using electronic test equipment we know Cuddeback cameras have will take a picture in about 700 mS (0.7 of a second) once an animal is detected.

We also need to consider the time it takes for the heat-in-motion sensor to respond. Testing reveals that Cuddeback cameras will detect a test signal in less than 50 mS (0.05 second). However, when dealing with animals this speed is difficult to determine because we cannot accurately determine precisely when the animal is in the view of the heat-in-motion sensor. Plus, the response time of the sensor is dependant upon air temperature, animal size, animal temperature, moving speed of the animal, and the distance the animal is from the camera.

The total time is takes a scouting camera to detect an animal and take a picture is what we refer to as trigger speed. The good news is that trigger speed is easy to test without any special equipment. Here is how we test a camera’s trigger speed:

Set the camera up about 3 to 4 feet off the ground.
Let the camera sit (powered on and armed) for 5 to 30 minutes. This allows the camera to stabilize. Some cameras will actually trigger faster when first powered on, but their trigger speed will get much slower after the camera has been idle for a while. Cuddeback cameras will trigger at the same speed regardless of whether they have been just turned on or if they have been sitting idle for any period of time.
Walk past the camera in a consistent manner:
Start about 20 feet to the side of the camera
Walk in front of the camera about 10 feet away
Walk at a constant speed, about 2 steps per second (about the speed of a walking deer)
Continue to walk until you are at least 20 feet beyond the camera
Wait about 30 seconds for the camera to finish processing the image
Now look at the resulting image to assess camera performance. Your camera may or may not have captured your image. If your image was captured, note how far you are past the camera. This will be a good indication of trigger speed. With some cameras you may not be in the image at all. In this case we think the camera is too slow to be considered for serious scouting use, as you will miss too many deer.
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LCD DISPLAY -
Cuddeback cameras do not have a built-in image viewing display. There are 2 reasons for this:
Image displays are very difficult to see outdoors. If you have used a cell phone outdoors you are probably aware of this problem.
Most image displays are not rated for temperatures below freezing. When used in cold temperatures the display may not function. And most scouting cameras enthusiasts use their scouting camera extensively in cold weather.
We think a better approach is to use an external viewer to view your Cuddeback images. The new CuddeView 4-in-1 viewer is ideal. An external viewer,( like CuddeView), solves both of the above mentioned problems. First, you can easily shade the viewer to get better visibility. Plus, you can take the images into your stand and view them while waiting for your buck to show up (CuddeView allows you to copy images from the CF card to an archive SD card for later viewing). This greatly reduces the amount of time spent in front of your camera which will only leave more human scent in the area. And, second, an external viewer does not stay in the field so it is not subject to the problems caused by cold temperatures.
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INFRARED vs STROBE FLASH -
This is one debate that we will still be discussing for many years. The truth is, every deer is different. Some deer ignore the flash completely, while others (generally subordinate deer) will be alarmed by the flash.

Advantages of strobe flash cameras
Long range flash performance – Cuddeback’s flash range is over 60 feet
High quality color images during both day and night makes buck identification easy
Completely freezes animal movement so there is never any nighttime motion blur

Disadvantages of strobe flash cameras
Does the flash spook game?
The flash can be noticed by other hunters
Cannot record night time videos

Advantages of IR cameras
Less likely to alarm an animal (as no visible light is generated)
Less likely to be noticed by other hunters

Disadvantages of IR cameras
Nighttime images are black and white and have less detail and clarity
Infrared Flash quality/range tradeoff: If the Infrared flash is designed for maximum range the images may be overly white, or the animal may have motion blur. If the Infrared flash is designed for best image quality, range will be sacrificed.

The Cuddeback NoFlash allows the user to control the performance of the infrared illuminator. The user can optimize the performance for the longest range or the best image quality. This technology allows you to optimize the camera’s performance for your camera’s location. On a trail or feeder we recommend the Image setting to assure you get the best image quality. This works well because you have a pretty good idea of where the deer will be when the camera triggers. On a food plot, or other area where the deer may be 30 or more feet from the camera, we recommend the Distance setting. This will maximize the camera’s infrared range and help illuminate animals that are farther from the camera.

GUIDELINES FOR MAKING AN INFRARED vs STROBE FLASH CHOICE -
You need to make your own decision as to whether a traditional flash spooks game. It seems that for everyone who believes that flash spooks game, there is another who believes it does not. It really comes down to your personal choice. We recommend that you consider the intended application of the camera when making this choice.

Are you primarily trying to see what’s out there?
If yes, then a strobe camera will better allow you to identify individual animals.

Are you conducting a formal survey to determine a more precise count of animals on your property?
If yes, you will find that a strobe camera will make it easier to identify individual animals.

Do you plan on hunting the exact location the camera is located?
If yes, you may want to consider an infrared NoFlash camera to remove any possibility of spooking deer.

Are you using the camera over a feeder or bait?
In these settings, animals are well aware of human activity. We believe that in these situations the strobe camera does not seem to alarm deer.

Do you just not want to take the chance of a flash spooking deer and do not care about night time image quality? If yes, the NoFlash camera is definitely for you.

My position is that the flash does not negatively change a deer’s behavior. The flash may alarm the deer and cause the deer to jump away from the camera, but it does not chase them out of the area. The property I hunt is full of wolves. Everyday I can discover fresh wolf tracks on my property, yet the deer are still present – including older bucks. I believe that if a wolf can’t chase deer off my property, a camera certainly won’t either. - Mark Cuddeback
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PIXEL AND IMAGE QUALITY -
When it comes to pixel count more is not always better. That said, a lower pixel count is certainly not desirable. Some scouting camera manufacturers do not publish their camera pixel count. In almost all of these cases you’ll find the cameras are “VGA” quality, which means they have 640 x 480 pixels, or 0.3 megapixels. Typically VGA cameras have very poor image quality and you will almost certainly be dissatisfied with the camera. Yet, some of these cameras cost well over $400.

Once you get to a pixel count of 1.3 MP or greater you generally don’t gain much. In fact, as more pixels get packed into the sensor, each pixel gets smaller. These smaller pixels are generally not as sensitive to light and can limit the camera’s flash performance. The reason most people want more pixels is they believe more pixels will mean better images. The truth is that other camera mechanics affect image quality more than pixel count. The camera lens is probably the most important element in determining image quality. Most scouting cameras use a fixed focus lens which is ideal for a scouting camera where the inherent delay and noise from an auto-focus lens is not desired. However, a fixed focus lens offers limited performance, which will offset any advantage of a high megapixel camera.

We recommend that a scouting camera have a pixel count of at least 1.3 MP. Sub 1.3 MP cameras, in our opinion, take inferior images. Any pixel count over 1.3 MP should be sufficient and, frankly, you probably won’t gain much over 3.0 MP.
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FLASH POWER -
The flash power will also greatly affect nighttime image quality. We use a very powerful flash in Cuddeback cameras to extend flash range. Some other cameras extend flash range by over magnifying the light in the image. This can result in a washed out image with poor contrast and sense of depth. Our TrophyRoom PC software uses this technique to extend flash range even further than our cameras do. The advantage of this approach is you get a great image and can use the software program to further extend the effective flash range.