I love using trail cams for capturing wildlife photos. With the camera prices becoming lower for higher quality cameras, many options are available. I mostly like to capture birds at the feeder using a small modification to the camera.
Setting up for my “home brew” wildlife camera for bird feeders requires a close up adjustment to the lens of a trail camera. Trail cameras are typically set to a range of 10 feet and beyond. If there is anything closer, it will probably be a blurry photo of the subject.
With a close-up lens filter kit, you can bring the focus point into about 18 inches. It takes a little testing to find the sweet spot on each camera. The kits come with different lenses. I use a +2. You can try different combinations to get to where you want. One word of advice is that the more glass you add, the less light gets to the sensor. Taking different photos at different distances and then comparing them to get the best shot. After you have found that spot, I recommend cutting a string to that length and using it for a guide if you ever move the camera.
Don’t expect much at nighttime. Often the lens filter attached will cover the IR flash, causing a “blowback” or reflection of light. Also don’t cover up the IR sensor. If you do, you wont get any photos since the lens is blocking any detection of movement. Below is how I set mine up with just a rubber band. This system isn’t waterproof outside the camera body. The lens gets wet and dirty fast.
Here is a complete video of my process.
