Brinno TLC200 Pro HDR Time Lapse Video Camera

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Product Specifications

Professional grade, but easy enough for beginners to use
High Dynamic Range (HDR) image sensor produces stunning 720p time lapse video under virtually any lighting conditions, from low light to intense backlighting
Aspherical 19 mm f/2.0 glass lens for 2X sharpness and 4X low light performance
Additional CS mount lenses are sold separately
Unlike DSLR cameras, the TLC200 Pro creates the AVI file in the camera so it is instantly available with no post-processing required

Product Description

Size:Camera Product description Professional grade, but easy enough for beginners to use High Dynamic Range (HDR) image sensor produces stunning 720p time lapse video under virtually any lighting conditions, from low light to intense backlighting Aspherical 19 mm f/2.0 glass lens for 2X sharpness and 4X low light performance Additional CS mount lenses are sold separately Unlike DSLR cameras, the TLC200 Pro creates the AVI file in the camera so it is instantly available with no post-processing required

From the Manufacturer

UPDATE: Brinno has released new firmware for the TLC200 Pro with additional functionality. You will now be able to select a begin and finish time for your time lapse videos, (for example, start at 8 am, finish at 5 pm). Brinno has also added support for Wi-Fi interconnectivity using the popular Eye-Fi Pro X2 SD card, enabling video to be downloaded from your TLC200 Pro via a wireless network. The firmware also allows for fast adjustment to greater variations in light. Firmware updates are downloadable from the manufacturer’s website.

Capture Stunning HDR Time Lapse Video in any Light The Brinno TLC200 Pro is the world’s first HDR time lapse video camera. With a 1.3 megapixel High Dynamic Range (HDR) image sensor, the TLC200 Pro produces stunning 720p time lapse video under virtually any lighting conditions, from low light to intense backlighting.

HDR Sensor The TLC200 Pro’s 115 dB high dynamic range (HDR) sensor captures a greater dynamic range between the lightest and darkest areas of an image than a standard CMOS sensor. The resulting HDR video more accurately portrays the range of intensity levels found in real life, from strong backlighting to faint starlight.

Image quality is primarily determined not by resolution, but by pixel size of the sensor. The TLC200 Pro’s ultra-high pixel size allows you take clear time lapse video even in a low light environment!

HDR Sensor Ultra-High Dynamic Range

115dB

HDR Video Instantly The TLC200 Pro produces ready-to-view HDR video at the push of a button with no need to spend hours on post-processing.

Powerful, Yet Simple to Operate To use, simply set your time interval on the 1.44 inch LCD preview screen, aim, and wait for the video to finish. The interval between frames is selectable between 0.3 seconds and 24 hours. The preview screen allows for accurate targeting of subjects and precise framing of scenes. The TLC200 Pro can be tripod-mounted or simply set on a flat surface.

Lens
SD card slot
Accessory connector
Micro USB connector
Battery door
Strap eyelet
LED indicator
LCD screen
TIME button
MENU button
OK/START button
Power switch
Tripod screw hole Interchangeable CS Mount f/2.0 Aspherical Lens The aspherical 19mm (35mm equivalent) f/2.0 glass lens produces a 2X increase in sharpness and a 4X increase in low light performance.

Aspherical Lens Spherical Lens

Single lens, no diffusion Tiny and light Multiple lenses to correct diffusion Large and heavy Other Lens Options Additional CS mount lenses are sold separately. See Recommended Accessories below.

DSLR Cameras vs. TLC200 Pro for Time Lapse Video There are two compelling advantages to using the TLC200 Pro rather than a DSLR camera for shooting time lapse video:

Instant Results: With the TLC200 Pro, an AVI video file is created in the camera during recording, which results in files being downloadable in seconds, not hours, with no stitching or converting required.

Shutter Life of DSLR Cameras: The average shutter life of a DSLR camera is 100,000 shots. Depending on the time interval used, you could reach this number within hours or days of shooting time lapse with your expensive DSLR camera.

Multiple Viewing Options To View on a Windows 98 and later PC:

Transfer video via a micro USB cable, or Transfer via the included 4 GB SD card (up to 32 GB supported) To view on an OTG-equipped smart phone:

Use Brinno’s optional OTG Card Reader to retrieve your video from the camera’s SD card, or Use a micro USB cable to retrieve the video file from the camera Doubles as a Stop Action Camera You can create stop action movies using the optional external shutter release, sold separately.

To create a stop action movie using optional external shutter release: Build the scene Attach shutter release and position the camera Shoot, moving objects slightly between each shot View and share! Your stop action video is stored on the SD card Recommended Accessories

18-55 mm f/1.2 Lens CS mount lens includes lens cap, carrying case and filter. 24-70 mm f/1.4 Lens CS mount lens includes lens cap, carrying case and filter. Weather Resistant Housing Allows the TLC200 Pro to function outdoors in almost any weather, season or location. Protect your camera from weather, sand, dirt, etc. Acrylic with rubber button and side lock. Shutter Release Cable Shoot stop motion video with any TLC200 series camera. Simply plug into camera extension port. To begin capturing, hold the shutter button until the LED indicator on the camera lights.

Shutter Release + Self Portrait Mirror Shutter Release allows you to shoot stop motion video. Self Portrait Mirror allows you to take time lapse video or single photos of your face. OTG Card Reader View your completed time lapse videos on any OTG-compatible mobile device. Slots for USB, SD and micro SD cards. Micro USB connector plugs into mobile device. Motion Sensor Detects and captures movement within 13.1 feet, 45 degrees left and right. Triggers 10 seconds of shooting. Ideal for surveillance or wildlife video. Wall Mount Screws to a wall, tree, fence, etc., providing a stable mount for shooting long videos. Standard tripod mount.

Rotating Pan Lapse Provides a stable base that rotates 360 degrees in 1 hour. Includes two silicone pads. Bike Mount Clamps to your bike’s handlebars. Standard tripod mount. Camera Pouch Designed to hold a TLC200 series camera and accessories. 5.1 x 5.1 x 1.7 inches. Zipper closure. Brinno Time Lapse Camera Model Comparison

Model TLC100 TLC200 TLC200 f1.2 TLC200 Pro Viewfinder 1.44” LCD 1.44” LCD 1.44” LCD Image sensor 1.3 MP 1.3 MP 1.3 MP 1.3 MP HDR Resolution 1280 x 1024 (4:3) 1280 x 720 (16:9) 1280 x 720 (16:9) 1280 x 720 (16:9) Aperture f/2.8 f/2.8 f/1.2 f/2.0 Focal length (mm) 20 to infinity 36 18 (35mm equivalent) 19 (35mm equivalent) Field of view 49.5° 59° 140° 112° Vertical lens rotation 120° 120° 120° Aspherical lens
Interchangeable CS mount lens
HDR video
Scene setting
White balance setting
Micro USB output
Webcam function
Extension port
Time interval 5 sec-24 hrs 0.5 sec, 1 sec-24 hrs 0.5 sec, 1 sec-24 hrs 0.3 sec, 1 sec-24 hrs Battery life 28,000 photos 270,000 photos 270,000 photos 240,000 photos Storage media USB flash drive SD/SDHC card SD/SDHC card SD/SDHC card Media included 2GB 2GB 2GB 4GB Maximum storage capacity 8GB 32GB Video format AVI AVI Weather resistant With optional housing With optional housing Stop action video With optional shutter release cable Still images (JPEG, 1280 x 720) With optional shutter release cable Motion activated With optional motion sensor Batteries required 4 AA (included) 4 AA (included) External power 5V micro USB What’s in the Box TLC200 Pro HDR time lapse camera 4 AA batteries 4 GB SD card Aspherical 19 mm (35mm equivalent) f/2.0 glass lens Lens cap Screwdriver Lens screw

Product Reviews

Brinno is making a name for itself.

Ordered this on a whim because if something takes good pictures or has the potential for interesting movie making, I am interested. Almost cancelled it wondering “what did I need to time lapse?”, and glad I didn’t. I should also clarify that I bought this on a lightning deal that was less than the 299$ price it’s currently at (Oct 2013), and I feel the 299$ is too much, but the 219$ or so that I paid was just fine.For me the biggest conveniences of this unit are that it takes regular AA batteries and they last FOREVER. I’ve probably recorded 5-6 days worth of captures and batteries were only ¹⁄₂ dead. The other awesome thing is unlike a GoPro or other non-purpose-built units, the time lapse in this unit is automatic. When you pull out the SDcard your movie is on it. That is awesome to me. No more animation shop or imovie creations - just slap it in and watch your movie. It still produces a file that is easily edited in most common editors too - bonus.I also like that it has a tripod mount on the bottom as well as a big rubber pad. So far I have just let it sit around under its own weight on the pad, but the tripod will come in handy if I ever wanted to use this in a car or something (I have RAM mounts in my duty vehicle for example).On the down side, the menuing system is a little old school and I wish the display was touchscreen and a little faster. But really the settings you need are mostly there. Yes you do get bumped out to the main screen once you “set” a change, annoying. But you can adjust the frame rate (for playback encoding), the capture rate/interval, set a timer for capture period (days hours minutes) and even tweak the scene for stars, daylight, etc.At the end of it all , you get some ok “instant time lapse video” that you wouldn’t have otherwise gotten. I’ve sort of discovered a whole new realm of photography that I have only dabbled in before, but thanks to Brinno I am now going to be sticking some neat time lapses into some of my home movie cut scenes.removed a star for the annoying screen/menu issues, but if I could add anything to this product it would be:+ let me interface with it from my phone, use low energy bluetooth and at least let me check if it’s still recording or warn me if batteries are low.+ lose the annoying screen, and cheesy menus that bump you out to ‘confirm’ the change, you’re charging 300$ for this thing it should excel compared to my 150$ gopro and it doesn’t on menus.If you have bought this unit after Sept 2013, make sure you check for new firmware and update it. It will add the timer mode and make it a little bit faster (not much).Hope you enjoyed this snapshot of my experience and good luck!

Does as advertised, and the quality is “good enough” for most things

First off, only 4 stars because it’s only 720 HD, rather than 1080, plus the focus method is not great. While knocking a star isn’t fair when I knowingly got it with only 720, I knock it a bit because the clarity of the lens isn’t close to perfect. When downsizing the image to 50%, it looks almost perfect. Which means if it could just shoot higher with this lens, downsizing to 720 would rival DSLRs. Much want for a higher resolution. I’d even see myself paying upwards of $400-500 for a 4K device like this.The focus method is difficult because it digitally zooms on an area to try and focus. The positive to such a wide angle lens is if you are far away from the subject enough, it won’t matter as much considering the output is still only 720.The camera’s battery is very impressive. I’ve already shot 4 hours worth of videos and it’s still going strong, even in 40 degree temperatures.Because of a lack of buttons, navigating takes a little getting used to, but it’s easy once you realize the procedure.Small and mobile is a big plus. You can put it almost anywhere.I’ve done time lapse photography with a DSLR. The quality is unmatched because of the freedom and quality of accessories available. Two things made this device appealing. Automatically creating the video after completion and no wear and tear on my cameras. When you consider a SLR is rated for 100,000-300,000 shutter cycles, that’s 900 photographs to get one video of 30 seconds (assuming 30fps). 112 of those and you already crossed 100,000 photos with your camera. It’s a lot of abuse for essentially the same shot.For example, if you spend $1,000 for a DSLR (can easily pay 5+ times that), get a good lens worth $800, you have $1,800 to get 4K or better time lapse photos. Now you need to render them, which can take anywhere from a few seconds to many minutes depending on your computer. While time is a small price to pay for such great quality, it’s still a factor for some who just want to get it on Facebook. Here you get something without a mechanical shutter, total silence when shooting and the video is rendered upon completion.I wish it saved to MP4, but there are numerous free tools to convert it if you need something other than AVI. The video I’m including is literally the 2nd, 3rd and 4th videos created with the unit. The first was of inside the office, which while it was just as good, it’s still not my place to share people without their permission. The 4th video at the end where you can see a water tower is from a professional DSLR and Canon L-series lens. You can easily see the quality difference, but I did that to help people see what a $3,000 setup is compared to a $200 setup to help them determine if it’s worth it. It required 390 images for the DSLR option, which is really 390 photos that serve no purpose to me now as I only wanted the video.Bottom line, Brinno, please make a 1080 or 4K option!!

I’m a Believer

I waited for weeks for more (than 3) reviews before finally pulling the trigger on this one. I’ve done 2 tests at different settings so far (in daylight) and it works quite well! So it’s not 1080p. So what? I found that a simple upscale in Premiere Pro with a moderate amount of sharpening fixes that. I own a GoPro Hero 3 and had thought of using it for time lapse in the field. Unfortunately, you’ll never get the battery to last beyond 2-3 hours! And while there are plenty of external power supplies that WILL last overnight (check out the Anker Astro 3), there is the issue of either waterproofing a GoPro Skeleton Case (which you’ll need to attach external power) or modding a standard GoPro waterproof housing (e.g. drilling just the right size hole for the miniUSB plug). Plus, there’s no editing: It outputs AVIs. Very nice… So, no, it won’t blow you away. But it’s a nice toy for about the right price.

Leave out the Pro, they break.

As someone who has owned 2 of these I have to say. They are Okay. At first I would say they are awesome because they are automated HDR timelapses, but only at 720p.

very easy to use

I can’t wait to show my friends and family and encourage them to buy! Very inexpensive in comparison to other options on the market Highly recommend.

Easy to operate. Set and go.

The video quality is very nice even at the lowest setting.

Five Stars

Brinno Time Lapse Video Camera.

OMGosh! Son was thrilled with this time lapse video camera. Has already used more than once & we are all enjoying it.

Poor quality images

Poor quality images.

The product quit working within 2 weeks of purchase. …

The product quit working within 2 weeks of purchase. Brinno won’t answer messages, even though it has a one year warranty, and no one is able to warranty this. Junk!!!

This camera does a fairly good job. My only complaints are that the stock …

This camera does a fairly good job. My only complaints are that the stock lens has too wide an angle, and that the 60 hz filter could be a little better.

I should have gotten a GoPro!

I would give it zero stars if they would let me. I’ve had one of these for two years now. (We set it up for time lapse of a building site.) The verdict: Get a GoPro!