PNi Hunting 280C Trail Camera User Manual
- June 5, 2024
- PNI
Table of Contents
PNi Hunting 280C Trail Camera
Main functions
- Shutter speed 0.8-1.0 sec.
- FOV 52°/PIR angle 60°
- Resolutions 24MP/1080P@15FPS
- Programmable photo size 12/16/24MP
- 40 invisible IR LEDs that offer night visibility up to 20 meters
- Excellent quality of images and videos, both during the day and at night
- Continuous shooting, one photo/second, maximum 7 photos, to capture the complete movement of the subject
- Adjustable PIR sensitivity
- Programmable delay between shots
- Printed on image: camera ID, date/time, temperature, moon fase
- TFT screen 2.0 inch
Camera description
- IR LEDs
- LED indicator
- PIR sensor
- Lens
- DC-in power supply (12V/1-2A)
- Mini USB port
- SD card slot (supports up to 32GB)
- 2.0 inch color LCD screen
- Menu key
- Navigation keys
- Camera mode/power switch
- Battery compartment A (for 6 AA batteries)
- Battery compartment B (for 6 AA batteries)
- OK key (Set/Save)
Keys and functions
Menu key
When the camera is in settings mode, the LCD screen lights up. Press the MENU
key to access the camera settings menu. When in the menu, press the MENU key
to return to the previous interface or to exit the menu.
Camera mode/power switch
- Switch to OFF position – the room is turned off
- Switch to SETUP position – when the camera is in the settings mode, the LCD screen lights up. Press the MENU key to access the camera settings menu or playback of recordings.
Note: The settings made will be saved only after you press the MENU key to exit the menu.
- Move the switch to the ON position. The LED indicator will flash 5 times, then the camera will enter PIR Auto Mode.
- Move the switch to the SETUP position. The LCD screen will light up. The camera will enter Test mode.
- Move the switch to the OFF position. The camera will turn off.
Basic instructions
Battery supply
PNI Hunting 280C hunting camera works with 6 or 12 AA alkaline or Ni-MH
batteries. We recommend that you do not use Lithium batteries. Insert the 6 or
12 batteries in the dedicated slot in accordance with the polarity indicated
on the housing. We recommend that you replace the batteries when the icon
indicating the low battery appears on the camera screen. Do not use different
types or brands of batteries or batteries with a different charge level at the
same time. The table below provides some approximate information on the number
of photos or videos that can be taken with 12 alkaline batteries. Testing
conditions: Closed LCD screen, Mode: Power on, automatic PIR.
12 AA alkaline batteries
Photo per day| Time| Video per day| Time
IR lights on| IR lights on
12MP| 100 pict.| 64 days| VGA| 10 sec.| 10 video| 59 days
---|---|---|---|---|---|---
16MP| 100 pict.| 61 days| HD| 10 sec.| 10 video| 57 days
24MP| 100 pict.| 57 days| FHD| 10 sec.| 10 video| 54 days
IR lights off| IR lights off
12MP| 100 pict.| 72 days| VGA| 10 sec.| 20 video| 163
days
16MP| 100 pict.| 67 days| HD| 10 sec.| 20 video| 151
days
24MP| 100 pict.| 61 days| FHD| 10 sec.| 20 video| 140
days
Solar panel power supply
PNI Hunting 280C hunting camera works with standard 12V/1-2A Lithium batteries
with solar panel.
Power supply via power adapter
You can also power the camera with an external 12V/1-2A DC power adapter. When
using external power, we recommend that you remove the batteries from the
camera to avoid overcharging them. Adapter power is only recommended when
using the PNI Hunting 280C security video surveillance camera.
SD card selection
In order to use the camera, an SD card must be inserted. When the camera is
turned on but no card is inserted, the warning appears on the screen Please
insert memory card. PNI Hunting 280C supports cards with a maximum capacity of
32GB. To avoid losing files saved on the card, when you insert or remove the
card, turn off the camera first. When the card is full, the text appears on
the screen Memory full. The table below shows the approximate number of photos
and video files that can be saved to a card depending on its capacity.
| SD card | 1GB | 2GB | 4GB | 8GB | 16GB | 32GB |
|---|
Pictures
12MP| 391| 733| 1613| 3371| 6887| 13919
16MP| 299| 560| 1232| 2575| 5260| 10630
24MP| 201| 376| 827| 1728| 3530| 7134
Video (hours)
VGA| 00:05:27| 00:10:13| 00:22:28| 00:46:57| 01:35:56| 03:13:52
HD| 00:03:59| 00:07:23| 00:16:13| 00:33:53| 01:09:14| 02:19:56
FHD| 00:02:04| 00:03:53| 00:08:31| 00:17:48| 00:36:20| 01:13:21
USB connection
When the camera is connected via a USB cable, MSDC appears on the screen. Press the MENU key once, MSDC changes to PC Cam; you can now use the camera as a webcam. Press the MENU key again, the camera exits the PC camera mode.
Warnings
- Insert and remove the memory card only when the camera is turned off.
- We recommend that you use good quality AA batteries to prevent corrosion and acid leakage inside the chamber.
- Use only a 12V/1-2A power supply to power the camera, and do not reverse the polarity when inserting batteries or accumulators.
- In test mode, the camera will turn off automatically in 5 minutes if no button is pressed. If you want to enter PIR Auto Mode again, move the main button to the ON position. When the screen is lit, whether in the main interface or in the menu, if no key is pressed for 5 minutes, the camera will turn off automatically.
- Do not interrupt the power supply to the device during the software update and return the device to the seller if the update procedure fails. Our recommendation is to send the product to the seller for the soft update procedure, in order to eliminate the risk of irreparably damaging the product.
- Remove branches or moving objects from the monitored area that may cause false photos to be taken.
- Do not place the camera near heat-emitting equipment, ventilation equipment, light sources, to avoid taking fake photos. The camera has 40 IR LEDs and a 52° FOV lens. Use only high-quality batteries capable of providing enough power to illuminate consistently in dark environments.
Turning the camera on
Move the switch to the ON position. The camera will start with the factory
settings. So, for testing, the user only needs to insert an SD card and
batteries in the camera
Functions setting
- Move the switch to the SETUP position. The camera screen will light up. The camera will enter Test mode.
- Press ◄, ►, ▲ and ▼ to navigate through settings.
- Press the OK key to confirm.
- Press the MENU key to exit the settings interface.
Note: In order for some settings (such as Cam ID, Delay, Time Lapse, Password) to be saved and take effect, the user must press the MENU key after pressing the OK key.
Menu
Note: The default settings are marked in red
Operations
Photo/video playback
- Move the switch to the SETUP position. The camera screen will light up. The camera will enter Test mode.
- Press ▲ to access the playback interface
- Press ◄/► to select and the OK key to play the selected photo or video file.
- Press ▲ to get out.
- When in Playback mode, press the MENU key to delete a file or format the SD card.
- Press the MENU key again to exit.
Delete files
- Delete one (delete one file): delete the selected photo or video file. Press OK to choose the option Delete one, then ◄/► to select the file and Yes to delete or No to return to the main interface.
- Delete all (delete all files)
SD card formatting
In Test mode, the camera will enter PIR Auto Mode if no key has been pressed
for 5 minutes.
Note: the camera remains in Test mode if it is in the configuration interface (in the menu).
Operations menu
In Test mode, press the MENU key to access the menu. Press ◄, ►, ▲ and ▼ to
navigate through settings. Press the OK key to confirm. Press the MENU key to
switch between letters, numbers and symbols. Press the MENU key to exit the
settings interface. Note: In order for some settings (such as Cam ID, Delay,
Time Lapse, Password) to be saved and take effect, the user must press the
MENU
Auto Modes/Setup
Auto Modes
Setting| Options
Hunting| The default camera settings are: multi-shot 3P (continuous shooting 3
photos), photo size 12M, Delay (delay) 5 seconds
Security| The default camera settings are: photo + video, 12M photo size,
1080P video resolution, 10 sec video duration.
Setup
Setting| Option
Language| English …
Time/Date
| Month: Day: Year, Hour: Minutes: Seconds Note: We recommend that you set
the correct date and time to ensure that some functions work properly.
---|---
Camera ID
| Cam Name – select ON, press OK and enter the 4-digit/letter camera name. This feature helps you identify from which camera you are receiving a particular photo.
Password – select ON, press OK to activate the password protection of the camera. The password must contain a maximum of 6 digits/
letters.
Camera Mode| Select the operating mode of the camera:
Picture , Video , Pic+Video
Image setup
| Image size :
12MP (40003000), 16MP (46083456), 24MP (5632*4224)
Multi-shot : 1 – 7 pictures
Video setup
| Video size :
FHD (19201080), HD (1280720), VGA (640*480)
Video Frame : 30FPS,15FPS
Video length| Options: 5 – 60 sec.
PIR Sensitivity
| High , Middle , Low
Higher sensitivity means:
– the camera is more sensitive to the movement of small objects
– the detection distance is longer
– the sensor more easily detects the difference between body heat and air temperature
– The camera triggers recording more easily. In high-temperature environments, it is more difficult for the camera to tell the difference between the subject’s body heat and the heat of the air. Therefore, we recommend setting the
PIR sensitivity to High.
Timer
| Select ON and press OK to set the camera start time and stop time
(hour/minute). The camera will operate only during the set time interval.
---|---
Time Lapse
| Select ON and press OK to set the interval at which the camera will take photos and recordings. The camera’s PIR sensor will be disabled.
Configurable interval: between 5 seconds and 24 hours.
Note: Do not activate the Time Lapse and Delay
functions simultaneously.
Delay
| Select ON and press OK to set the time after which the camera will fire (photo or video) when motion is detected. By activating this option, the camera will not take too many photos and videos.
Example: The camera will wait 1 minute between triggers when it detects motion, if the set interval is 00:01:00
Configurable options: between 0 seconds and 24 hours
Note: Do not activate the Time Lapse and Delay
functions simultaneously.
Battery Type
| Alkaline / Ni-MH
Choose the correct type of batteries inserted in the camera to ensure proper operation.
Other
| SD-Cycle
Select ON and press OK to activate the cyclic recording. The camera will delete older files when the memory is full.
Frequency
50Hz/60Hz
Incorrect frequency setting may cause the screen to flicker.
Reset| Select Yes to return the camera to the factory settings
About| The camera firmware version is displayed
Technical specifications
| Real pixels | 2560 x 1920px |
|---|---|
| Day/night mode | Yes |
| Distant IR | up to 20m |
| IR settings | All: 40 LEDs/Partial: 20 LEDs |
| Memory | SD card slot (maximum 32GB) |
| Lens | F=3.0, FOV 52° |
Auto IR-Cut-Remove (at night)
LCD screen| TFT RGB 2.0 inch, 262k
Distant PIR| 15m
PIR angle| 60°
Image size| 12MP/16MP/24MP =
4000×3000/4608×3456/5632×4224
Image format| JPEG
Video resolution| FHD (1920×1080): 15FPS, HD (1280×720), VGA(640×480)
Video format| AVI
Video duration| Programmable, between 5 – 60 seconds
Multi-shot| Yes, maximum 7 photos/shot
Trigger speed| 0.8 – 1 sec.
Trigger interval| 5 – 7 sec.
Microphone| Yes
POwer supply| Battery 9V/DC 12V
Battery| 12 x AA
External power supply| DC 12V
Standby consumption| 0.15mA
Standby battery life| 5 – 8 months (with 6 AA batteries or 12 AA batteries)
Power off voltage
| Alkaline batteries: 6.3V NI-MH battery: 6.0V DC power supply: 6.5V
Ports| Micro USB, SD card slot, DC port
---|---
Temperature| -26°C ~ +60°C
Water resistance class| IP66
Dimensions| 118 x 78 x 144 mm
Weight| 350 g (without batteries)
Troubleshooting
Photos do not capture the subject
- Check the PIR sensitivity parameter. For high-temperature environment conditions, set the sensitivity level to High and for use in low-temperature conditions, set the sensitivity level to Low.
- Try to install the camera in an area where there are no heat sources in the field of view of the room.
- In some cases, positioning the camera near water will cause the camera to take images without a subject in it. Try to point the camera at the ground.
- Try to place the camera on stable and immovable objects, ie: large trees, thick poles, etc. Avoid mounting on thin trees or branches that can be moved by the wind. Break the branches in the field of view of the camera, because they can be moved by the wind and can trigger photos.
- At night, the motion detector can detect beyond the IR illumination range. Reduce the distance by adjusting the sensitivity of the sensor.
- Sunrise or sunset may trigger the sensor. The camera must be reoriented.
- If the person/animal moves quickly, it can pass the field of view of the camera before being photographed. Mount the camera further back or reorient the camera.
The camera no longer takes photos or videos
- Check the SD card memory. If the memory is full, the camera will stop taking pictures. Empty the card or activate the cyclic recording mode to avoid such a problem.
- Check that the alkaline or NiMH AA batteries are sufficiently charged.
- Check that the camera’s power switch is in the “ON” position.
- Format the SD card in the camera before using it or when the camera stops taking pictures.
The IR illumination distance does not meet expectations
- Check that the batteries are fully charged or charged enough for proper operation
- High quality 1.5V NiMH AA batteries can provide much better IR lighting. Alkaline batteries may not provide enough amperage to illuminate sufficiently at night;
- To ensure the accuracy and quality of the night image, please mount the camera in a dark environment, without strong light sources.
- Certain surroundings (such as trees, walls, ground, etc.) within the range of the LEDs can give you better images at night. Please do not point the camera to open field because if there is nothing in the range of the IR LEDs, the light will not reflect back; it’s like pointing a flashlight at