FAQ

TLC Series

The ATH120 is service life. We suggest replacing it every 4~6 months if you often install the cameras outdoors.

BCC300-C- A construction time-lapse camera bundle comes with a TLC300 time-lapse camera, IPX4 waterproof housing ATH120, and an industrial-grade aeronautical aluminum alloy clamp.

BCC300-M- A construction time-lapse camera bundle comes with a TLC300 time-lapse camera, IPX4 waterproof housing ATH120, and a wall mount.

TLC300- The camera only.

The TLC300 provides a multilingual user interface with eight languages, English, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, Japanese, Italian, German, Spanish, and French.

Yes, the USB socket can be used to plug into external power via a standard electrical socket or by using a power bank. We recommend always using batteries as a backup in addition to an alternative power supply to prevent disruptions that could cause your camera to stop recording and make sure you have a stable power supply.

If you use a power bank, make sure that you use one that allows you to turn off the power-saving mode. Most power banks will turn themselves off while plugged into our cameras because our cameras use very little energy to operate the power bank thinks they don’t need power anymore and the power bank will turn off. In our office, we use Voltaic brand power banks and they have proven to be reliable with our cameras because you can turn off the power-saving mode however any brand power bank with that function will work.

Other than a power bank, we recommend the ATH2000 waterproof battery housing which can be inserted with 16 AA alkaline batteries to provide a longer battery life to the camera.

The TLC300 supports up to 128 GB SD card. Please remember to format the 64 GB and 128 GB SD cards to FAT32, or access the Menu-> Advanced-> Format SD card in advance if you first use them.

The battery life and SD card space depend on the capture interval and batteries you are using with your camera. For example, with a 5 min capture interval, you can expect a battery life (alkaline batteries) of around 100 days. Please use the Time Lapse Calculator on our website to calculate estimated battery life, memory storage capacity, and clip length.

Your camera is not waterproof, filming outdoors will require using a waterproof housing such as the ATH120 or ATH2000 waterproof power housing.

The official operating temperature of our cameras is 32°F-113°F (0°C-45°C). However, many of our customers have had success filming long-term projects in locations such as Siberia and Dubai.

If you are planning to film in extreme heat or cold environments, make sure you are using high-quality batteries such as Energizer Ultimate Lithium Batteries which have been made to withstand temperatures from -40ºC to 60ºC. Low-quality batteries are unable to withstand extreme temperatures and using them will result in drastically lower battery life.

Several things could contribute to having a shorter battery life than our estimations:

a. Battery type

Do not use zinc-carbon batteries with our cameras or swap out single batteries. To optimize power and performance only use new AA lithium, alkaline or rechargeable NiMH batteries.

b. Camera settings
Our battery estimations are calculated using the camera factory settings. If you change the white balance, add flicker filters, or adjust any other of your camera’s settings, it can affect your camera battery life. We suggest you plug in an external power supply while you are adjusting the settings to prevent it from consuming the inner battery power.

c. LCD screen
Turning your camera on and off as well as using the LCD screen to adjust camera settings for extended periods can drain power. If you manage to make some big changes to your camera settings and require the use of your LCD for an extended period, we recommend using an external power source for the setup period so that you do not drain your batteries. When everything is set up and good to go unplug your camera and it will switch to using battery power.

d. Firmware version
Check if your camera has the newest firmware version. The firmware version on your camera can be accessed by going to MENU -> Advanced -> System Info. Please check if it matches up with the newest firmware version on our website.

e. Filming environment
Your battery life can vary depending on the environment you are filming in. The estimation results in our time-lapse calculator are done under 77 °F (25 °C) conditions. Extreme temperatures can affect the longevity of your batteries.
Your camera is not waterproof, filming outdoors will require using a waterproof housing such as the ATH120 or ATH2000 waterproof power housing.
Moreover, frequent lighting changes can also affect the battery life. Our estimation results were calculated in a stabilized lighting environment without light changing.
If you are planning to film in extreme heat or cold environments, make sure you are using high-quality batteries such as Energizer Ultimate Lithium Batteries which have been made to withstand temperatures from -40ºC to 60ºC. Low-quality batteries are unable to withstand extreme temperatures and using them will result in drastically lower battery life.

The official operating temperature of our cameras is 32°F-113°F (0°C-45°C). However, many of our customers have had success filming long-term projects in locations such as Siberia and Dubai. If you are in an environment with extreme temperatures it might affect the battery life of your camera.

Your camera is not waterproof, filming outdoors will require using a waterproof housing such as our ATH1000 or ATH2000 waterproof power housing. To avoid fogging, please use desiccant packs or anti-fog pads inside your waterproof housing and replace them every few weeks (or as needed).

If you are planning to film in extreme heat or cold environments, make sure you are using high-quality batteries such as Energizer Ultimate Lithium Batteries which have been made to withstand temperatures from -40ºC to 60ºC. Low-quality batteries are unable to withstand extreme temperatures and using them will result in drastically lower battery life.

The minimum focus distance is from 60 cm to infinity.

Files can be downloaded by inserting your SD card into your computer. If you are using a Windows PC, we recommend you the Brinno Video Player.

If you are using a Mac computer, you may need to download a video player called VLC, HandBrake, or something similar because AVI files cannot be opened by Mac computers. In some cases, your Mac computer will auto-convert files to MOV format and auto-play in QuickTime.

VLC can be downloaded here.
HandBrake can be downloaded here.
If you are still having issues opening your video files contact customer service at: customerservice@brinno.com

If you are using a Windows PC, we recommend you the Brinno Video Player.

 If you are using a Mac computer, you may need to download a video player called VLC, HandBrake, or something similar because AVI files cannot be opened by Mac computers. In some cases, your Mac computer will auto-convert files to MOV format and auto-play in QuickTime.

VLC can be downloaded here.
HandBrake can be downloaded here.
If you are still having issues opening your video files contact customer service at: customerservice@brinno.com

Your camera is only compatible with SD cards up to 128 GB. If you insert a card that is larger than 128 GB you will get the “SD Card Error” message.

 Brinno cameras need their SD cards in FAT32 format. If your SD card is not in the correct format, please reformat it to FAT32 on the display menu.

If the SD card you are inserting is the correct size and you are still getting the message that could be a sign that the SD card you are using is damaged. Please try using another SD card. In the case where you continue to get the same error message even when replacing your card, the SD slot might be damaged. Please contact our customer service team at: customerservice@brinno.com

You may set your required filming days and time by going to the Menu-> Schedule.

The maximum file size is 500 MB. If you need to set a schedule, please access the Menu-> Advanced-> File split in advance to choose if you want the camera to save one file every day, or continuous recording until it reaches 500 MB and save it as a file.

You can use any free video editing software that comes on your computer. If you are using a Windows computer, the Video Editor app on your computer will work fine.

With Mac computers, you may need to convert the files to MP4 or MOV. If your computer does not auto-convert the files, you will need to use the application VLC, HandBrake, or another file-converting software and then combine the files using iMovie.

VLC can be downloaded here.
HandBrake can be downloaded here.
Adobe Premier Pro and other professional editing software can be used for more complicated editing.

In rare cases, an issue might occur with the auto-save function. To avoid these types of issues, please make sure you always use new batteries. Even if you are using external power, please always use batteries as a backup.

Our cameras have been designed to auto-combine photos into AVI time-lapse videos. If you require individual JPGs, you can use the Brinno Video Player to convert your AVI files into JPGs.

Brinno Video Player can be downloaded here – For Windows computers ONLY. To save a single JPG go to File -> Save Current. If you would like to convert your entire video to JPGs go to File -> Export.

If you have replaced or changed your lens to one of our BCS lenses, please make sure that you’ve installed the IR filter. If the lens is fine and the issue remains, please contact our customer service team at: customerservice@brinno.com

1. The LED light on the front of your camera will blink Green every 10 seconds to indicate that the camera is recording.

2. If the interval is set to under 10 seconds, the LED will blink Green according to the time interval. For example, with a 1-sec interval, the LED will blink Green every 1 second.

3. If you set a schedule, and started the recording before the scheduled time, the LED will blink Green every 10 seconds to indicate that the camera is on standby.

If you are filming outdoors or in an environment where there is a risk of your camera getting wet, you will need to use one of our waterproof housings, either the ATH120 or ATH2000 waterproof power housing.

While filming in high-humidity environments, you can use desiccant packs or anti-fog pads to absorb excess moisture from the inside of your waterproof housing. Swap old ones out every few weeks to maintain a low-humidity environment inside the housing.

Keep your waterproof housing in the same position and only remove your camera every time you need to swap batteries or SD cards. By only removing your camera and not the housing you will maintain the same view angle and focus area.

The firmware version on your camera can be accessed by going to MENU -> Advanced -> System Info, please check that it matches up with the newest firmware version on our website. To upgrade your camera firmware, make sure you use a Windows computer and follow the instructions found in our PDF guide.

Yes, you will see the timestamp at the bottom of the footage. We recommend the Brinno Video Player, in which you can play the AVI time-lapse videos and check the days and times the footage is being filmed.

The Brinno Video Player can be downloaded from here.

No, please only use regular SD cards with your Brinno camera otherwise they might malfunction and not record. Please refer here for the recommended SD card brands and types.

The minimum focus distance is 40cm, make sure your camera is at least 40cm away from your filming target. If your camera is more than 40cm away and your video is still out of focus, please contact customerservice@brinno.com to request assistance.

Yes, you have to insert the SD card into your PC to play the time-lapse files.

If you are using a Windows PC, we recommend you the Brinno Video Player.

If you are using a Mac computer, you may need to download a video player called VLC, HandBrake, or something similar because AVI files cannot be opened by Mac computers. In some cases, your Mac computer will auto-convert files to MOV format and auto-play in QuickTime.

VLC can be downloaded here.
 HandBrake can be downloaded here.
If you are still having issues opening your video files contact customer service at: customerservice@brinno.com

Yes, your camera can be plugged into a laptop using a USB cable and used as a webcam. Please ensure that the camera firmware is FW 1.51 version or above.
For Windows, plug your camera in and go to the built-in camera app on your computer. You may need to switch cameras in the application so that it shows the camera view instead of your webcam.
For Mac, plug your camera in and use Skype or another IM app. Once in the app go to Settings -> Video and Audio to select your camera and the video source.

Can I set my camera to Livestream?

No, none of our cameras are capable of recording sound.

No, the TLC300 is not waterproof. You need to use waterproof housing such as the ATH120 or ATH2000 in order to record outdoors.

Yes, the lens is interchangeable, and it is compatible with our BCS 18-55 or BCS 24-70.

 You may refer here for the information on our BCS 18-55/BCS 24-70.

If you use a MacOS and want to use Premiere Pro to edit your footage, you will need to download a video converter such as VLC, HandBrake, or Any Video Converter to convert your footage from AVI to mp4. After converting your video you can use Premiere Pro.

Any Video Converter can be downloaded here.

VLC can be downloaded here.

HandBrake can be downloaded here.

If you have any questions, send us an email at: customerservice@brinno.com

The TLC300 is 1080p.

We suggest only using AA alkaline/ lithium or NiMH rechargeable batteries in the camera. Please note that if the batteries are dead, please always replace all the batteries with new ones at once. Do not mix the new and all batteries to prevent battery issues from happening.

Do not use zinc-carbon batteries with our camera.

Yes, you may refer here for the brands and types of SD cards that our team tested before, and they have been proven to be compatible with our camera.

The TLC300 has a specific display that is sunlight readable display. If you have difficulties seeing the display menu outdoors, kindly remove it from the waterproof housing to operate the camera and access the display menu.

The camera is only compatible with up to 128 GB SD card. Kindly ensure that the SD card is unlocked before you insert it into your camera, and please remember to format them via the display Menu-> Advanced-> Format SD.
We have a recommended SD card list for your reference. You may refer to the SD card brands and types below if you need to use a bigger size of SD card.

BCC300 SD Card Compatibility List

This issue is found in the older firmware version. If you encounter this issue, kindly access the display Menu-> Advanced-> System Info to check the current camera firmware version.
You may download the latest camera firmware from the Brinno website-> Support Page, and follow the instruction in the tutorial manual to upgrade it.