Jump to: example pics | hardware compare | plastic feeder, two years later
Bird Buddy recently announced the second version of their camera module, dubbed the Nature Cam PRO, that’s included in their new Smart Bird Feeder Pro.
| quick links | ||
|---|---|---|
| Smart Bird Feeder PRO | Bird Buddy | Amazon |
| Nature Cam PRO (camera only) | Bird Buddy | Amazon |
| Hummingbird Feeder | Bird Buddy | Amazon |
I’m an original user of the Bird Buddy and since its launch in 2022, I’ve published several posts comparing it to other smart bird feeders.
tl;dr: The new smart bird feeder pro camera captures excellent detail, more in-focus photos, and handles bright sunlight better than the original feeder.
Disclosure: I purchased the original Bird Buddy on my own in 2022. The Bird Buddy team emailed me last month unprompted with an offer to try out their updated bird feeder camera. This review is my unbiased opinion as a grassroots bird nerd. But first, here is a picture from the new camera.
Smart Bird Feeder Pro takes better pictures way more often
I felt, in my first week of use, the Bird Buddy Pro camera captured a higher amount of in-focus photos compared to the original.
The new pro camera seems to get more birds in flight than the original.
Larger birds like Doves and Pigeons occasionally still appear too close or big to fit in the frame, but the camera focuses on them better.
The original Bird Buddy camera was blinded by the sun
The original Bird Buddy camera takes great photos but struggles with exposure when the sun is in the frame.
The new version of the Bird Buddy camera impressed me with how in-focus and detailed almost every photo it took was. Small feather details, eye reflections, and a nice blue sky were present in many images.
The new camera’s photos look more natural and it’s mainly due to something called “High Dynamic Range (HDR).”
Slow-motion video reveals cute moments
The new camera can be set up in 2K mode or Slow-mo mode. The slow motion can unlock some funny or cool moments but comes with a slight hit to video quality. Still photos captured look the same regardless of which mode is chosen.
Spec comparison
For those who like detail, these specs were provided by the Bird Buddy team.
| Nature Cam PRO (new) | Original Bird Buddy | |
|---|---|---|
| 2K video | ✅ | ✅ |
| 5 megapixel photos | ✅ | ✅ |
| HDR (High Dynamic Range) | ✅ | ❌ |
| Field of View | 122° | 115° |
| Pixel Size | 2.0 µm x 2.0 µm | 1.4 µm x 1.4 µm |
| Sensor Size | 1/2.7″ | 1/4″ |
| Depth of Field | 2.6~5.9in | 2.8~3.6in |
| 90 frames-per-second video | ✅ | ❌ |
| High Fidelity Microphone | ✅ | ❌ |
The Build: How Has It Held Up?
In late 2022, Bird Buddy arrived to backers of the original Kickstarter campaign. I reviewed the Bird Buddy when it originally launched and was impressed by the photo quality and whimsical design of the companion app. But, I wondered how would the plastic feeder hold up over time?
For two years my Bird Buddy has weathered Texas rain storms, temperature swings, and hungry birds. (Thankfully no destructive squirrels)
After two years of continuous outdoor exposure, the Bird Buddy’s plastic housing has held up well. The translucent front panel shows some yellowing from sun damage and the solar roof has delaminated slightly but it still works.
I misplaced the back panel and resorted to taping the back closed for a while. Bird Buddy should make replacement feeder parts easily available on their website. This would demonstrate commitment to sustainable and repairable design. We all hate eWaste.
The Bird Buddy Team kindly sent me a replacement panel along with their new camera module.
How has the user experience improved?
Over the past two years, Bird Buddy’s app has got several big updates to make reviewing photos faster and the app more enjoyable. The original camera hardware got higher quality 2K video options unlocked recently as well.
Conclusion
The improved picture quality of Bird Buddy’s Smart Bird Feeder Pro makes this a worthwhile upgrade for existing users and continues the feeder’s lead in overall picture quality in the smart bird feeders I’ve tested. The camera is available as a standalone accessory to add to an existing feeder or included with the smart feeder.
Bonus: Packaging and Bird Buddy Heartbeat + National Audubon
As I researched for this review, I saw recent news about a partnership between National Audubon Society and the Bird Buddy Heartbeat project. I imagine there are ways to leverage growing consumer interest in nature and smart gadgets through collaboration like this. The Heartbeat Project is a live dataset of bird detections from the Bird Buddy feeder network very similar to BirdWeather.
Do you have the new Bird Buddy camera? What has your experienced been?
