Should I invest in motion sensor for iPhone to capture wildlife?

[MacLover2011]

I have an iPhone 8 Plus that is running iOS 13.7. I want to capture videos of birds washing in my bird bath. Is it worthwhile to invest in a motion sensor app for my iPhone to accomplish this? And if I do, how do I know the app is safe to download to my iPhone without security issues?

Thanks for your help.

 

[MacInWin]

Is it worthwhile to invest in a motion sensor app for my iPhone to accomplish this?

"Worthwhile" is an internal judgement call. Only you can answer that question. To put it another way, how much are you willing to spend to get these bird pictures/videos?

And if I do, how do I know the app is safe to download to my iPhone without security issues?

The safest way to get this app, assuming it exists, is through the Apple store. They, at least, test it for some security. But I this iPhone is going to be dedicated to taking bird pictures, you can always clean everything else off of it so that even if it's not secure, there is nothing there but bird pictures.

I just went to the App Store on my iPhone, there are several motion detectors there. I didn't look to see if any of them trigger the camera to record, but you can do the research for what you want.

 

[Raz0rEdge]

I don't think you want to do this with an iPhone, but I'm sure there are other cameras out there with motion sensors built in just for this sort of thing. Think something like the Nest Cam.

 

[MacLover2011]

They, at least, test it for some security. But I this iPhone is going to be dedicated to taking bird pictures, you can always clean everything else off of it so that even if it's not secure, there is nothing there but bird pictures.

Good suggestion. I never thought about testing my iPhone for security. I have to learn how to do that. And cleaning my iPhone so I can use it only for taking bird pictures is also smart. However, I can't afford to do that.

 

[IWT]

As a very amateurish photographer, I'd suggest:

1. Upgrade your iPhone to iOS 14

2. Forget about a motion sensor if you are committed to using the iPhone.

3. If your budget can stand it, invest in a DSLR (even at the low-cost end), consider any with motion sensors or add-on sensors.

4. Use a tripod with any camera you decide to go with, including your iPhone.

Ian