My hummingbirds are back

I added extra lenses to a cam V4 so I could get some close up video of the hummingbirds.

Can anyone else view this video? I’m getting “browser does not support the codec”. It plays without problems on my computer. Can’t view it in the forum post.


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Can’t view the video, if I right click it show as audio ? Picture you added shows.

Yes, but not in a browser. I tried both Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox on a PC, and both will play the audio and show no video. They give me this message:

This video cannot be rendered because your browser does not support the codec.

Google Chrome allows me to download the video. Mozilla Firefox gives me only a “Save Audio As…” option. When I compare both downloaded files, though, they’re the same, and they both play in VLC. When I play them that way, the both have the “Captured by Wyze Cam v4” :face_with_symbols_on_mouth: tacked onto the end, which indicates that you likely used the  Share feature in the Wyze app. This hoses things and has for quite some time. Using just a browser, I’m having the same experience as @Antonius: audio only.

You could re-encode the video with something like HandBrake. When I did that, I could play the new video in a browser. You could also just use the app’s  Download feature to save the video that way and then upload it from your phone’s album. Saving videos like that doesn’t add the “Captured by…” message at the end (unless Wyze has recently changed that).

This is pretty cool, and I especially like how I can hear the hum from the birds’ wings. What lenses did you use?

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@lmester Should play now. I converted it with WinFF

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You even left in the tag, because you love shilling for Wyze! :wink:

I hate the Captured by WYZE XX tag which is why I don’t use the Share Function anymore, just download and email it.

I know, man, I just like givin’ ya grief. I wouldn’t mind it if it didn’t break things and if it was optional (like having the Wyze logo on videos), but forcing it onto videos and mucking them up in the process is just a sorry mess.

I used the share option when I uploaded the video. I’m now uploading again by using the download option and then uploading it to the forum. Let’s see if this video plays.

Quality macro lenses for your camera or phone can easily cost more than I paid for this Wyze cam. I went to my local Dollar Tree store and bought a pair of +3.25 diopter reading glasses. For $1.50 you get two lenses. I stacked them both together. This gives you 6.5 diopter (About 2.5 power)

My hummingbird feeders hang from a hook. Whenever there was any wind, the feeder would move around and constantly trigger the cam’s motion detection. I made a bracket to keep the feeder from moving.




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It’s not as long as the other one but still cool and plays without modification.

FYI, Wyze started a topic a month and a half ago specifically soliciting bird videos.

I really like the results you’re getting with this hack! When you wrote in your initial post that you “added extra lenses”, this is not what I expected at all. I’ve seen photos and videos of people opening their cameras and modifying them with different screw-in lens assemblies, so I thought maybe that’s what you meant. This is even simpler and is giving you good pictures! :+1:

It seems like the same concept Wyze uses for the Close-up Lens, but I don’t recall seeing anything specifically posted about its focusing power.

That’s a great idea, too, so you have a consistent distance from your camera to your feeder. This is a really cool setup! :+1:

This is a lot of fun. Real close ups of the hummers. Right now it’s early in the season. Birds just started showing up about a week ago. In another week or so there will be much more activity. Once more males arrive I should get some good video of them chasing each other and protecting their territory.

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It seems like there’s just a little audio lag with the beating wings, but that’s so cool to see and hear!