Sony Pixel Power calrec Sony

Dan ONeill uses SmallHD Indie 7 for Rugged Wildlife Docum...

12/11/2024

Filmmaker, research biologist, and adventurer Dan O'Neill is known for his incredible photography and documentary films using camera trap technology to study endangered wildlife across the globe. His research takes O'Neill from the snowy heights of Kyrgyzstan to remote swathes of the Amazon rainforest and beyond. Perhaps best known for his work with big cats and the Snow Leopard Trust, O'Neill depends on SmallHD's Indie 7 monitor to support his filmmaking in some of the world's most diverse natural environments.

O'Neill's first collaboration with the Snow Leopard Trust is documented in the four-part BBC Earth series Ghosts in the Snow. O'Neill and a very small team travels through Kyrgyzstan aiming to demonstrate and learn more about snow leopard conservation. With a background mixed in wildlife filmmaking and biology, the researcher brings a unique, artistic eye to the process. He describes, My specialism is using high-end video camera traps to record animals in a way that you probably have never seen before. But to do that, you must have really good tech. The researcher turned to SmallHD with a very specific need: I wanted high quality monitors that I could plug into my camera trap systems.

A camera trap system consists of a scientifically organized grid of remote sensing cameras, that operate using trigger sensors. Experts rely on camera traps to conduct research where human presence is a liability rather than an asset. The technology has revolutionized the understanding of really elusive and low abundance animals, particularly vulnerable species like snow leopards, O'Neill says. Instead of using PIR infrared movement sensors, which can be prone to false triggering, something that wastes precious battery life, he likes to set up two infrared laser triggers, creating a beam. When the beam is broken (by, for instance, a snow leopard) the camera is triggered.

O'Neill uses Cambush Cube with Sony RX camera for his camera traps. With anywhere from 5 to 30 cameras working at one time, it was crucial to have a monitor set up that would never slow him down, while still being appropriate for a two-man team and a rugged trip into the Himalayas. For him, the answer was SmallHD's Indie 7. The Sony RX camera has great focus setting, up to really minute detail, along all your exposure mapping and everything, he explains, but it only has a teeny tiny action camera LCD screen. Having a monitor that you can then plug into the camera and then properly visualize your image makes a huge difference.

SmallHD's Indie 7 is a 7-inch touchscreen monitor, built lightweight and powered by the familiar Page OS software. The daylight viewable screen provides 1000 nits of brightness, allowing O'Neill to accurately set his camera traps even at the brightest times of day. With a rugged, thin aluminum chassis, the monitor perfectly supports filmmaking in the harsh, high-intensity environments the researcher works in. After setting each camera system, he simply unplugs his Indie 7 monitor, and the Cambush Cubes are on their own for another three months.

For O'Neill, behavioral ecology moves beyond collecting data and into telling a compelling conservation story. Being able to interactively visualize wildlife in really high quality is critical for getting the perfect shots. You can miss something so easily, whether that's an animal in the rainforest, or trying to discern a snow leopard from the mountain backdrop in Kyrgyzstan. Your monitor is critical. One of the most amazing things about this monitor is that as soon as I return to the site, I switch the battery out and right away I can check all the footage from the camera trap. His delight and gratification while playing back footage of the elusive snow leopard on his Indie 7 is palpable in the BBC documentary series.

I learned so much about snow leopards working with Snow Leopard Trust I really fell in love, O'Neill admits. Even 30 years ago, we knew basically nothing about snow leopards and today they're still the least understood big cats in the world. But with these camera traps, we now have a window to see what their secret lives are like. Snow leopards are animals shrouded in mystery, with a small population today estimated as between 3,920 and 6,390. They are the highest altitude cats, living in the third pole, the central high Asian mountains. They're critically important to the mountains, not just as a vulnerable species, but as the iconic and beautiful icon of the landscape.

Snow leopards are also a flagship species. The fight to preserve the big cat has the potential for wide-reaching positive change. If you can protect certain areas for snow leopards, there's a whole plethora of other species the mountain ecosystems and communities that are helped by that conservation initiative. Snow leopards range across 12 countries, including Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, China, Mongolia, and Nepal. Despite vastly different political ideals, social structures, and religions, the conservation of this one animal can bring these nations together in some small way. This conservation story tells that this animal could be a key to peace, which is really, really beautiful.

O'Neill continues his work with the Snow Leopard Trust and last year officially joined the team as their first explorer in residence. His mission to bring awareness to wildlife preservation continues, SmallHD monitors in tow. I love being able to be at the sort of frontline of what's happening in tech or film. The fact is, Indie 7 is really useful in Snow Leopard camera trapping projects.

To follow Dan O'Neill's work and check out his latest adventure: https://www.instagram.com/danowild/

To learn more about SmallHD Indie 7: https://smallhd.com/pages/indie-7

To learn more about the Sn
LINK: https://kitplus.com/news/dan-oneill-uses-smallhd-indie-7-for-rugged-wi...
See more stories from tvbay

Most recent headlines

05/01/2027

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be demoed at CES 2026

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...

07/10/2026

Dalet Flex LTS Delivers Smarter Media Operations from Ingest to Distribution

Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced the latest Long-Term Supported (LTS) release of Dalet Flex. Build...

06/09/2026

Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA World Cup 2026 in Germany with Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos

June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...

26/08/2026

Bolin Technology and ITDev Join AIMS

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

26/08/2026

Enco to Highlight Caption, Translation Enhancements at IBC2026

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

26/08/2026

ZOO Digital Chooses Interra Systems BATON for Quality Control

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

26/08/2026

Gomez Criticizes FCC's Media Bureau on Political Advertising

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

26/08/2026

Tedial to Demo AI-Driven Media Supply Chain Solutions at IBC 2026

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

26/08/2026

AIMS Welcomes Bolin Technology and ITDev as Newest Member...

PTZ Camera Manufacturer and FPGA Design Specialist Join Alliance to Advance IPMX and Open AV-over-IP Standards The Alliance for IP Media Solutions (AIMS) today...

26/08/2026

ZOO Digital Selects Interra Systems BATON for File-Based...

BATON offers ZOO Digital advanced audio and video quality analysis, and scalable architecture Interra Systems, a leading provider of end-to-end quality assuran...

26/08/2026

Scottish Rugby Expands Managed Coach Communications Partn...

Riedel Communications today announced the continued expansion of its managed coach communications partnership with Scottish Rugby Union. Now entering its third ...

26/08/2026

Zixi Demonstrates Hybrid Workflows and Proven Live Video...

Zixi brings Broadcaster V19 and showcases interoperable platform on Stand 5.A76 Zixi, a leader in live video delivery and workflow orchestration, will be exhib...

26/08/2026

Scripps Research professor Jeffery Kelly elected to the European Academy of Engineering

LA JOLLA, CA-Jeffery Kelly, the H. Lutcher Brown Professor of Chemistry at Scrip...

26/08/2026

Indie Developer Launches Orty, aWindows App That Helps Freelance VideoEditors Find Better Clients

Indie Developer Launches Orty, aWindows App That Helps Freelance VideoEditors Fi...

26/08/2026

BTS on Sinners and Is God Is Shot with Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro

BTS on Sinners and Is God Is Shot with Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro Brie Clayton August 25, 2026 0 Comments Award winning filmmaker Travis Henry elevat...

25/08/2026

Open, Sustainable, Predictable: What Utah Scientific Is Bringing to IBC 2026

Open, Sustainable, Predictable: What Utah Scientific Is Bringing to IBC 2026 As broadcast leaders prepare to gather at the RAI Amsterdam for IBC 2026, the main ...

25/08/2026

The Big Shift: Inside NC State's Phased Move From SDI to SMPTE ST 2110

NC State's Matthew Byrd breaks down how an IP-based infrastructure is delivering greater flexibility and scalability for Wolfpack productions...

25/08/2026

Monumental Sports Network Adds DAZN as Distribution Partner for Monumental+ in the DMV

Deal expands the DTC reach in-market of Capitals, Wizards, Mystics games and oth...

25/08/2026

Jacksonville Jaguars Carlos Caceres on Producing Shows at an Ever-Evolving EverBank Stadium

The two-year renovation period will create a stadium of the future for the NFL f...

25/08/2026

Behind The Mic: Genie Bouchard Joins ESPN for 2026 US Open; NBC Sports Names College Football Announce Hosts

Behind The Mic provides a roundup of recent news regarding on-air talent, includ...

25/08/2026

LD Systems Installs L-Acoustics A Series at Shell Energy Stadium in Houston

Shell Energy Stadium in Houston has installed a new L-Acoustics A Series loudspeaker system, designed and installed by LD Systems, a Clair Global brand. The 20,...

25/08/2026

FloCollege Expands Distribution and Adds Features for 2026-27 Season

FloCollege is expanding its distribution and product offerings for the 2026-27 season, covering more than 20 NCAA partner conferences across Division I, II, and...

25/08/2026

TNA Wrestling and REVOLT Announce Content Partnership

TNA Wrestling and REVOLT have announced a content partnership bringing exclusive TNA Xplosion matches and content from TNA's library to REVOLT. Our indust...

25/08/2026

Gracenote: FAST Sports Programming Growth Outpaces Channel Growth

Gracenote, Nielsen's content intelligence business, has released its Q3 2026 Data Hub analysis showing that FAST sports programming is growing at more than ...

25/08/2026

Amagi Appoints Thomas dHrouville Head of Sales for France, Benelux, and Nordics

Amagi has appointed Thomas d'H rouville as Head of Sales for France, Benelux, and Nordics. Based in Paris, he will lead Amagi's growth strategy across t...

25/08/2026

IPC Appoints CCATech as Channel Partner in Brazil

IPC has appointed CCATech as its channel partner in Brazil, expanding the company's presence in Latin America. CCATech was founded in 2023 by Carlos Abrah o...

25/08/2026

FanConnect Introduces FC4 Multi-Output Media Player

FanConnect has announced the FC4, a multi-output media player designed to drive mid-sized video walls, multi-screen concession stands, and multi-display digital...

25/08/2026

JWX Launches JWX Content Hub for Publisher Video Distribution and Monetization

JWX has launched JWX Content Hub, a platform for publisher video that combines content transformation, social distribution, audience engagement, and monetizatio...

25/08/2026

Techex Appoints Stuart Almond as Chief Revenue Officer

Techex has appointed Stuart Almond as Chief Revenue Officer. Almond brings more than 25 years of experience across technology, media, and telecommunications, ha...

25/08/2026

IBC 2026: Grass Valley to Showcase Unified SDI, IP, and Software Infrastructure

Grass Valley will demonstrate infrastructure connecting SDI, SMPTE ST 2110, MXL, and software-based processing at IBC2026 (Booth 9.A01, RAI Amsterdam, September...

25/08/2026

Taking Control: How Professional Sports Teams Are Building Their In-Market Future as the RSN Model Fractures

Franchises are taking greater ownership of production, distribution, and the fan...

25/08/2026

The PRO Tour Takes Golf Broadcasts Wireless With BMG's REMI-Driven Production Model

The first-year circuit for former professional athletes leans on LiveU, Starlink...

25/08/2026

UNIVERSAL FILM AND FOCUS FEATURES RENEW EXCLUSIVE PARTNERSHIP WITH SUNDANCE INSTITUTE TO SUPPORT RISING FILMMAKERS

Announcing the 2026 Sundance Institute Breakthrough | Focus Features Fellows L...

25/08/2026

Soundgas third John Paul Jones auction now live

Auction Part 3 running until 9 September 2026 Soundgas have announced that the latest stage of their John Paul Jones Gear Auction is now live, and that bids...

25/08/2026

MONO Music Conference programme announced

Over 60 award-winning artists, songwriters, producers, engineers The MONO Music Conference (formerly Music Expo SF), San Francisco's premier event for m...

25/08/2026

Groove Synthesis update the 3rd Wave

All three versions receive firmware upgrade Groove Synthesis have just launched a free firmware update that kits the 3rd Wave out with two major new feature...

25/08/2026

Clear-Com FreeSpeak Cell Field Trial Demonstrates Cellular Intercom Capabilities...

eds3_5_jq(document).ready(function($) { $(#eds_sliderM519).chameleonSlider_2_1({...

25/08/2026

BMG Taps LiveU For REMI Coverage of Golf's Pro Tour

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

25/08/2026

Rate of Subscription Fee Hikes Drops for Netflix, Disney+ and Amazon

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

25/08/2026

Law&Crime Reconvenes Court TV on Amagi CLOUDPORT

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

25/08/2026

Akta Tech To Showcase AI-First Video Platform At IBC 2026

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

25/08/2026

Major Live Sports Events Bolster Broadcast Viewing in Q2 2026

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

25/08/2026

Lingopal debuts real-time AI translation advances for mul...

Lingopal, the AI-powered live translation and localization specialist, is unveiling new platform capabilities at IBC2026 (11 14 September, RAI Amsterdam), helpi...

25/08/2026

TV5MONDE combines AI and editorial expertise with Bminty...

Bminty is supporting TV5MONDE in the evolution of its editorial processes through a new AI-assisted press information generation solution. Combining the Louise ...

25/08/2026

Two Cultures. Millions Reached. One Berklee Connection.

Two Cultures. Millions Reached. One Berklee Connection. Meet Annie Dickinson and Zhengxi Zhang-the couple who turned their creative partnership into music car...

25/08/2026

Law and Crime Moves Court TV to Amagi CLOUDPORT for Unifi...

Amagi, the media industry cloud platform for unified broadcast, streaming, and monetization, today announced that Law&Crime has migrated its Court TV channel, s...

25/08/2026

Broadcast Solutions demonstrates world-class technology a...

Broadcast Solutions, a leading systems integrator and provider of innovative solutions for the broadcast and media industry, is showcasing the breadth of its ca...

25/08/2026

Leader boosts Test and Measurement capabilities for Denma...

Thatcham, UK 25 August 2026: Test & measurement innovator, Leader Electronics, has announced that leading broadcast rental company Minitech has purchased a Le...

25/08/2026

Appear and TVTEL power centralised VAR signal transport i...

Appear's X20 Platform enables visually lossless video contribution with sub-frame latency and full path redundancy for TVTEL's centralised VAR operation...

25/08/2026

Big Blue Marble to showcase next-generation 5G Broadcast...

World-first demonstration combines 5G Broadcast and Media over QUIC for seamless, ultra-low-latency hybrid media delivery Big Blue Marble will showcase new dev...