Brinno TLC300 is the perfect construction camera, offering 100 days of power from four AA cells
(Image credit: Brinno)
The best timelapse cameras are what you need if you want to create a stop-motion movie of something taking place over days, weeks, or even months. If you want, therefore, to create a video of a building being built, these are what you need. And Brinno is the best-known brand in this specialist camera market - having sold over a million cameras since its first launch in 2008.
The new Brinnoi TLC300 is designed to give users the best possible experience in timelapse, while also keeping things very simple so as to not confuse any users. For instance, the TLC300 is completely IPX4-rated waterproof housing, and pair that with its mounting accessories and its 100-day battery life, you have a camera that can outdo almost all of the current market competitors, and while others use rechargeable battery cells, the TLC300 uses four standard AA batteries available worldwide, so when that 100-days is up, you can easily swap in some more without having to reach your charger.
However, addressing the elephant in the room, this new timelapse camera can only capture 1080p. It might be unlimited until the battery runs out, but there is no escaping the fact that in a world of 4K filmmaking cameras or the ability to use a mirrorless camera or DSLR and achieve a 4K timelapse - 1080p may seem a little below par. But, it is undoubtedly fine for the web and display use this sort of video is useful - and is a step up from the 720P offered by its predecessor the Brinno TLC200 Pro.
One massive advantage of the TLC300 from Brinno is the simplistic approach to image capture, with buttons similar to your nan's 'dumbphone' you cannot miss what you're looking for, and let you get right to the settings you need quickly.
One key feature is the TLC300's ability to schedule recording, not only have you give a certain time on a specific day, but you can also schedule multiple days with breaks in-between scheduling Monday, Wednesday, and Sunday to record and skip the others.
This is a great feature if you have been commissioned to document the construction of an important building, or if you've been tasked by video a trade event from when the first stands arrive, right through to its tear-down all on one device.
It is certainly an eye-opener that a brand maybe not well-known to many can produce a product that can outperform industry-leading brands in certain categories, while the TLC300 might not be the solution for everyone, it certainly offers a lot of freedom to anyone thinking of getting into a timelapse video.
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For nearly two decades Sebastian's work has been published internationally. Originally specializing in Equestrianism, his visuals have been used by the leading names in the equestrian industry such as The Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI), The Jockey Club, Horse & Hound, and many more for various advertising campaigns, books, and pre/post-event highlights.
He is a Fellow of The Royal Society of Arts, holds a Foundation Degree in Equitation Science, and is a Master of Arts in Publishing. He is a member of Nikon NPS and has been a Nikon user since the film days using a Nikon F5 and saw the digital transition with Nikon's D series cameras and is still to this day the youngest member to be elected into BEWA, The British Equestrian Writers' Association.
He is familiar with and shows great interest in street, medium, and large format photography with products by Leica, Phase One, Hasselblad, Alpa, and Sinar. Sebastian has also used many cinema cameras from the likes of Sony, RED, ARRI, and everything in between. He now spends his spare time using his trusted Leica M-E or Leica M2 shooting Street photography or general life as he sees it, usually in Black and White.