Ltl Acorn 6210 Control Panel Screen Display Distorted or not working - All Models

Fig 1:  6210 screen display distortion

If you have an Ltl Acorn 6210 model camera which suddenly shows a distorted (inverted, sideways shift and/or expanded) screen display as illustrated by figures 1 to 4 then try upgrading to the latest firmware which is available from the manufacturers download page.

If a firmware upgrade does not cure the problem then it is almost certainly being caused by a faulty ribbon cable and/or a faulty display panel PCB. Other symptoms of a faulty ribbon cable may be a white screen, screen not powering up or buttons not working as expected.

The only way to be sure is to dismantle the camera and substitute with a new ribbon cable. If the problem persists then test with a known good test panel (figure 5) if

Ltl Acorn 5210 and 6210 Close Focus Adjustments

Fig 1:   Lens assembly sitting over the image
sensor on the main camera board.

Following on from last month's posts about close focusing, the following shows how to make the adjustments to the lens to achieve various ranges of closer focus with the Ltl Acorn 5210 and 6210 cameras.

Please be aware that if you mark or damage the camera when carrying out the following procedure it may affect or negate your right to claim under warranty; so you do this at your own risk.

To access the lens assembly you will need to remove the six screws from the back of the camera. This will release the camera front which can then be lifted away to expose the lens and IR filter assemblies.

Warning: There is a small sealing washer located internally in the pillar at the back of each case screw. They may become dislodged when the camera case front is removed. Do not lose them and make certain they are relocated before the case front is refitted otherwise water may gain entry past the case screws.

The IR filter assembly is actuated by a servo and can be manually moved back and forth across the lense to position it out of the way; but be careful not to knock or damage it while using the pliers to shift the lens.

Both camera models are basically the same except for the focal length of the lens. The 5210 models

Acorn and Bushnell Trail Camera Night Time Infrared Lighting Comparisons

Fig 1:   Bushnell - High IR Light setting

It's always interesting and useful to make comparisons between different camera brands and models, particularly if you're looking for the right camera for a specific purpose.

All makes and models have their pros and cons and none more so than when it comes to IR night illumination.

Pete from Crowle in Lincolnshire kindly sent these comparisons between the Bushnell 119477 and the Ltl Acorn 6210MC.

These images clearly illustrate the difference in light output between the 28 LED Array of the Acorn and the 40 LED Array of the Bushnell which is

Close Focusing with the Acorn 6210MC Trail Camera

Fig 1:   Feeder test for the 6210MC
The apple is 1 metre from the camera lense

This third post about close focus adjustment of Ltl Acorn Trail Cameras shows the bench test results for a 6210MC set to focus down to 50cm.

Compare the test cards on this page with those of the 5210A set to focus down to 20cm in
Close Focusing with the Acorn 5210A Trail Camera figures 2 through 8.

Compare figure 1 (left) with the cropped images in
Garden Birds Close up with Ltl Acorn 5210A and 6210MC  figures 2 through 7.

All the images in this post are full size (2560 x 1920

Garden Birds Close up with Ltl Acorn 5210A and 6210MC

Fig 1:  Blue Tit - 5210 at 45cm - 640 x 480 pixels crop from 2560 x 1920

Following on from my last post these are a few full size crops from the original images taken during the first close up tests.
Compare figure 1 top (crop) with figure 1 (full size image) in my last post.

All the original images are 5MP 2560 x 1920 pixels and the crop is 640 x 480 pixels.

Click on an image to view a slideshow.

Ltl Acorn Trail Camera Technical Support and Repairs

First of all I would like to apologise to anyone who hasn't received an answer to their email this last week, and promise that I will get back to you over the next few days.

I've recently become overwhelmed with support requests and found it impossible to keep up to date. As a result I'm afraid I've been forced to make decisions about the level of free support that I am able to provide.

I've been so busy sorting out users individual problems that I haven't had enough time to do other work and make posts, or keep the web site updated. As a result I will in future, only be able to offer free technical support to customers of this web site and Wildlife & Countryside Services.

I suppose I have become a victim of my own success and I regret that I'm having to make these restrictions; but from now on I will only be providing free help and technical support within the camera's warranty period to our own customers.

If you have purchased a camera elsewhere you can

Trail Camera Video Distortion - Ltl Acorn 6210 firmware update

Fig 1: 6210 4/3rds image as reference.

For the best in field economy (batteries and cards) it's preferable to shoot just images, especially if the camera is being deployed for a long period.

Having said that, short videos are useful for showing animal behaviour and sometimes can aid with animal identification when the camera is shooting IR at night.

I often set the camera to shoot one image and a short video of ten to twenty seconds immediately after; and recently I became aware that the physical proportions of objects in the 4/3rds videos were distorted. Circles became elliptical and squares

Ltl Acorn 6210 Water Resistance Tests

Ltl Acorn 6210MMX

Don't all die of shock. This is what we've all been waiting for.
A 6210 with a water tight case.

Camera under test: 

Ltl Acorn 6210MG S/N 202001037 – This test camera is the re-designed case as of October 2012

Purpose of test: 

To determine its resistance to water ingress during heavy rainfall with at least a ten degrees centigrade drop in case temperature during the first five minutes from the start of the test.

Reason for test:

The camera case is a sealed unit at normal air pressure but with any sudden drop in external case temperature (e.g. cold heavy rain following heating by sun), the air inside starts to contract and form a vacuum. As the vacuum increases any weakness in the case seals will cause the seal to break down at some point and

Ltl Acorn 6210 and 5210 Trail Cameras News Update

Ltl Acorn 6210MMX and 5210A

In this post:
Trigger Speeds and Reaction Times
MMS Modules
6210 Case Re-design
6210 Software Version update
5210 Software Version update
Future Tests and Reviews
6210 Availability

It looks as if the new updated 6210 is almost available, at long last; but I'm going to qualify that by pointing out that I can only report what I'm told.

Several times it seemed as if the camera would be ready and then the manufacturers have had to make fine adjustments to the case mould. I also know that there is completely updated software for this camera and all these improvements take time to get right.

Post Update 22.10.12: The new 6210 will be here

Ltl Acorn 5210 and 6210 Trail Camera Problem Solving

Fig 1:  Ltl Acorn 6210MMX and 5210A
Trail Cameras

Latest Page Update: 02.05.2016
Troubleshooting Guide at bottom of page.

Like all cameras of this type, the Ltl Acorn models do have their issues and I answer a large number of emails requesting help. Some problems are just mistakes with menu settings, others are issues with memory cards and some are camera faults.

This post is an attempt to collate and illustrate potential problems which, in most cases, can be corrected by users if they have the right information.

Some issues may require some analysis by the user, but most often a simple procedure or a firmware update will correct the problem.

I hope this post will help you keep your camera running without costly returns and time spent trying to explain problems.



If you have a camera problem which is not answered below please email, Skype or phone.
Do not use the post comments to ask for advice.


Real or Fake (cloned) Ltl Acorn (Firmware upgrade issues):

Before I go into specific issues, one thing which is very important is to determine that you have a genuine

Ltl Acorn 6210 Firmware Upgrade - Night time infra-red lighting and exposure.

Fig 1:  Pre update image from a recent 6210MMX
ISO 600    1/15sec   f2.8

In older models of the 6210 940nm series trail cameras, the night time images and videos were just about workable but grainy. After a number of complaints Acorn published a new software version, V1.1.003T in the camera I tested.

Unfortunately the correction overcooked and fig 1 shows a typical image.

Happily there's now a firmware update FW6210.bin (software version V.1.1.006u) to correct this, which produces an acceptable result as shown in fig 2.

I've also compared this with an image (fig 3) from an 850nm camera.

Ltl Acorn 6210 Series Trail Camera News and Updates

Fig 1:  Ltl Acorn 6210 MC
Left. 940nm (no glow) - Right. 850nm (red glow)

A week ago I received the two pre-production  6210MC test cameras shown in figure 1; and since then I've been conducting water ingress tests to determine if the new modifications will keep water out of the case, in our climate.

The manufacturers have been working hard to completely redesign, not just the bottom door assembly, but also the main case moulding to accommodate the new door interface.

In my last post about this, I suggested doing away with the seal, but Acorn have decided they want the camera completely waterproof. Consequently the

Bushnell and Ltl Acorn comparative trigger speed tests

Fig 1:  Cameras
under test.

The new BushnellHD Trophy Camera model 119477 has been waiting for several weeks, for me to start more comparative tests alongside the Acorn 6210.

Because of the recent trigger speed improvements to both these cameras, I've been eager to see how they would compare, fully expecting the Bushnell with its 0.6sec reaction time to outperform the 6210 with its reaction time of 0.8 of a second. As it turned out I was in for a big surprise.

I also decided to test last years Bushnell 119467 and the Acorn 5210 at the same time to give a clear indication of how things had improved. The chart below clearly and graphically shows how these cameras compare. They were all tested at exactly the same time under perfect conditions (full, even overcast) for this test, there being no chance of flashes of sunlight causing anomalous triggers.

Camera settings were identical, as shown on the table below, and all were loaded with a 4GB SanDisk SDHC card.

The tests were conducted by my walking across the field of view, at 90 degrees to

Ltl Acorn 6210 HD Series trail camera re-design cures water problem.

Fig 1:   Ltl Acorn 6210MMX

Most of you reading this will be aware of the huge disappointment felt, when the recent modifications to this camera failed to completely eliminate the water ingress. There was a reduction, but the basic problem persisted.

I had been testing the new unit for a week and although there was less water entering the camera, and non was actually getting into the control panel, condensation was still occurring. I was determined to find the reason for this.

The factory re-design of the control panel housing was certainly working, because although, during tests, there was water in the camera, it was not affecting this area. It was however, collecting at the back above the hinge assembly, and was saturating the inside of the case. I decided to go back to basics and re-analyse the whole process.

The strangest thing about this issue, was that the manufacturers had told me, I was the only person reporting this problem to them; and yet many, many people in the UK were having this problem. It occurred to me that if this were true, then maybe the cause related to particular environmental or climatic conditions.

Ltl Acorn 6210 water ingress problem solved

Ltl Acorn 6210 HD Series Trail Camera

I'm very happy and relieved to be able to say that the reason for the condensation problem in the Ltl Acorn 6210 Trail Camera has been identified.

After lengthy tests and analysis the cause of water getting into the control panel is, at long last, understood; and some final changes to the case upgrade are now being made.

I don't know exactly how long this will take, but it will be as fast as possible.

I will post a full explanation of the problem and how it was solved at a later date. Users of cameras which have this problem should remove the rubber bung (external power supply input) from the base of the camera.

Ltl Acorn 6210 water resistance tests update

Acorn 6210 water/condensation problem update 07.07.2012

I'm very happy and relieved to be able to say that the reason for the condensation problem in the Ltl Acorn 6210 Trail Camera has been identified.

After lengthy tests and analysis the cause of water getting into the control panel is, at long last, understood; and some final changes to the case upgrade are now being made.

I don't know exactly how long this will take, but it will be as fast as possible.

I will post a full explanation of the problem and how it was solved at a later date. Users of cameras which have this problem should remove the rubber bung (external power supply input) from the base of the camera.
...................................................................................................................................................................

Fig 1:   Ltl Acorn 6210 HD Series trail camera
Left: Modified version  Right: Old version

I'm a little disconcerted to find retailers offering the updated version of this camera for sale when I'm still conducting water resistance tests on the modification.

This is a little premature as the unit I'm testing is still taking in water; so if you are offered an updated - waterproof - camera at this stage, think  before buying.

Acorn have made a lot of improvements to the existing design as illustrated in figures 1 and 2; but then they send me a unit to test with damage to the sealing lip (figure 3 arrow 1) and more damage caused by tooling marks (figure 3 arrow 2)
(figure 4 arrow 1)

In theory the design changes should prevent water

Ltl Acorn upgrades and improvements for the 6210

Acorn 6210 water/condensation problem update 07.07.2012

I'm very happy and relieved to be able to say that the reason for the condensation problem in the Ltl Acorn 6210 Trail Camera has been identified.

After lengthy tests and analysis the cause of water getting into the control panel is, at long last, understood; and some final changes to the case upgrade are now being made.

I don't know exactly how long this will take, but it will be as fast as possible.

I will post a full explanation of the problem and how it was solved at a later date. Users of cameras which have this problem should remove the rubber bung (external power supply input) from the base of the camera.
...................................................................................................................................................................

Ltl Acorn 6210 series camera

Here's some news I've been eagerly awaiting. 
The manufactures of the Ltl Acorn Trail Cameras have released an upgraded version of the 6210 series.
The list of upgrades and improvements are listed below.

The really good news is that they say they've fixed the water ingress issue ( This did not completely cure the problem and water still enters around the control panel door seal - the skirt modification is intended to correct this issue )  and I quote:

 We found that the water infiltrated from the PIR lens, and now has improved sealing materials.

We are also modifying the mold, adding skirtboard seals, so you can more effectively prevent water flow into when open the bottom cover, it takes about 20 days.(we have also considered to make the LCD can be taken out)

Any stock ordered from now onwards will have all the upgrades apart from the modified skirtboard seals. This modification will be available with stock ordered after the end of April 2012.


Update 21.05.2012


The release of the complete upgrade, including the modified case, has been delayed until the beginning of June. The factory has had some complications with implementing the changes to the mould although I haven't been informed about the detail.

1.  Language Options added;
2.  GPRS function added and tests well;
3.  Trigger time is shortened from 1.5s to 0.8s;
4.  When set to time lapse can also be triggered by movement like Bushnell;
5.  Make improvements to the performance of night vision (increased contrast);
6.  Fixed the problem of the water infiltration from the PIR, improved sealing materials.
7.  Adding skirtboard seals (this modification will be available for stock ordered after approx 1st May)

I'm personally, really impressed with the way this company listens to what their customers have to say; also their eagerness to rectify problems and apply improvements to their products.

Water in the Ltl Acorn 6210 control panel - Review - Part 5

Acorn 6210 water/condensation problem update 07.07.2012

I'm very happy and relieved to be able to say that the reason for the condensation problem in the Ltl Acorn 6210 Trail Camera has been identified.

After lengthy tests and analysis the cause of water getting into the control panel is, at long last, understood; and some final changes to the case upgrade are now being made.

I don't know exactly how long this will take, but it will be as fast as possible.

I will post a full explanation of the problem and how it was solved at a later date. Users of cameras which have this problem should remove the rubber bung (external power supply input) from the base of the camera.
...................................................................................................................................................................

Back to Part 4 of the review

Ltl Acorn control panel

I was about to do a post on this issue when I received a comment from a reader who also had this problem.

Because of its importance, I've slipped it in as part 5 of the review.  Trigger speed and Sensitivity, plus side by side working examples will start in part 6.

Don't do this with wet hands and cover up if it's raining

I've found nothing to suggest that the seal around the bottom panel leaks. What happens is that moisture transferred to the control panel surface will find it's way to the switches on the circuit board; and cause the screen to flicker through all the functions.

In my case, I was checking cameras on a rainy day, and with one camera I had the control panel door open and it started raining. I was in the menu at the time and finished what I was doing with wet hands. I tried drying them by wiping on my shirt but even the small amount of water that was left was enough. The problem is exacerbated by the panel being horizontal with the door closed; and gravity does the rest with water wicking down the control buttons onto the switches below.

The problem is easy enough to avoid. Don't open the door in rain without covering up, and don't press any buttons with wet fingers.

If you have moisture in the control panel, don't try to continue using it. Take the camera to a warm dry environment, open the door and lay the camera on it's back; and if possible, place it on the top of, or near a radiator. Make sure the radiator isn't so hot that it will damage the camera and if you have bags of desiccant, place them over and under the open door. Leave the camera like this for as long as possible up to a week and it should be OK.

If the problem persists, the only thing for it will be to remove the control panel cover so that the water can evaporate more effectively. This is a delicate job and care should be taken to avoid losing any bits, or causing any damage that would invalidate your warranty.

Make sure to remove all the battery cells before you do any of the above.

It's also important to realise that these cameras are an almost sealed box when the bottom door is closed; which means that any moisture trapped inside the case will alternately condense and evaporate with changing external temperatures. 


This will for example, manifest itself by fogging the lens when the ambient temperature rises after a cold night.


When attempting to dry out a camera, always have the bottom door open; and in extreme circumstances the case front may have to be removed to allow moisture to evaporate.

Ltl Acorn 6210 packaging

6210 boxed

Following on from my review comments about the packaging of the Ltl Acorn 6210, we have received these images from the manufacturers.

This is apparently how they leave the factory, so something is obviously happening to them during transit.

If we manage to get to the bottom of the issue I'll post the results.

6210 outer packaging