BASIC EQUIPMENT FOR CAMERA TRAPPING
15 november 2021
Topics:
Do you want to discover what's near your house?
Do you find tracks and traces in a forest nearby and can't recognize from which species they are?
Trail cameras will answer those questions!
These cameras allows you to take photos whithout disturbing fauna.
What do you need to consider in order to choose the best trail camera?
Among the most important aspects when deciding which trail camera model we want to use are the trigger speed and the type of infrared light they emit.
Currently most cameras are very fast, usually less than a second, but those that are faster (0.2-0.3 seconds or less) will be able to easily capture the animals passing in front of the camera at a certain speed, without stopping. If we plan to put baits in front of the camera, the animals will stay longer and it will not be necessary to have the maximum trigger speed.
There are two types of infrared light, normal or Low Glow, which illuminates with more power and even more distance, but the LED of the camera that emits it give off a red glow that makes them detectable in the dark. In contrast, the infrared light of black LEDs, or No Glow, is less powerful and has less range, but the leds of the camera do not reden when illuminated, therefore, they are invisible in the dark. It may be that some animals stay longer in front of the camera if they do not perceive the brightness of the LEDs in the middle of the night. And if we plan to put the camera somewhere where there is human presence at night, perhaps it is more advisable not to see that the LEDs are activated.
It is also especially relevant whether or not the camera has a screen in which to view the images you have recorded and the "live view" function, which allows you to see live, at the time of placing it, what frame the photographs and / or videos will have. In the most basic models the screen only serves to see the programming parameters while in the higher priced ones they can have the other functions.
Other important aspects are the length of the videos, the number of photographs in a row that can be made after being activated by an animal, the recovery time after the motion sensor is activated, the possibility of regulating the sensitivity of the sensor and / or the power of the lighting, the resolution of the photographs or the video, the size of the camera, the maximum memory capacity that the memory cards can have, the external color, with clear preference for those that have camouflage print, the accessories available as security boxes or integrated solar panels, etc.
Another camera types are those that allow you to see the photographs or videos that the camera has made practically in real time through the mobile or receiving an e-mail.
Currently most models only allow you to do so through an app from the same camera manufacturer, often having to pay a monthly fee for a maximum of images or videos.
This functionality must be valued carefully and before opting for it ask ourselves what advantages it gives us to have the images or videos on the mobile in real time compared to seeing them at the time of removing the memory card from the camera.
Although an additional advantage is to be able to modify some parameter of the programming and to be sure that the camera is working correctly, we must take into account some disadvantages such as the reduction of the battery life, a greater vulnerability of the equipment due to the fact of having a more complex electronics and the higher cost of both the camera and the monthly expense to receive the images.
Basic trail cameras
140,00€ 109,00€
22%106,82€
22%106,82€
189,00€ 179,00€
5%175,42€
5%175,42€
220,00€ 189,00€
14%185,22€
14%185,22€
Accesories
Books about camera trapping
