Picture/Video settings and their effectsĪlthough some trail cameras can be plugged into external motion detection devices, most use PIRs. Recovery-time (time between a picture/video being taken and the camera being ready to be triggered for the next)ħ. Trigger-time (time between movement detection and a picture being taken)ģ. There are ten key features of trail cameras to consider:Ģ. Some cameras even have a built in screen suitable for viewing images on. The parameters required to control the camera, and mentioned in the features below, are pre-programmed by the user via a screen and user interface on the camera itself and can be changed as required. Importantly, most trail cameras these days will take coloured images/video during daylight and black and white at night by using an infra-red (IR) flash - as opposed to the white-light flash of a conventional camera. Just how much the camera sees ( field of view) and what it can photograph is largely determined by a combination of the lens, the type of image-sensor receiving light from the lens, the level of illumination (sunlight or flash) and the trigger-time (time between movement detection and a picture being taken). When the PIR detects motion, it ‘wakes up’ the rest of the camera and triggers a rapid chain of events: light levels are detected and the flash turned on accordingly focus is achieved shutter speed is determined one or more pictures or video are taken by the image-sensor pictures/video are stored on an SD card ( Secure Digital) the camera goes back to sleep.

In most trail cameras this is a Passive Infra-Red ( PIR) detector, essentially the same as those seen in burglar alarms. The bit that is fully awake is the motion-sensor. Trail cameras are designed to exist in a state of almost complete electronic sleep, much like a TV left on stand-by. And, acknowledging that there is a world of alternative sources of information out there, to help or baffle you, Stephen keeps things simple, while also explaining some jargon - in bold italics - that may prove useful in web searches.Ī basic description of how trail cameras work provides a useful contect in which to understand their various features. This guide to common trail camera features, written by experienced camera trapper Dr Stephen Ellwood from Wildlife Savvy Ltd, aims to help you understand what’s what. Just like the world of conventional digital cameras, there is now a bewildering array of makes, models, specifications and prices of trail cameras (camera traps), making it hard to choose the best one for you.

Cheap trail cameras that work