Which wildlife camera?

Hi Tony,

You can get a trail camera for less than £50, for example this one -

www.amazon.co.uk/APEMAN-Wildlife-Camera-Infrared-Vision/dp/B01N7FXWP1/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?adgrpid=107823106481&dchild=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIu7b1647u6wIVS7TtCh3W6wlBEAAYASAAEgKee_D_BwE&hvadid=448320888659&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=1006886&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=e&hvrand=10391709156181834100&hvtargid=kwd-301650078184&hydadcr=13273_1748107&keywords=apeman+trail+camera&qid=1600274443&sr=8-1-spons&tag=googhydr-21&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUFVQzRTNEpOR0RYNFMmZW5jcnlwdGVkSWQ9QTAxNTc2NzQxSktaVjkyRk0wQlpHJmVuY3J5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTA3ODQyNzk1QzdaQTIzMUUzRVAmd2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGYmYWN0aW9uPWNsaWNrUmVkaXJlY3QmZG9Ob3RMb2dDbGljaz10cnVl

- however, I know of someone on another forum who bought one of them(I do not know if it was this model but it was definitely the same make(ie Apeman). It lasted him about a week before it failed and he had to return it. Although the one in the link has a lot of positive reviews, 10% of them give it 1 or 2 stars.

Two makes I know, that are generally well liked, are Bushnell and Browning. I have an old Bushnell - the video quality is not great but good enough to identify animals and it has last at least 8 years in some truly atrocious weather in NW Scotland, and also survived having a badger walk through it.

This is an example of videos from our Bushnell camera - www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQ0XFfXC4O8

I do not know, directly, Browning trail cameras but the bloke on the other forum who got rid of the Apeman camera, bought a Browning to replace it and the videos from it are excellent.

Unfortunately neither of these makes in cheap now.

This is a link to some advice about trail cameras - shop.naturespy.org/camera-trap-chooser/ It is pretty good but as it is produced by a retailer then caveat emptor is the order of the day.

Sorry this probably has not helped you at all.

Dave

I suspect that a mains powered device left outside overnight (dew and rain risk) might cause some problems/risks to the point where manufacturer liability might mean batteries provide a safer/risk free design.

A lot of the market for the "trail cams" is the US hunting community (wildlife just does not have the comparable numbers). Just look at the names Browning give their cameras - all very military. These people want to leave their cameras out on the trail for extended times (to find where the deer roam so they can kill them - normally a long way from any mains power).

My trailcam is "worse" in that it only really works with Lithium disposable AA cells (expensive) but they do last a long time. Some trail cams might work with rechargeable (e.g. Eneloop?) - that might be your best way forward.

Sometimes these cameras are used a security cameras more specifically their "no glow" ...
Two technologies available "no glow" and "lo glow" - depending on whether you can see the red glow. Mine is a "low glow" as that gives more illumination and thus better quality but some people think that can spook some animals. I don't have both so can't compare - but in some of my recordings sometimes animals may be showing awareness of the camera.

Not an area I have expertise in but I suspect many security cameras beyond the SD card/battery powered type will be required to have a data connection to collect and record what's going on. More specifically they often use PoE where the power to drive the camera is passed over the ethernet network cable and the power injectors for PoE would swallow a fair portion of your budget.

I've had some conversations with NatureSpy (Tringa posted above) and they seem a good company and very happy to chat on the phone about advantages/disadvantages. They have a lot of real world experience with all their cameras, know them well and have a good range. Certainly worth calling them and having a chat (be as open as possible - budget and aims and let them come forward with suggestions). Another company I've had good experiences with is Wild View Cameras (again a specialist supplier) www.wildviewcameras.co.uk - but their range starts around £100.

Ian

Our trail camera takes eight batteries, and I invested in a pack of Eneloop rechargeables. They are VERY expensive, but really do the job- I think I've only had to recharge them once in the past six weeks, and the camera is out most nights. Eneloops are specifically made for digital gadgets, which can drain batteries quickly.

I got a pack of mixed colour ones, because our battery charger only does two at a time- with them being different colours I know which ones I've already done. Something like this:

www.amazon.co.uk/Panasonic-52332043-Rechargeable-Batteries-Capacity-multicoloured/dp/B07DYKYXJY/ref=pd_lpo_23_t_0/260-7925978-7920846?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B07DYKYXJY&pd_rd_r=55256c46-e19a-4312-b9a8-cb27ce38a1e1&pd_rd_w=QctrL&pd_rd_wg=NCvfn&pf_rd_p=7b8e3b03-1439-4489-abd4-4a138cf4eca6&pf_rd_r=5KK5JRXQD68DKTV5GPA3&psc=1&refRID=5KK5JRXQD68DKTV5GPA3

I've had them for well over a year now, and they're still going strong.

We use a tripod, too. It straddles a wrought-iron fire basket and I've secured the tripod legs to it using a bungee cord. Foxes are curious creatures, and I didn't want a nosy cub to topple the camera over in the middle of the night!

Good morning everyone,

"Wired to mains power the old three pin plug job and not a bank of batteries, also waterproof would be a good point".

Please re-read the above.

Cheers, Tony.

Most trail camera are waterproof, or as near as they need to be. As I mentioned above our has been out in some very severe weather and it is still going strong.

Some, like ours, can use an external battery source. If you could find the required voltage and current I think there would be somewhere(eg Radio Spares) that could supply you with a small transformer so you could plug the transformer into the mains and power the camera from the transformer.

Dave

One thought; do they ever appear on eBay or local classified or wherever? I've no experience of eBay, etc. but you might get better or less if 2nd hand is acceptable (if they ever appear 2nd hand).

Ian