If you have a large garden or plan to set up your gear in a wooded area, it’s best to choose trail cameras that have a generous field of view. Some of the models that we have reviewed offer wide-view ranges of 120-degrees, which is perfect for monitoring large spaces and increasing the chances that you’ll capture activity. No-glow LEDs are almost completely unnoticeable to animals, so wildlife is unlikely to get spooked when the lights come on and the camera starts recording. The video recording length is also limited, to between 10 – 90 seconds, so don’t expect to capture any feature-length films. However, it’s worth pointing out that 90 seconds is actually longer than some other trail cams allow (for example, the GardePro A3 Camera can only record a maximum of 30 seconds). Photo image quality in trail cameras is most commonly measured in megapixels (MP). The higher the MP, the better the image quality, or ‘resolution’. Most will offer between 12 and 20MP quality, with cheaper wildlife trail cameras often sitting at the lower end of this scale. Programming the camera in general isn’t difficult to do either. The display screen is easy to navigate and all of the functions, like timers and timelapse, are simple enough to get to grips with.

There’s also a delay time between each clip, of around 15 seconds, so you miss some of the activity in between videos. There’s a little DIY involved in getting the box and cabling installed, but the camera itself is essentially plug-and-play and, once you’re hooked up, you will have access to your own live bird box video feed. This is often considered ‘full HD’. A camera that records to a smaller frame size of 720p may be referred to as “HD”. This will have a resolution of approximately 1 megapixel. For taking clear photos and videos, the most important thing to consider is camera resolution. Look for a wildlife camera that records video in 2 – 8 megapixels (MP). Trail cameras work by using sensors, usually infrared thermal sensors, to detect movement and trigger recording or photo capture. The cameras’ range describes its field of view – the area that the sensors can monitor from the cameras’ location.It’s well built, IP66 weather-resistant and, thanks to its internal display, straightforward to use. Stills are saved at up to 20 megapixels, and videos are recorded at 1080p. While there’s certainly some digital upscaling going on, the files deliver clear levels of detail, day and night.

For night time images, you’ll require artificial light. Infrared options are the most popular as they won’t scare away the animals – unlike the blinding white flash of a traditional camera!

Unlike the vast majority of wildlife cameras, the Core DS-4K features a dual-sensor configuration. This means that, rather than relying on a single lens for both colour daylight and monochrome nighttime shots, the Core DS uses two independent sensors. With cameras optimised to different lighting conditions, it’s able to capture richer images both day and night. Trigger speed is very important when it comes to spotting wildlife. This refers to the amount of time between the movement of an animal and the time it takes for the photograph to be taken (or the video to start recording). The best wildlife cameras for the garden will record videos with a resolution of 2 – 10MP (megapixels). However, you may also see “1080 pixels” mentioned, along with “HD”, “Full HD” or “4K” – so what do these mean and how can you compare them? Hello, we recommend that the closest distance for the A3S camera to shoot is 2.5 meters. Better picture quality can be guaranteed at this distance and beyond. When it comes to trail cams, you want the second number to be at least ‘6’. This means that water from heavy jets will not be able to get inside the workings of the machine. The second number can go as high as 8, which means that the item is protected from immersion under water (not really necessary for trail cams).

As the name suggests, the Core DS-4K can record video footage in 4K at 30fps or full HD video at a smooth 60fps. Still images are captured at up to 32 megapixels and it can snap up to six images in a single burst, helping ensure you get that perfect shot. The DS-4K’s powerful 940nm no glow flash allows it to record subjects up to 33m away in pitch darkness. When it comes to wildlife cameras, the resolution of the videos is usually lower than that of the photos. The still photo cameras on wildlife cams tend to be between 12 – 24 megapixels. Generally speaking, you’re unlikely to tell much difference between the two – unless you’re wanting to really enlarge the image or heavily crop it. For most casual wildlife-spotting in the garden, the resolution of photos is not too important and anything above 12 megapixels will be sufficient. To help with conserving power, there is a programmable timer function so that the camera is only active when you want it to be. For large and bulky items, many of our courier partners will bring the item to your premises on upper floors if there is a working lift. If there is no lift, the courier will charge for labour depending on access, item and number of floors. Please note our standard free delivery service is to ground floor only and the courier is not obligated to assist in delivery to upper floors without lift unless pre-arranged. If you require assistance, please communicate this to us prior to delivery for a quote to ensure we dispatch the appropriate courier service for you. Failed delivery based on the above may incur redelivery or cancellation charges. Rescheduling Delivery A wildlife camera’s protection against water ingress is measured using the IP (ingress protection) scale.

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

We partner with various courier service providers with standard delivery between 7am and 10pm, Monday to Sunday. Photos and videos are recorded to a microSD card and you can plug the camera into your computer directly via USB. The camera can be powered by a set of eight AA batteries or via an external power input. Recovery time: Also important is a camera’s recovery time. This is how long the camera takes to process an image before it’s ready to take another shot. A shorter recovery time allows the camera to fire off more shots over a shorter period, increasing the likelihood of capturing a keeper. Like standard cameras, the higher the resolution, the better the quality of your pictures and videos. A trigger speed that’s too slow will mean you may miss wildlife altogether – by the time the camera has taken a photo, the animal will already have disappeared.

Low glow flashes emit 850nm wavelength light, which although almost invisible to the naked eye can cause the lamp to glow a dim red, potentially disturbing highly sensitive animals. No glow flashes emit 940nm wavelength light which is completely invisible, running no risk of scaring wildlife. While no glow flashes are more discreet they’re often not as bright, resulting in a shorter effective flash range, and they’re almost always more expensive than the low glow equivalent. For example, you may have seen products described as ‘IP66’. The first number relates to how well the product is protected against ingress from solid objects (e.g., dust). The second number relates to how well the product is protected against water ingress.

Low-light illumination comes courtesy of an 850nm low-glow LED flash. Although not completely invisible to the naked eye, the flash causes disturbance to most wildlife and, with an illumination range of up to 25 metres, it’s ideal for larger gardens. Finally, there’s “4K”. When used in most commercially available products (and not high-end cinema equipment) 4K equates to approximately 8MP. The first number should be at least a ‘5’, which means it is protected from the majority of dust ingress. A ‘6’ means the item is dust tight. File Types Finding gadgets that offer value for money isn’t always easy, but the Technaxx Nature Wild Cam TX-69 offers a good balance between quality, performance and price. Whilst both file types will be able to work well, it helps to be aware of what you’re buying so that it doesn’t cause problems down the line.