Trail cameras have opened up a new world in wildlife observation and study. Whether you are a hunter, naturalist, or a wildlife researcher, there is a camera that will match your needs. Almost all modern day Trail Cams are digital cameras with certain common features. The most important in determining how effective a particular camera is, are the detection zone size, the trigger time, and the recovery period. These three factors will determine whether a particular model is better for use at a bait station or at capturing moving animals. The faster the trigger time, the more capable the camera is at capturing animals moving through its detection zone. The trigger time on most cameras varies from 0.2 seconds for the Reconyx RC60 to almost 4 seconds for lower priced cams. Slow trigger cameras are only useful if the animal is at a bait station that is in the camera's detection zone. The detection zone also varies between models, with Cuddleback cameras as examples of narrow detection zone cams. This type of cam has the advantage that it will only be triggered when the animal is in the middle of the field of view. This produces fewer pictures with part of the body cutoff. The narrow detection cams work well when using a bait station, where the animal will be in a specific place for a prolonged period. However, narrow detection zone cameras will not capture animals that are in the periphery and are too wary to move into the center of the bait area. This is where the value of a wide detection zone coupled with a fast trigger time becomes obvious. The wider zone allows these cams to detect animals on the edge of the field of view and allows the camera to capture more images in a given amount of time. The wide detection area is ideal for photographing moving game. The high end trail cameras such as Reconyx can capture 2 pictures per second. The sensing zone for this type of camera is typically 80 to 100 feet. The wide field means the detection zone is huge, and recovery time is virtually instantaneous. The recovery period for a particular model is usually inversely proportional to the price of the camera. Cheap cams usually have slow recovery periods and may require up to 60 seconds before they can capture a new image. The slower cams can still be used effectively for capturing game at bait stations, but will only produce frustration if the game is active.
The next feature to look at when choosing a trail camera is the battery type and capacity. Higher end models have battery lives from 3 to 5 months and are usually nickel metal hydride rechargeable batteries. Another important factor to consider is how weatherproof the trail cam is. Most trail cams are weather resistant but not actually waterproof. This means they can take outdoor weather abuse but could not survive being dunked in water for a prolonged period. The better models feature an O ring to help seal out rain and even come with a desiccant to reduce moisture condensation. Some of the lower priced models are susceptible to corrosion due to lack of proper seals. Also important to consider is the type of flash required. Some models use a built-in electronic flash and others use an infrared flash. The regular electronic flash produces good color pictures even at night, however it may scare some wildlife. The infrared cams produce a flash that is invisible, but produce only black and white images. They are far more stealthy and are recommended for sensitive subjects.
The resolution of most trail cams ranges from 2 megapixels to the amazing 8 megapixel Stealthcam Sniper Pro. The majority of cameras use either sd or compact flash cards. The higher resolution the cam, the larger the capacity of the memory card you will need. Another important criteria to consider is the option for video. Many of the modern trail cams allow short video bursts to be recorded, usually in adjustable lengths from 5 seconds to 3 minutes. The quality of video is usually lower than still frames. The better trail cam models also can be programmed to sleep after shooting for a predefined amount of time. This prevents the camera from shooting the same subject repeatedly until the memory card is full.