Use a wildlife camera to discover nature, or your garden, in a whole new way. But this specific type of surveillance camera is also suitable for monitoring buildings and property. Whether on a construction site, allotment or in a garage: You can use the cameras to observe an area without being seen. They can withstand wind and inclement weather, are well-camouflaged and use less power.
Tough on the outside, modern on the inside
Wildlife cameras are made from plastic housing which houses the camera technology. In addition to the camera itself, they also include a motion detector, control electronics and either rechargeable batteries or normal batteries to provide power. Some models also have a SIM card slot.
Advantage: Equipped with an affordable SIM card, available from the discount store for example, the recordings can be transferred on request directly to your mobile phone or computer via the mobile network.
This feature is especially useful when used as a surveillance camera. So you can respond immediately if there’s something rustling in the bushes.
Night vision
Is it just a cat or fox creeping round the garden at night? Modern wildlife cameras are wide awake in the dark too. IR (infrared) LEDS together with infrared sensors provide for night shots. Both now come as standard. They work on the principle that living creatures radiate heat. The sensor of the camera detects any infrared radiation and then makes the camera move.
The range is between 5 and 20 metres. Not all manufacturers provide specific information. Because the actual value depends heavily on environmental influences such as temperature and humidity.
Image quality: Don’t just count the pixels
If the camera does not provide sharp images, photos are worthless.
Sensors with 640 x 480 pixels (VGA) are now considered to be obsolete. New models advertise HD quality with more mega-pixels. They can even pick up on subtleties from a few metres away. At least in theory. Because HD is not synonymous with good image quality.
Properties such as compression, back-light correction and focal length also play an important role. For example, if you want to monitor a large area, you should use a low focal length.
One battery charge lasts several months
In contrast to most surveillance cameras for the home, wildlife cameras work on rechargeable batteries or normal batteries. They usually come in standard AAA, AA or C batteries. How long the batteries last really does depend on the camera itself and the selected settings, such as screen resolution and sensitivity.
Power lasts on average for several thousand recordings or several months.
Finally, it is just the motion detector that is enabled for most of the time. The rest of the technology switches to standby. Some models can also be kitted out with battery boxes or solar modules, which also increases durability.
The most important accessory
The photos are stored to a (micro) SD memory card, which can be inserted into many cameras. Fast 32-GB versions of SDHC are now affordable, provide sufficient storage space and are also able to process fast-moving images and videos. A cable lock is another must-have accessory. This protects the wildlife camera from being stolen.
Image source: Fotolia, 91899829, motivjaegerin1