Choosing a Trail Camera for Scientific Research

What is the best trail camera for scientific research?

In this article we’ll guide you through a series of considerations to help you choose the best camera trap for your research project. We also share some of the current most popular trail camera models that we’ve supplied to research projects all over the world.

1. What is the research question?

Most camera traps are now capable of recording video and photo. Depending on your research question, you may want to opt for a camera that’s best for videos, best for photos or is great for both.

There are different scenarios where video or photo may be a better choice, for example:

• Studies observing animal behaviour will usually benefit from a camera that produces good quality videos to see those behaviours happening.
• Studies with a species presence focus (e.g. population density or species richness) may only need to know if a species is there, in which case, photos are all that’s required.
• Studies with a species presence focus that need extra detail (e.g. fur markings to identify individuals) may benefit from videos, which provide lots of opportunities to take still images from the footage.

Musekese Conservation use camera trap photos to determine species distribution.

2. What data is required?

Considering the type of analysis you will run will inform the data you need to collect. Will any analysis packages be used (e.g. ZSL, packages in R)? If so, find out if they require anything specific of the camera footage. This will inform how you choose your camera settings, which will help with narrowing down the camera specification you need.

3. What is the research plan?

How long do you intend on leaving a camera before swapping/checking the memory card and checking batteries? Video mode is always more power-hungry than photo mode. A good quality camera may last a couple of months on video mode compared to over a year on photo mode, although this is highly subject to how active the camera is. You'll find estimates of how long a camera will work for on different settings in product descriptions, which can vary a lot across different models.

A wildlife ranger checks a camera trap installed by researchers from Bioterra, Croatia.

4. What is the target species?

Trail cameras detect changes in both movement and ambient heat, so for smaller species (e.g. small mammals or birds) it becomes more challenging for the camera to trigger reliably. In this case, a camera with a sensitive trigger is a better choice for reliability. For potentially fast-moving animals, a camera with a fast trigger is required to engage almost instantly. Studies looking at species diversity will of course benefit from a camera that has both a fast and sensitive trigger.

A common question we’re asked is if wildlife can see camera traps, which is an important consideration if your research needs footage of animals behaving naturally. This question usually refers to the faint red glow of low-glow LEDs, which are perceptible to some species but not others. Wildlife may also pick up scents from camera traps or hear operating sounds that aren’t detectable to us. We’ve written a separate article on this topic. A good way to find out if a particular species may respond to a camera trap is through existing studies.

A red fox picking up on the low-glow infrared LEDs of a camera trap.

5. What is the habitat, climate and likely weather conditions?

Another common question we receive is whether or not a particular camera trap is durable in the weather and climate of an area. Camera traps are water resistant, not waterproof, and one of the bigger challenges to healthy camera function is high humidity.

Prolonged exposure to harsher weather and climates can result in cameras failing, so it’s useful to know what’s been tried and tested in similar conditions to your research location. We recommend a few cameras at the end of this guide that we’ve seen tried and tested all over the world. There are also simple measures that you can take to keep cameras working their best, learn more about this in our routine camera maintenance guide.

A spectacled bear caught on camera as part of Rainforest Concern's research in Ecuador

6. Who is using the cameras and processing the data?

For citizen science projects or scenarios where those installing the cameras may have varied experience with camera traps, we recommend using cameras that have a preview screen. A built-in preview screen helps with setting up cameras effectively as it means you can see a sample of the field of view before leaving the camera running. This is of course a useful feature for any camera user and especially helpful for those that haven’t had much experience with camera traps previously.

For projects where footage is reviewed by citizen scientists, research has found that species identification is more accurate when video footage is used.

A preview screen lined up on a pine marten feeding station from research at Alladale Wilderness Reserve

7. Camera trap reliability and mixing models

Properly installed camera traps can be a reliable survey tool, providing unique insights into wildlife activity unlike any other survey method. Although, like any wildlife monitoring tool, camera traps are not perfect. Be mindful of the limitations of camera traps, particularly with regard to how performance can vary across different models.

For consistent data, it’s best not to mix and match different camera models within your research project. Factors such as trigger speed and trigger recovery speed can impact the reliability of detection. There are of course situations where this has to be done, so we recommend comparing the performance specifications of different cameras side by side to find out if there’s any differences you may need to be aware of in your analysis.

8. Camera security

If your camera is going to be installed in a publicly accessible area, you may want to secure your camera to a tree with a lock. Masterlock 8mm Python Cable Locks are a popular choice, as many cameras have holes in the housing to fit this cable.

Humans aside, some species are very curious when they see a camera trap in their environment. This isn’t too much of a problem with smaller species, but the powerful jaws of a big cat or a painted dog are no match for a camera trap, as we’ve seen with our project partners Musekese Conservation in Zambia. Elephants and bears are prone to taking a curious liking to camera traps too. Camera trap security boxes can help to reduce damage to cameras from wildlife.

9. Project budget

Taking into account all of the above, you’ll be starting to narrow down the type of camera that will suit your needs. The big question now is project budget. Before you start looking at which models will fit your budget, there are a few other costs to consider.

How many cameras do you need, and will you require any backups? A spare camera or two can be very useful to account for thefts, curious elephants or occasional camera failures.

Budget for power. It’s essential to choose a reliable power source for your camera and these costs can soon add up. The number one problem we see with camera traps is the use of poor quality or incompatible batteries, which can result in patchy reliability or cameras failing all together. We’ve written about this in more detail here. In most scenarios, we highly recommend the use of Energizer Ultimate Lithium AA batteries – these are tried and tested. We discourage the use of alkaline batteries where possible and only recommend the use of rechargeable batteries if the manufacturer states they will work, in which case, the current most reliable option is Panasonic Eneloop Pro rechargeable batteries. Some camera traps are also compatible with solar panels.

Are there any extra accessories required? Two sets of SD cards can make camera checks much quicker in the field with a simple SD card swap. You may also need to budget for cable locks and camera security boxes too.

Battery costs can add up but it's essential to choose the right ones for your camera

Need some assistance with choosing the right camera?

NatureSpy has worked with research projects all over the world to make sure they have high quality, reliable equipment that captures the data they need. Our team are always happy to help with any questions, so do get in touch!