SD Cards & Trail Cameras
An appropriate and well-functioning SD card is essential for successful camera trapping.
Here we will detail how to choose a card, keep it in good working order, and troubleshoot if you experience an issue.
Choosing the Right Card
When choosing an SD card for your trail camera, you should take into consideration both your personal requirements and the compatibility of the card with the camera itself.
At NatureSpy we offer a free SD card with all trail cameras (other than Ltl Acorn) so you can be confident your card is compatible with your new camera!
Storage Capacity
First and foremost, you must ensure the card capacity you pick is appropriate for your model of camera. Different brands and models have varying maximum capacities from 16GB to 512GB. Therefore, it is worth checking the manufacturer's user manual or the specifications on our product pages for clarification.
For most people, a 32GB or 64GB SD card is almost certainly sufficient - especially when your camera is primarily used for watching garden wildlife. However, if you are wanting to leave your camera somewhere remote, where it cannot be checked for a month or so, you should consider a 64GB card. For even longer periods, a 128GB card might be more suitable.
Speed Class
The read and write speeds of SD cards can quickly become very complicated. To keep it simple, we would advise using cards that include either (or both) of the symbols circled below:
These symbols both tell you that the minimum write speed of the card is 10MB/s - which is very suitable for use with a trail camera. Different ratings occasionally cause issues as can be too fast/slow to work correctly with your camera (see more on U3-rated cards below).
A note on microSD cards…
Some cameras don't like microSDs cards in adapters - especially Browning and Bushnell cameras. Some cameras also only use microSD cards - like the NatureSpy Helarctos and SpyPoint Flex cameras.
Maintaining your SD card
In order to keep your SD card functioning as it should, we suggest formatting regularly. Formatting an SD card essentially ‘resets’ it and erases every file stored on it. It also acts as a sort of ‘handshake’ between the card and camera, ensuring files are stored correctly in a suitable format.
The video below shows how to format a card step-by-step on a Browning camera. The method will be similar for other manufacturers but may be listed under a different name within the settings. For example, Bushnell cameras simply say ‘Format’, rather than the ‘Delete All’ on a Browning.
We suggest formatting your card in your camera regularly, particularly on its first use, or if it has been used in any other device previously. Formatting in the trail camera itself is always preferable to formatting on a computer, which can change the memory file system itself and occasionally cause issues.
Troubleshooting Card Issues
SD card issues can cause a trail camera to start acting strangely or appear to stop functioning at all. If you experience any of the following, the SD card might be to blame:
- ‘Card error’ messages
- Empty or unreadable files
- Camera freezing
- Inability to trigger
In these circumstances, you can try several quick things to attempt to resolve the problem yourself.
- Reformat your card: As discussed above, this is the first thing to try! We find formatting is very often all that is required to get a trail camera back in working order.
- Check the lock tab: All full-sized SDs include a small switch on the left-hand side. When slid down the card is locked - meaning no files are able to be saved or deleted from the card. Simply move the switch into the unlocked position.
- Try another SD card: Switching cards can quickly determine whether the SD card is causing the fault, or if there may be something else at play.
- Check if your card is U3-rated: There have been some problems reported when using U3-rated (min. of 30MB/s write speed) cards with some Browning cameras. Browning offers firmware updates for multiple models which can allow them to work with these higher-speed cards.
If any issues continue after you have tried the above, please take a look at our quick troubleshooting article or raise a support ticket. Someone from our technical support team will then get in touch to help you resolve the problem.
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