What a camera won't do

Most camera stores only tell you the good part. Here is the rest, so you buy the right thing or nothing at all.

It won't stop a thief by itself

A camera tells you who is at the gate while they are still at the gate. That is worth a lot, but a locked gate, a locked fuel cap and a sign that says the place is monitored do as much work as the camera does. Mount it where it can be seen if you want it to deter, and out of reach if you want it to survive.

Solar is not unlimited

In open summer sun, a solar panel can keep a quiet camera charged. In a southern winter, under trees or on the shady side of a shed, it may not keep up with a busy camera. Give the panel open sky facing north, and expect to top up the battery now and then if the camera triggers hundreds of times a day.

Battery life depends on how busy the spot is

A quiet gate and a windy paddock full of cattle are two different jobs. We don't quote a battery life until we have measured one on our own cameras. If a seller quotes you one big number, ask what it was measured on.

Detection has a range, and heat shortens it

Motion sensors see body heat moving against the background. On a 40 degree day the background is nearly as warm as the animal, so range drops. Expect the reliable range to shrink in extreme heat, and aim the camera along a track or fence line, not across it.

Wind and grass cause false triggers

Every trail camera does this. Clear long grass and branches from the first few metres in front of the lens, turn the sensitivity down a step, and the empty photos mostly stop.

Night photos are black and white

Infrared night images show people, vehicles and animals in black and white. Faces and number plates are hard to read unless they are close and slow. They are not colour photographs, and anything moving fast can blur.

No signal means no alerts

A 4G camera needs mobile coverage at the exact spot it stands. If there is none, it can't send you anything. That is why we have the Signal Guarantee.

It can be stolen too

A camera on a gate post is worth money. Use the steel lock box and cable, mount it high, and consider a second, cheaper camera watching the first.