Camera Trap - Camera Types

Camera Types

The earliest models used traditional film and a one-shot trigger function. These traditional cameras contained film that needed to be collected and developed like any other standard camera. Today, more advanced cameras utilize digital photography, sending photos directly to a computer, even though this method is uncommon it is still highly useful and could be the future of this research method. Some cameras are even programed to take multiple pictures after a triggering event.

There are non-triggered cameras that either run continuously or take pictures at specific time intervals. The more common ones, however, are the more advanced triggered cameras that go off only after sensing movement and/or a heat signature to increase the chances of capturing a useful image, infrared beams can also be used to trigger the camera. Video is also an emerging option in type of camera traps, allowing researchers to record running streams of video, to document animal behavior.

The battery life of some of these cameras are another important factor in which cameras are used; large batteries offer a longer running time for the camera but can be cumbersome in set up or when lugging the equipment to the field site .