If you want to know what’s happening on your ground when you’re not there, a trail camera provides the perfect solution. Whether monitoring the comings and goings of quarry species and pests or getting the inside track on poachers and trespassers, the round-the-clock surveillance provided by these devices can be a real eye-opener.
Trail-cam technology has galloped on over recent years. As well as being very easy to operate and capable of recording sharp still images and clear video footage by day and night, some models can even transmit captured data straight to your mobile phone. The Zeiss Secacam 7 is one such camera and I have had a very interesting few weeks putting it through its paces.
Few things frustrate me more than buying a new piece of kit only to discover that I need to fork out for additional bits and pieces to get it working. There is none of that with the Secacam 7, because its £249 price includes eight heavy-duty AA batteries, a 32GB SD card and the SIM card that facilitates its cellular connectivity – all of which are already installed. The basic kit also includes an antenna, tree strap and a USB lead to connect the device to your laptop.
If, like me, you are impatient and have little time for complex instruction manuals, you will like the Secacam 7. I installed the relevant app on my phone with no problems, tapped in the supplied activation code and was up and running in a matter of moments.
Although easy to operate, the Secacam 7 still provides plenty of choice for how you want to use it. Menu controls can be accessed remotely and also by opening the front cover. In setup mode you simply use the four arrow keys to scroll through the various options and then press the ‘OK’ button to make your choices. Options include whether to record still images, video or both; the quality of images (5MP, 8MP or 12MP) and video capture (SD, HD or FHD); plus the number of shots and length of video per trigger.
You can also choose from three levels of trigger sensitivity. I went for high sensitivity and, while the camera was triggered by small (and sometimes quite distant) animals such as grey squirrels and rabbits, I was amazed by the absence of false triggers caused by branches waving in the wind and suchlike. This has been a real problem with trail cameras I have used in the past, but Zeiss appear to have found a way to mitigate the problem with this unit.
The Secacam 7 has an infrared flash incorporating 60 black LEDs, which enable it to discreetly capture photos and video at night. There is a choice of various flash modes as well as a timer that can make the camera active only during the periods you choose. Settings also include time lapse, GPS data and more.
Measuring around 135x90x70mm, I would describe the Secacam 7 as an average-sized trail camera. Its shell is finished in a grey/green camo pattern that makes it fairly inconspicuous when fastened to a tree. The supplied tree strap facilitates quick, secure attachment and the camera’s casing also has a thread for a bipod and other devices. I mostly used my own screw-in tree mount as it provides a lot of angular adjustment.
I have often tried to set up trail cameras ‘blind’, only to find later that they were pointing too high, too low or off to the side. That can’t happen with the Secacam, because the setup mode eliminates guesswork by showing a live view of what the camera can see on the 2.4" colour display. This enabled me to quickly set up the Secacam on what I hoped was a busy deer trail before flicking it to its ‘on’ mode and leaving it to get on with the job of monitoring activity.
It shouldn’t come as a surprise to discover that you do have to pay for the privilege of having photos and videos sent direct to your phone. It works much like a mobile phone network and there are various and prices. Fees start at £2.15 per month for the Basic plan, which gets you 100 photos per month and two months’s storage. The Premium plan is £7.19 per month and for that you get 750 photos per month, six months’ storage, an animal-recognition feature and 25 video transmissions. The Professional plan costs £10.79 per month and includes unlimited photos, 12 months’ storage, 50 video transmissions, animal recognition and theft replacement. All plans include remote control for the camera.
If you don’t want to sign up and pay for a data plan you can still use the supplied SD card to save captured photos and videos. I did, however, find having them sent to my phone to be a huge advantage – not least because it is instant and saves having to travel back and forth to download data.
Keeping tabs on the activity of wildlife in the woods, along with useful information such as date, time and temperature, soon became quite addictive. It was like following a soap opera – only far less mundane – and my wife and children were often peering over my shoulder to keep up with events as they unfolded.
Surveying a little patch of woodland for just over a week, the Secacam photographed numerous roe deer as well as pheasants and grey squirrels. It also captured the night-time antics of badgers, rabbits and a fox – the latter of which is keeping dangerously regular hours.
I had the camera set at its lowest 5MP resolution and the photos it saved looked perfectly good to me. The trigger time also appears to be very swift and, as previously mentioned, I was really impressed with the welcome lack of false activations. The fact that the Secacam managed to survive some of the wettest weather I have ever witnessed would also suggest that its waterproofing is up to scratch, too.
The information a trail camera provides is fascinating and potentially extremely useful, be it for shooting or security purposes. The ability to map the times when animals are most likely to be present can provide a massive advantage when trying to optimise your time in the field.
I have also used this technology to halt the activities of vandals who took an unhealthy interest in the bait stations I use for grey squirrel control. The Zeiss Secacam 7 makes it all easy and its connectivity means you can carry out recon from the comfort of your home and react swiftly when necessary. It certainly is a very useful piece of kit.
TECH SPECS
ZEISS SECACAM 7
Photos per trigger: 1-5
Video duration: 5-59 seconds
Trigger time: <0.35~0.45 seconds
Power source: 8 AA batteries
Supplied with: Tree strap, USB lead, batteries, SD card and SIM card
Price: £249
Website: zeiss.com
ALSO CONSIDER
HIKMICRO M15 4G TRAIL CAMERA
This compact trail camera from HikMicro boasts mobile phone connectivity and a 0.5-second trigger time. It captures photos and video by day and night and comes with a fastening strap, SIM card, antenna, USB cable and quick start guide.
Price: £164.99 – hikmicrotech.com
SPYPOINT LINK-MICRO-LTE
The smallest cellular trail camera on the market, this tiny device can capture still images and video by day and night and send them to your mobile phone via the Spypoint Link app. Features include 0.5 second trigger time, low-glow LEDs and seven-day schedule setup.
Price: RRP: £199.95 – thomasjacks.co.uk
BUSHNELL CORE NO GLOW TRAIL CAMERA
This camera shoots 24MP photos for sharp daytime images and video and also has a 25m night range incorporating no-glow technology. Housed in a tough weatherproof casing, it’s covered by a two-year warranty, has a 0.3 second trigger speed and a battery life of up to one year.
Price: RRP: £180 – edgarbrothers.com