Garden Wildlife Trail Cameras : Buying Guide (2023) (2024)

In this article I take a look at 4 garden wildlife cameras that cover all budget ranges. From the top of the range Browning Strike Force XD down to the Toguard Mini trail camera.

All of the trail cameras will perform well capturing video and pictures of critters in a garden or backyard location.

The more expensive wildlife cameras here will offer more features and of course the picture quality will be better, especially night time images.

There are no winners in this group test. Have a read through the article and make a choice as to how much your budget will cover.

OK, let’s get down to it and take a look at the wildlife cameras.

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Right off the bat we’ll take a look at the most expensive wildlife camera in this review. The Browning Strike Force Pro. Take a look here for the latest price.

This is one of my favourite trail cameras I’ve owned over the years. I’ll be honest using it as a wildlife camera is a bit over the top.

Dual Lens Technology

The reason is, it’s packed with features that you’re unlikely to need in a garden setting. Having said that the dual lens technology will record the best quality pictures out of the 4 cameras in this review.

If you want the best video and still pictures and your budget allows then the Browning [1] is the only option. With one exception, it has no WiFi or bluetooth connectivity.

If you’d like to view in real time what your wildlife camera is recording while sitting indoors then I’d suggest taking a look at the Campark wildlife camera instead,which is next up in this review.

Below are some of the key specifications to look for. As you can see the trigger speed is very fast. Plus, the flash and detection range are class leading.

Ideal wildlife camera for large gardens

If you do have a larger area of garden or backyard, this camera will provide the best coverage.

The battery life is very good with the Browning if you use quality lithium batteries. It all depends of course how many times the camera is triggered. But expect the batteries to last several months even with frequent activity in front of the PIR sensor.

Read my additional reviews on Browning cameras models.

• 24 Megapixel

• 1920 x 1080 Full HD Videos with Sound

• Up to 512GB SDXC Memory Card

• 0.15 Second Trigger Speed

• 120 ft. Flash Range

• 80 ft. Detection Range

• 6 AA Batteries

The next most expensive wildlife camera in this review is the Campark WiFi trail camera.

The specification and picture quality doesn’t match the Browning, but it does make up for it with it’s ability to connect to your phone via the free app.

WiFi Connection

In practice the camera is easy to set up with the app. This allows you to view what the camera has recorded, plus change any settings in real time.

Not only does this feature make it a great wildlife camera, but it’s ideal for home security too. There is a mini jack power socket, which is great using in a fixed location.

20 megapixel image sensor provides excellent quality pictures. There are 2 video resolution settings I’d always opt for the higher 1080 setting personally as a 32gb card will hold over 3 hours of footage.

The flash range and detection range is not quite as far as the Browning camera but it’s still well suited to a medium sized garden or back yard.

• 20 Megapixel

• 1296P(1728x1296,30fps),1080P(1920x1080,30fps)

• Up to 32GB SD Memory Card

• 65 ft. Flash Range

• 65 ft. Detection Range

• 8 AA Batteries

The Wildgame Terra Extreme is the first of my budget camera choices. If your starting out with wildlife cameras and don’t want to commit spending too much, the Terra Extreme makes a sensible choice in my opinion.

Budget Wildlife Camera

It doesn’t have many features and the picture / video quality is not on par with the other two. However for a budget camera, it does provide some pretty decent results.

I would only recommend this camera for use in the garden. The trigger speed is not fast enough for fast moving deer along a trial head. You’ll only be disappointed with the results of “tail end” shots.

For the garden it’s more than adequate to record those critters that lurk at night and during quiet periods during the day.

• 14 Megapixel

• 720p HD Videos - No Sound

• Up to 32GB SD Memory Card

• 65 ft. Flash Range

• 65 ft. Detection Range

• 8 AA Batteries

This is the second budget wildlife camera in the review. Toguard are not as well known for making trail cameras as Wildgame, but this camera has been well specced for the price.

Budget camera with solid specification

For a budget camera the Toguard Mini is impressive. It can record full HD video at 1080p and still pictures at aPhoto Resolution of 12MP (4608*2592).

The battery life from 4 AA batteries is impressive too, plus it supports an external DC 6V 1.5A power supply.

Take a look at the spec below and you’ll see that this camera stands up well against it’s more expensive rivals.

If I had to choose a budget camera for the garden then this would be my personal choice.

• 12 Megapixel

• 1080P HD Videos

• Up to 32GB SD Memory Card

• 120 degree wide angle lens

• 65 ft. Detection Range

• 4 AA Batteries

Final Thoughts

The Browning Strike Force XD Pro is the choice for people who want the best video and picture quality.

The Campark is not far behind the Browning in terms of picture quality, but it does have the excellent WiFi feature.

Between the two budget options in this review, I’d say the Toguard edges it over the Wildgame Terra in terms of overall performance and image quality.

Whichever you choose, I’m sure that you’ll capture some interesting videos and images of wildlife living in your garden with any of the cameras in this review.

If you’re interested small trail cameras it may be worth taking a look at my mini trail camera reviews article.

For those who already own a GoPro or other action camera, take a look at my article on taking pictures of birds in your garden using such cameras.