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Wildcamera tips

Wild camera Action (best alternative)

We can imagine that you, as a starting or experienced wildlife camera user, are looking for a wildlife camera from Action. Often these products are quite cheap and easy to get started with. Unfortunately, I will have to both disappoint and delight you right away. We have come up with a perfect solution, read on…

Buy Wild Camera Action

Action currently has a wildlife camera on offer, but is this the best choice for you if you are interested in wildlife cameras? We placed the Action wildlife camera next toour entry-level model and looked at which wildlife camera came out best in the test.

Action Wild Camera vs. WildcameraXL SM4PRO

Action Wild Camera SM4PRO
Material ABS plastic ABS plastic
Power supply Via batteries or USB cable Via batteries or USB cable
Type of batteries 4x AA batteries 4x AA batteries, upgrade to 8x AA batteries
Batteries included No No
Standby time 8 months 8 months
Water and dust resistant No Yes
IP rating IP54 (dust-tight and can withstand a downpour) IP66 (waterproof and dust resistant)
Image sensor 1.3 megapixel color CMOS 3 megapixel color CMOS
Video resolution 1920 x 1080P, 25 FPS 1920x1080: 30fps
Megapixels 20 megapixels 24 megapixels
PIR distance 15 m 20 m
PIR angle 60 degrees 60 degrees
Lens 52 degrees wide 90 degrees
With motion sensor Yes Yes
Trigger time 0.8 seconds 0.6 seconds
Memory Maximum 32 GB micro SD (not included) Maximum 32 GB micro SD (not included)
Dutch instructional videos No Yes
Specialized customer service No Yes
Lifetime warranty possible No Yes
Price €29.95 €119

Action Vs. WildcameraXL

As you can see above, there are quite a few snags to the action's wildlife camera. It may be a cheap offer, but is cheap also expensive?

A number of factors are extremely important for a wildlife camera:

  • Battery life: The longer your battery lasts, the longer your camera can continue to take photos and videos uninterrupted.
  • Trigger speed: When an animal walks in front of the motion sensor, the camera starts taking photos or videos.
  • Camera quality: The better the lens and sensors in the camera, the better the quality of your images. You don't want to go to all that trouble only to find out at home that the images are of poor quality.
  • Weather resistant: Your wildlife camera must have sturdy protection that is also water and dustproof. If your camera is not waterproof and it rains for a few days, your camera could be damaged by water damage

If we look at the Action's wildlife camera, we see that it is indeed water resistant. However, with an IP rating of IP54, the question is how intense the storm can be?

Trigger speed and distance

To photograph wild animals, you need a camera with a very fast response time. Animals sometimes move so fast that if you were to take a photo yourself it would be too late. The distance from the trigger is also important. The further away the sensors can see animals, the greater the chance that you will be able to capture an animal on camera.

During the day and at night: A world of difference

Most animals are often active at night. You are unlikely to encounter a wolf on the ice on a sunny winter afternoon. The action wildlife camera has night vision, just like the SM4-PRO. This means that both wildlife cameras can take photos and videos in the dark.

For a night vision camera it is important to have a good sensor. Just like the iris in your eye, the larger this sensor, the more you can see in the dark. With a 1.3 megapixel sensor, you can see less well in the dark than the 3 megapixel sensor that the SM4-PRO has on board.

What is an IP rating?

Products that frequently come into contact with water are tested and then receive an IP ( Ingress Protection) rating. This rating shows how much water and dust a product can handle before it collapses. Although the Action wildlife camera can withstand rain and dust, it is not completely waterproof. If there is a lot of rain, the camera may sustain water damage. The higher the IP rating, the better. That is why the SM4-PRO wildlife camera with an IP rating of 66 is protected against both violent sandstorms and powerful water jets.

WildcameraXL IP Rating Chart Waterproof Dustproof

Wild camera image quality you pay for.

You see it everywhere these days. Megapixel. But what is it actually? A megapixel is 1 million pixels per square millimeter. This means that more megapixels means you get a sharper image. 20 megapixels is not bad, but without a good sensor, it doesn't matter how many megapixels you have. You then get the quality you paid for. It is therefore important to look carefully at the specifications of your camera.

Alternatives wild camera action

Find an entry-level model that meets your specific needs. For some, a standard wildlife camera with basic functions is sufficient. The other user immediately wants to use a wildlife camera with, for example , WiFi function . However, in practice we see that most people who buy their first wildlife camera opt for a standard variant up to approximately €150. The devices that cost around €70 break down in no time and have clumsy controls and poor results.

What to look for with action wildlife camera alternatives?

Most wildlife camera users in the Netherlands indicate in our survey that they prefer to use Dutch-language devices. If this also applies to you, this is certainly something to take into account. These are quite technical terms and settings in such a wildlife camera. You don't want to run into any problems, which is why we also add Dutch manuals for all our wildlife cameras.

Our advice as an alternative to an action wildlife camera

At WildcameraXL we have a diverse range of Dutch-language wildlife cameras. We advise almost every customer of ours who has no special or special needs to start with an SM4-PRO , our entry-level model. This wildlife camera is not expensive and relatively better than most €200 wildlife cameras. Below are some recorded images from this wildlife camera.