Skip to main content

Recommended Camera Settings (Stills)

The following guide provides a recommended starting configuration for your camera when using the Camtraptions PIR Sensor. These settings are designed to produce reliable, well-exposed results in a wide range of conditions, both day and night.

This configuration is just one example — feel free to experiment with different settings to achieve specific creative effects or adapt to particular lighting conditions.

  • Focus Mode: Set the camera to Manual Focus and pre-focus on the point where you expect the animal to appear.
  • Drive Mode: Set the camera to Single Shot mode rather than continuous drive. The sensor will automatically control the number of images and frame rate during each trigger sequence.
  • ISO Setting: Use Auto ISO so the camera can automatically adjust to changing light levels.
    • Optional: Limit the maximum ISO to around 1600 or 3200 to prevent excessive noise at night.
  • Exposure Mode: Set the camera to Manual Exposure mode.
    • Use a shutter speed of 1/200 s to avoid motion blur or ghosting.
    • Choose an aperture of around f/8 to provide sufficient depth of field and ensure the image is not overexposed in bright daylight at base ISO.
  • Image Stabilisation: If your lens includes image stabilisation (IS) or vibration reduction (VR), disable it. (These systems are unnecessary in a stationary setup.)
  • Power Saving: Enable the camera’s auto power-off function so it powers down automatically after about 30 seconds of inactivity.
  • Image Review: Turn off automatic image review after each shot to conserve battery power.
  • Flash Power:
    • Set each flash to manual power mode and adjust output to correctly expose the subject in complete darkness, based on your chosen manual exposure settings at the maximum ISO expected from Auto ISO.
    • As ambient light increases, the ISO will decrease, and the contribution from the flashes will naturally become less significant.
  • Image Format: Shoot in RAW to retain maximum flexibility for adjusting exposure and brightness during post-processing.

This setup offers a dependable baseline that balances exposure, responsiveness, and image quality. Once you have verified that your sensor and flashes are triggering reliably, you can fine-tune exposure settings, flash ratios, or ISO limits to suit your specific environment and creative goals.

Back to top