Wolfang WT02 trail camera review – at this price, this bargain camera trap sounded too good to be true, but it wasn't

It was watching the BBC's Springwatch, that spurred me into getting trail cameras for my small back garden. The TV show had shown how, with the aid of camera traps, they had shown a city householder that she had foxes, badgers and hedgehogs visiting her backyard after dark. I wondered if I could see the nocturnal wildlife in my own manor – so I bought a pair of Wolfang WT-02 trail cameras and set them to work.

They were unbelievably cheap – despite promising 4K footage and having the distinct advantage of built-in solar panels. But I didn't expect to win prizes with my footage - and didn't even know if I would record anything worthwhile – so something that proved the existence (or not) of creatures of the night in my own backyard.

Wolfang WT02: Specifications

Wolfang WT02: Price

There are plenty of cheap trail cameras to choose from at Amazon and elsewhere - but most are from companies you have never heard of. Wolfang is an exception – as DCW has tested several of its low-cost action cameras in the past, such as the WA300.

The Wolfang WT02 seems to have a recommended retail price of $69.99 / £49.99, but can regularly be found for $40 / £30 or lower, making it a staggerinly good deal.

Wolfang WT02: Design & Handling

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The Wolfgang comes really well equipped, despite its price. The solar panel is a godsend for something that you may leave for weeks out the open – and even in the UK, where sunshine is far from guaranteed, the solar panel was more than adequate to keep the unit powered up. You do have the option to install four AA cells as a back-up (and the manufacturer recommends this for cold climates) – but in my experience it was not necessary, and this definitely helps to keep down the running costs.

My unit came with a microSD card, but I have read that not all retailers provide this – but even so this is literally all you need to get yourself set up and running. It comes with a webbed strap for attaching the unit to a tree, post or gate – but there is also a multi-angle mounting arm that you can use to attach more securely to a post or building.

The unit has a built-in color screen underneath it waterproof housing, which you use for set-up. This can also be used to review your images and videos – but I found it best to download the images from the card, and review the captured footage on my laptop screen.

The menu gives you a good amount of control over your captures - the resolution, the duration of each clip and so on. One useful feature I discovered is that you can set when the trail camera was active… on its first outing I had it set up to trigger 24 hours a day, which meant during daylight hours I got lots of clips of the neighbors' cats and of passersby. Tweaking the settings so it was only functioning from dusk to dawn meant my success rate increased dramatically.

Wolfang WT02: Performance

I knew there were foxes living near me – as had seen them crossing my road early in the morning on the occasions I have to get an early train or plane. And I had also been told there there were badgers in the allotmants that back onto my small garden. I therefore set up the cameras to record the path that runs behind my back garden and the allotment.

Amazingly, on the first night I discovered that we had both badgers and foxes that passing by on their search for food. The badgers would invariably be looking for snails and other creepy crawlies by the back gate. The foxes were intrigued by the infrared light that the trail camera uses to capture its after-dark footage.

The quality of the footage - given the price of the unit - is very impressive… and you can see that for yourself from the best clips captured in the couple of months that I had the camera set up.

My one criticism is that the microphone doesn't appear to do a good job of capturing the sounds of the wildlife - even though badgers are far from quiet as they forage for snackes. And I know the sound is actually recording - as you can hear clearly the rain falling in one of the daylight clips.

Above: Sample videos of badgers captured with the Wolfang WT02

Above: sample videos of foxes shot at night with the WT02

Above: assortment of video clips shot in daylight with the Wolfang WT02

Wolfang WT02: Verdict

For the price, the Wolfgang WT02 trail camera is a bargain – and particularly so as it is self-fuelled through its integral solar panel. There are models that will give you better quality, no doubt. And there are much more expensive options, that allow you to monitor the footage remotely via your mobile phone. However, if you are someone like me, or doesn't even know if there is any interesting animals to capture, this bargain device is a great way of proving whether there is (or there isn't). And at this price, I would recommend getting two (or more!) like me, so you can have more angles covered.

Alternatives

Bushnell Prime L20 Low Glow

One of Bushnell's budget trail cameras - but the specification looks disappointing alongside the Wolfang, with 720P video and no solar panel.

Bushnell Core DS-4K No Glow

A few years old but still top of the pack for specs, the No Glow is significantly more expensive that the Wolfang with no solar panel, but does offer 4K video and 32MP stills.