Trail cameras, action cams, and security devices are easy to use and within most people’s price range, and they do a good job in a variety of locations. That might be for personal entertainment, wildlife management and protection, hunting, or security, but because we’re just taking snapshots in time (videos or stills) the equipment doesn’t need to be anywhere near as expensive. Most of us want time-lapse to capture plants, animals, or people over an extended period. We’ve all seen the results of clever time-lapse effects at the movies, but that gear costs thousands of dollars. If you’re a professional filmmaker or videographer, you’ll have specialist equipment, plus software for post-production. Key considerations What do you want a time-lapse camera to do?

With action cams, you need a monopod or tripod mount. Security cameras usually come with mounting kits for walls, fences, or steelwork. Trail cameras can be fitted to trees or posts.

For clear images, you need some kind of stable platform.

Camera time lapse tool