NatureSpy Helarctos Solar Trail Camera

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Helarctos Solar WiFi Wildlife Camera

Over a year in the making, the sun has finally come up on our latest wildlife camera - the Helarctos. 

Helarctos means 'sun bear', and is part of our bear series of trail cameras, for the bear in the NatureSpy logo - the other camera being our popular budget Ursus Trail Camera. 

Why sun bear? The Helarctos is the first NatureSpy camera that can run off solar power - with its built-in solar roof. It has 2x internal high capacity lithium batteries and a extremely power efficient circuit which means it can run and run, sustainably - with no more changing batteries.

Video recording is 4K, day and night, at 30fps - with great results. 

We've specially designed the casing and LEDs to give balanced IR lighting at night, without any halo effect. Oh and those LEDs are power efficient, long range LEDs too.

You can also connect via smartphone to the camera's local WiFi connection to change settings and view and download footage, when within 25-30ft of the camera. Perfect if its up a tree or on a river bank (or you're just feeling a bit lazy!).

The casing is IP66 weatherproof - so it can withstand the toughest of conditions, no problem. We tested the Helarctos for over a year in exposed conditions in the Scottish Highlands to make sure it does the job.

In a nutshell, the Helarctos packs in a solar panel, internal batteries, 4K video, great image quality and a robust case with focused long-rage LEDs whilst doing what we're here to do - try our utmost to keep the price as low as possible.

Watch in action

Max res: 4K (30fps day, 30fps night)    Max length: 180 secs day, 180 secs night
Trigger speed: about 0.6 seconds    Recovery time: about 0.8 seconds

After over 10 years in the business, we know how important video quality is - whether its for hedgehogs in the back garden or production companies working on the next big nature documentary. We get that the best detail in your videos is what you're looking for. With that in mind, the Helarctos is capable of full 4K video, at 30 frames per second, day and night. The camera can also take 2.7k and 1080p quality, if preferred. Take a look at some of the real-world examples in the video below (make sure the quality is turned to full);

Video quality was the focus, but audio is important too - we wanted to make sure you could hear the quietest and loudest sounds made by passing wildlife without too much compromise.

Photo quality comes naturally - up to 48MP (interpolated) and 3 choices of shutter speed mean you're in control. We recommend 8-12M for the best results.

Speed and detection

Trigger speed: approx. 0.5s (photos), 0.6s (videos)    Recovery speed 0.8s
Detection range: approx. 65ft    LED type: Low-Glow LEDs

Speed and detection is important - if a wildlife camera can't do this well, there is little point in trying. Photo triggers are always faster than video due to the different amounts of data, and a 4K video camera does have to work quite hard - so we've got the trigger down as much as we possibly can without compromising the video quality.

If you're after a cheetah on the savannah, you may want to look at a faster trail camera - but for the vast majority of uses, the Helarctos is plenty fast enough.

 These are also the real speeds of the camera - not exaggerated or inflated as you may see on other sites. 

Build quality & batteries

Warranty: 2 years (through NatureSpy)
Batteries: Internal Lithium Rechargeable    Backup batteries: 4x AA (Lithium or Alkaline)

Finally, a trail camera where batteries are not a problem. No more shelling out every few months, or accidentally burning through a set quickly because a mouse spent all night dancing in front of your camera. 

The solar panel and internal 4400mAh lithium battery mean your camera can run and run. And run. Seriously - during pre-production testing, we had cameras out for over a year that had taken over 1,000 videos and still showed 100% battery. Just a little sun is all that is required. 

Of course - if you're camera is taking hundreds of videos each night, you may need to supplementarily charge your camera, or consider using 4x AA backup batteries to keep it going whilst the solar recharges the internal battery.

With all NatureSpy products, reliability is super important to us. The case is IP66 rated, which means it can withstand all manner of weather without compromising performance. The camera can be used in a Scottish glen, English country garden, Argentinian ranch or central African rainforest without concern.

It can be strapped up easily with the supplied nylon-webbed strap, and it still has built-in loops for securing it with a Masterlock Python Cable lock. 

There is a tripod mount at the back of the camera, which is compatible with all standard tripods and our MiniPod.

We supply the Helarctos Trail Camera with a 2 year warranty in the UK.

Ease of use

After 10 years, we've had every question on how to use, setup, and navigate trail cameras. Being able to set up easily whilst also having the features you want is important.

The Helarctos Solar prompts you to set up the date and time on first use - so its done without having to find your way to the setting straight away. We spent time writing and re-writing the manual to make sure it had all the information required, in plain English. 

It has a large colour screen and even a local WiFi connection so you can quickly and easily connect without pressing any buttons or switches via your smartphone.

The tripod mount on the back also means its straightforward to mount on our MiniPod or other standard tripod.