Digital Versus Film-Based Remote Camera Systems in the Florida Keys

Remote-triggered cameras are an important tool in wildlife research and the increasing availability of digital camera technology can potentially provide researchers with additional options and benefits. We compared the performance and cost of a remote digital camera system (passive infrared) with 2 well-established remote film-based camera systems (1 passive, 1 active) in the Lower Florida Keys. During the approximately month-long study, we found that the digital system provided similar performance and potentially decreased cost compared to the film-based systems when monitoring the endangered Florida Key deer (Odocoileus virginianus clavium). Considering the benefits of passive digital camera systems (e.g., large photograph storage capacity, less equipment, easy photograph manipulation), comparable performance by the digital system to film-based systems provides motivation to consider this new and evolving technology in future wildlife research.