'I snap them up' award-winning wildlife photographer explains why he
collects second-hand DSLRs for his unique 'Camtraptions' devices, and why
they are a better choice over modern mirrorless cameras

Date:
Sat, 25 Apr 2026 11:00:00 +0000

Description:
The winner of this year's Sony World Photography Award Wildlife category explains why old DSLRs are choice gear for camera trap wildlife photography

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Tech Radar Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Become a Member in Seconds Unlock instant access to exclusive member
features. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting
your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. You are now subscribed Your newsletter sign-up was successful Join the club Get full access to premium articles, exclusive features and a growing list of member rewards. Explore An account already exists for this email address, please log in. Subscribe to our newsletter I was delighted to interview top wildlife photographer Will Burrard-Lucas at this year's Sony World Photography Awards , after he scooped the top Wildlife Category prize for his 'Crossing Point' series.

His stunning and highly detailed photos were captured over a 6-month period and provided vital data on Kenya's iconic Masai Mara National Park's wildlife to local agencies. The park's rangers were stunned by some of the
discoveries, all captured using Burrard-Lucas' unique, self-developed camera trap system. As a camera nerd, I was especially keen to understand his camera setup and how he went about capturing the photos, which are now very much in the spotlight since the SWPA 2026 awards. Article continues below You may
like How a SWPA 2026 winner used old Canon DSLRs and camera traps to take stunning wildlife shots Best wildlife photography camera 2025: top cameras
for capturing nature, tested and rated The best mirrorless cameras, based on in-depth testing What Burrard-Lucas shared with me was fascinating, and also goes to show that there can very much be life left in old camera gear yet. 'Where a lot of mirrorless cameras fall down' You might expect the series to have been captured with one of the best mirrorless cameras . Burrard-Lucas does indeed primarily use Sony gear for wildlife photography in the field. However, for his remote camera traps used in this winning series, his gear choices were altogether different.

Burrard-Lucas' camera traps are based on his own ' Camtraptions ' devices, specifically a highly advanced motion sensor for wired or wireless operation. He wirelessly paired the motion sensor with a full-frame Canon EOS 6D DSLR camera (fitted with a 35mm lens). That's right, a 14-year-old, enthusiast-level DSLR.

Given their age, and like most of the best DSLRs , you can only pick up EOS 6D's second-hand now, with 'excellent condition' models costing around $400 / 350 at leading retailers. Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from
us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

The fact that these old DSLRs are low-cost is part of the appeal for Burrard-Lucas, because of the number of camera traps he sets up and the harsh environments he typically works in there's a real cost to performance consideration. He told me he needed affordable, "reliable and robust" gear with excellent low-light image quality, and the EOS 6D fit the bill. Image 1 of 3 Wildlife photographer Will Burrard-Lucas standing by his SWPA 2026-winning images at the contest's exhibition in Somerset House, London (Image credit: Future / Tim Coleman) And a selection of images from his 'Crossing Point' series (Image credit: Will Burrard-Lucas) And his DSLR camera of choice, the Canon EOS 6D Even so, there's actually a technical advantage to older DSLRs. Good lighting was crucial to the series, especially since many of the species being tracked are typically nocturnal and shy, such as rhinos, so Burrard-Lucas needed to use flash.

Burrard-Lucas told me, "Any old DSLR camera works really well in the camera trap setup it [the camera] needs to work well with flash, which is where a lot of mirrorless cameras fall down." What to read next 'It is never just a photo' how these stunning Iberian Lynx photos are aiding conservation work NASA's stunning new 'Earthset' photo was shot on an ancient Nikon DSLR
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The composition you see in his 'Crossing Point' series was decided at the beginning, with the motion sensor positioned to trigger the camera when the animal walked into the specific part of the frame (which Burrard-Lucas manually focused the camera's lens on), and the camera remotely triggered three flash guns to illuminate the subject and immediate lush surroundings.

Given that composition and focus are selected ahead of time, there was little need for Burrard-Lucas to pick a top-spec camera with leading burst shooting speeds and autofocus performance. His gear choice was determined by image quality requirements, reliability, and affordability, and the EOS 6D was his pick.

Burrard-Lucas regularly works using camera traps, and they are positioned where they are at risk of damage from wildlife. Therefore, he told me that whenever he sees cheap "old secondhand DSLRs, I snap them up".

Any old DSLR camera works really well in the camera trap setup it [the camera] needs to work well with flash, which is where a lot of mirrorless cameras fall down. Will Burrard-Lucas When I asked about his use of camera traps, Burrard-Lucas said, "for nocturnal creatures, there's nothing better than camera traps, because really it comes down to lighting.

"For these elusive animals, a photographer could wait 12 hours, but you can't wait four months, so it's the only practical way when you've got this defined focal point."

I've decided to give Burrard-Lucas' camera trap system a go for myself, and
he advised me, "It's super easy, and so many people are making new use of their old DSLR camera. You don't need a lot of additional kit; the sensor, a single flash to start with, keep things simple and leave it out for a few nights."

Burrard-Lucas sells every item needed for his photo award-winning system except for the camera itself on his Camtraptions website , where you will
also find a much more detailed how-to.

I can't say I'll be photographing anything as exciting as a rhino or a leopard, but it'll be great to dust off my old Nikon DSLR and give it a new purpose, and I can't wait to see what sort of nocturnal wildlife visits my countryside garden. Hopefully, I'll share some of the best photos soon.

You can see more of the 'Crossing Point' project photos at the World Photo Organisation website . Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds.



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