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Featuring Improvements better that the A3:
Order multiple cameras to receive free shipping and four cameras for a discount (free shipping is for USA customers)
This camera DOES NOT come with a micro USB cord
Trailcampro Note: We test hundreds of cameras from established manufacturers every year. We also constantly search for new products and technology, but rarely find anything that excites us. That is, until this year. During one of my web scouring sessions, I came across the Garde Pro A3. I recognized its case design and almost dismissed it immediately. Fortunately, I continued to dig down and found several quality images which caused me to order one anonymously.
Our initial testing of the A3 surprised us all. The Garde Pro A3 is a sub $70 trail camera that outperforms cameras costing twice as much. Although it's not the fastest camera, it has 1st class battery life and captures some of the best images and videos we've seen. In fact, it won our latest Flash Range Shootout. The design is simple but has proven to be durable. It's the only sub $100 camera we have ever backed with our exclusive No-Hassle 90-day returns & 2-year warranty. We have been pleasantly surprised and think you will be too - We Guarantee It!
The Gardepro A3 is in uncharted territory for us as it is the first sub-$99 trail camera we have ever recommended. This camera shocked us when it won our 2022 Flash Range Shootout and continued to impress with 18 month projected battery life, excellent day + night photos and easy setup. The 1 second trigger speed is slow by modern standards, but if trigger speed isn't at the top of your needs list, the A3 delivers on all other fronts. - TCP Staff
Model # A3
Trailcampro Comprehensive Score:
89/100
Pros
Cons
Photo resolution: 32 mpxl (interpolated)
Video resolution: 1920x1080 (30 fps)
Video coding format: MP4 or MOV
Flash Type: No glow IR
For such an inexpensive trail camera, the Gardepro A3 really delivers fantastic picture quality. Day pictures have solid color and clarity, but the A3 really stands out in the night picture category. The night photos are exceptionally bright, as evidenced by the 1st place showing in our 2022 Flash Range Test, and have good clarity. We have seen some blurring on moving animals at night, but not a concerning amount.
Videos might be even better than the photos. These aren't top of the line videos, but they are really impressive for the price. Night videos have massive flash range. Both day and night videos have great audio, as displayed in the sample videos below.
What if you purchase from us and aren't happy with the image quality?
This is a common question and we have a very simple solution. Call, email, or chat with us and we can take a look at the images and offer suggestions or immediately tell if something is wrong with the Gardepro A3 trail and game camera. If so, we will warranty the camera for you (with the free 2-Year warranty you receive from us) or return the camera for a full refund (within 90 days of purchase). You have control of the process, remember, we work for you.
Megapixel Ratings:
In the past, many people get confused with the megapixel rating trail camera manufacturers advertise. Companies inflate the mpxl rating to attract eyes to their products. They do this through interpolation, which digitally adds megapixels to a photo without actually improving the picture.
The best way to judge picture quality is to look at actual pictures. You will notice this the most when you zoom in on a full-size image that a camera has taken. The details of the photo will appear hazy or even digitized. This is normal, and to be expected.
Picture & Video Resting Power (on): 0.67 mW
Picture Daytime/Nighttime Power Consumption: 1.9 Ws | 3.0 Ws
Video Daytime/Nighttime Power Consumption: 15.7 Ws | 30.7 Ws
Picture Mode
If this camera were to take 35-day and 35-night pictures every 24 hours, the Gardepro A3 trail camera would last 18.9 months in the field on a set of 8 AA lithium batteries. This is extremely impressive.
Video Mode
If this camera were to take 15-day and 15-night videos (10-second videos) every 24 hours, it would last 5.7 months in the field on a set of lithium batteries. This is absolutely outstanding as video battery life is normally hard to come by.
Picture Trigger & Recovery Speed: 1.04 s. | 2.0 s.
Video Trigger & Recovery Speed: 1.39 s. | 2.5 s.
Detection Range & Angle: 100 ft. @ 44.6° detection angle (53.9°)
Trigger speed is slow but the recovery is moderately fast. Video trigger is even a bit slower than trigger speed but not by much. The detection range is outstanding and the detection angle and field of view are both more than adequate. This camera did outstanding in our 2022 Detection Shootout.
Dimensions: 6" x 4.5" x 3"
Battery Type: 8 AA (we recommend Lithium, it will work with nimh rechargeable)
External Battery Jack: 12-volt
SD Card: Up to 512GB
This camera DOES NOT come with a micro USB cord
Case Design
The Gardepro has a bit of an old school case design with two small wire frame latches that open and close the camera. The latches flare out at the ends to make them fairly easy to open/close. The camera has a tripod mount on the bottom of the case but it does not have a built-in python bracket, so, you can only lock the camera with a security case.
The batteries are snuggly held in a covered battery compartment on the inside of the camera. The camera has a super handy internal viewer that allows for picture viewing and for easy programming.
Camera Setup
Programming is done on the internal picture viewer and the screen makes reading all the options incredibly easy. It has all the popular options like hybrid mode, photo burst, pir sensitivity, timelapse, and programmable start/stop time. Overall, the set up is very easy and intuitive.
Durability
We have no current concerns over durability and expect the Gardepro A3 to last 2-3 years in the field. As this is a new camera for us, we will keep a close eye on warranty rates and update this review if anything changes.
Keep in mind, our 2-year warranty program is your free insurance program in case something goes wrong with a camera you purchase from us. This warranty protects you from any manufacturing defect the camera might experience for two years.
Since 2005, our mission has to been to provide consumers with unbeatable value, advice you can trust, and customer service that exceeds expectations. There are plenty of places you can choose to do business with, if we are lucky enough to earn your support, we promise to give you our undivided attention. Trailcampro has grown each year not only by relying on your happiness but on the assumption that if we blow you away with customer service, you will brag about us to your friends (have you seen our referral/reward program?).
As always, if you have additional questions, feel free to call, email or chat with us. We look forward to helping you find your next trail camera!
Enjoy our reviews? Please consider purchasing your next trail camera from us.
Q: Will this trail camera trigger on small animals (birds, rodents, etc.)?
A: Trail cameras detect on a combination of heat and movement, so, yes, small mammals will trigger the camera. However, if you are going after smaller warm-blooded mammals, we recommend getting the camera closer to your target. For best performance, place the camera in an area that would enable picture detection from 3 - 20 ft.
Q: Can animals see the infrared flash on this camera?
A: This is somewhat controversial. Humans can't see the flash as the nanometer spectrum is above what the human eye can detect. It's also much harder for an animal to see, but that could depend on the species of animal as different species see in different light spectrums.
Q: Where can I purchase this camera?
A: From us! We hope to woo you with our incredible charm, two-year warranty, 90-day returns, free continental U.S. shipping, and technical expertise.
Seriously, though, we know you have plenty of options of where to spend your hard-earned money. The internet can be the wild, wild, west of too-good-to-be-true deals. If you choose to do business with us, we will go out of our way to make sure you are happy with the camera you select and the service we provide you.
We are passionate about testing and reviewing trail cameras, but most importantly, we are passionate about treating our customers the right way. We do things differently from what you have come to expect from other internet retailers and we hope you give us the opportunity to prove that to you.
Read Reviews From All the Game and Trail Cameras
Overall rating: 4.432099 / 5 from 81 reviews.
The Gardepro A3 trail camera offers impressive picture and video quality, easy setup, and outstanding battery life, making it a great value for its price. It excels in night photography and video capture, though it has a slower trigger speed. Customers appreciate its durability and the warranty provided.
Review topics: ["performance","quality","design","issues","setup","instructions","value","price","set","service","feature","camera","pictures","videos","trigger speed","cam","buy","batteries","screen","battery life","audio","menu","vids","microphone","clarity","browning","animals"].
"Great camera for the money. The slightly slower trigger speed is noticeable when compared to more expensive cameras. The range of the camera for triggering and flash is as good or better than much more expensive cameras. The picture quality is good and the video is very good. The combination of pictures followed by video is a very desirable feature that works great. If it triggered a little faster and used 6 rather than 8 batteries it would get 6 stars."
"The Gardepro trail cameras are great. I hung four of the cameras at a remote property in North Carolina to use for security. My only concern is I had to "hide" the cameras well on my remote property as there are no security boxes or locking cables that fit the camera for installation leaving the camera open to sticky fingered thieves if found. Other than that, great camera at a reasonable price."
"I am overly impressed with these cameras. i was a bit hesitant because of the price. I took a gamble and purchased one. After using it in the field for about a month, i purchased 2 more. I am now the proud owner of 5 of these cameras and will be buying more next spring/summer. I highly recommend this camera."
"good so far. if shows reliable I will buy more"
"Very good camera Well pleased with quality of vids and pics. Would buy another one !"
"For the price point this is a very good camera. Color saturation is not as good as my other cameras but the other cameras cost twice or three times as much. Video quality is good despite color saturation being an -A. Night videos are also very good. I would buy this camera over and over again. You cant beat it for the price. I think it has a better battery compartment and overall a better design than most other cameras. Setup was super easy."
"The case seems delicate and plastic. You have to fumble a bit the dual clasps to open and close the claim shell. However, the picture and video performance is quite good for this budget camera."
"Easy to use. So affordable we were able to get four cameras. We got them to see what critters were visiting our property...and got some great photos of human intruders. And moose, of course (Alaska). Anyway, video and photos are very clear. Even got the sound of the intruder receiving the phone call from his buddies at the top of the driveway when I arrived. Was able to give a very clear photo to the troopers."
"So far happy with with the gardepro camera have only used on video but find it very clear cannot really comment on much else for only had out a few weeks. only con may see is the casket seal of camera for sometimes comes out when open camera so hopefully no issues in bad weather."
"The picture quality is very good. Night video can be a little overexposed and audio can be hit or miss but, for the money, this is a terrific wildlife corridor research camera. Very easy to use. I highly recommend it."
