You have to know how to pick a trail camera because the variations among the different brands is massive. You can’t be gullible because not all trail cameras can do what they promise they can do.
Some of the newer trail cameras come out packed with a ridiculous amount of features that many hunters could care less about. So before you buy your next camera, find out about important things such as trigger speed, the battery life of the camera, and whether it’s a low glow camera or not.
Which features are important to you?
When you do research on how to pick the best trail cameras, you’ll quickly realize that the most expensive, most feature-full game cameras are not necessarily the best ones.
Price too is an important aspect when it comes to actually buying a trail camera. The Bushnell Trophy Cam (pictured above) is a top brand and they have some expensive trail cameras like this one compared to a brand such as the Kufa Mini Trail Camera where you can pick up a trail camera for under $50.
Some of the things people look at when deciding on a good, serviceable trail camera:
Camouflage
Wild animals shy away from odd-looking, shiny, unnatural-looking objects that look out of place. It’s always a good idea to pick a trail camera with a camouflaged pattern and that blends in with the natural surroundings.
Photo and Video quality
Hunters have different photo quality requirements. Some want crystal clear pics while others just want to be able to identify the wildlife on their property. There’s a trail camera to suit every requirement.
Check out the photo resolution as the more megapixels your camera has, the clearer and sharper the image.
Wireless capability
If you want to send pictures to your computer or phone, it will be important to choose a camera with wireless features.
These trail cameras will send an MMS message to your phone, providing you with feedback on activities in your specific area. The camera sends pictures through a 3G or 4G cellular mobile network.
Flash Mode
You’ll discover that a trial camera comes in 3 options – white flash, no glow, or low glow, and white flash.
Choosing a no glow trail camera is considered the best choice as it has the least amount of impact on wildlife. With this kind of trail camera, you will be able to track and capture pics of those more reclusive kinds of animals such as owls and some deer as no light gives away the presence of a camera.
Video resolution
The normal resolution is 720p but for quality footage, some hunters or nature lovers look for superb footage with 1080p resolution.
Shutter speed
The standard shutter speed is 0.5 seconds, but for some flighty animals that might not be fast enough, so some hunters specifically look for a shutter speed of 0.2 seconds or even less.
Detection range
While 80 feet is considered the average distance, these days going for 100 feet is sought after as these trail cameras detect motion at greater distances and therefore collect more information.
Professional and entry-level trail cams are available
It can be fun and exciting knowing how to pick a trail camera these days. There is an extensive range of both professional and entry-level models available.
Whether cheap or expensive, you will be able to choose a reliable camera known for its durability, its effectiveness, its quality, and all the right features.
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