Best Trail Cam Brands in the Market and what they offer

Trail cameras (or game cams) are useful for outdoor photography where the cameraman can’t stay with the camera. They are designed to be installed on trees or poles where they take shots of moving elements within their range. Each cam model has its unique settings for capturing images.

People who need trail cameras are usually hunters, wildlife explorers, security men, and outdoor professional photographers. You don’t have to stay around while the camera takes its shots. Depending on the type of camera you’re using, you can see the timer for how long the shots between will be.

Trail cams offer various features according to their brands and function. Do you know the type of trail camera that you should be looking out for in your trail business? It’s important to define what you need it for before purchase. This article discusses the best trail cam brands in the market. It also describes the features of these cams. This will help you make a good choice of trail camera when you set out to buy one.

Types of Most Popular Trail Cam

Some of the qualities that differentiate a good camera include its ability to detect motion, focus, resolution, pixels, and the sharpness. Others include how long the battery lasts and how easy it is to set. You’ll learn about wireless cameras, security cameras, and motion activated cameras.

Wireless Cameras

Wireless cameras are grouped in two: cellular cams and wifi cams. You can almost guess the difference from the names.

Cellular Camera

A cellular camera needs a sim card and an ISP to function effectively. It takes records of images and sends them to your phone, tablet, or computer through the internet. It doesn’t need wires for connection and is very easy to install. A lot of them are motion-sensitive so they take shots when an object moves within their range of sensitivity.

The wireless feature of a cellular cam makes it a good choice for camouflaged shooting. You can install one easily almost anywhere concealed. You can also move them easily because of their portability. Whether indoor or outdoor, it’s suitable. All you need is a functional network service.

Cellular cameras have their downsides. These include the risk of being hacked since it runs on the internet. This may especially affect cams used for security purposes. They also run on battery so you need to know how much battery one consumes per time. This will help you plan for battery replacement so that you are not stranded between. If you don’t have a stable network, the camera won’t be able to send shots to your devices.

Wi-Fi Camera

This wireless camera also runs on the internet when it’s connected to a wi-fi. Connect it to the devices where you want it to send the images it captures through a wireless network. You can install them in the home environment or outdoors. They won’t interfere with the path of animals or things moving around because they have less wires.

Installing a wi-fi cam is easy, especially for people who know a bit of tech. You can easily carry it about and put it up in places where they can hardly be detected. However, you need to put in a place with strong internet connections to transfer images from it on wi-fi.

It can also be hacked through the internet. Plus, if the weather becomes unfriendly, the internet services would be marred which may render the camera inactive for the time.

Motion-Activated Camera

If you prefer to hands-off your camera during capturing or you want less manual control, pick a motion-activated cam. It detects the movement of objects within a specified range and captures them. A lot of wireless cams are motion-activated. You can use it for game tracking and wildlife photography.

If you want to capture images within restricted zones, this camera is a good shot. You can install it discreetly as long as it has a good range of detection and sensitivity. Range and sensitivity determine how good a motion-activated trail camera is.

Infrared Camera

If your record of wildlife or tracking games also happens at night, you need a camera that will not scare the game away with a white flash. Infrared cams can be red-flash IR cam or no-flash IR cam. Their sensors are designed to switch automatically between infrared capturing and off. They have a wide application in wildlife documenting and research projects.

Infrared cams have strong builds that protect them from mishandle and tamper. Installing them is easy and they can withstand rough landscapes better than most cams. However, they are expensive and may not take good shots from reflective surfaces because of their LED lights.

Flash Camera

These cameras are suitable for taking colored photos at night. It has an easy installation procedure and can be moved around conveniently. The picture quality is usually bright and crisp. However, the flash can be a game disruptor.

Perfect shots of security breaches, wildlife display or games can be disrupted with a flash from the camera. The shutter sounds also add to the disadvantage of using a flash camera for trail.

Trail Cam Features To Consider

The features of a trail cam will determine its efficiency and longevity. Those features to consider include battery life, detection zone, trigger time, and recovery time.

Battery Life

A trail cam can use both lithium battery and rechargeable battery. Lithium batteries last longer on an average scale but they also constitute unhealthy waste in the environment. With rechargeable batteries, you reduce how much non-biodegradable go into the environment.

Detection Zone

This is the entire area that is within the focus of the camera. It’s measured as a function of the angular range and distance within the view of the lens.

Trigger Time

The trigger time of the camera is how long it takes the camera to take a shot when a likely object comes into its focal range or detection zone.

Recovery Time

The camera has to store each shot that it takes and get ready for another shot. The amount of time it takes a cam to put away one pic and be ready for a new shot is the recovery time.

Night Shot Mode

Most cams can take shots at night. How these shots appear depend on the type of  shot a cam is using.

Three night shots available in cameras are white flash shots, red glow infrared, and no glow infrared. Infrared night shots appear as black and white photos while the white flash night shots appear as colored.

No glow cams are more suitable for security purposes or in a case where flashes may disrupt the activity that is under observation.

Which Brand Should You Choose

Based on the features listed above, you have a list of best trail cameras to buy. One of these cameras will suit your needs based on their quality, features, and price. As mentioned earlier, brands create their cameras with unique settings. Here’s an overview of brands and what they have to offer.

Moultrie Cellular Trail Camera | Verizon Network

Cellular trail cameras allow you to receive pictures in your cell phone or tablet as the cam takes the shots. They need functional internet coverage in any space they’re placed.

Moultrie Mobile XV7000i uses Verizon 4G network to deliver game pictures to your computer, tablet, or mobile phone. Verizon 4G network on your camera will work well with your phone not minding your current provider. You don’t need any activation fees or contracts to use the service.

This cam captures night images with its 2 sensor ILLUMI-Night. The flash is invisible and its detection zone is an 80-foot range.

Other features include a trigger speed of 0.3s and 12 AA batteries that power the camera. This means that it takes 0.3s to capture an object that moves within its detection zone.

Moultrie 2017 M-Series Game Cams

Moultrie Management Series helps you monitor prospective games and wildlife within an 80-foot distance. It offers high quality pictures with day and night pictures alike. The trigger speed is 0.3s plus it has an invisible infrared flash that captures clear images even at night. The cam also records 1080p videos without missing the associated sounds.

The battery of this trail camera can last a long time. It functions with 8AA batteries that lets you capture hours of images before there’s a need for replacement.

With Moultrie M-Series, you can scout wirelessly when you connect it with a modem. That way, you can receive the pictures on your tablet, phone or PC. The mobile field modem by Moultrie can be connected to the game camera so that you can monitor the area of your interest remotely. The modem is sold as a different package from the game cam.

See the complete list of Moultrie Mobile Waterproof Hunting Trail Cameras on this website.

Stealth Cam No-Glow Trail Camera G42NG

This trail camera has a super fast reflex that sets its trigger time at half a second. It is easy to set up and retains good visibility in night time or dim-lit areas. Stealth cam G42NG has a detection and flash range of 100 foot aided by its 42 black infrared emitters. The no-glow infrared shots produce bright, clear night photos without upsetting the target.

Suitable batteries include 8AA batteries which do not come with the cam. There’s also a 12v battery power jack to assist. The memory space can take up 32GB SD card that you need to buy and install.

The package comes with a strap so that you can attach it to trees around your vicinity.

Browning Strike Force HD 850 Trail Camera

Browning Strike Force HD 850 is small compared to other trail cameras but they present some of the best features. With a trigger speed of 0.4s and recovery time of 0.4s, the camera can record about 8 images in multi shots. Whether you’re covering an area at night or in the day, you’ll have clear images.

At night, the camera can take pictures at a detection range of 80 foot and a flash range of 120 foot. It uses the infrared LED lightning mode for night shots and has the ability to take still motions of moving objects.

Camera is powered by 6AA batteries which let you use it for hours before replacement. The external battery pack helps to extend the life span of the battery for a more efficient service.

See the complete list of Browning Trail Waterproof Hunting Trail Cameras on this website.

Stealth Cam 14.0 No-Glo Infrared Trail Camera

Stealth Cam’s No-Glo Trail Camera has a number of benefits for the wildlife explorer or game chaser. It has a Geo-Tag feature to help you track your favorite locations through GPS tagging. It comes with a tree strap to secure the camouflaged casing to a convenient position. It also has the option of a 12 volts battery box that supplies extra power to the 8AA batteries through an outer power jack. The memory space can accept a 32GB SD card.

It’s easy to set up the Stealth Cam 14.0. When installed, it takes about 0.45s to capture an object in its sensitivity range. In burst mode, it can capture as much as 9 images in one trigger with recovery time going as low as 1 min. It’s infrared emitters travel as far as 30 meters to capture clear images even in low light.

Compared to other Stealth Cams, the 14.0 trail camera is affordable if you’re on a budget.

See the complete list of Stealth Cam Waterproof Hunting Trail Cameras on this website.

Bushnell Trophy Brown Trail Camera

If power is the priority on the features you want from your trail cam, choose Bushnell Trophy Cam. This camera is built to use its 8AA batteries for a whole year (12 months) while taking an average picture of 35 during the day and 35 at night. Each image comes with a stamp of date, GPS coordinates, time, moon phase, and temperature.

With a trigger speed of 0.3s and a recovery time as low as 1s, you can capture more images and less blanks. The low-glow LEDs allow you to take clear flash pictures even at night. With the adjustable setting, you can capture up to 3 images in one trigger within 1 minute or more.

See the complete list of Bushnell Waterproof Hunting Trail Cameras on this website.

Primos Bullet Proof Trail Camera

Get a camera that is proofed and easy-to-use in Primos Bullet Proof Trail Camera. It is powered by 8AA batteries that keeps it going up to 9 months. It has a visibility range of 45ft and a trigger time of 1s. With a 32GB SD card, you have space to record more images.

Secure this camera to a tree with the adjustable strap for perfect images. Or use the plastic loop to hold it in your preferred position with a python cable. It records both video and still images though the videos are without sound.

It’s small and portable. It’s also very affordable. Whether day or night, its 14 low-glow LEDs ensure that you have amazingly clear images for surveillance or game monitoring.

See the complete list of Primos Waterproof Hunting Trail Cameras on this website.

APEMAN Trail Camera H70 Hunting Camera

This is an easy-to-use trail camera that can serve as a hunting cam, security cam and wildlife photography cam. Set up this camera with its strap or mount on a tripod in your preferred location. The settings are not complicated, plus you can operate them at conveniently at night with the lit-up buttons. If you prefer only night-mode images, you can set the timing you want with ease.

Capturing multiple images with the H70 trail cam is possible.  The time lapse function allows you to take several pictures at intervals that you can make into a video. Its infrared low-glow LEDs detect and capture images up to 65ft. The lights do not intrude on the activities of night games, plus the camera has a trigger speed that you can set at 0.2s.

With 8AA batteries, rechargeable batteries, or external power supply, you can keep this camera running throughout your game scouting session. You can also insert a 32GB SD card for memory as the H70 comes with a 16GB SD card.

See the complete list of Apeman Waterproof Hunting Trail Cameras on this website.

Campark T40 Trail Surveillance Camera

Another trail camera that is suitable for property surveillance and hunting trail. It captures clear images in the day time and night. It boasts of a 120 degrees sensitivity angle with a 75ft night vision range. The box is built to resist water and dust infiltration.

With a trigger speed of 0.5s, the T40 trail cam is able to capture 3 images at once even through motion detection. It offers a time stamp on the images plus it’s easy to mount with its strap or metal disk that is adjustable. It uses 8AA batteries that last up to 8 months in idle mode while also accepting external batteries.

Whether you’re getting a trail cam for security or for wildlife photography, or for hunting, Campark’s T40 captures the moment and saves in your SD card which you can move to your computer for full view. When the memory is full, it doesn’t overwrite existing images. It simply stops recording.

See the complete list of Campark Waterproof Hunting Trail Cameras on this website.

Hunting cameras hold a lot of benefits for hunters and non-hunters. For hunters, learning how their target game behaves before setting out for the expedition is very essential. With a hunting camera, you can give yourself the opportunity to interact with the behavior of your target and plan your approach. If you’re planning a hunting expedition, the list above will help you choose the right camera for your expedition so that you are not taken unaware.

If you love hunting or suspect some strange activity in your vicinity, you should get a trail camera. There are a lot of them available in today’s market. You can get them for as low as $95 while some can cost up to $200. Check the features of the cam you want to get before purchase.

For security trail cams, you should consider a wireless cam. With that you can receive live updates of shots taken on your phone, PC, or tablet. Some have their own internet providers while others need a modem to manage them.

Think about the area you want to cover with your cam and get one that is within your detection and flash range. Battery life is a detail you can’t neglect. Get a backup, if possible. The last thing you want is your camera going off in the middle of a coverage. If you find anything confusing, consult your user manual.

Checkout the Best Waterproof Hunting Trail Cameras available on this website.