Trail Camera

What is a trail camera? Find a cheap trail camera here

A trail camera is simply a surveillance camera specially designed to monitor animals. They are made to automatically "start" recording when an animal enters the frame. The special thing about trail and hunting cameras is that they typically run on batteries or solar cells, they are camouflaged, and they can film very well in the dark.

A trail camera is also called a hunting camera

Trail camera allows you to study animals

A trail camera is a sturdy and durable camera that can be hung outdoors in nature. It can withstand various types of wind and weather, allowing it to remain outdoors for longer periods at a time.

The camera is often used by hunters or by people interested in nature. Hunters can get an overview of which animals are in the area, while nature lovers have the opportunity to study wildlife.

You do not need to be a hunter or go hunting to use a hunting camera, which is why it is also called a trail camera.

Trail cameras come in many different versions. Common to them is that they are usually camouflage-colored. This makes them easy to hide in nature.

For example, it could be if you hang them in a tree, hide them in a bush, or something similar. If people walk by, it also increases the likelihood that they will not notice the camera, allowing you to keep it in peace.

7 things to look for when buying a cheap trail camera

#1 - The camera's reaction speed:

So how quickly can the camera react and start recording. Also called Trigger Speed. Different trail cameras react to combinations of heat and/or movement; if movement is detected, it starts recording an image or video.

There can be differences in whether the camera starts after 0.1 seconds or up to several seconds.

This is typically one of the factors that help determine the price of your trail camera. If, for example, you need it to record a feeding station, it does not require a camera that is particularly fast, as the animals often stay in the same place for longer periods.

However, if you have a slow camera and need to record animals in fast motion, you may end up with an SD card filled with pictures, completely without animals, or only of the animal's rear.

#2 - Settings on the camera:

How easy is it to set up and program the camera? And does it have a screen interface? Some of the cheapest trail cameras do not have a screen where you can see the settings you adjust, making it a bit more challenging, and you will need to rely much more on your manual.

Whereas the more expensive models might have a screen where you can see the settings you are adjusting, this can be a wise investment if you do not want to struggle so much with your settings.

#3 - Camera image quality:

In the past, people paid a lot of attention to Megapixels when buying a new digital camera. Today, it is entirely erroneous to believe that the number of megapixels has a direct correlation with the quality of the image.

Megapixels do, however, have one upside when talking about Trail Cameras.

It is rare that you get a close-up shot of an animal, meaning if the animal only fills 10% of the picture, and you choose to crop it, it can become quite blurry if there are not enough megapixels to work with.

If you can see sample pictures, that is of course the best, but it ultimately comes down to the optics of the camera and how much light can be captured through the lens.

- Fortunately, there is a lot of light outside, even if there is very little sun, it is still much more light than from a lamp. If it is primarily night photos, you should pay attention to what type of light the camera has.

#4 - Battery and lifespan:

Since trail cameras are always outdoors, and you likely do not have the option to run a cable out there, they rarely come with the option for hardwired power. Therefore, it is important to ensure there is enough power available, if you buy a camera with AA batteries, be sure to purchase high-quality batteries. Otherwise, you may get poorer pictures if there is not enough power for your light source.

Some trail cameras have the option to connect to a solar power bank, so they can charge during the day, this is not a perfect solution, as many will hang under tree canopies and will be quite shaded from the sun.

#5 - Type of light:

Does your new trail camera use invisible infrared flash or does it use Low Glow LED, which gives a little light. This is important for achieving the right brightness in your images. Low Glow provides a bit of low-intensity light, so it is not like a flash from a camera.

But there is still visible light that could potentially scare the animals.

Our trail cameras use infrared light. Infrared light is outside the visible spectrum and therefore cannot be seen by humans and animals but can be seen by a camera. The difference between the two lies in the color spectrum they produce.

Infrared light produces the characteristic green night images, while Low Glow provides more accurate color reproduction since it is visible light. Therefore, infrared is probably the type of light that is most popular for surveillance cameras since humans cannot see the light.

#6 - Memory card in the camera

Almost no trail cameras come with their own SD card, so you need to buy an external SD card for the camera, and it's a good idea to check whether the camera can use max 8, 16, or 32 GB cards.

Tip: Buy 2 cards, so you can switch between them when you use them.

#7 - Mounting the trail camera

It is recommended that your camera is mounted at a height of 1.5 - 2 meters and angled 5-10 degrees downward.

The downward angle allows for more animals to appear in the image at the feeding site, and it ensures that the sun does not shine directly into the lens.

Typically, early morning and late evening are the most active times, and the sun can be quite sharp during those times.

You can also use drones to follow birds and other animals in the air.

Use a hunting camera to find out where the animals are coming from

A significant part of hunting is often sitting still and waiting for the animals to pass by. This is both part of the fun of hunting and one of the things that can be so terribly frustrating about it.

Especially if your waiting time is not rewarded with an animal passing by.

If you want to get a better overview of where the various animals are coming from, it’s a good idea to set up trail cameras in the places where you hunt. This way, you can find out if it’s in the clearing, down by the river, or a completely different place that many animals come by.

This gives you a head start when you go hunting.

Although you will probably still have to wait a little bit anyway.

Learn more about animal behavior with a trail camera

If you are interested in animals and their lives in the wild, you will often find yourself spending a lot of time sitting and waiting outdoors, hoping the animals will come by.

Some animals are so shy that it can be challenging to see them, no matter how much you camouflage yourself and how quietly you sit. Therefore, it could be a good idea to set up a trail camera.

This way, with pictures from the trail/hunting camera, you can study the animals in the recordings and learn much more about them.

For example, it can be a good idea if there is a specific animal that you would like to see. There may be a otter den or a fox hole near where you live. With the camera, you can more easily get captured footage of the animals in the den and take a closer look at them.

Study the animals in the garden with a trail camera

A trail camera can also be a great opportunity for you to study the animals in your own garden. It may be birds, deer, hares, and many other types of animals.

It entirely depends on how far out in the countryside you live. Some animals are nocturnal or are most active in the early morning hours. If you are not that keen on staying up at night or waking up early in the morning, the camera can be a great help in seeing which animals pass by your garden.

If you have problems with an animal that keeps eating your trash or otherwise bothering you in your home, it is also a good idea to buy a trail camera.

With the camera, you can indeed catch the culprit on tape and thus take the necessary precautions to stop the animal.

Hunting camera can be fixed or used handheld

Many do this by securely attaching the hunting camera and then setting it to record while they enjoy themselves at home in the living room. This allows them to acquire a lot of knowledge about the nature around them without needing to sit out in it all the time.

A hunting camera does not need to be used for hunting: It is important to note that a hunting camera and a trail camera are the same.

If you would like recordings of the animals and nature or of your hunting, it can also be a good idea to use a hunting camera. You can also use it as a handheld camera, where you record with it yourself. This gives you the ability to move the camera around and follow the animal as it runs.

Trail camera can record both video and still images

It often varies whether you need video or still images when buying a trail & hunting camera. It entirely depends on what you need it for.

With video, you can observe the animals' behavior and see how they interact with each other and how they move around to find food. This is often the smartest choice for nature enthusiasts.

If you just need to confirm which animals are in the area, it can often be a good idea to use the still image function of the camera. This way, you get pictures of the animals but not video of them.