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What is a trail camera?
Trail cameras have been around for some time now, and there are cameras for all budgets and uses. Whether it’s for the keen wildlife follower, hunter or as security camera.
The list of features below will help you understand what is a trail camera.
It’s a great feeling to capture a buck during the hunting season or to see what wildlife lurk around your local woods.
This guide will give you a comprehensive overview of all the main features found on the cameras available to buy today, and provide you with an informed opinion when making a purchase, so you’ll soon be capturing those great wildlife pictures in no time.
How do trail cameras detect motion?
Trail camera detection circuits
The trail camera detection circuit has 3 key points to consider:
- Trigger time
- Recovery time
- Detection zone
Trail camera trigger time
Trigger time is the speed the camera takes from the moment it detects movement to the time it takes the picture. A fast trigger time will mean less “tail end” shots as I call them, plus less blurred pictures in some cases.
Recovery time
As soon as the trail camera has taken its 1st picture, the time it takes to store the picture to a memory card and be ready to take the next picture is the recovery time. The faster it is, the more images you’ll have of game animals.
How far do trail cameras work?
Trigger speed and recovery time are both very important to consider when choosing a trail camera.
The trigger speed is the time it takes for the shutter to open inside the camera after the motion sensor has detected movement. The trigger speed for cameras may vary from 0.1 seconds to 4 seconds.
Some of the budget trail camera specifications may advertise sub 1 second, which sounds fast, but compared a speed of 0.3 it could mean the difference between a blurry image of a deer or a clear picture showing you the detail of the antlers.
The quicker the trigger speed the better chance it has to capture those fast moving bucks during the rutting season or a bobcat leaping over a tree trunk. The trigger speed is less important when the camera is placed next to a food plot or deer scrapes.
Recovery time measures how long it takes for the camera to reset and be ready to take the following picture.
The recovery time may vary greatly between different makes and models. If your aiming to capture fast moving game wildlife then a fast recovery time is essential.
Some cameras offer a burst mode where upon detection will take 3 or more pictures in rapid succession. It’s less critical if you are taking pictures in front of static feeders.
Often described by manufacturers as detection range. There are 2 factors to consider. The range is the distance measured directly in front of the game camera. The detection angle is the field of view.
Trail camera detection zone
Some cameras have a field of view detection zone of up to an impressive 120 degrees. The larger field of view detection zones are ideal for placing in a field, where a wide area needs to be covered. Less important in a wooded area or forest.
The best trail camera detection range depends on the area in which you’d like to scout for game animals, whether its a forest, feeding plot or deer scrape.
How long do batteries last in a trail camera?
When choosing a trail camera, the cameras battery life is a big consideration. Put simply you need to know how long the game camera will be able to operate and the number of pictures you can expect to take.
Most trail cameras will take AA size batteries so I will focus on the 3 main types that are available in AA battery form.
The climate and conditions where the camera is located will affect the battery life. Temperature below freezing will limit the lifetime of some of the battery types.
There are 3 battery types to consider for your trail camera. Here I will outline the pros and cons for each type of battery.
Lithium Batteries
Lithium batteries are a great choice for trail cameras. They give a consistent power output compared to other types. This means performance is consistent with flash range and brightness. Once they are fully discharged they will stop powering the camera almost immediately.
They also have the longest life span out of the 3 battery types I have listed here. The downside is the cost. Lithium batteries are the most expensive to purchase but this is offset by the longevity given from them.
The big added bonus to lithium batteries is that that will work in temperatures upto -40 C.
Standard Alkaline
This has to be the most used AA battery type today. They are readily available in almost every retail store and will run your trail camera if you are short on options.
The big plus to standard alkaline batteries is the initial cost. Although in the long run they may not be the best option for your wallet.
The big disadvantage with alkaline batteries is they drain quickly in cold weather. This is due to the chemical reactions slowing down when temperatures drop below freezing. The colder it gets the quicker the batteries will drain.
Unlike lithium batteries that will output a consistent voltage and then suddenly die. Alkaline batteries slowly drop in voltage output. This affects the flash range and detection distance as they supply less power to the cameras circuit.
NIMH rechargeable
Cost savings is the first major benefit of NIMH batteries. The technology of rechargeable batteries has come a long way, and typically most will allow a full recharge at over a 1000 times.
They do have a lower output, generally around 1.2V, however this is offset by the fact they contain twice the capacity of most alkaline batteries when fully charged.
Cold weather does not affect them in the same way as alkaline batteries, and they will hold up well even when the mercury drops down into single figures.
The disadvantage with NIMH batteries is they self discharge at a constant rate, even when the camera is on standby.
The other major consideration is low voltage output. Some cameras will not run on NIMH batteries due to a 20% lower voltage output compared to alkaline.
Always check with the trail camera manufacturer to see if they are compatible before purchase.
How do trail cameras take pictures?
Let’s have a look at how do trail cameras take pictures? and what factors affect the quality of images.
Image quality is defined by 2 factors. The size of the image sensor, which is measured in megapixels (MP) and the quality of the lens.
The higher the number of megapixels (MB) generally means a better picture. This is due to the amount of light hitting the sensor. The more pixels, the more light it receives, so the more detail and better colour clarity, generally speaking.
When it comes to trail cameras. Any camera over 5MP will achieve reasonable results. The manufacturers of trail cameras are coy about how many actual megapixels are used by the image sensor.
Some specs may say 16MP when actually its 8MP. This is due to sensor adding pixels by interpolation inside the camera, thus doubling the pixel count to 16MP.
This is by no means a bad thing, as the interpolation is done prior to compression. So the end result it still better picture quality.
The other factor is the lens quality. Unfortunately most trail camera manufacturers are again coy about releasing specifications of the lens.
At the end of the day, the only true way to tell what the quality of the pictures and video are like is to look at examples of images taken with a game camera.
Most manufactures, for example Browning provide galleries on their website showcasing the images they have captured for each of their cameras in the range. Plus there are lots of Youtube videos showing the quality of game cameras.
In summary, I would always go for a trail camera that has a decent size sensor, of 8MP and above. Some trail cameras with a higher MP size may not have some of the features that would suit overall your ideal working environment.
Such as a longer battery life in cold climates etc. Therefore, look at the trail camera specification as a whole, plus the data storage capacity of the SD card slot
Find other examples of images that people have achieved with the camera of your choice before making purchase.
Do trail cameras have a flash?
Modern trail cameras have 3 types of flash for illuminating pictures at night. White flash, low glow (Red glow) and No glow (black IR). All have advantages and disadvantages.
I will talk about each and give you an overview of which is the best night time trail camera for each situation.
White flash
White flash is basically the same as the flash on your DSLR camera or mobile phone. It will light up an area with white light, giving colour pictures at night time.
The pictures will be great quality if you have set the camera far enough back from a trail or target area to avoid burning out detail.
The downside to this type of flash is that, in most cases it will scare animals away. You’ll get only a single image, instead of behavior patterns with multiple video and images. This flash type will also tell the whole world in that area, a trail camera is set up.
Not ideal if there’s other hunters about. If your a conservationist and need the best detail possible, white flash makes a great choice.
What is a no glow trail camera
First of all I’ll talk about “low glow” or “red glow” as it will make more sense as to what is a no glow trail camera.
Low Glow (red glow IR)
The low glow or red glow, emit a red glow that is only noticeable if you look directly at the camera when its triggered.
This won’t scare game animals away in most cases and will provide decent quality pictures, albeit in black and white. Low glow is usually the best choice to go for if your a hunter.
No glow (black IR)
These LED emitters won’t be seen at all. Images have less detail at a distance compared to low glow emitters. Within 25 feet, however there is little difference.
If your concerned that your trail camera will be spotted at all, then this is the type of flash you should choose.
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