Best trail camera with night vision
When it comes to wildlife and game hunting, a trail camera with night vision is one of your best assets. Whether you hunt in the woods or the forest, you know that the animals come out in huge droves at night. This makes it the perfect time to record the animals in their natural habitat.
Doing this can be challenging if your trail camera cannot take clear pictures or videos at night. That is why getting a night vision trail camera is a good investment. They are specially adapted for nighttime, allowing you to take clearer pictures even when the natural lighting is low.
Game cameras with night vision allow you to observe the wildlife without interrupting them, giving you a better chance of identifying the game. However, there are many trail cameras with night vision, making it difficult for you to know which one you should choose. That is what this article will cover. We will look at two of the best night-vision trail camera for you.
They contain the best features in the market and will take your hunting to the next level. We will also include what you should look for when you want to buy the best trail camera for night pictures to help you narrow the field. Let’s get started!
How Do Trail Cameras Work at Night?
Before looking at the best game camera for night pictures, let us first look at what distinguishes these trail cameras from others. You might have wondered how the nighttime camera for wildlife works.
These trail cameras are specially adapted for night footage. During the day, normal game cameras use natural light to capture the surrounding areas. They work similarly to a regular smartphone or camera, manipulating the available light to produce images.
However, this light is not there at night, but these trail cameras cannot use the flash like other cameras. The white light from the flash can spook animals, causing them to run away before they can take a picture or video.
Instead, night vision trail cameras use infrared mode to capture the footage. This is a low glow light that is not as bright as the flash, which will not spook the animal. The low glow will take pictures with lower quality, and they will be black and white, but they are clear enough for you to see all the necessary details.
Another type of night vision trail cam is the no-glow trail camera. These trail cameras don't have visible light, meaning the animal will be unaware of it. They work similarly to the low glow trail cameras, only they do not feature low light.
Night vision trail cameras use what is known as PIR sensors or Passive Infrared Sensors to detect motion. They then act right away to take the picture once they feel something moving, enabling you to capture the animal before it moves away.
Choosing one of the two options is your best bet when taking photos and videos of animals at night, as they will not spook them and give you clear and distinguishable footage.
How to Choose a Night Vision Trail Camera
The abundance of trail cameras with night vision can make it hard for you to determine the best trail camera. This buyer's guide will highlight the key points you should be looking for that will help you find the best trail cam for night video.
Night Vision
A trail camera with night vision should be able to take pictures without the presence of natural light. However, it is always best to confirm that the game camera you choose can take pictures at night. Determine whether it is a low glow or a no glow night vision trail camera.
Motion or Heat Detector
The night vision game camera will not always be recording. Rather, it takes pictures when it detects movement. Other trail cams use heat detectors to sense the animal’s body heat.
Night trail cameras with PIR sensors or other motion detection modes are your best bet. The trail camera will get activated when it detects motion within its detection field. It then takes pictures of whatever triggered the detectors and stores the data. This will help you know that the night game camera will take pictures of the wildlife as soon as they are within the sensor range.
Picture and Video Quality
Although the number of megapixels might draw you to buy a certain trail camera, you should not let this affect your decision that much. Trail cameras with 720p or 1080p will work just as well and provide you with clear images that will allow you to tell all the necessary details of the animals captured.
You can confirm the quality of the pictures by looking for sample photos. There is no need to go for a trail camera with higher megapixels when one with a lower count provides you with accurate images.
Storage
Another thing to look out for when purchasing the best night vision trail camera is storage space. You don't want the camera to become too full and not take pictures for the rest of the night. Most night vision trail cameras have an SD card that stores these photos. It is better to download and transfer the pictures to another storage medium to free up the storage.
Trigger Speed
A night vision trail camera also needs to have a fast trigger speed. This refers to how fast the camera takes a picture after it detects motion. The best trail cameras with night vision should have a trigger speed of between 0.5-0.2 seconds. They should also have a fast recovery speed. This is the time it takes for the trail camera to reset before taking another picture. A fast recovery speed allows the trail camera to get accurate, progressive pictures without missing out on any important details.
Battery Life
Since your trail camera will be out all night long, you need to ensure it has a long battery life that will not die out. You should get rechargeable batteries or find one with solar packs that allow the camera to go for hours without losing power.
Best Night Vision Trail Cameras
Below is our list of the best trail cameras with night vision that you can use when hunting:
1. Bushnell 30MP CORE Trail Camera
One of the best trail cameras for night pictures is the Bushnell CORE Trail Camera. It is a lightweight, durable, high-performing camera that takes clear pictures at night. The camera comes with an inbuilt 32GB SD card for storage. It also has a trigger speed of 0.2 seconds, which allows it to capture fast-moving objects.
The CORE trail camera also has an impressive recovery speed that leaves almost no time between capturing images. Its 30mp images are also clear with 1080p HD viewing for some of the best stills you can get.
This trail camera also uses low-glow infrared lighting that enables it to capture images at night without scaring the animals away. It has different mounting options that allow for higher mounting, providing you with a wide field of view. The trail camera is also camouflaged, making it hard to detect, therefore not spooking animals away.
Pros:
- High-quality pictures
- Decent storage space
- Lightweight and durable design
- Infrared motion sensors
- Fast trigger and recovery speed
Cons:
- It has a weak battery holder
2. Camojojo LTE Trace
The Camojojo LTE Trace is one of the best trail cameras with night vision. Like the previous trail cameras, it has a 0.2 trigger speed with an admirable recovery time. It has an adjustable feature that allows you freedom with mounting and is affordable. This trail camera has AI animal recognition, weather tracking, and GPS features.
The Trace LTE trail camera also supports live streaming, allowing you to see the images and videos it captures in real time. You can see exactly what the camera is recording as it happens. If you are not around, this deer cam has an inbuilt 32GB SD card that stores footage so you can watch it when you are ready.
This night vision trail camera uses a low glow light that is activated by motion to record the animal. The glow gives it clear visibility that allows for clearer pictures, enabling you to identify different qualities of the animal, such as age and sex.
It is also easy to set up as it is powered by NFC. This gives you the freedom to program the trail camera from afar. It also sends footage of the pictures to your smartphone in real time.
Pros:
- Sends real-time footage
- 1080p picture quality
- It has three different modes that make it easy to set up and use
- Fast trigger speed
- Has a live streaming option
Cons:
- You have to download the images to be able to zoom in and out
FAQ:
Q: Why is my trail camera not taking night pictures?
A: There could be many reasons your trail camera does not take night pictures. You might not have configured it to take pictures at night, the battery could be running low, or the storage space could be full. Another reason your trail camera might not be taking pictures at night is that it lacks night vision. Ensure the trail camera you get can take pictures at night to prevent this.
Q: Why does my trail camera take black pictures at night?
A: The trail camera can take black pictures if the shutter is partially blocked. You need to ensure you have opened it fully to avoid having underexposed pictures. Another reason could be that the infrared sensor is damaged, or it does not work properly or that you have a faulty infrared filter. Check to ensure it is active before leaving your camera to prevent black pictures.