While most trail cameras excel in image capturing, more emphasis is now being placed on video quality. Videos offer the advantage of sound, allow you to study movement patterns, and give a more real-life feel of the target in view. The ideal trail camera for video should be highly durable, come with sound support, should feature excellent controls, and record high quality, glitch-free videos both in the day and at night.
Best Trail Cameras for Video
To help you save some shopping time, we have compiled a list of our top five trail cameras especially suited to recording videos, so you can make the right choice quickly.
1. Victure Trail Game Camera
First, on our list, the Victure trail camera comes with a powerful 20 MP camera and records 1080P HD videos with sound, over a wide detection angle. It boasts of superior weatherproof performance, infrared illumination for night vision, and excellent controls. With a 0.3-second trigger speed, motion detection, and high-speed recovery, no action whether in the day or at night, will escape its lens.
- Excellent video and image quality with sound.
- Superior weatherproof performance and night vision.
- Affordable and highly ergonomic.
2. Bushnell 30MP CORE Trail Camera
The Bushnell CORE packs a punch with its most-powerful 30 MP camera for crisp images and records HD 1080P videos at up to 60 frames per second for smooth quality. It boasts of a super-fast 0.2-second trigger speed, an 80 ft. detection range, and yields full, high-quality videos both in the day and at night. It features a durable, camouflage design and up to 1 year of battery life.
- Superb video and image quality with day/night function.
- Quick trigger speed and great detection range.
- Long battery life with durable, camouflage design.
3. Meidase 20MP 1080P Game Camera
The Meidase Game Camera comes with a powerful 20 MP camera and records H.264 1080p HD videos at 30 fps and in mp4 format. It sports an ultra-fast 0.1-second trigger time, impressive detection range, and excellent night vision with IR illumination. It also boasts of excellent controls, a user-friendly interface, a durable design, long battery life, and different shooting modes.
- High-quality videos and images.
- Quick trigger time, long-range detection, and night vision.
- User-friendly controls and durable design.
4. Campark WiFi 1296P Hunting Game Camera
This gadget from Campark is a top-notch high definition trail camera that comes with a powerful 20 MP camera for the best images and superior 1296P video quality with sound. It features Wi-Fi connectivity for remote control, infrared illumination, and will catch anything within 65 ft. of its detector. A durable, waterproof casing ensures optimum performance in all weather, and it includes extra accessories for installation and use.
- High definition videos and images with excellent low-light performance.
- Impressive range and extra accessories included.
- Wi-Fi connectivity and easy control via the app.
5. Stealth Cam G45NGMAX
With a very powerful 26 MP camera and up to 3-minute long 1080P videos, the Stealth Cam G45NGMAX is truly a beast. It boasts of excellent night vision with IR illumination, fast 0.4-second trigger speed, and blur reduction for the best images of even fast-moving targets. It also features a highly durable, camouflage design for the best stealth performance.
- Superb video and image quality.
- IR illumination, quick trigger speed, and blur reduction.
- Durable, camouflage design.
Trail Camera for Video Buying Guide
Trail cameras for video are the ideal choice for wildlife conservationists, hunters, and property owners who want to get the most out of stealth viewing. They offer the benefit of sound and offer more information on the target’s movement.
When on the market for a trail camera for video, there are a number of factors you want to consider before you make a purchase.
Our buying guide reviews the best trail cameras for video on the market based on their specified features and customer feedback to help you make an informed choice quickly.
Camera Logistics
The first factor to consider when selecting a trail camera for video is the camera specifications. These include the resolution, frame speed, trigger time, etc. The image resolution measured in megapixels describes how clear the video frames are going to be. The higher the resolution, the better the video quality.
The resolutions on different high definition trail cameras will usually vary between 10 MP on the low end to as high as 30 MP. Higher resolutions will reveal more image detail and better low-light performance.
You should then consider the frame speed. It is a measure if the number of frames captured per unit time usually per second. As videos are actually sequential images captured at very short time intervals and lumped together, the frame speed determines how fine the video will be. The higher the frame speed, the smoother the video will be. Anything between 30 to 60 frames per second is a good buy, with everything above that even better.
Sound Support
Most trail cameras for video will also feature sound support but always double-check to make sure. Whether while studying animals or for security, the sound feature gives you a more real-life feel of all the action. You can listen to the strange sounds and communication patterns of nocturnal animals, and in the case of an intruder(s), can eavesdrop on their next plan to invade.
Storage and Transmission Medium
Backing every trail camera for video must be adequate storage. Videos are much larger in memory size than images and so, your trail camera for video should come with enough storage space to ensure uninterrupted operation. Many trail cameras for video support anywhere between 32 GB and up to 256 GB of storage.
The transmission medium is another important factor to consider. Trail cameras for video come with either USB/SD card or wireless transmission. Modern trail cameras for video are tilting towards wireless models – Bluetooth, WiFi, and cellular models, as these boast of greater connectivity and convenience. You don’t need to physically connect to the trail camera for video to get the captured images. Some wireless trail cameras for video also support cloud storage. To access this feature, however, you will likely have to pay more for subscription costs.