Trail Camera Reviews field tested and proven Our huge database of unbiased consumer submitted trail camera reviews will be invaluable in your search for a new game camera.
Let’s take a quick look at the review criteria and what it covers. Flash range and strength are rated as well as picture quality and resolution. Battery life is always important and ease of use is an important quality to consider. We also talk about case quality and then everyone’s favorite trigger speed. Users submit to these criteria on a scale of 1-5 and then our trail camera ratings system averages all the reviews and calculates the overall rating.
Bushnell Trail Camera Reviews
Game Cameras like the Bushnell Trophy Cam and the all new Bushnell Trophy Cam Black Flash are some of the more popular units on the site. They are easy on batteries and produce some really nice trail camera pictures. Select a model above or click here to view all the Reviews.
Cuddeback Trail Camera Reviews
Cuddeback set the bar high many years ago and continues to be a leader when it comes to trigger speed. For 2011 the all new Cuddeback Attack IR is a very nice infrared camera with an incredible trigger speed.
Reconyx Trail Camera Reviews
Reconyx has a reputation as being the highest quality and most reliable trail cam available. The Reconyx Hyperfire HC600 comes with a hefty price tag but after reading the reviews you will learn it just might be worth the money.
Moultrie Trail Camera Reviews
Surely anyone that hunts will recognize the Moultrie brand. The new infrared game cameras like the Moultrie M100 are a great choice at an attractive price. If you are looking for an entry level camera or looking to cover a lot of ground, check out the Moultrie M80 reviews.
Primos Truth Cam Reviews
The Primos team have been producing or endorsing great hunting products for years. They are recently stepped into the game camera market and the Primos Truth Cam 35 and the Primos Truth Cam 46 have been receiving favorable reviews. The Primos Super Model and Primos X Blackout have just been added to the review section.
Wildgame Innovations Trail Camera Reviews
New to the market but coming on fast, the Wildgame Innovations crew brings almost a dozen different game camera models. The Red 6 is our first listing and more will follow.
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Is Trigger Speed Really Important
Trigger speed and refresh rate can be really important especially if you are monitoring trails. Deer are constantly moving and capturing a picture while on the trail needs to be quick. Trigger speed is how quickly the camera turns on and takes a picture after motion is observed by the sensor. Refresh rate is the time it takes for the camera to recover after taking a picture.
If baiting deer is legal in your state then trigger speed may not be that important. Placing the camera over the feeding station is a really common practice. In this case refresh rate may be even more important. The game cams ability to recharge for the second or third picture will guarantee that no big bucks are missed.
What Kind of Batteries
Believe it or not but some trail cameras do not respond well to all batteries. We have found the use of high milliamp digital camera batteries can actually impair some models opperation. For some companies it became such and issue that warning cards were actually placed in the packaging. I have tried to include this information in the individual reviews but be sure to confirm before spending money on batteries. Bushnell and Covert are two that come to mind.
What is Considered Good Battery Life
8 years ago battery life for trail cameras was a much bigger deal. In 2014 I expect to get 1 year of use from 1 set of batteries. Some are better than others but one deer seasons of use is typical. Severe cold weather can cause batteries to drain more quickly.
Picture Quality
Another popular category in our game camera rating is the picture quality. If you are a previous owner then you probably realize that most have the option to select the photo resolution. This is always in MP and refers to the quality of the photo. The higher the resolution the more crisp and detailed the picture.
The thing that really kills trail camera picture quality is blur. Remember we are trying to take a snap shot of a wild animal and telling them to stand still ain’t going to happen. In our reviews we found that most companies are marketing technology that helps freeze this movement and reduces most of the blur. Moultrie is one of the companies. Please keep this feature in mind if you plan on monitoring trails.
What is good trail camera flash range
The quality of the night photos is directly related to the strength and quality of the flash. Flash range is something that is included in all specs and features. The range is normally noted in feet. At the time of this report I would say 4oft flash range is about the average.
As you can see in the photo below it is almost like someone is holding a flashlight on the deer. The Bushnell Trophy Cams are reliable and since then they have been improved but this flash bugged me for years.
What Type of LED Flash
LEDs are all the rage. Everything from camera flashes to flashlights are made with light emmiting diodes. As technology advances and more is understood about the impact of light on the animals the market is offered several choices in flash types.
White Flash
Plain Jane white light flash. This option really makes some beautiful full color night pictures. In fact if the deer is too close you might end up with a whiteout overexposed picture.
Low Glow versus No Glow
What is the difference between low glow and no glow LED flashes and why is it important. A low glow flash is just an array of infrared LEDs. A No Glow flash is also just an array of infrared LEDs. The major difference is the spectrum of light that is emitted. The no glow version emits wavelengths of infrared light that are not visible to humans and deer.
And By visible we mean that you must be staring directly at the camera to see the faint red glow. This is incredible important if you have decides to use your trail cam for security purposes or covert surveilance of land, buildings or equipment.
The photo below is intended to provide an example of the differences between the various levels of IR flashes available in todays modern infrared trail cameras.
Pulling SD Cards aka Redneck Christmas
The only thing deer hunters love more than killing deer is checking their trail cameras. One of my hunting buddies has 4 boys and they call the chore of pulling sd cards “redneck Christmas”.
Trail cameras have become the single most important tool in managing land for deer. In just a few weeks you can determine the density and ration of your deer herd. You can also learn more about the quality of bucks that may be traveling through your farm.
I had my first trail camera about 20 years ago. It was actually a homebrew project that was made from a Sony point and shoot camera and Pixcontroller board. It was a ton of fun to build in my garage and it worked great. In fact, one of buddies is still using it to this day.
Since that time game cameras have evolved into microsized digital devices. We are no longer using C cell batteries and instead only using 6 or 8 AA batteries.
Trail Camera Brands
Each year a few new players may come out with a trail camera. Sometimes they pass the test and make it a few years and some just never pan out. With so many models and brands to choice from we couldn’t possibly test them all. But why in the world do we need to test them all when we have found several that perform flawlessly and provide a full feature list. Here is a summary of the brands that will be rated and reviewed here on Trailcamerareviews.com
- Bushnell
- Moultrie
- Covert
- Plotwatcher
- Primos
- Browning
- Spypoint
no bribery accepted here
Quick Disclaimer
Years of testing have gone into these reviews. I have purchased every single one of these trail cams with my own money. At no point did a manufacturer send me a model to “field test”. Everything found here is my opinion and has not been influenced by the action or gifts of sponsors. This website does receive advertisement fees from Amazon and other retailers but these fees have in no way lead or swayed my view on any product listed here.