A picture is worth a thousand words, then a video presents a million ones. When it comes to shooting wildlife, I usually turn on the trail camera video mode since I like to see animals’ activities and their habits in every detail. One time, I captured a beautiful deer which got all his way towards the camera eating leaves and roaming around. What natural and breathtaking footage! If you have the same hobby as me, you will want to know what is the best trail camera for video.
Here I give you ultimate guide and my best-recommended choices.
[A Buying Guide for Video Trail Cameras] – What to Pay Attention?
The Internet makes it easier than ever to find trail cameras. Picking a suitable one is another story, especially when there are hundreds of choices available.
Before uncovering the best trail cameras for video, you should know how to choose first.
Video resolution
Do not mistake the photo resolution (MP) and the video resolution (p). The resolution will decide how detailed the video captured. And, the higher resolution – the merrier!
– 360p is considered a very low resolution. It is suitable to view on mobile devices only.
– 480p is the standard resolution for videos on DVDs.
– 720p or 1080p is fit for video trail cameras to capture a great view of nature or for security purpose. It is also supported by most of cheap to medium cameras.
– Today, high-end trail cameras are even equipped with 4K technology.
Audio
What makes me like shooting videos than taking still photos is that not only can I see it yet I can also hear it. Usually, the video mode of most trail cameras is along with audio. But saying honestly, not all are clear enough.
If you use trail cameras for hunting or tracking game, the sound is less necessary. However, for security purpose, videos with audio are better.
Battery life
Believe it or not.
Trail camera is used mostly for taking photos. Videos are also captured but less frequently. This is due to videos eat up the battery quicker than still images. Especially at night, when the camera uses more energy to power the LEDs.
If you want a trail camera for video, make sure the battery life is long. In my case, I only choose one supporting lithium batteries or having an additional solar panel. Though the price is somewhat higher, it turns out saving more money and lengthening the camera’s duration as well.
Memory card’s storage capacity
A video usually lasts from 10 seconds to 30 minutes, some even longer. As a result, its file size is also large and take up more room to store. Any camera with less than 32GB memory card will never show its face here. It should also never be under your consideration for the best trail camera for video.
Type of flash
Without LED flash units, your trail camera cannot detect anything. Let alone, taking pictures or shooting videos. However, there are different kinds of flash: white flash, red-glow flash (low-glow) and black flash (no glow). Each name says it all characteristic.
Remember that animals are sensitive to light at night. If you do not want to scare them away at the very first moment and shoot nothing, then invest in no-glow trail cameras.
Video mode
When choosing video trail cameras, a wise decision-maker will also consider the view mode. How to set the camera mode will save the battery, the memory capacity, and help record the video at the right time.
If you prefer videos to photos, my recommendation is to choose the game camera with a separate mode. That time, you can completely turn off the photo mode as wished. Having time-lapse video mode is way better.
What is The Best Trail Camera for Video Currently?
With secrets above, I have successfully picked the right video trail cameras with the right features and on budget. In this article, let’s countdown my current Top 5.
Since this is the best trail camera for video review, I will give some thoughts on video features only. Some full reviews for specific products are available for your reference.
5. TEC.BEAN Trail Camera 12MP 1080P
If you have a tight budget, this trail camera is really a suitable choice – under $50. It covers almost all features to shoot great videos:
✅ High video resolution: 1080p with audio. However, the length of the videos is kinda short – the maximum is 90 seconds. If you want to record short and separate motions – it is good. For house security videos, I recommend other trail cameras on the list.
✅ Enough memory card capacity: The SD card up to 32 Gb like most of the others.
✅ Acceptable battery life: 8 AA batteries are required. As advertised, the batteries can be run for up to 8 months in standby mode. In fact, I already tested its battery by turning the video mode combined with other settings. It was up after more than a week. It would be shorter or longer based on your configurations. Anyway, acceptable!
✅ Black IR LED flash: good to record videos at night and to save battery power.
✅ Video mode: video mode and hybrid mode. I wish there is the time-lapse mode as well.
Anyway, the features are unexpectedly rich at such a low price.
4. Foxelli Trail Camera – 14MP 1080P
Among the best video camera for video, I give a vote to Foxelli Trail Camera. The features are much like those of the TEC.BEAN. The resolution is 1080p for explicit videos with sound. From my practical use, power life is also good. The camera supports 32-Gb SD card as well.
More exciting, you can record longer videos which might be up to 10 minutes. There is a 2.4-inch LCD screen in the storefront so that you can preview and manage the videos. That way, you are not to take out the tiny SD card too often to check and remove unwanted results. Thanks to 120-degree angle lens. You can get a better view and wide capturing range.
3. TOGUARD Trail Camera 14MP 1080P
From what I can tell after 5-month using the TOGUARD trail camera for video, all work well. With its 1080p support, you can expect clear videos with nice sound. The quality is good enough to be played on Youtube or TV. The video length is from 30 seconds to 10 minutes. And, the time-lapse video mode to decide what hours to record is a big help. Despite preferring the no-glow flash, 42PCs low-glow infrared LEDs of this video game camera are acceptable to not intrude into the natural habitat.
One thing to remember when using this trail camera for video is that the video format is AVI. It cannot play in Adobe Lightroom Classic for Mac, which is annoying sometimes. I know many people catalog video files in Lightroom. So do I.
Anyway, it is not the best trail camera for video ever but not out of Top 3.
2. Stealth Cam G42 Trail Camera
I will not talk much about this trail camera features since there is a Full Review available. Instead, I will share what I like most about this camera:
✅ I set the camera on a default video mode which will capture 10s videos with a 30s time-lapse delay. Moreover, the battery life is fantastic. After a week and a half, its percentage is 73%. I might be in luck for videos that all clips captured animals, not wind or trash things. No complaint about the video quality.
✅ The vendor keeps their words of no-glow technology. There is no visible light at night, at least by humans. From videos captured, it seemed that animals also see nothing as they act all their natural ways.
✅ 100ft – an extensive detection range. From such a distance, the camera still possibly captures clear and high-quality clips.
1. Campark Trail Camera T45
The best trail camera for video now is Campark Trail Camera 14MP 1080P. Both photos and video resolutions are great. The price is minimal when it comes to its rich features – I might add. Here comes the Full Review for you to digest later.
- You will want to use this trail camera for videos once checking its specifications:
- 1080P Sharper Video Resolution
- 3 PIR for precise and sensitive videos at night
- 42 pcs upgraded infrared flash-free LEDs
- 0.3s – supper fast trigger speed plus 850nm invisible infrared technology
- Capture more full with 120° angle lens
- User-friendly operations and multiple applications
- Price is surprisingly small
In conclusion, I have given some thoughts on my best trail cameras for video. I hope it is helpful for you to choose the most suitable video game camera. In turn, I also want to know your top 5. If any, feel free to leave your favorite brands below!
