What is a Traditional Trail Camera
A traditional Trail Camera is a device used to capture images and videos of wild animals or other outdoor activities. It is usually installed in a specific location such as a tree trunk. The camera is triggered by heat or motion to capture images and videos, and the images are saved through a memory card. and video, viewing pictures and video recordings on related devices.
What is a Cellular Trail Camera
A cellular Trail Camera, also known as a wireless tracking camera, is a new type of Trail Camera. When wild animals appear within the monitoring range, the camera's motion detector will be triggered to capture images or videos. The images and videos are then transmitted to the server via the cellular network, where they can be viewed on a smartphone or computer.
Advantages of Traditional Trail Cameras
Easy to Use
Traditional Trail Cameras are easier to set up and operate and can operate normally without a user account and data plan activation, making it more convenient for you to record the activities of wild animals through the camera.
Good Picture Quality
Traditional Trail Cameras will have better picture and video resolution than cellular Trail Cameras. Typically, cellular Trail Cameras reduce the file size by compressing the quality of pictures and videos for better transmission over cellular networks.
Affordable
Generally, traditional Trail Cameras are cheaper than cellular Trail Cameras, which can attract more users to buy and use. Traditional cellular Trail Cameras do not require additional data plan fees, making this option more cost-effective.
Concealment
The appearance of traditional Trail Cameras is generally designed according to the outdoor installation environment and has good concealment. Equipped with infrared sensing technology, it can record their activities without affecting wild animals.
Memory Capacity
Traditional Trail Cameras typically have greater memory capacity than cellular Trail Cameras, allowing users to capture and store more wildlife footage. Some cellular Trail Cameras do not support upgrading the amount of memory on the memory card.
Less Restrictive
Because the traditional Trail Camera does not need to transmit pictures and videos through the cellular network, it can be used in various outdoor environments, is easy to carry and install, and there are very few restrictions on using the camera.
Disadvantages of Traditional Trail Cameras
No Remote Access and Control
Traditional Trail Cameras do not have the function of remote access, and users can only view the captured images and videos through the camera memory card on the spot. In addition, users can only make better use of the camera for shooting and recording by manually adjusting the camera settings on-site.
High Battery Dependency
Traditional Trail Cameras generally use a built-in battery for power supply, and users need to go outdoors to check the battery power supply of the camera from time to time, which adversely affects the convenience of using the camera outdoors.
Missing Alert Notifications
Traditional Trail Cameras cannot send smart alert notifications to users because they are not connected to the cellular network, which means that users may miss some important footage.
High Potential for Theft and Damage
When a traditional Trail Camera is placed outdoors for long-term shooting since there is no cellular network and GPS positioning function, the camera is likely to be damaged by wild animals or stolen by people, and the possibility of recovery is very small.
Can't View in Real-time
Traditional Trail Cameras do not have the function of playing the recorded video in real-time, and users can only view or playback recorded pictures and videos through the built-in memory card.
Advantages of Cellular Trail Cameras
Real-time Transmission
Compared with traditional Trail Cameras, most cellular Trail Cameras allow users to remotely view images and videos in real-time, and can directly transmit videos and images to smartphones or computers through cellular networks. Allow users to monitor the activities and behaviors of wild animals anytime and anywhere.
Remote Management
The Trail Camera with a 4G network function can remotely manage the settings of the Trail Camera and view the cloud status of the Trail Camera on the APP, avoiding the trouble of frequently going to the scene to adjust the camera.
Data Management
The cellular Trail Camera can read video data without taking back the built-in memory card of the camera and can view or download video data remotely on the APP, saving users time and energy.
Improve Camera Security
Most of the cellular Trail Cameras can be set with alarm notifications. When the camera detects movement of objects within the monitoring range, an alarm notification will be sent to your mobile phone, allowing you to check the wonderful pictures captured in time, and it can also be used as a monitoring security tool.
Higher Usage
The cellular Trail Camera supports remote control of the camera. When the camera detects a wild animal within the monitoring range, the user can quickly adjust the camera angle and camera settings through the real-time update function to capture better pictures and videos.
Disadvantages of Cellular Trail Cameras
Rely on a Data Network
Cellular Trail Cameras generally need to use a data network for real-time data transmission. When the camera is in a poor or unstable signal environment, the cellular Trail Camera may not be able to realize the data transmission function.
Additional Fee Required
Cellular Trail Cameras require additional monthly data usage charges for data transmission. Also, some cellular Trail Cameras require an active subscription to function properly.
High Purchase Cost
Compared with traditional Trail Cameras, the purchase cost of cellular Trail Cameras is relatively high, and the cost that users need to pay may be higher than expected.
Data Privacy Issues
When the camera needs to be operated by a technician, the video data captured inside the camera is likely to be seen. In addition, most cellular Trail Cameras support cloud storage, so cloud storage data providers may also have the right to access video data, so the privacy of video data may be affected to a certain extent.
Technical Problem
Compared with the traditional Trail Camera, the internal design of the cellular Trail Camera is generally more complicated. When the cellular Trail Camera has technical problems, it is difficult to solve and eliminate the fault.
Choosing Between a Traditional Trail Camera or a Cellular Trail Camera
According to the description of the difference between a traditional Trail Camera and a cellular Trail Camera above, should we choose a traditional Trail Camera or a cellular Trail Camera with a data network?
Users can choose a more suitable Trail Camera within their own budget according to their own needs. When you need to view surveillance video and adjust camera settings in real-time, you can buy a relatively good 4G cellular Trail Camera. When you just want to record the activities and behaviors of wild animals through the simple setting and operation of the camera, you can give priority to the traditional Trail Camera.