Best Cellular Trail Camera For The Money

Best cellular trail cameras in 2021: camera traps that transmit images to your phone

(Image credit: Bushnell)

Looking for the best cellular trail camera to monitor wildlife remotely? This guide will take you the options, give advice on which to choose, and help find one at the best available price.

We all know the added flexibility a cellular link brings to our camera – most of us now have a connected camera phone in our pockets or purses – but did you know the technology also offered advantages to nature photographers (or anyone tracking game)?

Trail cameras, or camera traps as they're known, are an ideal solution for grabbing photos of shy creatures which don't come out to play until humans are out of the picture, prefer to explore their habitat during antisocial hours, or both.

So far, so good, but all this requires a device to be carefully positioned – sensors aligned – waiting for a visitor and, once the shot is recorded, for it to be collected later and downloaded. The process is far from instant.

Pop in a SIM card and things change; a trail camera with access to a cellular network can upload its pictures right away which could lead to more great pictures and less camera re-positioning; excellent stuff in the competitive world of nature photography and for hunters wishing to gather intelligence on the movement of game without disturbing it.

Incidentally there is not always need for loyalty to your phone network – they might well not cover your favorite nature hunting areas. You'll need a SIM for your camera, sometimes these are bundled with the camera and no-contract plans. You'll likely need a plan (arranged by the camera company) to move data from the device, too. Different brands bring different costs.

Best cellular trail cameras in 2021

1: Spypoint LINK-S-DARK

Best cellular trail camera for stealth

Specifications

Stills resolution (megapixels): 12MP

Video resolution: 1080p, 1920 x 1080 pixels

Video length: --- secs (---secs with night vision)

Data storage: Via SD or SDHC card, up to 32GB

Night vision: Yes, via infrared

Audio recording: Yes

LCD: 2in color

Power: Solar + 8 AA batteries

Cellular technology: LTE 4G (e.g. US, UK)

Cellular plans: Verizon, no-SIM

Size: 96 x 175 x 99mm

Reasons to buy

+Can be left for extended periods without maintenance ++Can be connected to any cellular network +No-glow flash doesn't frighten deer +100 images per month free on Spypoint plan

Reasons to avoid

-Subscription service isn't free (but there are options) -Despite solar battery can still run out

This system combines Spypoint's most popular features: solar charging of an internal lithium battery plus cellular connectivity (and you can also add normal AA batteries where the sun can't help you). The camera isn't short of functions too, the system can stamp photos with date, time, temperature, and the lunar phase which makes for fascinating reviewing. Time lapse and multi-shot are also on offer and the 42-LED infrared night light has an effective range of about 30m/100ft, so anything within the camera's detection range is suitably lit. The two-inch color LCD and menu-driven controls are adequate for setup, even in cold conditions. We also appreciated that the system sent decent quality images allowing us to choose which to download in full resolution via the Spypoint app.