Ranch monitoring, wildlife monitoring, plant growth observation, courtyard monitoring, animal scouting, or home security surveillance - all you need is a trail camera.
A good trail camera doesn't need to be so expensive; there are a lot of high-quality game cameras with high resolution and sensitive motion detection under $100 on the market.
Here are the best trail cameras under $100 (Apr 2024 Update):
- Best Overall: usogood TC20 Trail Camera 14MP 1080P
- Best For Night Vision: Victure HC200 Trail Game Camera 1080P 12MP1
- Best For Beginners: Campark T70 Trail Game 14MP 1080P
- Budget Choice: WOSODA LY123 Trail Game Camera, 16MP 1080P
- Best For Sharp Crisp Photos: APEMAN H70 Trail Camera 30MP 4K
| Top 5 Best Trail Cameras Under $100 | ||
|---|---|---|
Best Overall | usogood TC20 Trail Camera 14MP 1080P | Read Our Review |
Best For Night Vision | Victure HC200 Trail Game Camera 1080P 12MP1 | Read Our Review |
Best For Beginners | Campark T70 Trail Game 14MP 1080P | Read Our Review |
Budget Choice | WOSODA LY123 Trail Game Camera, 16MP 1080P | Read Our Review |
Best For Sharp Crisp Photos | APEMAN H70 Trail Camera 30MP 4K | Read Our Review |
Best Overall: usogood TC20 Trail Camera 14MP 1080P
- IP66 Waterproof & 2.4
- Lack remote control
usogood TC20 is a perfect choice under $100 for a wide range of purposes - for ranch monitoring, wildlife monitoring, plant growth observation, courtyard monitoring, animal scouting, and home security surveillance. It has a rugged, IP66 waterproof certificated case with sturdy buttons and a 2.4" LCD Screen. The camera withstands tough environments like tropical forests or deserts; it is also very easy to install.
usogood TC20 is motion-activated - whenever it detects a motion, it automatically captures photos and videos within 0.2 sec. 0.2 sec means almost instant that you’ll never miss any fast-moving objects. The detection range is 65ft both day and night. Moreover, usogood TC20 features no glow LEDs so it won’t scare out the animals.
usogood TC20 has a good image quality - 14MP for photos and 1080p for videos, which are not impressive but fair enough for an affordable piece. The photos at day time are colorful and at night are black and white. Besides, usogood TC20 has a very good battery life - standby time is up to 6 months.
One big disadvantage of usogood TC20 is the lack of remote control. You can only view the photos and videos recorded via the LCD or insert the micro SD card into your laptop.
| usogood TC20 Trail Camera 14MP 1080P Specifications | |
|---|---|
Maximum Resolution | 14MP |
Video | 1080p |
Night Flash Range | 65ft |
Trigger Speed | 0.2s |
Highlight Features | IP66 Waterproof 2.4" LCD Screen Motion Detection - 0.2s Trigger Speed Long Battery Life No Glow Leds 4X Zoom |
usogood TC20 with no-glow LEDs and IP66 waterproof case is perfect for a wide range of purposes.
Best For Night Vision: Victure HC200 Trail Game Camera 1080P 12MP1
- IP66 Waterproof & 2.4
- Short night flash range
Victure HC200 has the same price level as usogood TC20. Both meet IP66 waterproof standard and have a 2.4" LCD Screen. Victure HC200 has a big advantage above usogood TC20, which is the image quality at night. The photos that Victure HC200 captures in the low-light environment are brighter and more vivid.
However, in return, Victure HC200 has a bit slower trigger speed - 0.5s, which is not a big deal since 0.5 sec is also almost instant. Victure HC200 features low glow LEDs, not as good as no glow LEDs of usogood TC20, however, good enough to not scare out the animals. One more disadvantage of Victure HC200 is the short night flash range - motion detection range as well, which is only 30 ft.
So, overall, if you value the image quality at night (for some purpose, such as to watch plants growing or wildlife observation), Victure HC200, otherwise, usogood TC20 would be a better choice.
| Victure HC200 Trail Game Camera 1080P 12MP1 Specifications | |
|---|---|
Maximum Resolution | 12MP |
Video | 1080P |
Night Flash Range | 30ft |
Trigger Speed | 0.5s |
Highlight Features | IP66 Waterproof 2.4" LCD Screen Motion Detection - 0.5s Trigger Speed Low Glow Leds |
Campark T70 is a sturdy and easy to use trail camera, ideal for beginners.
Best For Beginners: Campark T70 Trail Game 14MP 1080P
- IP66 Waterproof & 2.4
- No remote control
Campark T70 is sturdy and easy to use, which is ideal for beginners. Overall, Campark T7 is quite similar to usogood TC20, however, it costs a bit more but has a slower trigger speed. In return, you are assured of an unbreakable piece. Campark T70 is designed for the most humid tropical forests or the hottest and driest desert. It comes with a threaded tripod and a mounting strap for your easiness to install.
Like usogood TC20, Campark T70 also features a 2.4" LCD Screen, no-glow LEDs, motion detection at 65ft both day and night - all the best features you can possibly find on an under $100 trai
| Campark T70 Trail Game 14MP 1080P Specifications | |
|---|---|
Maximum Resolution | 14MP |
Video | 1080P |
Night Flash Range | 65ft |
Trigger Speed | 0.5s |
Highlight Features | IP66 Waterproof 2.4" LCD Screen Motion Detection - 0.5s Trigger Speed No Glow Leds |
Campark T70 is a sturdy and easy to use trail camera, ideal for beginners.
Budget Choice: WOSODA LY123 Trail Game Camera, 16MP 1080P
- Very affordable
- High resolution
- IP54 waterproof
- 65ft of Night flash range
- Inconsistent trigger speed
- No remote control and no LCD
WOSODA LY123 is the most affordable trail camera on my list, and the value it brings is worth every penny. Surprisingly, despite being a budget trail camera, WOSODA LY123 has a very good image quality - 16M of photo resolution and 1080p of video resolution. The motion detection, night vision as well, is impressive, 65ft. The case is IP54 waterproof certificated, not as good as IP66, however, enough to protect the camera from rain and dust damage.
Now, the downside. First, WOSODA LY123 has an inconsistent trigger speed, ranging from 0.3 to 1 sec. It is just a bit annoying and actually causes no trouble since even at the slowest speed - 1 sec, it is fast enough to not let any animal uncaptured. It doesn’t have no-glow LEDs of course, so it might scare out the animals at night. And the biggest inconvenience is that WOSODA LY123 does not allow remote control via your phone, also it does not feature any LCD; so when you want to view the photos and videos recorded, you have to take out the SD card and put it in your laptop or tablet.
Despite all those inconveniences, WOSODA LY123 is still the best bang for your buck.
| WOSODA LY123 Trail Game Camera, 16MP 1080P Specifications | |
|---|---|
Maximum Resolution | 16M |
Video | 1080P |
Night Flash Range | 65ft |
Trigger Speed | 0.3 - 1s |
Highlight Features | IP54 waterproof Motion detection |
WOSODA LY123 is the best bang for your buck with its low price yet very good image quality.
Best For Sharp Crisp Photos: APEMAN H70 Trail Camera 30MP 4K
- Impressive resolution
- IP66 Waterproof structure
- Motion Detection - 0.2s Trigger Speed
- 65ft of Night flash range
- The LCD is quite small
APEMAN H70 is a trail camera under $100 but has even higher image resolution than a 200-buck trail camera. The maximum resolution for photo is 30MP, for video is 4K! The camera brings you the sharpest crisp photos.
Not only that but APEMAN H70 also features an IP66 Waterproof structure, ensuring great durability even in tough environments. It has a very fast trigger speed, only 0.2 sec, almost instant that you’ll never miss any objects in range. The nigh flash range is about 65ft, which is pretty standard for a trail camera.
If it would not the LCD, APEMAN H70 is a perfect trail camera under $100. The LCD is only 2in, a bit small to me.
| APEMAN H70 Trail Camera 30MP 4K Specifications | |
|---|---|
Maximum Resolution | 30MP |
Video | 4K |
Night Flash Range | 65ft |
Trigger Speed | 0.2s |
Highlight Features | IP66 Waterproof 2" LCD Screen Motion Detection - 0.2s Trigger Speed 30MP photo & 4K video |
APEMAN H70 with 30MP photo and 4K video resolution brings you the sharpest images.
How To Choose The Best Trail Cameras Under $100?
To choose the best trail camera under 100, here is something you need to consider:
Maximum Resolution (Photos And Videos)
Among those trail cameras above, the lowest maximum resolution of photos is 12MP and 1080p for videos. You may want this number higher since the higher the resolution is, the better the image quality is.
Night Flash Range
This determines how far the camera records and detects motion at night. For home use, 30ft may be good enough. However, in the wild, I recommend at least 65ft.
Trigger Speed
- Top trail cameras have a trigger speed of 0.2 sec, which means the camera almost instantly captures pictures when a motion is detected. You’ll never miss any object with this speed.
No-Glow Or Low-Glow Leds
Too-bright LEDs may scare out the animals at night. So, consider a trail camera that features no-glow or low-glow LEDs.
Waterproof
Since you place the trail camera outside, sometimes in tough environments like tropical forests or deserts, so in addition to a rough case, the waterproof ability is a considerable feature.
Which Brands Make The Best Trail Cameras Under $100?
Apeman
- Apeman is an inspiring company with the mission of helping users share their passion and beliefs. They have built their well-known brand on camera products, from dash cameras, action cameras to trail cameras. The core technology of Apeman is Hi3559, which is a high-performance processor with built-in AI for the most efficient image processing. Apeman is the brand you can trust.
Victure
- Victure is a young brand, who focuses on making first-class hunting cameras. They are famous for the affordable yet high-quality game camera line - among them, Victure HC200 to me is the best under $100 for night vision. If you are looking for a good camera for night use, you definitely should consider this.
Campark
- Campark was founded in 2008 and now has become one of the leaders in the camera industry. They make from trail cameras, action cameras, to dash cameras. Their cameras are famous for good image quality and roughly durable. To those who love outdoor activities, Campark is the to-go brand.
FAQs
Wireless vs. Cellular Trail Camera?
Cellular cameras have a longer and better connection range than WIFI cameras where there is a good cellular signal (3 bars at least). Cellular cameras also have better battery life. In return, WIFI cameras can be placed where there is no cellular signal, also you don’t have to pay for monthly data package like cellular cameras.
How do trail cameras work?
All trail cameras have the motion-detecting function, which automatically captures photos and videos when something is moving at the range. You can easily hang it on a tree or tripod-mounted it on the ground. Some trail cameras can directly transmit these photos and videos to your phone through a network, cellular network or self-broadcast wifi. Some don't have this function, so you have to manually take out the SD card and insert it into your laptop or tablet to view the photos and videos.
How long do trail cameras last?
A good trail camera lasts for a very long time, some even last for decades.
What is the difference between a game camera and a trail camera?
Game camera is another name of trail camera. They are exactly the same and can be used interchangeably.
How long does a trail camera battery last?
Trail camera batteries usually last less than a year.
Conclusion
To sum up, usogood TC20 and Campark T70 are my two top recommendations. For more specialized needs, you should have a look at other cameras above. Hope you find my review helpful.
Bryan Listor
