DOES THE TYPE OF CAMERA FLASH IMPACT THE GAME?
One of the most highly debated topics around trail camera performance and field use is whether the type of flash that your camera has will impact or affect the patterns or habits of the game you are capturing. With so many different options out there today it’s hard to know and it’s likely that just about everyone you talk with has an opinion on the matter. I know guys who swear by infrared or “invisible” technology while other hunters use cameras with flashes and don’t seem to have any problems taking down big whitetails on a consistent basis.
There are cameras which use a standard white flash and others that leverage infrared technology. However, let it be known that all infrared cameras are not created equally. Some discharge infrared light as a beam while others filter the light. If you are looking for complete invisibility, you will want to go with a filtered infrared camera.
Personally, I tend to lean towards low glow, infrared or invisible flash technology. If for nothing else, I believe that whitetails (or other game) are smart enough to detect the smallest changes in their environment, which is why mature animals are so tough to hunt. If they can do that, there may be some impacts to heightened senses around something that is out of the ordinary in their environment. The more that I can eliminate any abnormalities from Mother Nature that may impact the animals natural habits the better.
With a large number of photos from game cameras typically being captured at night or in low light situations the question remains, which do you prefer?
“Invisible” No-Glow Flash
No-glow flash features have black LED’s which are completely invisible. Image quality at night remains good with cameras that offer this technology but nighttime photos will also be in black and white. You may also lose some range with cameras that have invisible flash but to me it’s worth it. These are also typically the higher dollar cameras although in the last two years a lot of companies are offering competitively priced “no-glow” camera options for under $200.
Low-Glow Flash
Low glow technology gives off a low intensity flash that is typically a red glow. The camera still emits some visible flash but it is significantly lower than the white flash counterparts. Photos will remain black and white during low light periods.
White-Flash
Offers color images whether the camera is triggered in the day or night time. Just like a standard flash from your smart phone or digital camera that you use to take pics of the family or friends the animal is going to see a bright white flash when they trigger the camera in low light periods.
You can see what flash options each camera offers in our detailed reviews of each camera. I envision that as technology continues to improve year in and out, that we may see even more options of low visibility or infrared technology show up in cameras with an even lower price point.