Nighttime grainyness?????

[Blacktail135]

 Hey y'all, got a question for all you veteran trail camera users. I recently had someone break into my cabin. I bought a trail cam to maybe catch the sucker next time. I bought a Primos X-cam Blackout. Looking at some test photos, the daytime pics were great but the nightime pics were too grainy to see facial details of....me. The camera is megapixel adjustable. Currently it is set at a default of 5MP but, can go to 7MP. It is setup about 40-45 feet away. It would be much easier to change it to its higher megapixel setting (which I will do tonight) than to move it. Would this alone make a noticable difference?   

[Skyvalhunter]

Yes higher megapixels will make the photos less grainy. I have not had any experience with the Primos Blackout cam but I know the Reconyx Blackout takes excellent pics but is a bit spendier.

[400out]

The problem with changing the pixiles is the lense will stay open longer and you could get more blurry pics. I haod to change miine from 8 mp to 5 mp to get rid of this problem  Kind of defeated the purpose of buying a 8 mp camera to me  God luck on gettting if fixed. maybe take it back and get a different brand and see what the difference is 

[Blacktail135]

 Thanks for your replies. I went to the higher megapixel setting and could see no difference in the nighttime shots. Tomorrow I'll try the lowest setting. Hope this works as I really don't want to move tha camera but, I will if neccesary.

[Heredoggydoggy]

From what I've read, the cameras switch to a lower megapixel setting for night IR shots.  Don't know the technical reason for it though.

[bobcat]

For better night pictures you really need a regular white flash camera. The IR cameras take really grainy pictures at night. Try a Primos Truth Cam 60 and I bet you'll have better luck.

Check out the reviews over at www.chasingame.com.

[wraithen]

White flash would defeat the purpose, no? The downgrade for IR is usually a lighting problem. There isn't enough light to utilize higher resolution anyway without slowing the shutter down waaayyy too far.

[bobcat]

White flash would defeat the purpose, no? The downgrade for IR is usually a lighting problem. There isn't enough light to utilize higher resolution anyway without slowing the shutter down waaayyy too far.

Yes, you're right. I went back and re-read the original post and I see that it's for the purpose of getting pictures of people, not game animals. So yeah, I guess a white flash wouldn't be a good idea.

[BeeMan]

Big Part of your prob is your camera distance... 40-45 feet is a long way to try and get good pics...  In all my experience closer pics are clearer, and 40-45 feet is pushing it for night shots even if the camera says it can do it.

[Blacktail135]

 Didn't get around to changing the megapixel setting last night but, did so just a bit ago. Hopefully I see a better outcome. If not, I'll start looking at way's to get the camera closer without it being in a position of it getting stolen or at least noticed.  While at the truck, getting ready to leave tonight, the person that is most likey to be the one that broke into the cabin in the first place came walking down the road. Damn.