In today's current cellular trail camera market advertising GPS capabilites is pretty normal but there's a catch. Much like other trail camera specifications, companies seem to stretch the realistic truth of what the specific camera model actually has.
Let's face it, most folks today worry about theft. So having "GPS" capabilities is certainly attractive. However, there's slim chance that you're going to track down a stolen camera, kick in the front door, whoop somebodies rear end, and take your camera back....Regardless of what people say on the internet. With that said there is still some obvious advantages of having GPS capabilities within your cellular trail camera. Let's take a full scope look at GPS, it's capabilities and how you can realistically benefit from them with cellular trail cameras.
GPS capabilities within a cellular trail camera can be very beneficial. We've listed a few helpful scenarios below along with some disadvantages that need to be mauled over.
Stolen camera - Obviously this is the gem that most people think of or reason they desire GPS in cellular trail cameras. But most folks fail to think about the next step....how the user segment actually works. How, when, and where to you monitor the cameras location? Are there any possibilities or scenarios of the GPS function not working? Does is need to be physically turned on through a setting? Does it run automatically? How does it affect overall batteries and battery life of the trail camera? Ask these questions before purchasing a cellular trail camera advertised with GPS and you'll be a much smarter consumer.
Timestamp/Info strip - With GPS integrated into the camera's hardware, Northing and Easting Coordinates should automatically be populated on the timestamp/info strip of every photo and video. No more entering this manually when you have that option.
Camera location - Probably the most useful scenario of having GPS capabilities within your cellular trail camera is having the ability to pull up your mobile app and pinpointing the camera's location. The pain of add, deleting, and moving camera locations on your desired mapping service would be no more if the option existed within your camera's mobile app.
With all the advantages you also have to think about the disadvantages such as inaccuracy, battery or signal failure, privacy issues, and commercial exploitation. The two biggest being privacy issues and commercial exploitation.
