Trail Cam Suggestions

[PointMan]

Looking at picking up a trail cam or 2 to prep for the upcoming season. Any suggestions or reviews?

[wos]

Lots and cheap! Just my 2 cents.

[HighCountryBC]

You definitely get what you pay for. Cheap cams are usually unreliable cams. Moultrie, Stealthcam etc. would not be my first choice. I run Browning and Bushnell only now, got rid of all my other models. They are reasonably priced and are consistent from trigger speed to quality.

This site is a great resource for comparing cams.

https://www.trailcampro.com/collections/trail-camera-reviews

[wos]

On second thought what do i know! Spend as much as you can afford on a high quality camera and put it in a magical spot. That should get the job done. Sorry about the bad advice earlier .

[Liveforthehunt]

Some of my most reliable cams have been the cheap $40 ancient tasco special.. in the cold no issues and battery lasts forever ... where as a couple of my u-ways have froze up and the battery drains in a hurry... start with something mid range if you think spending $450 on a camera is within budget go nuts . And no the wind did not trigger the uway to take a million pics for battery drain

[caddisguy]

I go for lots and cheap too. Simmons Whitetail were some of the best I have run into but they don't make them anymore. I have run a bunch year round with few issues.

I do have a couple expensive ones. A Bushnell and a Browning that are excellent video quality with sound. I would have never bought them for myself but they were gifted to me.

I have 2 or 3 Stealthcam's kicking around. Not very impressed with the video quality or trigger speed on those but battery life is pretty darn good. Fairly reliable too I guess.

I ran one higher end moultrie and it packed it in after about 2 weeks.

I'd be in the same boat if I didnt already have a bunch of cams. I'd probably order some sketchy stuff off Amazon or DX LOL

[twoSevenO]

Go for lots and go cheap. Unless you make a living off social media and need the highest quality videos, why bother spending $200 on one cam?

I have been running gamepak and apeman ones off Amazon and they have been excellent. One hung up from June to December, got 460 video clips and seemed to stay watertight just fine.

Like everything, the Chinese have been quite good at copying the better known brands and making cheaper alternatives.

The amazon ones are usually $75 but I just picked up 2 more for $55 on a 1 day sale.They record up to 1080p and with reasonable quality as well. (Stealth cam ones are useless at higher resolutions due to terrible interpolation). They do record sound as well which is super neat. My cheap stealth cam do not.

Also, they have screens on them so viewing pics is very easy. This particularly handy when setting the cam and checking that it is aimed correctly. Saves me a bunch of time.

Trigger speed is 0.3-0.8 seconds, as advertised. I cant confirm that other than to say I'm satisfied with it. Not too many deer getting caught on their way out of the the frame.

They have been WAY better than the cheap Stealthcam ones.

If your budget allows get the expensive ones, they will surely be better but at $55 each, I'm gonna stick to the cheap ones.

[Cat catcher]

Does anyone have ones that are proven to work in minus 25 with no issues?
Thanks

[caddisguy]

Does anyone have ones that are proven to work in minus 25 with no issues?
Thanks

Mine are often -10 to -15 ... I am sure they have seen -25 a few times. The batteries don't last as long in the cold. Lithium is good for moderate temps but alkaline holds up better in the cold.

[HighCountryBC]

Go for lots and go cheap. Unless you make a living off social media and need the highest quality videos, why bother spending $200 on one cam?


There's a lot more to a camera than getting a clear pic or video. Lots of cameras will advertise fast trigger speeds or high megapixel ratings which are really just inflated from interpolation. Nothing more frustrating than only having the a** end of a deer or elk on your screen. You can usually find Brownings or Bushnells on for $120-$150, often cheaper on clearance sales from different sites.

Most guys don't have a clue what they miss when running cheaper cams, especially if they only run it on picture mode. I know because I was one of those guys for a few years. Bought lots for cheap when I was on a student budget. Finally pulled the pin on a better model Browning and ran it on video next to an entry level cam. Couldn't believe how much more that camera picked up than the one right beside it. Sold off the others and started accumulating some better inventory.

You don't need to break the bank to get into higher quality cameras. They have better trigger speed, detection range, image quality and are much more consistent than an entry level camera. Worth it if you really want to know what's out there.

Older model Browning. They have only improved since then.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ViXVUmTFEmE

[HighCountryBC]

From the first Bushnell I bought. Still going strong after being in the field year round for a few seasons. Have acquired quite a few more since then.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lcq1sdvRBfA

[hunter1947]

I have 10 wild game evolutions they all work great average price is 110.00

http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/1344.JPG http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/2230.JPG

http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/3178.JPG http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/4138.JPG

.................................................. ......................................http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/5_2_.JPG

[DStewart]

As others have mentioned, I wouldn’t worry about the cheaper ones for their image quality, but rather missing animals. I don’t care about the photo/video quality, I just hate the idea of investing a few months into a camera and missing something. I would recommend the Cabelas brand cams. They can be relatively affordable, and also come with a screen to test placement.

[hunter1947]

Here is the wildgame cam thats costs a person around 110.00 this cam took the pictures I posted on this tread,,it can also take videos

http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/medium/002_2_8.JPG

[Wild one]

I have a mix of cheap ( old tasco that is huge lol ) to mid range browning( I don’t remember all the brands I have lol). Here is what I have figured out if you have poor trigger speed the cam is still useful but you need to set the cam so the animal will be in frame for an extended time. So yes cheap cams are still worth buying but you are limited to how you can set them and be effective. I would not rely completely cheap cams but a mix works for me

I don’t run bait or minerals so all trail, pinch point, and funnel set up

poor trigger speed cams I use them on tight trails and funnels so the animal will be walking towards or away from the cam for an extended period of time. Basically point them down a straight stretch

wider trails, intersections, and anywhere I think animals may pass by giving a limited window I use my better quality cams

In my opinion a mix makes it cost effective and gives you the ability to cover more ground but you need to pick locations according to the cams trigger speed

[twoSevenO]

There's a lot more to a camera than getting a clear pic or video. Lots of cameras will advertise fast trigger speeds or high megapixel ratings which are really just inflated from interpolation. Nothing more frustrating than only having the a** end of a deer or elk on your screen. You can usually find Brownings or Bushnells on for $120-$150, often cheaper on clearance sales from different sites.

Most guys don't have a clue what they miss when running cheaper cams, especially if they only run it on picture mode. I know because I was one of those guys for a few years. Bought lots for cheap when I was on a student budget. Finally pulled the pin on a better model Browning and ran it on video next to an entry level cam. Couldn't believe how much more that camera picked up than the one right beside it. Sold off the others and started accumulating some better inventory.

You don't need to break the bank to get into higher quality cameras. They have better trigger speed, detection range, image quality and are much more consistent than an entry level camera. Worth it if you really want to know what's out there.

Older model Browning. They have only improved since then.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ViXVUmTFEmE

I have already covered the interpolation and trigger speed in my post for the cheap cams.

And again, yes, your expensive cams will be better but let's not kid ourselves and talk about how $120 isnt breaking the bank. How many hours of work does it take for you to make $120? Probably 3 for most people. That IS breaking the bank if you can get acceptable results for $55.

Not all cheap cams are created equal and point of my post was to get people to not buy the cheap stealth cam ones. They are terrible and not worth $30 let alone $70-80.

Just like LED light bars, cams have come a long way. 10 years ago you pretty much had Rigid light bars and they were like $800. Nowdays you can get Chinese copies for like $70 that work almost as well. They dont last as long but for a fraction of the price you can afford to buy 10 of them.

Same with cams. They have come a long way.

I will upload some videos at some point so people can see a comparison in quality

[HighCountryBC]

As others have mentioned, I wouldn’t worry about the cheaper ones for their image quality, but rather missing animals. I don’t care about the photo/video quality, I just hate the idea of investing a few months into a camera and missing something. I would recommend the Cabelas brand cams. They can be relatively affordable, and also come with a screen to test placement.

This post is accurate.

Image quality is not real high on the list in terms of what most guys who are serious about scouting look for in a camera. Most cameras on the market have decent image quality from the low end right on up.

Trigger speed, detection field/range and consistency are the first few qualities that come to mind.

As has been said already, most guys don't have a clue what they are missing out there (guaranteed twoseveno is missing stuff with those cams.). I know I didn't until I looked at upgrading. Some guys just want to capture a few cool pictures/videos and for that, an entry level camera will do the job most days. If you really want to get a sense of the inventory in your area and make sure you're missing as little as possible those cams aren't going to perform how you want.

Most hunters don't have the time to run a lot of cams. What's better, running 12 cameras for $75 that half-a** get the job done (with half probably sitting on the shelf) or 6 really solid cameras for $120-$150 that perform when put to the test?

[twoSevenO]

12 that "half ass" at $75 hands down.

First, have you anti-cheap cam guys actually tried cheap cams in the last year or two? Have you set them side by side with an expensive one and then compared the captured footage later? How do you know twoseveno is missing stuff out there? .... sounds like pure speculation to me at this point

Second, with a 12 cam coverage you are bound to produce much better results overall even if you lose the ocassional pic or two.

Third, I rarely get running deer on my cams where trigger speed of 0.2 seconds would help me over 0.7. Its just not that frequent in the real world, in MY areas.

The biggest feature for me is range (especially night time). More so than a couple milliseconds faster trigger time.

If you're getting ass end of a deer frequently you obviously have your cam aiming to work on, OR they are all crossing too close to your cam.

Again, I'm not knocking expensive cams, but standing up for the cheap ones. I've been running cheap cams for 2 years now, and I've gotten plenty of satisfactory results. Follow me on Instagram and see for yourself.

[Wild one]

12 that "half ass" at $75 hands down.

First, have you anti-cheap cam guys actually tried cheap cams in the last year or two?

Second, with a 12 cam coverage you are bound to produce much better results overall even if you lose the ocassional pic or two.

Third, I rarely get running deer on my cams where trigger speed of 0.2 seconds would help me over 0.7. Its just not that frequent in the real world, in MY areas.

The biggest feature for me is range (especially night time). More so than a couple milliseconds faster trigger time.

If you're getting ass end of a deer frequently you obviously have your cam aiming to work on, OR they are all crossing too close to your cam.

Again, I'm not knocking expensive cams, but standing up for the cheap ones. I've been running cheap cams for 2 years now, and I've gotten plenty of satisfactory results. Follow me on Instagram and see for yourself.

I agree how you set your cam is a huge factor most overlook and the newer cheap cams are not bad. The old brick tasco I still run is real crap compared to the new cheap stuff and it still does the job

Only thing I like with the mid range and higher cams is the view screen so I don’t need to use my viewer

You can easily get by with cheap cams and being able to set more locations is better then quality cams.

[HighCountryBC]

12 that "half ass" at $75 hands down.

First, have you anti-cheap cam guys actually tried cheap cams in the last year or two? Have you set them side by side with an expensive one and then compared the captured footage later? How do you know twoseveno is missing stuff out there? .... sounds like pure speculation to me at this point

Second, with a 12 cam coverage you are bound to produce much better results overall even if you lose the ocassional pic or two.

Third, I rarely get running deer on my cams where trigger speed of 0.2 seconds would help me over 0.7. Its just not that frequent in the real world, in MY areas.

The biggest feature for me is range (especially night time). More so than a couple milliseconds faster trigger time.

If you're getting ass end of a deer frequently you obviously have your cam aiming to work on, OR they are all crossing too close to your cam.

Again, I'm not knocking expensive cams, but standing up for the cheap ones. I've been running cheap cams for 2 years now, and I've gotten plenty of satisfactory results. Follow me on Instagram and see for yourself.

No one is arguing you can't get some decent pics if that's all you're after. How many of those cams do you leave out year round? - I know the answer.

Yes we have compared cameras - Ourea has probably compared more cams than anyone on this site and I know what he will say. I have compared numerous entry level models side by side with mid-higher range ones and that is why I switched.

Most guys don't have the time to effectively run 6 cams, let alone twice that. Even with the best intentions, a lot of cameras spend more time on the shelf than they do in the field. Much rather run something reliable at a little more cost. With the competition among companies, a guy doesn't need to break the bank to purchase quality.

Guys are no doubt missing a lot more with those cameras than they know. If you don't mind sacrificing that to save a few dollars then $75 Amazon cams are the way to go.

This is not a knock, but you're relatively new to the game. I remember you saying the same thing about backpacks. Then you went and bought a SG.

[J_T]

I've never had any issues at cold temperatures. I started off running the moultries. I liked the C batteries. I was really hesitant to move to the AA battery models.

The Moultries still work but, I've converted to the Browning cams and they are superior to most of the others. They go on sale enough that they aren't a bad price. Better quality, faster wake up time (0.4 sec I believe). The AA's run well in the cold. Most of all, the cams are lighter and the quality of picture at dusk, is better.

I just want to make one more comment on trail cams. When yours comes with a strap to mount it on the tree, take that strap and find another use for it. Everyone, use bailing wire to attach your camera to the trees. You won't regret it. Less visible toward theft, more secure on the tree, animals won't bump it around, less scent on the wire than on the wide strap that spent the off season with your gear.

And I take my cameras and repaint them to more closely match the bark on the trees I typically use. A lot of the browning cams come in a bit a grey tone. I paint them dark brown and black with a bit of dark green.

[Good2bCanadian]

Some of my cheaper cams lock up if i remove the SD card, read it, then reinstall it.
Now i just always carry SDs and format a new one using the camera itself.

[shleebs]

I've run Spypoint, Stealthcam and Moultrie trail cameras and have had better luck with the Spypoint and Moultrie cameras (even the cheaper ones that always go on sale at Wal-Mart or Canadian Tire). Most of my hunting to date has been done in Alberta and the cameras seem to hold up in the cold just fine. The biggest challenge is keep snow from piling up in the lenses.

[jac]

I run the stealth cam buy them in the 2 or 3 pack. I they work well until it gets really cold. I have read going to a lithium battery can help in cold weather

[twoSevenO]

No one is arguing you can't get some decent pics if that's all you're after. How many of those cams do you leave out year round? - I know the answer.

Yes we have compared cameras - Ourea has probably compared more cams than anyone on this site and I know what he will say. I have compared numerous entry level models side by side with mid-higher range ones and that is why I switched.

Most guys don't have the time to effectively run 6 cams, let alone twice that. Even with the best intentions, a lot of cameras spend more time on the shelf than they do in the field. Much rather run something reliable at a little more cost. With the competition among companies, a guy doesn't need to break the bank to purchase quality.

Guys are no doubt missing a lot more with those cameras than they know. If you don't mind sacrificing that to save a few dollars then $75 Amazon cams are the way to go.

This is not a knock, but you're relatively new to the game. I remember you saying the same thing about backpacks. Then you went and bought a SG.

- "I know the answer" .... and what is that? if it's "all of them" you'd be right. A cam on the shelf is a useless cam. Why wouldn't i have them out year round?
- Yeah, but WHICH cheap cams have you compared? The point of my post was to point out that the inexpensive Amazon cams have been head and shoulders better than the inexpensive StealthCams. Light years ahead of them.
- well, show us the difference from your comparison then ..... i would love to see what constitutes "a lot" when comparing what the cheaper cams missed compared to the more expensive ones. I'm not doubting you, i'm just unclear on your definition of "a lot".
- I never knocked the high end packs, just their price .... that $900 for a backpack was absolutely insane. So i bought mine used at half the price. After 6 bucks and numerous backpack trips still don't think $900 is justifiable at all.
- I might be new to the trail cam game, but two years is a decent amount of time to figure out it out. It's not that hard or complicated.

Tell ya what ... why don't I mail you an Amazon cam and you run it on the same tree, 6" above your best cam for a few months and we compare the footage. We'll let HBC decide if the difference in captured footage is "a lot" or not. I have a feeling it might not be as off as you think.

[Wild one]

- "I know the answer" .... and what is that? if it's "all of them" you'd be right. A cam on the shelf is a useless cam. Why wouldn't i have them out year round?
- Yeah, but WHICH cheap cams have you compared? The point of my post was to point out that the inexpensive Amazon cams have been head and shoulders better than the inexpensive StealthCams. Light years ahead of them.
- well, show us the difference from your comparison then ..... i would love to see what constitutes "a lot" when comparing what the cheaper cams missed compared to the more expensive ones. I'm not doubting you, i'm just unclear on your definition of "a lot".
- I never knocked the high end packs, just their price .... that $900 for a backpack was absolutely insane. So i bought mine used at half the price. After 6 bucks and numerous backpack trips still don't think $900 is justifiable at all.
- I might be new to the trail cam game, but two years is a decent amount of time to figure out it out. It's not that hard or complicated.

Tell ya what ... why don't I mail you an Amazon cam and you run it on the same tree, 6" above your best cam for a few months and we compare the footage. We'll let HBC decide if the difference in captured footage is "a lot" or not. I have a feeling it might not be as off as you think.

Ok you have me curious what brand/model of Chinese amazon cams are you talking about?

May need to add some to my collection and retire some of my old relics lol

[HighCountryBC]

I run the stealth cam buy them in the 2 or 3 pack. I they work well until it gets really cold. I have read going to a lithium battery can help in cold weather

This will make a big difference in battery life/function of the camera


- "I know the answer" .... and what is that? if it's "all of them" you'd be right. A cam on the shelf is a useless cam. Why wouldn't i have them out year round?
- Yeah, but WHICH cheap cams have you compared? The point of my post was to point out that the inexpensive Amazon cams have been head and shoulders better than the inexpensive StealthCams. Light years ahead of them.
- well, show us the difference from your comparison then ..... i would love to see what constitutes "a lot" when comparing what the cheaper cams missed compared to the more expensive ones. I'm not doubting you, i'm just unclear on your definition of "a lot".
- I never knocked the high end packs, just their price .... that $900 for a backpack was absolutely insane. So i bought mine used at half the price. After 6 bucks and numerous backpack trips still don't think $900 is justifiable at all.
- I might be new to the trail cam game, but two years is a decent amount of time to figure out it out. It's not that hard or complicated.

Tell ya what ... why don't I mail you an Amazon cam and you run it on the same tree, 6" above your best cam for a few months and we compare the footage. We'll let HBC decide if the difference in captured footage is "a lot" or not. I have a feeling it might not be as off as you think.

Moultrie, Tasco, WI, Stealth cams just to name a couple. One of my hunting partners tried out a set of those $75 Amazon cams on his property this fall as he has a very large parcel with numerous species passing through. They were basically useless when compared side by side to what we normally run. Even worse when temps dropped into the double digits.

Have done the trail cam thing for a lonnnng time and done enough comparisons to know what is crap and what isn't. I think it's important to pass those findings along when folks are asking for advice and not being given accurate information. There is a difference between what you're peddling and a few of the cameras and models mentioned previously. That difference is significant while the cost is not.

There are models in both Browning and Bushnell that are very reasonably priced. As JT said, they go on sale pretty regularly as well.

Hopefully the OP is finding the discussion useful. His goals for the camera will ultimately decide what he ends up buying.

[PointMan]

I am enjoying and appreciating all the information!

[twoSevenO]

Where is everyone buying Bushnell and Browning cams for $120?
On Cabela's the cheapest browning is $170 and they don't even seem to carry Bushnell.
Cheapest SpyPoint is also $170.

[twoSevenO]

There is a difference between what you're peddling and a few of the cameras and models mentioned previously. That difference is significant while the cost is not.

When one cam costs $120 and another HALF that, yes, that IS significant cost difference.

Had mine out for several months, captured over 460 videos ... how is that useless? Maybe he just has sh*t cams. Not all amazon cams are the same.

For (i don't even know which time now) no one is saying a $75 dollar cam will be better than a 150 dollar cam.

Obviously you have your way of running cams and we have ours. OP should know both approaches and the price involved in both and make up his mind with that.
I'm not peddling the cams to make money here .... just showing what CAN work on a budget and that not everyone needs to go out and drop a grand on cameras to photograph some deer.


it's like telling a guy his 1995 Ford F150 is crap because it's slow and bad on fuel and doesn't have a heated steering wheel and you drove both it and the 2019 and the 1995 one was just useless ...... well ..... no. He drives the 1995 because he wants to, because it works for him and because it gets the job done.

[HighCountryBC]

It's not what you capture. It's what you miss.

Interesting comparison btw.

[J_T]

Where is everyone buying Bushnell and Browning cams for $120?
On Cabela's the cheapest browning is $170 and they don't even seem to carry Bushnell.
Cheapest SpyPoint is also $170.
The Browning strike force $200 and dark ops $250 often come on sale for $120.

[dblung]

Many opinions on here. Like Highcountry said if you want pro advice on cams go to Trailcampro.com. Many factors such as trigger speed, recovery time, detection range and angle, battery life and the benefits of No Glow etc are explained very well. They have a first time buyers guide on there for the beginners + they review and sell all the mid to high quality cameras. Unless your putting up cameras in your backyard buying many cheap cameras isn't that great of advice. Driving hours to go check pics with fingers crossed that something didn't go wrong with that $75 camera isn't what I want to do. Fuel and batteries ain't cheap.

[caddisguy]

I run the stealth cam buy them in the 2 or 3 pack. I they work well until it gets really cold. I have read going to a lithium battery can help in cold weather

I have always found the opposite with alkaline performing better (not draining as quickly) at colder temps but lithium lasting longer above freezing temps. I could be wrong. It would be interesting to find some real data. A brief google search showed mixed results.

[kelowna.jordan]

I have a Moultrie and it takes fantastic pictures. $110 IIRC off of Amazon.ca. free shipping. I have it set up until spring on a nice spot. Can't wait to see what I get on it!

[HighCountryBC]

Many opinions on here. Like Highcountry said if you want pro advice on cams go to Trailcampro.com. Many factors such as trigger speed, recovery time, detection range and angle, battery life and the benefits of No Glow etc are explained very well. They have a first time buyers guide on there for the beginners + they review and sell all the mid to high quality cameras. Unless your putting up cameras in your backyard buying many cheap cameras isn't that great of advice. Driving hours to go check pics with fingers crossed that something didn't go wrong with that $75 camera isn't what I want to do. Fuel and batteries ain't cheap.

Good info. There is some great advice in this post. Also, at https://www.trailcampro.com/collections/trail-camera-reviews you can review older models under the "Archived Trail Camera Reviews" tab. Cameras change from year to year. Lots of stores have great sales on last years models.


I have always found the opposite with alkaline performing better (not draining as quickly) at colder temps but lithium lasting longer above freezing temps. I could be wrong. It would be interesting to find some real data. A brief google search showed mixed results.

Maybe you got a bad batch of lithiums. They should last exponentially longer than regular alkaline batteries in both warm and cold temps.

[twoSevenO]

It's not what you capture. It's what you miss.

Interesting comparison btw.

I agree!

So how about YOU send me one of your standard cams and I'll run it against the Amazon one. Same tree. Same batteries. Same settings. And we see just how much the Amazon one misses out on.

If HBC votes that the difference is significant I return the cam and $50 for your trouble.

If HBC votes the difference is NOT significant, I keep the cam.

Deal??

[twoSevenO]

Maybe you got a bad batch of lithiums. They should last exponentially longer than regular alkaline batteries in both warm and cold temps.


Can you speak a little more about performance degradation in cold weather?

At what temp do you notice performance issues?
Do you attribute them more to batteries going dormant due to cold, or cam itself?
Do you find increased trigger time in the cold, or other issues?

[caddisguy]

Can you speak a little more about performance degradation in cold weather?

At what temp do you notice performance issues?
Do you attribute them more to batteries going dormant due to cold, or cam itself?
Do you find increased trigger time in the cold, or other issues?

I brought the cold/drain issue up. All batteries drain faster below freezing. If I'm copying stuff off cams to my tablet at -15 I have to use a power pack. Same deal watching a movie at night on my cell phone at those temps, I have to leave it plugged in to get through half the movie.

[HighCountryBC]

I agree!

So how about YOU send me one of your standard cams and I'll run it against the Amazon one. Same tree. Same batteries. Same settings. And we see just how much the Amazon one misses out on.

If HBC votes that the difference is significant I return the cam and $50 for your trouble.

If HBC votes the difference is NOT significant, I keep the cam.

Deal??

Take a deep breath and relax.

You do a lot of talking on certain topics when listening would be most beneficial.

[Pioneerman]

On second thought what do i know! Spend as much as you can afford on a high quality camera and put it in a magical spot. That should get the job done. Sorry about the bad advice earlier .

I think you were right the first time. You only need a camera to give you a picture or video of what is in your area. You do not need perfect clarity so you can frame for the wall. My buddy and I have been using cams ranging from $50 to $200 each and very few have failed and when any of them get stolen or eaten by a bear it hurts far less lol Only ones that have failed were the higher end $ range. Also two or three times more cameras out would be better than one pricey one in the wrong spot

[Pioneerman]

It's not what you capture. It's what you miss.

Interesting comparison btw.

You can not keep spouting this cause you have no idea what or IF you missed anything. If you have cams set up for crossing in front only sure you might miss becasue of 1 second longer delay, which I do not see any with long delays like that. There is a lot of experience here and sounds like you also have lots of time in the field with your cameras. Between my friend and myself we have about 20 lower end cams and sometimes we might have more than one in a area. So IF we think we might miss on one the other might catch a different direction. And you know what ? They all seem to find their mark. It might be possible that expensive cams also miss things cause they are set up badly or wrong direction. Also if this site you offer for comparison only sells mid to higher range cams, why would they ever tell you otherwise ? I would suggest if someone wants to get into it, try to get 3 or 4 of what you can afford

[twoSevenO]

Take a deep breath and relax.

You do a lot of talking on certain topics when listening would be most beneficial.

Ok. I'll take that as a no.

Too bad. Wouldve been a good test to run and actually have some proof behind what you claim.

[twoSevenO]

I brought the cold/drain issue up. All batteries drain faster below freezing. If I'm copying stuff off cams to my tablet at -15 I have to use a power pack. Same deal watching a movie at night on my cell phone at those temps, I have to leave it plugged in to get through half the movie.

Well yes, but cams still DO continue to run in -15, right? Albeit with degraded performance. My question was about what kind of degradation to performance takes place and what temps etc.

Also curious when they absolutely freeze up. Someone like sitkasprice would be a good one to answer this as I'm sure it gets COOOOOLD up in his country

[Sitkaspruce]

I have around 16 cams and run them year around. Been doing it for 10+ years, ever since I got a home made Sony. Addicting as hell!!

I run a few 7 year old Bushnells and Spypoints that keep going strong (although one SP died this year), 4 Simmons 7mp, a Browning and two Stealthcam G series whiteflash cams and the Sony. The Sony takes the best pictures by far! I have been slowly adding cheap cams as I want to try to see if there is a really a difference. I picked up 2 Tasco 8mp for $45 each, a Simmons Blackflash for $29, a Bushnell Blackflash for $39 and just received one of those Chinese ones from Amazon for $45 on a flash sale. Will pick up a few electrical boxes to make bear proof boxes for them and give them a run in the bush this year.

I have run the Simmons BF, the Bushnell BF and the Browning all together for pictures around the house and the two cheapies took the same # pictures and there was very little difference in quality. But I run my Browning for video and the Simmons and Bushnell's for pictures. The Stealthcams have been great for video, especially with white flash. And the animals don't run from them. Will post some videos later. I have one of the Tasco's out in the field for the last 45 days with a spypoint to see how they compare, will post up the results.

Experiments in the field to see if saving $100+ makes a difference to the picture/video/sound quality and to my scouting and hunting.

Cheers

SS

[twoSevenO]

I have around 16 cams and run them year around. Been doing it for 10+ years, ever since I got a home made Sony. Addicting as hell!!

I run a few 7 year old Bushnells and Spypoints that keep going strong (although one SP died this year), 4 Simmons 7mp, a Browning and two Stealthcam G series whiteflash cams and the Sony. The Sony takes the best pictures by far! I have been slowly adding cheap cams as I want to try to see if there is a really a difference. I picked up 2 Tasco 8mp for $45 each, a Simmons Blackflash for $29, a Bushnell Blackflash for $39 and just received one of those Chinese ones from Amazon for $45 on a flash sale. Will pick up a few electrical boxes to make bear proof boxes for them and give them a run in the bush this year.

I have run the Simmons BF, the Bushnell BF and the Browning all together for pictures around the house and the two cheapies took the same # pictures and there was very little difference in quality. But I run my Browning for video and the Simmons and Bushnell's for pictures. The Stealthcams have been great for video, especially with white flash. And the animals don't run from them. Will post some videos later. I have one of the Tasco's out in the field for the last 45 days with a spypoint to see how they compare, will post up the results.

Experiments in the field to see if saving $100+ makes a difference to the picture/video/sound quality and to my scouting and hunting.

Cheers

SS

^^^ this man delivers!!! looking forward to seeing the results.

Is the home made Sony a point and shoot turned into a trail cam? Got a pic? Curious how you got it set up :)

[caddisguy]

Well yes, but cams still DO continue to run in -15, right? Albeit with degraded performance. My question was about what kind of degradation to performance takes place and what temps etc.

Also curious when they absolutely freeze up. Someone like sitkasprice would be a good one to answer this as I'm sure it gets COOOOOLD up in his country

Mine all function just fine no matter how cold. -20 is about as cold as it gets for me though. It's just the battery life I'm referring to. My personal experience is that once it hits -5 any batteries drain 2x as fast and they give off less voltage as well so they hit rock bottom sooner. It doesn't affect your trigger speed, video quality or anything like that. I suppose when the batteries are half dead and it's cold, there might not be enough voltage, so the lights might be dim or flicker. Some of my vids do show flickering on night vids with low battery and cold temps and recover when its warmer. Say I change the batteries late in October, I'll start seeing it in Feb. Keep in mind I do 30s vids and get 300-600 in that time span. I notice issues in the cold more with lithium, but lithium runs like a champ spring to fall.

Its a fact of life with batteries... even lead acid. If you look at buying a portable jump starter for your car, it has a whole graph for temps.

They should sell block heaters for cams that take more than 300 vids LOL

Like you I think cheap cams are the way to go. Expensive cams fail just the same and generally someone buying expensive cams has fewer points of failure before they are out of the game. I've only really had 1 cam fail and I I have running 5-7 cams for several years wintering them. I've had a few eaten by bears though, so dang glad I go with cheap ones.

[twoSevenO]

I've had some gaps in my videos over the winter and havent been able to figure out it out. The batteries were showing OK life when I checked the cams so I doubt they got so cold to stop working yet come back to life fully a couple weeks later. Dont think it got that cold up there.

I will have to throw one in the freezer for a day then check if the cam itself being cold has an effect on its trigger time... wouldnt surprise me with the cheap cams.

[Elkaholic]

I've had some gaps in my videos over the winter and havent been able to figure out it out. The batteries were showing OK life when I checked the cams so I doubt they got so cold to stop working yet come back to life fully a couple weeks later. Dont think it got that cold up there.

I will have to throw one in the freezer for a day then check if the cam itself being cold has an effect on its trigger time... wouldnt surprise me with the cheap cams.


I had one camera that over a two year period I started to question its operation. The thing that tipped me off that I may be correct in it missing pics is I spooked a few deer off my bait when going to check. Low and behold no pics of this. So I swapped it out and took it home to test. Sure as shit it was working but still missing a lot for some reason. The camera was working correctly intermittently off and on and I had no idea until I seen the deer run and got no pics of them. So you could be getting gaps, and I like you had a sneaky feeling that it might be going on with no proof. I have had some cams that were flaky as crap, gave them a BIOS/Firmware update and it was like I bought a brand new camera. So you could try that option as well. I have 3 cameras that go year round and as long as I put fresh batteries in them in the end of Oct/early Nov they will pick right back up in the spring taking pics. I strictly use Duracell Quantum no matter the type of battery.

[Would Rather Be Fishing]

Question: I am just getting into Cams myself and love this (albeit surprisingly emotional at times) thread. Thanks for all the knowledge being shared.

I read a lot about bears going after the cams. I apologize if that is a stupid question, but: How do they know they are there? Do bears see IR? Some cams are advertised as "low glow", can I assume that some of the "IR" LEDs are spilling into the visible spectrum?

[jac]

Bears love the smell and the rubber on some cameras they pretty much ate one of my brothers cams. I have 5 or 6 Camera with no bear troubles I do spray them with scent away also. I had a elk rubbing on my camera this year his muddy antler marks are still all over the camera.

My stealthcams work great until it’s cold I think it’s the battery even with 8 new batteries it’s still slow to wake up and take pics. I will try next fall with lithium I’m going to get the pics and take down my last camera tonight will see what we got. I love trail cameras really fun gets ya out there

[Wild one]

Question: I am just getting into Cams myself and love this (albeit surprisingly emotional at times) thread. Thanks for all the knowledge being shared.

I read a lot about bears going after the cams. I apologize if that is a stupid question, but: How do they know they are there? Do bears see IR? Some cams are advertised as "low glow", can I assume that some of the "IR" LEDs are spilling into the visible spectrum?

Eyes, ears, and nose is how bears find your cam lol

Joking aside animals are very observant and you will find that lots of animals check out the cam it self. You will get your fair share of close up nose pics from all different species

[MOWITCH SLAYER]

I have several cameras . The clearest pictures and the easiest to use by far are the primose Cameras (proof series) . I have four , ranging in price from $70 to $200 depending on pixels .Left in the bush 10 months of the year. They haven't failed me yet

[Beartooth]

I've had several and have found that all the "cheap" cameras" are just that, cheap. I keep my cameras out 24/7 and have found that the ones I've had that cost up to $200 just don't last. They start to fail after their warranty or sooner then you have to deal with warranty issues which can be a nightmare. I did some research to find a better cam with some reliability qualities and came up with the "Reconyx". I paid the money. It was expensive but the reliability and battery life is incredible. Do you want to spend $100 to $200 every year or do you want to spend $600 to $700 once. Mine has been in the field now for over 3 years or more and is still going strong. Never had an issue yet. The cheaper brands I've had are Moultrie and the latest is Primos. Could have bought a Reconyx for the money wasted on those. The only issue would be putting it in a spot where it won't get stolen.

[Huntingtyler123]

Ya lots and cheap. I usually get stealth cams when they are on sale for a bundle of two or three myself

[MOWITCH SLAYER]

I've had several and have found that all the "cheap" cameras" are just that, cheap. I keep my cameras out 24/7 and have found that the ones I've had that cost up to $200 just don't last. They start to fail after their warranty or sooner then you have to deal with warranty issues which can be a nightmare. I did some research to find a better cam with some reliability qualities and came up with the "Reconyx". I paid the money. It was expensive but the reliability and battery life is incredible. Do you want to spend $100 to $200 every year or do you want to spend $600 to $700 once. Mine has been in the field now for over 3 years or more and is still going strong. Never had an issue yet. The cheaper brands I've had are Moultrie and the latest is Primos. Could have bought a Reconyx for the money wasted on those. The only issue would be putting it in a spot where it won't get stolen.
LOL Yah bears love those expensive cameras. They must taste better

[Beartooth]

Never had a bear eat mine yet. Had bears stick their face in them and have had them chew a bit. Mostly they leave them alone. Your bears must be starving..:wink:

[Beartooth]

Never had a bear eat mine yet. Had bears stick their face in them and have had them chew a bit. Mostly they leave them alone. Your bears must be starving..:wink: My last camera I bought was a Primos Proof cam 02. Crapped out after warranty was up, like all of the cheaper cams I've had. I really believe that a more reliable camera can be made but they aren't because they know hunters have lots of money to spend. :lol:

[Vini]

http://www.huntingbc.ca/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=7494&stc=1

This is an elks eye. Nosey bugger

[Squamch]

Bushnell, tasco, and Simmons are all the same. Return one (I return one every year or two when the seals let go), and there's no telling which of the 3 you get back.
Moultries are heavy and big, and seem to have the slowest trigger time, but they seem to be the most dependable. I've had one buried in snow for a couple months, and work fine when the snow melted. I got a lot of videos of the back half of a marten, the back half of courgars, the tips of wolves tails, etc.

[Wentrot]

I am really liking my SPYPOINT link micros. A couple glitches but usually ends up being user error. If your spot has a touch of reception it will save you a good amount of hiking. It’s nice to know the battery levels from home.

[caddisguy]

Moultrie was the only brand I have ever had straight up die. It lasted about two weeks. It was actually shorting out and getting super hot. August and had never been exposed to rain or even cold. It was under warranty, but they wanted me to pay for shipping with no guarantee it would even be fixed properly so I just cut my losses right there. I won't say anything bad about their cams though, as you can have a bad luck of the draw with any cam.

I have used several Simmons Whitetail cams. I don't think they make them anymore but I love those little guys. The LED's do burn out after a few use of service, at least with video mode. Great on battery and very reliable.

I have a few StealthCam's. They seem very reliable and also good battery life. No issues with the two that I have been running 3-4 years. The video quality specs are fake news though... far fetched claims of hi def, 720p or whatever. The 640x480 video on the Simmons WT cams blown up to the same geometry put the Stealthcam video quality to shame. Also not a huge fan of the "dial" interface and how things are poorly spelled out with numbers (no alpha numeric) but all that aside, in my experience it is a good reliable cam for the price.

My two "expensive" cams (Bushnell Trophy and a Browning branded--not sure what model--cam) turn out great quality video and pretty good sound. Being expensive cams, for the first couple years of service I was nervous leaving them out and kept them out of places with high bear traffic. Anyway, awesome cams, good interfaces and battery life to boot.

Now a lot of guys are getting cams straight from China (no middle man) ... third shift type knock-offs (probably same components, different chassis) in the $50-100 range that seem just as good as the $200-300 cams. Amazon, DX, etc..

As for bears, I've had one cam munched on (tooth through sensor) and one traffic off. Had a few others mauled a bit... just some cosmetic damage and directional changes to the cam. Had a funny one where a bear came in and pointed the cam away from the salt but came back a day or two later and spent a couple mins fixing the cam and getting it pointed better than I had it initially. I guess he felt guilty lol

This year I put a cam at nose level a few feet away from my leftover bear carcass. It filmed a few hours of a few different bears. Some of them sniffed it, stared at it, bumped into it but to my surprise did not mess with it at all. That cam must have some horse shoes in it. I wonder if the outcome would have been different had I used the Bushnell instead of the StealthCam :) I used the SC instead of the Bushnell as I had zero expectations it would still be there in one piece

[2chodi]

I’ve seen some great results from Browning strike force pro XD cams from people on Twitter. I have no info on battery life or durability. I know one person uses a solar attachment.

[DStewart]

Find some Browning’s on sale

[slowjo]

I prefer to use cameras made by Wildgame Innovations. They are reasonably priced, compact, lightweight and best of all they take high quality pics, day and night. After years of use, I finally tried the video option and was not disappointed at all. In fact, it left me wondering why I didn’t start taking video earlier.
I like the idea from an earlier post about using bailing wire, but I just use light weight bungie cords.
These cams from Walmart are about $70, I have used them for years, check it out:
https://www.walmart.ca/en/ip/Wildgame-Innovations-Terra-Extreme-10-10MP-HD-Hunting-Game-Trail-Video-Camera/PRD1H4U4QTSRZC0

[WhiteTailAB]

Spypoint 10MP - $99 or so, easy to use, good quality. I browse amazon looking for deals, once a bushnell 20mp and spypoint 20mp came on sale for $100, I didn't buy em but I wish I had!!

[jac]

I buy the 2 or 3 packs of stealth cams every Black Friday from cabela's. Maybe not the best in the world but covered more ground and your not as mad when they get stolen. Next I will buy some of the spy point texting ones and give them a go. I have 5 stealth cams out at the moment and I really enjoy using trail cams

[beaverhunter69]

I am really liking my SPYPOINT link micros. A couple glitches but usually ends up being user error. If your spot has a touch of reception it will save you a good amount of hiking. It’s nice to know the battery levels from home.

This ^ just picked one up at cabelas on sale for $169

[Harvest the Land]

Personal opinion is that most of the cheap Stealth Cams absolutely suck in video mode - they don't even print and data in video mode and the video quality is absolute garbage. So my advice is if you're planning on using video mode (and this is the best way to use your camera in my opinion) avoid cheap stealth cameras. I have some Moultries that are from 2011 and are still working great. Little slow on the trigger speed, but they work awesome considering their age. My other newer Moultries have great video quality too, the trigger speed might be my only knock on them. WGI are a bit better than the cheap Stealth cams but not by much - but they do work. My best overall cameras are probably my Bushnells. The batteries last Forever! Very very fast trigger speeds and excellent photo quality - so I would recommend you go with Bushnell. I've heard Browining's are great cameras too. My Uway MB600 is going on year 5 and its still working great and I keep it up year round (I keep all my cameras up year round). I have 2 Ridgetecs and they're nice cameras too, however I did have to buy and extendable antenna to make them work in areas where the reception wasn't quite as good as it could've been, so that's a bit of a knock on them because the extra antenna is about $100. My Uway was setup in same area and still sent pics no problem. One I haven't tried but heard are really good and come with 5 year warranties are the Exodus cameras. 5 year warranties are unheard of for trail cams. Good luck

[XPEIer]

I've never had any issues at cold temperatures. I started off running the moultries. I liked the C batteries. I was really hesitant to move to the AA battery models.

The Moultries still work but, I've converted to the Browning cams and they are superior to most of the others. They go on sale enough that they aren't a bad price. Better quality, faster wake up time (0.4 sec I believe). The AA's run well in the cold. Most of all, the cams are lighter and the quality of picture at dusk, is better.

I just want to make one more comment on trail cams. When yours comes with a strap to mount it on the tree, take that strap and find another use for it. Everyone, use bailing wire to attach your camera to the trees. You won't regret it. Less visible toward theft, more secure on the tree, animals won't bump it around, less scent on the wire than on the wide strap that spent the off season with your gear.

And I take my cameras and repaint them to more closely match the bark on the trees I typically use. A lot of the browning cams come in a bit a grey tone. I paint them dark brown and black with a bit of dark green.

I use that plumbers wire with all the holes in it, it lays flat in the slots for the webbing on the camera, only need about 6" strip and then I screw it to the tree. YOu can adjust the angle of the camera easily, either paint the stuff black or cover with witches hair or moss. Nice thing,,, not many thieves walking around the bush with a screw driver.