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BestTrail Camera
- Thread starter ssmith
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Killdee
Senior Member
Muddy cameras I have bought from Cabalas from David Helmlys recommendations have been very good, no problems at all with operation and good battery life.Some night pics blur with motion but thats common with black flash cameras.you can get the lower mp cams a little cheaper and I have bought 3 for about your price range. The wildgame brand cams Eagle eye uses I have also had good operation from with the exception of them not recognizing having the sd card in even though I power off every time i Swap cards. I often have to insert several times before they work.
MidwestAddiction
Senior Member
Covert cameras hands down! Their customer service is out of the norm for this day in age and their quality is out of the park. Run covert cellular cameras and around 20 base entry mp6 and mp8 cameras. Buy them every year but some are 4-5 years old and still doing great! Can pick up mp6 for around 80-85$ and mp8 for around 100$. Can’t beat them
EAGLE EYE 444
King Casanova
First of all, there are some really good quality cameras on the market and has been for several years now. I surely don't need any Cell Cameras as such so I don't have any experience with them but I can offer information on regular trail cameras.
In my case, I can speak from the voice of experience over the past 7 1/2 - 8 years now as that is when I first started using trailcams. I did buy one Moultrie first and it turned out to be garbage as most of the time it would not get a photo of my truck as I would drive by only 10 feet in front of it. It has been a "Dummy Cam" for about 7 years or so now.
That is what led me to try the WildGame Innovations cameras. One big important thing to me is to have the actual photo number stamped on EVERY photo because I have kept a library of sorts for each camera location during all of these years now and it would be impossible if the photos were not numbered as such. So, if a model does not have that feature, I don't buy it. My WGI cameras have now accumulated over 900,000 PHOTOS to date. (So far this calendar year as of 9/2/2018, my cameras have taken 105,396 photos).
I started using an assortment of their models and over the years and after testing various models side by side in the woods on the same trees I have narrowed down the models that I use now. The good thing for me is that I have kept very detailed records on all of my cameras and the battery performance of each one as well.
For the money and best overall values, I search out a lot of "deals" on models such as:
WGI CRUSH 10 ILLUSION LIGHTSOUT (bought 5 more in 2018)
WGI CRUSH 10 ILLUSION (trying to buy more now at a good price)
WGI ILLUSION 8 LIGHTSOUT (bought 10 more recently @ $39.99 each and then a week or two later tried to buy a bunch more but they were sold out at that sales price)
RAZOR X 10 LIGHTSOUT (have bought about 20 of this model)
BLADE X 6 (was the best value by far and I bought a bunch of them @50-$60 each but I can't find them anymore)
WGI N6E RED ENHANCED (MFG'D IN 2012 BUT STILL WORK GREAT) I bought 10 more of this model last year.
Even though, I still have an assortment in service of 5, 6 ,7 ,8 and 10 MP cameras in the woods 24/7/365, I surely plan on riding each and every one of them until they finally "Croak". Sometimes, when they seem to "croak" in the woods, I replace them on the tree and then bring them home and inspect them throughout. Sometimes, it may be a heat and moisture problem involved and when I bring the camera home, I will open the camera up and take out the batteries etc and fill the entire cavity with white rice and then seal it up in a Zip-Loc bag for a month and then vacuum it out and blow it afterwards before installing new batteries and re-programming it again and then test it for several days at home before installing it back in the woods.
I did experience some odd behavior recently on a few cameras as the camera showed as high as 123 ° temp and they would work fine and then without warning, they would not cut back on and work again while on the tree etc. I believe that this was due to excessive heat and moisture. I brought those cameras home and performed the procedure listed and I tested all 4 of them again yesterday and they took over 1200 photos of me working at my desk during a 4 hour period and I will be re-installing them asap.
The bottom line is if you have any type of failure initially, just follow this procedure and you will be surprised that your camera might last another few years afterwards.
Over the years, I always ONLY used Duracell Copper-Top batteries. However, when Duracell introduced their Quantams, I also found out that I did get better performance and it was surely worth the extra cost up front. I buy them from the local Sam's Club ONLY when they are on sale which helps even more. I actually check every new battery right out of the package with a CEN-TECH Digital Multimeter and verify actual voltage available before installing. I also change-out my batteries when they get down to only ONE bar of life remaining. When I remove them, each battery for each certain camera is tested then to see what remaining voltage is left before I take them to the recycle drop off. I keep very detailed records of performance on every set of batteries as to when it was installed and the overall number of photos taken up until when it was taking out of service.
I remind all of you that just putting in batteries and having all of the settings on HIGH because you think that will be great is DEAD WRONG in a lot of cases. Over the years, I have tried various settings to learn which is best for a certain model camera for my use. Some times, it would take me several months of evaluation to finally make up my mind about that fact.
WARNING FOR 1ST TIME CAMERA USERS AND A VERY HARD LESSON TO LEARN THE WRONG WAY !!! ALWAYS CUT THE CAMERA OFF BEFORE INSTALLING OR TAKING OUT THE CURRENT MEMORY CARD BECAUSE YOU CAN POSSIBLY LOOSE ALL OF YOUR PHOTOS BY NOT DOING SO. It is also very important to realize that on several brand and model cameras such as the WGI VISION 8 LIGHTSOUT MODEL requires that the memory card be installed just opposite (backwards to the normal procedure). If you try to force it in, you can damage the memory card and the interior mechanism for holding the card in place.
One last bit of information that a lot of camera users don't understand is that you can buy a 10 MP camera and set it up on HIGH. Then you will get real 10 MP photos. However, by setting it on MEDIUM, you will actually get 8 MP, and on LOW, you will get 6 MP etc. These facts are listed on the actual packaging of your new cameras. The fact is sometimes 6 MP turns out better photos than 10 MP does. Initially, it takes some trial and error on your part.
I surely don't mind sharing my experiences with other camera users and especially first time users. Hopefully, I can help to keep you from making any mistakes initially. Just send me a p/m.
In my case, I can speak from the voice of experience over the past 7 1/2 - 8 years now as that is when I first started using trailcams. I did buy one Moultrie first and it turned out to be garbage as most of the time it would not get a photo of my truck as I would drive by only 10 feet in front of it. It has been a "Dummy Cam" for about 7 years or so now.
That is what led me to try the WildGame Innovations cameras. One big important thing to me is to have the actual photo number stamped on EVERY photo because I have kept a library of sorts for each camera location during all of these years now and it would be impossible if the photos were not numbered as such. So, if a model does not have that feature, I don't buy it. My WGI cameras have now accumulated over 900,000 PHOTOS to date. (So far this calendar year as of 9/2/2018, my cameras have taken 105,396 photos).
I started using an assortment of their models and over the years and after testing various models side by side in the woods on the same trees I have narrowed down the models that I use now. The good thing for me is that I have kept very detailed records on all of my cameras and the battery performance of each one as well.
For the money and best overall values, I search out a lot of "deals" on models such as:
WGI CRUSH 10 ILLUSION LIGHTSOUT (bought 5 more in 2018)
WGI CRUSH 10 ILLUSION (trying to buy more now at a good price)
WGI ILLUSION 8 LIGHTSOUT (bought 10 more recently @ $39.99 each and then a week or two later tried to buy a bunch more but they were sold out at that sales price)
RAZOR X 10 LIGHTSOUT (have bought about 20 of this model)
BLADE X 6 (was the best value by far and I bought a bunch of them @50-$60 each but I can't find them anymore)
WGI N6E RED ENHANCED (MFG'D IN 2012 BUT STILL WORK GREAT) I bought 10 more of this model last year.
Even though, I still have an assortment in service of 5, 6 ,7 ,8 and 10 MP cameras in the woods 24/7/365, I surely plan on riding each and every one of them until they finally "Croak". Sometimes, when they seem to "croak" in the woods, I replace them on the tree and then bring them home and inspect them throughout. Sometimes, it may be a heat and moisture problem involved and when I bring the camera home, I will open the camera up and take out the batteries etc and fill the entire cavity with white rice and then seal it up in a Zip-Loc bag for a month and then vacuum it out and blow it afterwards before installing new batteries and re-programming it again and then test it for several days at home before installing it back in the woods.
I did experience some odd behavior recently on a few cameras as the camera showed as high as 123 ° temp and they would work fine and then without warning, they would not cut back on and work again while on the tree etc. I believe that this was due to excessive heat and moisture. I brought those cameras home and performed the procedure listed and I tested all 4 of them again yesterday and they took over 1200 photos of me working at my desk during a 4 hour period and I will be re-installing them asap.
The bottom line is if you have any type of failure initially, just follow this procedure and you will be surprised that your camera might last another few years afterwards.
Over the years, I always ONLY used Duracell Copper-Top batteries. However, when Duracell introduced their Quantams, I also found out that I did get better performance and it was surely worth the extra cost up front. I buy them from the local Sam's Club ONLY when they are on sale which helps even more. I actually check every new battery right out of the package with a CEN-TECH Digital Multimeter and verify actual voltage available before installing. I also change-out my batteries when they get down to only ONE bar of life remaining. When I remove them, each battery for each certain camera is tested then to see what remaining voltage is left before I take them to the recycle drop off. I keep very detailed records of performance on every set of batteries as to when it was installed and the overall number of photos taken up until when it was taking out of service.
I remind all of you that just putting in batteries and having all of the settings on HIGH because you think that will be great is DEAD WRONG in a lot of cases. Over the years, I have tried various settings to learn which is best for a certain model camera for my use. Some times, it would take me several months of evaluation to finally make up my mind about that fact.
WARNING FOR 1ST TIME CAMERA USERS AND A VERY HARD LESSON TO LEARN THE WRONG WAY !!! ALWAYS CUT THE CAMERA OFF BEFORE INSTALLING OR TAKING OUT THE CURRENT MEMORY CARD BECAUSE YOU CAN POSSIBLY LOOSE ALL OF YOUR PHOTOS BY NOT DOING SO. It is also very important to realize that on several brand and model cameras such as the WGI VISION 8 LIGHTSOUT MODEL requires that the memory card be installed just opposite (backwards to the normal procedure). If you try to force it in, you can damage the memory card and the interior mechanism for holding the card in place.
One last bit of information that a lot of camera users don't understand is that you can buy a 10 MP camera and set it up on HIGH. Then you will get real 10 MP photos. However, by setting it on MEDIUM, you will actually get 8 MP, and on LOW, you will get 6 MP etc. These facts are listed on the actual packaging of your new cameras. The fact is sometimes 6 MP turns out better photos than 10 MP does. Initially, it takes some trial and error on your part.
I surely don't mind sharing my experiences with other camera users and especially first time users. Hopefully, I can help to keep you from making any mistakes initially. Just send me a p/m.
See Preacher
I told you that boy is an expert
I told you that boy is an expert
joepuppy
Senior Member
Holy cow that is a lot of pics Eagle Eye.You must spend a pile on batteries. Thanks for the info.I only recently got into the camera thing, and bought a Bushnell HD. It did well last year, but now it will come on and shut right back off. Warranty is gone, so I'll be looking into the ones you mentioned.
Gaswamp
Senior Member
I like wildgame and use a couple of the models that eagle eye has listed...Any of the cameras he listed u can trust that they are good models. Also, I have recently bought a couple of Covert MPE6 and like them as well too...You can find them on ebay for less than $50..I bought one for exactly $50 and the other for $39 ..brand new
Major Wader
Senior Member
While some may disagree, I have had really good luck with Moultrie's A30 series. I also have some 888i Moultrie cameras that I have been running for several years.
I also only use Duracell batteries. I have an A30i that takes about 1500-2000 pictures in an average week. I changed batteries last Saturday, and those had been in the camera since April. Cameras with lower picture count sometimes last 10-12 months on a single set.
I also only use Duracell batteries. I have an A30i that takes about 1500-2000 pictures in an average week. I changed batteries last Saturday, and those had been in the camera since April. Cameras with lower picture count sometimes last 10-12 months on a single set.
Jim Boyd
Senior Member
One good thing to look into are the Cabela’s branded cameras.
Lifetime warranty.
I have three but they are only 2 years old.
They are in Illinois and I can find two of them - so I will be on the lookout for # 3 in November.
Great day pics, night pics have a spotlight effect and battery life is great. In between pics are pretty clear also.
$99 I think, which is a little more than u wanted to spend.
Good luck!
Lifetime warranty.
I have three but they are only 2 years old.
They are in Illinois and I can find two of them - so I will be on the lookout for # 3 in November.
Great day pics, night pics have a spotlight effect and battery life is great. In between pics are pretty clear also.
$99 I think, which is a little more than u wanted to spend.
Good luck!
BassHunter25
Senior Member
I agree with most of what eagle eye said. Though I had a wgi camera early on that turned me off to them. A buddy of mine has a few now and we have them in the rotation.
I would say that after trying a lot of brands they are all hit and miss.
I was really happy with bushmell
For a long time then bought a few in years past two years and they knly
Lasted a season or two.
But still have some bushnell trophy cams that are 8 years old. I also have some older moultries that are 10 years old though their trigger speed is slow compared to newer cams and they take c cell batts they still work.
Had several brownings. Most are a few years old and working well but had two crap out within two seasons.
I have used primos and stealth cam with the same results.
I have one “expensive” reconyx in the mix that I’m not that impressed with for the price. Mostly because it requires either 12 lithium or rechargeable batts. Then didn’t seem to last as long in the woods as other cams with less Batteries.
I had an older bushnell trophy cam with 8 lithium batteries last a whole season and the start of another taking 500 plus picks a week.
Basically you can try any cam in the $80 price range and you could get a lemon or you could get a cam that last a long time.
I look at trigger speed and flash range are the two most important things that make a cam not miss anything.
I would say that after trying a lot of brands they are all hit and miss.
I was really happy with bushmell
For a long time then bought a few in years past two years and they knly
Lasted a season or two.
But still have some bushnell trophy cams that are 8 years old. I also have some older moultries that are 10 years old though their trigger speed is slow compared to newer cams and they take c cell batts they still work.
Had several brownings. Most are a few years old and working well but had two crap out within two seasons.
I have used primos and stealth cam with the same results.
I have one “expensive” reconyx in the mix that I’m not that impressed with for the price. Mostly because it requires either 12 lithium or rechargeable batts. Then didn’t seem to last as long in the woods as other cams with less Batteries.
I had an older bushnell trophy cam with 8 lithium batteries last a whole season and the start of another taking 500 plus picks a week.
Basically you can try any cam in the $80 price range and you could get a lemon or you could get a cam that last a long time.
I look at trigger speed and flash range are the two most important things that make a cam not miss anything.
shaftslinger24
Senior Member
I have seven moultries and have had zero problems
baddave
Senior Member
hey ssmith- i was a lot reluctant to get started in cams also , but man has it been fun..i have 2 browning strike force that i have been real happy with.. glad you started this thread , maybe someone could tell us what i may be missing out on .. these are 100$ ebay.. .4 sec trigger 16 mp.. great pics .. the other day i went to get the one in crawfordville and i had 516 20 sec videos w/ still 100% battery ..watching hogs on my little feeder . detection range may be what i'm missing out on .. only b'out 25'.. paid $10 more and got one w/ 80' detection .. hope this helps- have fun , i know we have... oh and now i know they're coming in just after dark .. just waiting for it to cool a little bit--uses 6 AA batt-- i use the eveready lithium
--uses 6 AA batt-- i use the eveready lithium
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I have been using Moutrie for many years and have had very few issues. I also like the fact that with Moultrie I am able to move my Moultrie Mobile unit around to the different cameras and get real time pics of an area I may want to focus on with having to check the pictures daily.
furtaker
Senior Member
I bought a Moultrie AC-30 last year and it works great, but the sensor range is wider than the field of view so I get a lot of blank pictures before the animal walks into the frame. I also wish it displayed the picture count on the camera. They are good cameras though.
MidwestAddiction
Senior Member
Hope you like it!
realityvideoman
Member
I have 4 WGI Terra 10's that I bought from Dicks and Field & Stream For $39 each. Two of the cameras were left out all year (from OCt 17 until now). I registered online for the warranty when I got the cameras. Recently one of the cameras showed "error" and it quit working despite changing SD card and batteries. I sent the camera back to WGI and not only did they replace it with a new camera they included a handheld SD card viewer !
The cameras has taking 1000's of pics and battery life is really good too.
The cameras has taking 1000's of pics and battery life is really good too.
