Help select a trailcam

[j-bird]

I am considering trying a trailcam again. My last one used real film!

What do you guys use that works well?

I am looking for something more on the entry level side of things - day/night pics only is fine,don't need video or sound, don't need to be e-mailing me pics or anything like that either.

 

[kabic]

Have you given any thought to if you want black flash\red flash\white ?

I have been going to Black Flash and currently have

Covert Black 60
Stealthcam G42Ng
Moultrie M880 (This is red flash)

My Brother-In-Law has some Moultrie M990i but I hear last years version is better than this years version.

I think there are some Browning or Bushnell cameras that get good reviews, but I dont have any first hand expereice with those.

 

[j-bird]

I have given zero thought to the color of flash - my old one was a white flash. Is there any solid evidence one way or the other? I want simple! Put batteries and an SD card init and walk away. I don't need view screens and 20 different settings.

I see cheap ones for sale for like $50 -but I figure you get what you pay for. I would like somthing to last a year or two if possible that doesn't cost me a fortune in batteries or is as effective as stevie wonder at detecting deer.

I'll do some more interweb research and see what I can find - I just figured you guys have used various ones currently or in the past and can point me in the right direction.

Thaks for your suggestions Kabic.

 

[kabic]

There are lot of people that will tell you that white flash and red flash will scare deer. The down side to black flash is grainier night photos.
Here is a Black 60 night photo. The black 60 has a build it viewer so it may not be want you want.

I think the stealth cam may be considered "low glow" i.e its red flash but very faint. It has a 3 build in settings that you can use and then a fourth for a custom setting.
Downside is its not very battery efficient as some as the others. I put some real cheap batteries in mine and they are ready to be changed (lasted a month) . Also the size of the video its takes are really big for some reason,

I will see if I can upload a night picture of the Moultrie M990i for comparison.

 

[kabic]

Moultrie M990i
also has a photo viewer that is used to setup the camera.

 

[Jordan Selsor]

I have 5 cams. Moultrie 880, browning recon force, covert mp5e, an 2 bushnell trophy. I wish I had 5 moultrie 880 or bushnell trophy. Good cams for the money. For a cheap cam check out the 100 bushnell that Walmart sells.

 

[kabic]

The white flash just stopped working on the Moultrie D55 I purchased in 2010. It still takes day time photos and I have it out in less desirable location.
Moultrie M80 I think I got in 2012 and still working.

Covert Black 60 I purchased in 2013. It was a 2012 model and I broke a latch before it was a year old. Covert replaced with a 2013 model (12 mega pixels versus 8) that one is still running. Got an RMA sent it backed and got a new camera about 10 day from the day I mailed it back.

Stealthcam I purchased this year hopefully it will last 3 or 4 years ...

 

[tooln]

There are a lot of good ones out there. Personally I went to all black flash as I had trespasser issues at night coon hunting. They saw the red and white flash and avoided the cams. I switched to black flash and nailed their ass's. I have had both Moultrie and Covert and can say nothing bad of either. Currently I run all Covert's. Good luck on what ever you pick. Chasing game does a lot of reviews. It worth checking out. http://www.chasingame.com/

 

[Reagan]

I have only had one functioning cam so I'm no expert. I started with a stealth cam that lasted about 4 years. It could last a couple of months on 6 C batteries. In the end, it would take about 15 pic then everything else would be black and the batteries would be dead within 2 weeks.

I purchased a Bushnell TC a year ago. I loaded it up with AA batteries that are for camera use. It has been out all year except the time from February thru late May. The first set of batteries is still going strong. So far I have been happy with it.

Mine is used on a mineral lick in the summer, scrapes in the fall and a corn pile in the winter. I don't pick stand sites based on pics. I only use the camera to see what kind of bucks are on the property and I know that I only capture some of them. There are always deer around that I never get in front of my camera.

 

[Jason]

i really prefer moultries. i'm no expert but i've owned probably close to 40 or 50 cams over the years and moultries have been the longest lasting and most consistent. lots of people like the bushnells but i've had crappy luck with them. of the 5 or 6 that i owned only 1 worked. that 1 has worked extremely well though. too hit or miss for me.

i only buy black frash or at least 'non-visible' flash. i don't buy normal ir w/ the red flash or traditional flash. i've seen too many deer take off from them.

 

[strawhead]

We have 2 Covert MP6 and a bunch of Moultries: 3 M80, 3 M80Black, 2 M990i, and 2 M880i. Also have 3 home brews the son built about 5-6 years ago. The moultrie M80 and the home brews are the only ones not black or no flash. We believe on the large tracts of public forest lands, that don't see much for footprints, the no flash type of camera causes fewer mature deer to divert around and away from the camera. We like the night pictures of the newer no flash Moultries better than that of the Covert Mp6. But, its not an apples to apples comparison. Trail Cam Pro also has good reviews of cameras. http://www.trailcampro.com/

 

[bueller]

I've been running spypoints for the last couple years and have been pretty happy. Battery life is great and pics and videos are good enough for me. Just added another one to my inventory last week.

 

[phil@thesidehill]

i have had good luck with the Moultries. I have a M80 and M880....and both have done well. I had to repair the M880 because a bear thought it was a chew toy....its working properly again. Battery life on both is decent with alkaline AA's...would be much better with Lithiums though.

The only down side for the Moultries as far as what you seem to be looking for in camera is that there is a decent amount of programming and buttons involved....its still not overly complicated though. But you seem to want very easy to use. Also with the moultries....don't delete the pics from the card using the computer. use the delete function on the camera. Apparently, using the computer reformats the card in a way that the camera doesn't like.

 

[chummer]

I have a bushnell trophy that has not had a problem in three years and is great on batteries. I also added two of the covert $100 models this year and they have also worked great and the batteries are still at full strength. Put the good batteries in they last longer and seem to take better pictures. Maybe because they are at full strength longer.

 

[Turkey Creek]

i have had good luck with the Moultries. I have a M80 and M880....and both have done well. I had to repair the M880 because a bear thought it was a chew toy....its working properly again. Battery life on both is decent with alkaline AA's...would be much better with Lithiums though.

The only down side for the Moultries as far as what you seem to be looking for in camera is that there is a decent amount of programming and buttons involved....its still not overly complicated though. But you seem to want very easy to use. Also with the moultries....don't delete the pics from the card using the computer. use the delete function on the camera. Apparently, using the computer reformats the card in a way that the camera doesn't like.

I agree with the above. Though I delete pictures regularly on my computer and have not had an issue with reusing them in the camera.

 

[Bucks&Ducks]

I would recommend something that uses AA and get the lithiums. So much easier.

I have a bunch of Moultrie D55-IR. I have used them about 4-5 years with no real problems. They were cheap but they use C batteries. Now I have a Cabelas Black Flash and Bushnell TC. I like both of them. I think the flash range is a little limited especially on the Cabelas but they both take great day time photos and good night photos when close. They both also have good detection range.

 

[scott44]

I was in Dunham's Sporting Goods the other night and all their trail cams were 20% off, I picked up a Covert MP-E5 for $89. THought I would give it a try.

 

[bwoods11]

I was in Dunham's Sporting Goods the other night and all their trail cams were 20% off, I picked up a Covert MP-E5 for $89. THought I would give it a try.

I love Coverts but I don't have any MP-e5....

Any feedback I might buy one

 

[scott44]

I love Coverts but I don't have any MP-e5....

Any feedback I might buy one

I pulled the card last night and here's a couple pics, day and night. It's only been a couple days but the pics look good. They are a pretty basic camera 6mp pics and red flash with 4 settings ( 3 pic settings and 1-10sec video setting )

 

[SD51555]

i have had good luck with the Moultries. I have a M80 and M880....and both have done well. I had to repair the M880 because a bear thought it was a chew toy....its working properly again. Battery life on both is decent with alkaline AA's...would be much better with Lithiums though.

The only down side for the Moultries as far as what you seem to be looking for in camera is that there is a decent amount of programming and buttons involved....its still not overly complicated though. But you seem to want very easy to use. Also with the moultries....don't delete the pics from the card using the computer. use the delete function on the camera. Apparently, using the computer reformats the card in a way that the camera doesn't like.

How'd you figure that out Phil? Very interesting no doubt.