HuntingNet.com Forums - View Single Post - Best Game Camera for the $ ?

07-16-2007, 04:01 PM

#5

TexasOaks

Nontypical Buck

Join Date: Feb 2007

Location: Denton, Texas

Posts: 1,335

RE: Best Game Camera for the $ ?

With plenty of trail cameras to choose from, I would consider the five big factors when buying a new trail camera: image quality, trigger speed, user-friendliness, cost, and durability.[/b]
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Other Options To Consider: battery life[/b], built-in flash range, sensing range (some cameras have a sensor that is more wide and others have a sensor that is more narrow but will sense objects farther out), movie capability, night vision, auxiliary battery pack?, rechargeable batteries?, megapixel upgrade, memory card capacity, mono-pod holder, Laser and IR aim for quick and precise camera set-up, time lapse mode, multi-shot pictures, upgradeable software, barometric pressure, temperature, moon phase, time, date, and onboard viewing of images.

First and foremost, where is the camera going to be used? Is it going to be over a feeder, food plots, mineral sites, or scrapes? Or is it going to be over trails, bottle necks, junction points, rub lines, transition areas, etc? The difference is, you don’t have to a fast trigger speed if you have deer coming in and stopping, if you are going to use the camera for the trail action then fast trigger time is very important (though I believe it can be gotten around if you setup the camera properly)

How much do you care for the sharpness of the pictures? Trail cameras now run from 1.3 megapixels to 6 megapixels. You need to look at different pictures from different cameras and see where you draw the line in the quality of picture you want. (Look at night time and daytime photos)

How good are you with using electronic devices because you will find some trail cameras are easier to operate than others (in setting up and shutting down). Some cameras show you how many pictures they have taken on the front display while others you have to open up to see how many pictures have been taken (just another example of user friendless).
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On durability, you want your camera to last more than a season or two so you want the case to be strong to take the beatings of Mother Nature as well as you want the parts to function properly and be reliable for a long time.
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I don’t know if you are putting out your camera where it gets real cold in the winter but powering your trail camera can be an issue. Batteries can be costly, but longevity is important when outside temperatures rise and fall dramatically. Although expensive, good batteries are necessary to ensure that your camera works all the time (if you go the rechargeable D battery route get at least a 2500 mah rating). In the summer this is not a big deal. At warmer temperatures, cameras can run for a couple months without much concern. When temperatures drop below freezing, that's when you've got to keep a close eye on your power source. Extreme cold winter temperatures can wreak havoc on battery life. Your will find out long battery life is a very important thing to have (even if you do have your camera close by).

Some people go homebrew (there are ups and downs to homebrew), some people like the high end cameras like camtrakker or buckeye cam, and some just want the cheapest ones they can find. Saying that, it all comes down to preference (and what your goals and objectives for the camera are), some people will sway you to this camera while another will say this camera, it’s up to you to decide.

Go to www.chasingame.com to check out pictures and reviews of different cameras.

For me I would definitely check out the new 07’ Moultrie Line.

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