Good Trail Cams
08-18-2006, 11:07 PM
#1
Typical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: North Dakota
Posts: 959
Good Trail Cams
I am thinking about going to the store tomorrow and picking up a trail cam. I am just thinking of doing it, but I am thinking real hard 
So my question is, what would you guys suggest. Infrared or just go with the flash. Also, what would be an affordable route. I don't want to spend over 200 bucks is what I am thinking. And I would like to get a digital if there are any in that price range.
Thanks.
So my question is, what would you guys suggest. Infrared or just go with the flash. Also, what would be an affordable route. I don't want to spend over 200 bucks is what I am thinking. And I would like to get a digital if there are any in that price range.
Thanks.
08-18-2006, 11:59 PM
#2
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Isle, MN
Posts: 1,469
RE: Good Trail Cams
I've tried 4 different digi's and I'll the only one I would really recommend is the bushnell 119200. It will cost about $150. It's got excellent trigger time (only about half second delay between motion and picture being taken). It doesn't false trigger (at least for me). pic quality beats the stealthcam wd2 hands down! will take more pictures of actual events then any other cam i've seen. also, runs for quite a while on 4 d batteries. down sides: flash is kind of poor, 30 second delay between events (most cams let you choose 1 to 10 minutes)
wildview 2.0 (only $99). takes good pics but it has a 5 second delay after motion before pic is taken. runs on 4 c batteries and eats them up in a couple weeks. easiest setup of any cam ever!
stealthcam wd2 - ($169) in my experience I get about 60 false triggers between valid pics! terrible pic quality (and i mean terrible!). this is a popular cam but i don't get why!
cuddeback - DON'T WASTE YOUR MONEY! I can honestly say that I think the bushnell is a better cam then any cuddeback!
one thing i've noticed from all digital cams i've tried is they have serious problems taking good pictures at dusk and dawn. they tend to way over expose pics. sometimes i only get white pics with nothing else in them. that's the time when i'm hoping to get buck pics and the cam performs the worst. argh!
If you would consider a film cam you can't go wrong with the TrailTimer EZ-Cam ($130), i've used TrailTimers for 6 years and i can't say anything bad about them, anywthing! Well, the origional PhotoHunter let a lot of water in and eventually required repairs after about 5 years of non stop use and several raccoon attacks. I recomend them to everyone! If you have a scanner at home and don't mind scanning pics and emailingthem to your buddies it might work out!
wildview 2.0 (only $99). takes good pics but it has a 5 second delay after motion before pic is taken. runs on 4 c batteries and eats them up in a couple weeks. easiest setup of any cam ever!
stealthcam wd2 - ($169) in my experience I get about 60 false triggers between valid pics! terrible pic quality (and i mean terrible!). this is a popular cam but i don't get why!
cuddeback - DON'T WASTE YOUR MONEY! I can honestly say that I think the bushnell is a better cam then any cuddeback!
one thing i've noticed from all digital cams i've tried is they have serious problems taking good pictures at dusk and dawn. they tend to way over expose pics. sometimes i only get white pics with nothing else in them. that's the time when i'm hoping to get buck pics and the cam performs the worst. argh!
If you would consider a film cam you can't go wrong with the TrailTimer EZ-Cam ($130), i've used TrailTimers for 6 years and i can't say anything bad about them, anywthing! Well, the origional PhotoHunter let a lot of water in and eventually required repairs after about 5 years of non stop use and several raccoon attacks. I recomend them to everyone! If you have a scanner at home and don't mind scanning pics and emailingthem to your buddies it might work out!
08-19-2006, 02:17 AM
#3
Typical Buck
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Central IL
Posts: 778
RE: Good Trail Cams
Definately the Bushnell Trail Sentry 119200. It was my 3rd digital trail cam and the BEST I have ever used. The only con it really has is that the night pictures arent really that great. Somewhat weak flash and grainy pictures. Other than that, just awesome. I have had pics of deer like 45-55 feet away that triggered the SOB. The first one I had was an older Bushnell that has had some problems. I will be sending it to Bushnell for repair soon. The second camera I had was a Stealth Cam DIGRX....something or other. It was a nice cam with a very slow trigger time. It was around 6-7 seconds compared to the Bushnell 119200 which has a trigger time of less than a second. You can get that bushnell at opticsplanet.com for about $120 with free UPS shipping to most states.
As a side note, I just got two cameras that will be coming in the mail. I got 2 one year old Stealth Cam WD-1's. I got a great deal on them so I couldnt pass it up. With a 2-3 second trigger speed and a somewhat blurry 1.3 MP rating, I couldnt pass up two for less than a total of $150. I will let you know how those work out when I get them. But until them, I would definately suggest the Bushnell 119200. Fastest trigger, one of the best picture qualities, only about $120.......Great deal.
As a side note, I just got two cameras that will be coming in the mail. I got 2 one year old Stealth Cam WD-1's. I got a great deal on them so I couldnt pass it up. With a 2-3 second trigger speed and a somewhat blurry 1.3 MP rating, I couldnt pass up two for less than a total of $150. I will let you know how those work out when I get them. But until them, I would definately suggest the Bushnell 119200. Fastest trigger, one of the best picture qualities, only about $120.......Great deal.
08-19-2006, 06:40 AM
#4
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Indiana (southern)
Posts: 6,146
RE: Good Trail Cams
I have the moultree 200 and it takes great pics with not many false triggers. BUT i went through two thathad flash issues befor i got one that worked. moltree did take care of the issue. I have a wildview and do not care for it. the night pisc suck. flash just wont reach out there and it did not operate at all in very hot weather. I had a stealth cam till it got stolen. it took great pics (35mm) but would get a lot of false triggers.
Good luck Dan
Good luck Dan
08-19-2006, 06:42 AM
#5
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Myrtle Beach, SC
Posts: 11
RE: Good Trail Cams
I've tried some digitals, but the best camera I have used is a camtracker I bought about 5 years ago. It is a 35mm with a Zeiss lens that uses regular old film, but the picture quality is alway excellent night/day rain /shine. It was expensive though about $500, but you get what you pay for. I am going to check out one of those bushnells, thanks for the tip on that. Good luck!
08-19-2006, 01:42 PM
#6
Typical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: North Dakota
Posts: 959
RE: Good Trail Cams
I will have to look into the Bushnell. Hopefully I can get one ordered this week..I have a couple spots that I want to check out before the season opens...and since they are 50 miles away it is kind of hard to get to when you are working 13 hours a day...
