whats the best buy camera???
 

Okay guys, anybody who wants to ding in feel free. I am wanting to buy a digital trail camera. I used to have the first editions of the stealth cams and im just tired of the film. I am wanting to know what is the best buy camera. I am really not wanting to spend over 250-300. It isnt that important to me to get a picture of a deer. haha. Just let me know what you all think.

RE: whats the best buy camera???
 

Wow... we get this question a lot! But...

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.

Other Options To Consider: battery life, built-in flash range, IR flahs,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,external battery pack?, rechargeable batteries?, solar panel hook up? 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. As you can see cameras have gotten very advanced since the old 35mm cameras

When deciding on what camera to buy, first and foremost, where is the camera going to be used? Is it going to be over a feeder, food plots, mineral sites, baited 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 going to be 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 .3 megapixels to 6 megapixels. Also the quality of lens is important because some cameras will have the same number of megapixels, but one camera may take “nicer” pictures than the other. 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).

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.

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) UPDATE[/b] ON BATTERIES (RECHAREABLE ENGERGIZER D BATTERIES WITH 2500 MAH ARE NOT WORTH THE MONEY LASTED ABOUT 300 PITCTURES).

In the summer this is not as big of a 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).

Then, decide how much you care about having a camera with infrared flashes. IR cameras collect high-resolution images without fear of a big white flash spooking the game you photograph (I have been impressed with a lot of the new IR pictures). The infrared flash is invisible, yet capable of capturing quality images of game up to around 30 ft (There is a little red light that comes up for a second or two and supposedly can only seen when you are directly in front of the camera and looking at it). Is the camera going to be on public land or somewhere where a neighbor or passing bystander might see it and want to steal it or deep in the woods on your own private property where you never see anyone ever? If you are worried about it being stolen or spooking wildlife, IR may be the way to go, by your camera not flashing and being as noticed by wildlife as well as people. Mount your camera up high andwildlife(I guess people too) wont notice it as much if you go the IR route.

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 check out the New 07’ Moultrie Line

D40-$100
IR4-$200
IR6-$287
M4-180
M6-250

RE: whats the best buy camera???
 

Im gonna get a cuddeback excite their$299 and ive heard theyre a great camera.

Die Hard

30 Days!

RE: whats the best buy camera???
 

Just pulled my first card off my Stealth Cam v450 paid a little over $200 for the cam and the rechargeable batt. Had it out for six days and it took 32 pics. Flash is great and trigger speed seems decent. The $299 dollar cudde is also an awsome cam. Those are the 2 I use and they both good.
First pic is from the Stealth Cam
2nd is the $299 Cudde

RE: whats the best buy camera???
 

moultrie game spy . $99.00, cant wait to take his pic 2 years from now .,just got it this year and im just learning ., but so far i really like the moultrie for the money .,,i have not tried anything else so i cant tell you on them .,but i like what i have

RE: whats the best buy camera???
 

For value....moultrie and stealth....but the best are camtrackers IMO. I hear good things about the V and I 450 stealth cams and im gunna pick one up in the next couple weeks.

RE: whats the best buy camera???
 

Holy response there Texas Oaks.

I've been reading and researching as much as I can for years. I just recently ordered a Stealth i-450. I'll let you know how it performs.

I started with the Stealth 35mm's (3). Than have had a Moultrie Game Spy 200 which I still use and enjoy. Decent camera for sure but the saucer shaped eyes on deer at night and the not very good battery life in my opinion. I was all set since last winter for the new Moultrie's to come out this past June - but I was getting mixed feedback regarding the reliability and the excessive white outs. So I changed my mind and ordered the Stealth. Chasinggmame.com gave it a good review and others on here seem to be having good luck. Plus the $20 rebate right now. I did also buy the 12v battery pack to go with it because apparently it's hard on the C batteries.

I also have a leafriver and a nontypical. Im looking forward to how the new Stealth compares.

Again, excellent response TO.

RE: whats the best buy camera???
 

I picked up a Moultrie 4.1 from Cabelas a few weeks ago, happened to stop in on my way to Minneapolis. It runs $150, but was on sale for $120. The daytime pictures are excellent, but I'm not real happy with the flash pictures. It says flash good to 30 feet, but I don't think so. Attached is one of the daytime shots. It may not look as sharp here because I had to resize to get from 1.4MB to under a 300K file size. Battery has been in for 4 weeks and is still nearly full. I have since lowered the camera and aimed it down a little more. Still playing.

RE: whats the best buy camera???
 

I have a Moultrie and have been very happy with the cam thus far. The battery life is a little short, however, if you buy a solar panel and rechargable battery, you won't have that problem anymore:)

RE: whats the best buy camera???
 

There is no " best " cam to buy. It's a myth that one actually exist. With that said.... the Moultrie I-40 comes pretty darn close. With that, you will get whiteouts when in the woods at times, but it will get the deer just the same. When there is a good amount of sun around, it's pics are really good. Battery life is phenomenal, no need for solar or external batteries.