Budget trail cameras

[lang]

Year two on Camofires refurbished stealth cam p12 without issues.

 

[Ericbell]

The best I’ve used are the browning command ops. You can get brand new ones on eBay for $75 and they are excellent!!

 

[3darcher2]

Agree. The G42 is a solid performer

I bought a brand new G42NG last summer. After two seasons, I am thoroughly unimpressed. The day pics are so-so with what I consider a slow trigger, and the night pics are horrible. I barely put it out this year. For a $100 camera, I was very disappointed. It's a no glow, although there is an ever so slightly visible red flash, but compared to the Cuddeback (E3?) I just got for $75 new, it's atrocious.

I have a Primos Proof 02 low glow that probably has well over 125K plus pics on it, on rechargeables and it's great. I'd like to try an 03 no glow, and I've seen some pics from one that look good. Paid $79 for that 02 three years ago. Just got one of the Dick's $20 Primos - for $20 OK, for anything over $40, forget about it.
t

 

[snakelk]

I bought a brand new G42NG last summer. After two seasons, I am thoroughly unimpressed. The day pics are so-so with what I consider a slow trigger, and the night pics are horrible. I barely put it out this year. For a $100 camera, I was very disappointed. It's a no glow, although there is an ever so slightly visible red flash, but compared to the Cuddeback (E3?) I just got for $75 new, it's atrocious.

I have a Primos Proof 02 low glow that probably has well over 125K plus pics on it, on rechargeables and it's great. I'd like to try an 03 no glow, and I've seen some pics from one that look good. Paid $79 for that 02 three years ago. Just got one of the Dick's $20 Primos - for $20 OK, for anything over $40, forget about it.
t

No doubt, sometimes a person can get a dud, which it sounds like you did with your G42. I also run Primos and have 01 (gen 1 and 2), 02, and 03 versions. The 02 (purchased in Nov 2016) no longer functions normally and is in my scrap camera box. Win some, lose some. The 01's and 03 are still functioning, although I had to repair a battery terminal on the 03. Paid $30 after rebate for my Gen 2 01's, and they've proved to be nice units, especially for the price.

 

[3darcher2]

No doubt, sometimes a person can get a dud, which it sounds like you did with your G42. I also run Primos and have 01 (gen 1 and 2), 02, and 03 versions. The 02 (purchased in Nov 2016) no longer functions normally and is in my scrap camera box. Win some, lose some. The 01's and 03 are still functioning, although I had to repair a battery terminal on the 03. Paid $30 after rebate for my Gen 2 01's, and they've proved to be nice units, especially for the price.

No doubt and that will affect your future purchases for a long time. I wouldn't buy any Stealth again, ever, frankly. Maybe that's childish, but to me I took $100 and flushed it in the toilet. Not getting fooled twice. The Stealth was my first no glow and I didn't know what to expect. Since then, I have gotten a $75 Cuddie and a $40 Amazon Chinese camera that are no glows and both of them run circles around the Stealth for pic quality.

I'm probably going to use mine as a plotwatcher type time lapse cam and see how that goes.

 

[mcseal2]

I bought 6 of the Tasco 8mp cameras at the local Walmart when they had them on clearance for $28. I ran them all as back-up cameras to my better ones. I have gone to putting 2 cameras in each location so that I don't go back after a few weeks to find one screwed up. I have been happy with them for what they cost. They all worked all season, all took ok pictures, and seem to be ready for next season. I had a new $100 Moultrie that didn't survive it's first season. The picture quality on the Tascos isn't up to what the $100 cameras are, but they took good enough pictures I never had an issue seeing the detail I needed to on a buck day or night. I had them on rubs, scrapes, mineral licks, or other spots where trigger speed isn't a huge issue.

 

[tmorg27]

I bought 5 tasco's from Walmart a few years back. So far ive been impressed with them.

 

[bnoble318]

Primos bulletproof are about as siple as it gets. plug and play, or you can add a TXT file for date and time. the guys I share some land with struggle to get their fancier cameras to work right, as they are more sensitive. even the least skilled among us can get good pictures from the primos though.

 

[Btward]

I really like my Browning cameras and have bought a majority of them refurbished off of EBay. I also have two Wild Game Cameras that I stick in spots that are more likely to get stolen (so far no luck). Nothing but problems with them. Have heard real good thinks about the moultries lately.

 

[Conbriden]

I’ve had a few Moultrie a35s on the mountain for about 2 years now and no issues as long as I run good batteries. Did have one issue where it pulled the card out of format but replaced the card and it’s been fine for about a year now. Even in negative temps and heavy snow

 

[Pfeiffer97]

I’ve had a few Moultrie a35s on the mountain for about 2 years now and no issues as long as I run good batteries. Did have one issue where it pulled the card out of format but replaced the card and it’s been fine for about a year now. Even in negative temps and heavy snow

I second moultrie

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[Medusa7MM]

I've been very impressed with the Browning Command Ops cameras. Picked mine up on sale for $69.00 new and very simple to use. I also agree with the comments on the Tasco 8MP cameras, for the price ($28.00) can't go wrong. I only use the Tasco cameras on water holes or mineral spots when I don't have to worry about trigger speed.

 

[Grundy53]

Been happy with my brownings and moultrie. Hate my primos. Just picked some stealth cams up off camofire to try out. Camofire is selling a bunch of different stealth cams right now.

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[Milhouse58421]

I know my findings will not mirror everyone's, but have a bunch of fairly cheap cameras...bushnell, stealth, primos proof cams, moultrie...they all seem to work pretty decent for me. I'm not looking for framing quality pics....I want to see what's around. I also just picked up 2 Spartan 4g cell cams...not cheap, and I haven't messed with them at all, I just am intrigued by not ever getting anything done at work because my trail cameras are sending me picture notifications.

My cheap cams seem to work in all kinds of weather....and by that, I mean cold.....like-20°f cold. I just picked some up that were out 2 weeks...
Tons of pics and video. I will always pick them up on sale...
Sure, they may crap out at some point, but I'm not out much if they do.

 

[Richard Thompson]

The WingHome game camera takes excellent pictures and fast trigger.
Had a couple out for going on two years with no problems.

I have used WingHome 350c trail camera, which is $60~100 around, and it performs excellent.

Trigger speed is good, the trigger time is 0.4s, so that it won't a single movement of passing by animals, besides, the battery life is good so far (8 months on the same set of batteries taking over 1000 pictures) and easy to use.

 

[jljones527]

Wildgame Innovations and Primos have worked for me on a budget. Be careful that you don't get ones with the mini-SD slot unless that's what you're after. Disappointing if you expected a full size card slot.

 

[Tezz32]

Stealth cam has been the best bang for the buck for me

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[LMT66]

What’s the consensus on best night shots in low end ones?

 

[MallardSX2]

I have some moultrie M-80's that were petty good. Not too hard to set up. Bear did get on eof them pretty good though....

 

[hikenhunt]

I'm going to second on the putting up two trail cameras at each site. I've put one on photo and one on video with great success.