Most reliable game cameras?
Equipment
I used to love the little Browning cams...they got consistently high ratings. I've now had two recent ones that absolutely are not recording game when it is almost right in front of the camera.
I also note despite all the review sites out there, they rarely test for reliability. Yet, that arguably is one of the most important characteristics for a trail camera.
Reconyx supposedly is the most reliable, but is that still true?
I like my Reconyx, I have the 500. It's been my best camera so far. I just bought a Browning this past January. I have set it up and its missing pics as well.
I've had the best luck with the Primos blackout series. I've had a few stop working after a few seasons but over all they have been fine with both quality pics and videos. Any given time I have 7-10 out and I run them all year. I always wait for a rebate offer or when there on sale to buy them, usually at dicks sporting goods. They can be frustrating, my brother in law has tried a few different makes and just doesn't seem to have any luck with any of them!! I've also had a bear bite into one breaking the plastic and cracking the infrared lense...camera still works fine but then one that works for a long time just starts glitching...go figure!
I have 2 reconyx and nothing gets by them. They have very reliable. Mine are several years old. They don't take videos, only still shots. I also have some Moultrie cameras and have had good luck them as well. 880i and 990i I believe.
I just made an interesting observation last year, and I am going to follow up on it this year. I put several cameras out each year, and invariably, I will have a few that don't take any pictures. I isolate those cameras, thinking that they may not be working, and the next time I check them, they work fine....but perhaps another doesn't work, next time around....and it is frustrating.
I suspect that the limitation is related to the SD cards. I have mostly 8 GByte cards, but some are 16GBytes and some are even 32 GBytes (usually reserved for my camera, they got thrown into the trail camera carry pouch by mistake). Some cameras will not work if the SD card has higher than 8GByte storage capability.
The observation that I made last year, that I am going to test this Spring, has to do with specific SD cards being used for ONLY one specific camera. All of my cameras are not the same make....as a result, I am of the opinion that the first time each SD card is used, the camera that it is put into, formats the card for that specific type of camera. When I go afield to change my cards, in the past, I just have a container with a bunch of SD cards in it. I select one at random, and put it into the camera. I suspect that some formatted cards may not be able to function in other brands of cameras.
SO....this Spring, I am going to reformat all of my cards. Then, each camera will be numbered, and I will have an A set of cards, and a B set of cards. Each card will be numbered, and the numbered cards will only be used in the camera with the same corresponding number. Everytime that I change cards, each camera will then receive an SD card that was formatted to that camera. Hopefully, that will solve my challenge.
If anyone already uses that system, I would be interested to hear if you STILL encounter problems with camera dependability.
I had a camera that did not photograph a deer that I knew to be right in front of the camera once....and I think that either the detection settings were inappropriate, or the SD card issue was still to blame.....
Yes, that's similar to something I do and I should have mentioned it earlier. I pack in a small laptop and view onsite. I save and lable the pics and vids I want and then delete the entire card. I then reformat the card when I put it back into the camera. For the primos cameras I use, you press the up and down arrow in at the same time and it reformats the card. It also erases all pics and vids so make sure you save first!! Early on when I didn't follow this method I had problems. What ever camera you use...read the manual 2x!!!! 99% of the time it's user error.
Outside,
I agree. I believe that my lost photos are a result of incompatible formatting of disks....or disks that the instructions state are beyond the capability of the camera to use properly....and I could have avoided the problem if I had read the instructions closely the first time.
If I use the same brand/model cameras, do you think the card is interchangeable or do you specifically use the same card in the exact same camera every time ? Thanks
Bowcrazy,
I would hope that the same brand could use "interchangeable" SD cards....but it isn't worth the risk of losing any more good photos....so I am not going to take that chance. Each camera will have it own own "set" of SD cards.
I think the problem is when u view them on a device then you put them back into a camera. You need to reformat the SIM card back to the camera...read your instructions on how to do that. When I get a new camera I put it up in the back yard for a few days to test run pics, videos and other settings. If all good then it goes in the field.
I have noticed the SD card issue also. I have the brownings, and so far they have been excelent (4 years on first ones) if I check to make sure the SD card is good.
I had a Wildgame Innovations one a while back that I loved until it stopped working after 3 months and got upset with their customer service. Since then I've been running Moultries and Spypoints. The cheaper moultrie has out performed my more expensive Spypoints by a landslide. I plan on buying some more Moultries this year when I can catch them on sale. I'll never buy another Spypoint/Wild game trail camera again after all the issues. My Moultrie (forget the model) is going strong on 4 years now but I only run them June-January usually. I might have to check into Browning and Reconyx now.
In regards to the SD issue the above commenters are correct. Some trail cams do not use cards above 8GB. Some will only use a SD and not an SDHC card so you have to read your manual on that. And yes, all trail cameras will format the card to their program and will screw it up in other brands. Checking them on a card reader/laptop is ok but I once used my wife's Sony camera to check and started having problems. Called tech support and they said regular cameras format the card another way and had me reformat the card and its worked perfectly again so user error on my part.
I've use Spypoint and Stealth cameras. I've been happier with the Spypoint on picture quality etc. My oldest Spypoint is 4 years old I believe. About half way through the season it started taking several hundred pictures in one day and taking the batteries down before the day was out. Usually battery life in that camera has been for 1000's of pictures and usually lasts 4-6 months without replacement.
I have 2 sd cards for each camera. That way I can swap them out and be sure I am using the same card with the same camera. One time last year I got to one camera and had the wrong card. It failed to take any pictures, had to reformat the card in order to get it to work the next time so I am a firm believer in using the same card in the same camera each time.
Several things to remember here. All the above are great suggestions and should help solve most problems along with the following: > DO NOT use cheap batteries or mix batteries of different brands and strengths. I consistently use both reg. Duracell Copper tops and Duracell Quantum along with Energizer Lithiums in winter and this has reduced my problems a lot overall. > Always reformat your cards in the camera when you set it up each time without fail. > Always use the same cards in the same cameras- have two cards for each camera numbered as suggested above. > Occasionally do a "Complete Format" (not quick) of each card in your computer along with then reformatting it again when placed in the camera for use. > As stated above, Some cameras will not take or function well with SDHC or ULTRA cards with speeds above 4. All cards have speed numbers on them in a circle right under the label. Browning cameras are like this and will NOT function properly with anythng "HC or ULTRA". Use only standard SD with a speed of 4 or less. > Never view your cards in another type camera other than a regular card viewer or a computer. You may get away with it for a while but it's a formula for disaster. > All SD cards are NOT equal - stay away from the cheap off brands or refurbished ones. > Keep a small piece of fine steel wool with you and occasionally clean the brass contacts on cards - some will tend to corrode or get a coating on them after being in the field for an extended length of time. Many times it will show a message"No SD card" Sometimes after cleaning them - that will take care of the problem. Hope this helps - if not then you have a camera problem.
Wildgame Innovations are junk.
Cuddeback IR. They have been totally reliable, great battery life, easy to operate and fast trigger speed. They also have an excellent metal housing you can buy. I have tried a lot of brands, these are by far the best.
The SD cards for specific cameras is crucial. Just number and go.
I have a Covert that was replaced. The old one worked great. The new one does nothing but take pictures. Like 700 in a week of an empty field. I actually am to the point with trail cameras that I don't even like fooling with them anymore. Regardless of where you put the camera, no vegetation swaying in the wind, it does this.
X-Master,
A couple questions.....when you say reformatting each time....when you set it up....are you saying that you reformat EVERY time you swap cards? ....or just every time that you first set up the camera?
I have actually had decent success with the Wildlife Innovation cameras......EXCEPT when I didn't pay attention the cards that I was using. Their formatting must be less compatible with cards formatted to other cameras....hence my decision to keep two individual cards for each camera from now on.
Good tips about the quality of batteries and not "mixing" the batteries. Anybody have any info about using high quality rechargeable batteries versus the copper tops that are NOT rechargeable?
Hmmm... now I need to look into the SD card issue, now that I've pulled all of my cameras. Could explain why my Covert took ZERO pics and plenty of evidence there were deer within 20 feet of the cam.
I have had much better luck reformatting the SD card every time I put it into a camera (I've never formatted on my computer, just each time I install into the game came using the menu system).
I have 2 Spypoint Tiny-d and 1 Browning Command Ops. Pleased with both, spypoint takes slightly clearer pictures, browning seems to have good bit better trigger speed. Would buy either brand again in the future.
Remember to check the mfgs website and update the camera software. One of the spypoints was bugging out and shutting itself off right out of the box. Before I returned it, I did the software update it's been fine for 1000's of hours since.
For any Canadians reading this Home Hardware chain stores sell their own battery brand called Reactors. Only place I've ever sen them. They are considerably less $$ than the big names and actually outlast the Duracells, etc. Have been running them in about a dozen cameras for several years, they are excellent batteries.
Medicineman, Format them each and every time you change them out. Do the complete computer format every other time or so but at least once per season. Hope those tips help - just things I've learned through 20+ years of trail cam experience. It's not as simple as they would have you believe for sure.
Hmmm, I have been swapping SD cards between cameras and didn't have much luck last fall.... Wish I'd read this earlier...... G
"X-Brand is great, nothing gets by them".....How do you know? A little like if a tree falls in the forest thing isn't it?
The bear guides know best!
I have a Snyper in my portfolio now with Moultrie and Exodus. Like them all.
I've had nothing but great luck with Costco Kirkland brand batteries
Rob Nye, do you run the Reactors in the winter as well? I run energizer lithium year round, and get good results with them. If I need to replace in a hurry, I will use Duracell regular, if I am out of lithiums at the time. Those Duracell quantum are crap, as far as I am concerned.
I have pretty good luck with Bushnells. As far as I'm concerned "Moultrie" is an old Indian word for piece of SH!T...never had one that something didn't go wrong almost immediately with it...usually the digital display went kaput.
dg72; I do use them always. A couple years ago I forgot a camera at a deer bait site at season end early December and retrieved it in April. There was almost 300 pics; last critter pic was a buck Mid February and then me last. The Cuddeback Attiack battery level still read 10%. I put in 4 fresh D cells Reactors about mid- November. We had some long stretches of 30 below so I was impressed.
South Farm; that's funny gonna steal that and use it for a variety of names! As in " Did you know that Trudeau is an old Indian name...." Hahaha
I have had nothing but good things from my stealth cameras. I can pick up a couple cameras for around $120 on sale during the summer months. Night time video sucks but i dont use video much. The photos are good for just that taking photos. Seeing whats in the area and placing lots of cameras down is my look on cameras.
I have had the best performance from Moultrie and Browning. That being said, the SD cards are crucial to camera performance. I reformat cards EVERY time I download pictures. I do replace most yearly. They are cheap enough now that there is no reason not to.
I have had good luck with Reconx, browning and couple of bushnel cams. The rest I have tried have been varying degrees of junk.
