Trail Cameras

[lpr715]

I'm on an extremely tight budget and I've been trying to find a cheap trail camera ($35-$50) that uses SD cards not film. Help?

 

[jmorris]

Back before digital game cameras existed I built one for a digital camera.

It used a weather tight enclosure.



I used RC can servos (that I gutted the servo part and just use two limit switches, one for "home" the other for the "take photo" position, that pushed the button).

It required me to build two timers, the first was the time the button needed to be pressed for the camera to come out of "sleep" mode and take a photo. The other timer was the time inbetween photos.

It took two 6 volt battery's, both would supply 12v dc to the IR sensor and just one provided 6v to the camera. Two AA battery's ran the servo only.

I didn't have anything but time (a lot) in it and it still works better than many digital cameras that are out today.



There are decent digital game cameras out these days that work well and require less knowledge to work, much less built from nothing.

I actually went to game radios shortly after building it, for "active" hunting. As a camera is not a huge step better than just tracks. In other words, you know what WAS there but not that it IS there.

 

[jmorris]

For "scouting" it worked as designed but it was not very rewarding to hunt one location to then come back and find photos at another.

So I built game radios to remotely alert when the hogs came to a baited location via a pre recorded message played back on a transmitter.





The resulting benefit was instant notification and subsequent results.

 

[nettlle]

Although I have a Bushnell I read recently (Field and Stream I think) that Moultrie had the highest rated low cost trail cameras. I think their cheapest model is around 60 bucks. That's with a SDHC card.

 

[Patocazador]

I've never bought one since I hunt public land and it would be stolen within a week. However, I was looking through the Labor Day sales and saw several 'reconditioned' cameras from $40-$100 as well as 2 that were new in that price range. I can't comment on quality.

 

[jrdolall]

You can normally find an inexpensive one for $59 or so. I know Dick's, where I will never shop, had some Wildgame Innovations cameras for $59 a month or so ago. I have one of their cameras and it works fine for what I do.

 

[MtnCreek]

JMorris, You Sir are an Impressive Individual.

 

[matrem]

The least expensive one I have cost about 50 bucks on sale two years ago.
It works fine with 4 GB SD cards and does use AA batteries rather than Cs.

While it does take pictures, and won't complain too much for the price, it's not one I'd recommend to somebody that really wanted to enjoy what a trail camera is capable of.

Then again, I've been very disappointed in a couple of them that set me back 200 or so.

 

[jrdolall]

Gander had two advertised for $69. I think one came with an 8 gig sd card.

This is an inexpensive camera. $59 from a few months ago. I have some better pics of the buck but...you know.