Advise on cameras

gpreen

Well-Known Member
I have over the last couple of months gained a permission which i have seen deer on. However my recce trips have been limited so i feel i should put some trail cameras up to see whats going on. The advise i need is whats the best cameras cost vs features
Cheers in advance
 
I can't tell you which camera to buy but from having my own here's some suggestions on the features that matter:

A good triggering system is important - you never get to see how many animals your camera will miss. All cameras miss some triggers but try to get one with a reputation for reliable triggering, the difference when you put two cameras side by side in the same spot can be remarkable.

Speed of trigger - this is really important for me as you need a really fast trigger if you are to catch useful images of the animals. Be careful as some cameras have quite a fast trigger time for still images in daylight, and they will quote this time in the advert, but for video in the dark the trigger time can be quite a few seconds. This is more than enough time for an animal to walk away leaving you with an empty frame. So, get as fast a trigger as possible and try to check that the camera offers this fast trigger across stills, videos and in dark and daylight.

Realistic expectations - most cameras work well in the 10 - 25 foot range, maybe 40 feet max, and to expect them to work over more than this is pushing your luck so positioning is critical. They also often require careful aiming and this can take a while to get used to.

Image resolution - this is a cheap and easy selling point for the manufacturers but in truth you don't need a lot of resolution as this isn't a photo for the family album, it is just to see what is about. In general lower pixel counts can work with less light so there may be advantages with lower pixel counts so don't let this sway your buying over more important features. I think Reconyx, who make the undisputed Kings of trail cameras, are still using 3 Megapixel sensors as they market their cameras on the things that matter, unfortunately there's no way I could afford one.
 
I have over the last couple of months gained a permission which i have seen deer on. However my recce trips have been limited so i feel i should put some trail cameras up to see whats going on. The advise i need is whats the best cameras cost vs features
Cheers in advance

There is one in the sales section for 50 quid,

I use them ( Swan) a fair bit on a metal stake with a 1/4 whitworth bolt welded to the stake. Why whitworth you ask?

That has been the standard thread for cameras for a long time. You have accept it could get pinched, why I use stakes is the unit sits 14/16 inches off the ground, just tuck it in the lea of a tree base.

Get one and give it a go, leave it a good week, I swap spare sd cards, with the lap top in the truck to check out the pics.

Tim.243
 
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Don't place them at right angles to the trail, put them at an angle so that the trigger has time to work, otherwise you will miss a lot of passing animals.
Read the card regularly. When you are only getting daylight images/videos, the batteries are getting low.
 
Thanks for the replies guys i guess first and formost cheap and cheerful is not necessarily an issue as long as it does what i need it to. I have an idea of where to put it as i saw the farmer leave a pile of discarded cattle feed so i hope that is a free feed station for me i guess to start thats where i will scope out
 
Thanks for the replies guys i guess first and formost cheap and cheerful is not necessarily an issue as long as it does what i need it to. I have an idea of where to put it as i saw the farmer leave a pile of discarded cattle feed so i hope that is a free feed station for me i guess to start thats where i will scope out

The advice on the sun direction and camera angle is useful, also I have made this mistake a couple of times along side this.

You find what is a good spot and walk into it, then kneel down to push the stake in and switch on the unit. All good nothing in the way!!
Then over time the grass/foliage you trampled down recovers and hay presto the sd card is full of a big fat green stem!!

It will happen! Also I spent a bit of time in the garden with the units and the dog to check how the pics came out..

Tim.243
 
There are lots of threads on here if you look. Many of us have the Lidl/Aldi versions of little acorns (Maginons) and they are very good for the money and have 3 year warranty.

Agree with all the previous advice. Use a braided cable with padlock to secure, stops casual theft bit if they want it nothing will deter them.

D
 
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