# Cheap trail cameras



## muddywallow (May 24, 2019)

What are the absolute cheapest cameras you've bought that functioned well? 

I'd rather buy a bunch of cheap ones that take ok pictures than a couple really fancy ones. You can be into one camera a few hundred bucks with staps and locks and large sd cards to hold the high resolution photos and I'd rather take that few hundred bucks and buy a bunch and risk them getting stolen. 

Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

Mine usually run around a C note.

Watch Natchez they usually have some pretty good sales on cameras Also get onto their email list to see their almost daily deals

https://www.natchezss.com/

Also CamoFire


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## muleydeermaniac (Jan 17, 2008)

I bought a $40 one from Wal-Mart 7 years ago, and it does great. I think it is a Tasco. Pictures are good and I don't really care if it ever gets stolen.


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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

All my cheaper cameras stopped working... all of them. The $90 stealthcam I bought still works flawlessly.


-DallanC


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## RandomElk16 (Sep 17, 2013)

DallanC said:


> All my cheaper cameras stopped working... all of them. The $90 stealthcam I bought still works flawlessly.
> 
> -DallanC


Anymore I would say $90 is cheap lol.

Do you know which model? They always bring those into Sam's Club for a solid price.


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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

RandomElk16 said:


> Anymore I would say $90 is cheap lol.
> 
> Do you know which model? They always bring those into Sam's Club for a solid price.


I've posted the model and videos many times on this site in various threads, but here it is again.

My absolute favorite trailcam of all time: Stealthcam G42NG










On deals they used to run $80-90... but this camera is so good the prices have been rising year after year. I've seen them for sale new now for double what I paid.

-DallanC


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## derekp1999 (Nov 17, 2011)

I have used Primos TruthCam 35 and 46 cameras for several years but started to phase them out last year because they use D batteries and once paired with the Camlock boxes they were big, bulky, and heavy to pack into more remote locations. I have a Wildgame Innovations camera that's a couple years old and I've been happy with it. I think I bought it for $80 or $90 from Cabela's. Last year I bought 3 Primos Bullet Proof 2 cameras for less than $50 each (https://www.amazon.com/Primos-Bulle...9&s=gateway&sprefix=primos+bul,aps,188&sr=8-3) and I was very pleased with how they worked through the summer and fall.

Biggest thing to understand with budget trail cameras is that they all have limitations... but with a little trial and error I have been able to figure out how to make every camera I've ever owned function in a way that is satisfactory to me. And get a quality high speed writing SD card... I've had more issues with bad SD cards that I've had with cameras!


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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

Couple of my better videos (I no longer set my cameras to picture mode... video, especially with sound, is so much more informative and fun to experience)
















-DallanC


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## RandomElk16 (Sep 17, 2013)

DallanC said:


> I've posted the model and videos many times on this site in various threads, but here it is again.
> 
> My absolute favorite trailcam of all time: Stealthcam G42NG
> 
> ...


I frequent the site and try and see everything... but Thanks for posting again!


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## derekp1999 (Nov 17, 2011)

DallanC said:


> Couple of my better videos (I no longer set my cameras to picture mode... video, especially with sound, is so much more informative and fun to experience)


I'm going to be trying video this summer on my cameras. I'll only have a handful of locations so I think what I might try is to set up two cameras in the same location with one set to still images and the other set to video just to get a comparison.


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## caddis8 (Sep 10, 2007)

There is a line between the cheapest you can get and getting quality at a good price. 

You can get a cheapo trail camera for $29 and it will work like a $29 camera. 

Stealthcam has some good cameras and that G42NG is probably one of the nicest cameras made- ever. They are very good. 

I've played around with a lot of cameras from $600-$29. The new rage is cell cams and they are pretty cool, but not really pertinent to a lot of Utah as cell coverage in the mountains isn't very good- and that's wonderful.

If I had to pick a camera, I would probably go with a Browning for under $129, and/or a StealthCam. Moultrie cameras are ok, and for the right deal they're not bad. Cabela's made some great cameras for a long time (I helped design them) but a couple changes on those and they're not as good as they used to be. 

Browning probably has the best night images of anyone out there. I know most of the major manufacturers personally and they're all pretty ok these days.


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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

caddis8 said:


> ... and they're all pretty ok these days.


Hello Mr Sprint guy 










-DallanC


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## muddywallow (May 24, 2019)

Dallan C those videos are great. I have about $200 to spend and I'd like to get 3 or 4 cameras. I get that they won't be the highest quality but I just need them to snap a pic and leave a time stamp. Not worried about 4k video or super high resolution photos. 

Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk


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## ridgetop (Sep 13, 2007)

I found something very interesting last summer. I put up two different cameras on the same tree, pointing at the same direction. One bushnell and one stealthcam. Each camera was taking pictures at different times. One camera caught several deer and a few elk. The other camera caught a lot of elk but very few deer. It made me realize with just one camera, I would have missed out on a lot of different game animals.


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## 2full (Apr 8, 2010)

I bought a couple of the mini Browning cameras a few years back on black Friday for $80 each. 
They have been very good. My straps are getting tired and need to be replaced. The cameras still work great.


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## goosefreak (Aug 20, 2009)

I use moultrie A series about $80 per and they work great. No complaints. Takes good pictures and the batteries have held up for 5 months so far. (I’ll change them out this year). I have the A-30i’s and A-40i’s but, The A-25’s at Cabela’s comes with batteries and an SD card


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## caddis8 (Sep 10, 2007)

DallanC said:


> Hello Mr Sprint guy
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Ok, that's funny. Didn't even think about it.


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