Trail cam

[DEhunter]

Tactacam Reveal models X (GEN 2) and XB are working well for me and fit your criteria above. Bundles including a solar panel and SD card are available.

If you have cell reception and want to use it, you'll need to download the app on your phone. There is a fee to use it and is based on the number of photos and if you want a monthly or yearly subscription. The SIM card comes with the camera so you don't have to make a trip to your cell provider's store to activate.

 

[howl]

The cheapest Tasco from walmart fits your description. If you want better quality pictures, the Browning dual lens is solid. If you want cell cams, I have no idea.

 

[Wildabeest]

I would not recommend SpyPoint. I had two - one transmitting and one not - and they both seemed to be plagued with taking 100’s of pictures of ghosts and forgetting what day it is. When they work, they work great. But it’s way too often they go berserk taking 100’s of pics a day and putting the wrong date on them. I finally threw them both in the trash after this past season.

 

[Kaitum]

One knock on the Brownings I use is they do not like it when you mix battery brands (eg. Duracell, Energizer). First time I used mine I put in mixed battery brands and they basically didn't work. Browning customer service told me to make sure the battery brands was all the same, preferably their brand. Haven't had any issues if I just use Energizer. My old Stealth Cams didn't care what I put in there. Whatever was in the drawer, they worked.

 

[Mallardsx2]

My experience browning fits your description.

These are the only cameras I own with the exception of about 3 wild games that are sacrificial cameras for high human activity areas.

Brownings are great cameras. We have about 40 of theM on our properties.

 

[Nick87]

These are the only cameras I own with the exception of about 3 wild games that are sacrificial cameras for high human activity areas.

Brownings are great cameras. We have about 40 of theM on our properties.

Only ever used one but I was very impressed with how easy it was to use and durable. Priced right as well.

 

[mtmuley]

Starting slow on the trail cam journey. Ordered a refurbished Browning Dark Ops HD. Thanks for the help guys. mtmuley

 

[kerks28]

Sounds like maybe a Browning for me. Anyone know of any bulk discounts if I want to buy 5 or more?

 

[Bowhuntrben]

Just thought I'd update this thread with my experiences since I referenced it while looking for a new camera, and I have finally found a good cheap one I like. All of these cameras are non-cellular.

I have run several different cameras in search of a good one.

The gold standard from my view is Reconyx. I have a couple of these, and they by far produce the best pictures. The video quality isn't great in the older versions I have, but maybe that has changed. These are expensive, though, and I had no interest in spending that much on a camera again.

My search for "less expensive" ones led me to try: Stealthcam, Campark, KJK, Browning, Bushnell, Cuddeback, and GardePro

Stealthcam:
The recent ones I have used are the DS4K Max and DS4K Ultimate. I actually like the older version (max) better than the newer version (ultimate). They take good video. Pictures are OK but nothing spectacular. The Max works good for me, but I hate that there is no sensitivity setting on the Ultimate. It resulted in a million pictures of small birds that drain the batteries quickly. Probably OK for trail use, but I wouldn't purchase again. I finally brought this one home for my yard because it was too much of a pain replacing batteries all the time far from home. The squirrels like this one, however, and chewed a hole in the sensor area, so it quit working. Overall, I was not satisfied for the price.

Campark:
I got the T70 model. It was an OK camera for the price. Pictures were so-so. Video wasn't too good. It served it's purpose, but I wouldn't buy again.

KJK:
This is a cheap Amazon trail camera. Looks like the model was KJK201 (36 MP). I really wanted to like this one since it was so compact, however this was the junk you would expect for the price. Pictures were terrible. I returned it after trying it for a short period of time.

Bushnell:
I think I have the L20 model. They aren't too impressive. They get the job done to see what is there, but don't expect high quality pictures. Also don't expect to be able to see what is in the picture at a distance at night. Not great for longer distance night shots compared to other cameras. I wouldn't purchase again.

Cuddeback:
I had the 20 MP H-1453 camera. This was really disappointing. Setup kind of sucks, and I had issues even getting it to take pictures reliably. I would walk in front of it, and it wouldn't even set it off. I returned it basically immediately. Do not buy.

Browning:
I had the Dark Ops HD Pro X (2019). I had high hopes for this camera with all the good reviews that people have for Browning. This was the biggest disappointment I've had. It was a pretty expensive camera, and the pictures that I get in my copy of it are garbage. To the point where I would like to put this on public land for somebody to steal...so that they could be disappointed in the time/energy they spent putting it up.

GardePro:
I just got the E5S model. I can't say enough good things about this camera. Pictures and Video are both excellent. Way better than any of the other cameras I have used (except for picture quality from the Reconyx). I like all the setup features and large viewing screen. I haven't had it long enough to judge battery life or longevity of the camera, but so far I am pleased. Based on how long I've had it, I would say if you only do pictures, it likely has a long battery life. Can't say with video yet, but it hasn't just sucked them dry in no time as some cameras do. At $40, I can't believe the quality of this camera and almost feel like I should buy more while I can even though I don't need them. My purpose for a cheap camera was to have one I could put out on public land without being as sad when somebody steals it. This camera goes way above my expectations. This is my pick if anybody is looking for a non-cellular camera.