Reliable Trail Cam wanted (1 Viewer)

[lobro45]

Hi all! Over the past 4 years I've owned a Bushnell, a Little Acorn and a Victure trail cam. They seem to last about one year and then pack up!
Can anyone recommend at model that they have used that is in their opinion robust and reliable? I think all these are Korean or Chinese and programmed to self destruct after 12 months of use!
All recommendations will be appreciated.

 

[S_Man]

Any success since then ? I'm less than 1 year into this, so all my cams are still operating despite a few issues.
I notice that all brands produce new models all the time - of course technology is moving fast, but this doesn't sound really great about previous models and their reliability ?

 

[wllmspd]

Browning with no glo LED, small, good results and lasts ages on batteries.

Peter

 

[Torchepot]

Sadly Browning are not immune to quality control issues either. I’m on my third in two years and the current one isn’t working properly either😞
Considering the amount I’ve spent over the years I’m starting to think it might have been better to invest in a CCTV system (not practical in many situations but could probably work for us).

 

[Dave Boyle]

Browning have used the cheapest button cell they could find for the internal clock - it lasts 3 years tops & then you lose all time & date stamps & the ability to set on & off times. Browning say their cameras are unserviceable, which is a real shame because they're really nice little cameras, for a couple of years before they're no use. I even asked them if they'd tell me what the voltage & chemistry of the battery was but they won't tell me, for the sake of a few more pennies they could be fantastic cameras

 

[wllmspd]

Ah, something to look out for…. Thanks for the warning

Peter

 

[S_Man]

I have a Zopu GardePro A3 that gets the most hits, even small rodents at several meters, and consistent results, but IR image quality is not the best, despite a Sony sensor. Sound is surprisingly sensitive. A Zopu GardePro E5 with a misaligned lens feels slightly less sensitive, but triggers at a good distance with animals the size of a fox or larger, maybe 20 meters in good conditions.
I suspect the same hardware as the Zopu's is also sold as Agitato and Blazevideo (Zopu and Blazevideo have their own website), but I have not tested these.
I also have a Browning going to its 18th month on the same set of battery, no issue except the temperature is 3°C off, and a Coolife H953 with more than 2 years in the field, and the best IQ of all my trailcameras, but I suspect that it sometimes just doesn't trigger (weeks without pictures from time to time).
I understand professionals often use expensive brands like Reconyx because of their support, not because they are failproof?

 

[S_Man]

2023 bricked gear...



Maybe 320 € worth of trailcameras, those lasted ~2 years.

2000 € with the bins and laptop! those were fine for maybe 8 years, Nikon Monarch and Acer Aspire Nitro...

 

[Julian Perry]

Browning have used the cheapest button cell they could find for the internal clock - it lasts 3 years tops & then you lose all time & date stamps & the ability to set on & off times. Browning say their cameras are unserviceable, which is a real shame because they're really nice little cameras, for a couple of years before they're no use. I even asked them if they'd tell me what the voltage & chemistry of the battery was but they won't tell me, for the sake of a few more pennies they could be fantastic cameras

Thanks for that information; now I know why every one of my Browning cameras has been malfunctioning after 2-3 years and suddenly failing to record the correct date and time, thereby losing me vital data and totally screwing up my research! It's really infuriating, as otherwise they are handy small cameras that are quick and easy to set up. My other criticism of them is the so-called camouflage pattern they use on many models with the orange/brown leaf making the camera noticeably stand out against the bark of most trees and really catching the eye!