Budget Trail Cameras that work

[doverpack12]

I see some older threads for budget type trail cameras that work but nothing recent.

I would like to add a few cameras this year.
My most reliable are some cheap Bushnell I got off Midway 5-6 years ago for $15 or something. They just work period.
I have Browning from 6-7 years ago that I like but they were $100 then and I’ve had 2 stolen that were in boxes, locked and lag bolted to the tree.
Used a couple Spypoint Micro Link LTE last year but seems they are real hit or miss for people. These two work well although photo quality is lower.

Camojojo is high on the list if I add cell cams $130 regular price or can get a 2 pack of Spypoint Link LTE for $115.

I would like to find a regular trail cam that just works in the $30 range for risky spots.

What is out there and working well?

 

[Jeffro]

I have had amazing luck with Wildgame Innovations cams. I can usually find them for under $50 ** Disclaimer - I haven't had to buy any for several years, because they keep working.)

edit - They have some great sales on their website right now. Buy One, get one, two, or three free depending on cam.

 

[doverpack12]

Interesting. WGI is actually one I have not had very good luck with

 

[bergie]

If you can still find them the Primos Proof Cam have been amazing for me. I think I got 4 for like $50/each and they have lasted the last 7 or so years of pretty hard use. I leave them out all winter here in Idaho to see what is wandering around and they are always still working when I pick them up in the spring. Two have bear teeth holes in them and still work just fine. The weak link on them is the plastic on the back, if you pull too hard they break but a strap around the front secures them just fine. Oh and they last almost all year on 8 AA batteries. Picture quality is nothing more than ok, but every once in a while they will take a picture that will surprise you with its quality.

 

[Beagle1]

Keep checking Amazon for sales on the GardePro cameras at $39. They are all I buy now. Great cameras for the money.

 

[Silveroddo]

I haven't found a cheap camera that's bullet proof yet, but there are a few that work.
The best $30ish dollar camera I've run is the muddy/steathcam/wildgame 14-16mp cameras. They run a standard flash, they're pretty reliable, I've got a dozen of them and they're all still going after 3 seasons. The only issue I have is running cheap batteries they tend to shut down at -20 and not turn on again.
The Cheap Tasco's at walmart would be my number one, they are ridiculously reliable, however their flash is extremely aggressive compared to the others and I've had them spook game more than any other camera.
I've had mixed success with wild game innovation products, the only ones I've had work for me are the wildgame switch lights out, a great little black flash camera that was around $20-25 on clearance a lot, I have a ton of the 14mp versions, but after 2-3 seasons I'm starting to have failures and I bought a bunch of 16mp versions on clearance and they have had several dead out of the box. They were my go to cheap camera till they started going down on me. I've taken a few apart and I'm going to do whatever I can to keep them going but the jury is still out.
I've got about 30 Brownings and around year 5-7 they start to fail, though I've had 3-4 die or start acting up between year 1 and 2.
Of the muddy/stealthcam/wildgame cameras, my buddies wildgame camerass seen to be slightly more reliable than the stealth browtine versions I have when it comes to going all winter.

 

[Grundy53]

I've had good luck with the $30 stealth cam/muddy cams. I run cameras year round in wet western Washington. They inevitably go bad. Doesn't matter the price point. So I started buy the $30 cameras and have been happy. For cell cams I use stealth.

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[HOT ROD]

i have a few cheap trail cams from amazon and they work good.....

 

[Bearwhisky]

Spypoint LM2. Ran 8 this year and had zero issues. Transmitted fine, seemed to always trigger. Pics arent the greatest quality but do the job.


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[BLJ]

Tasco and Muddy. Had one Muddy go down. I believe some moisture got to the electronics. Tascos have been good.
Kept out year round with cheap batteries.

 

[The_Dinkmaster]

I agree on the Tasco's from Walmart. I have several and they all still work. Put one out in November and picked it up after turkey season in April and still had battery life. It even survived the control burn the USFS did in March before I picked it up. Got a cool pick of the fire....Ill have to see if I can find it to add it in

 

[Migrator]

Spypoint LM2. Ran 8 this year and had zero issues. Transmitted fine, seemed to always trigger. Pics arent the greatest quality but do the job.


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Glad you got the good ones. I've had absolutely terrible luck with LM2 units and the transmissions on LMs, LM2, and Flex. I'm slowly replacing spypoints with tactacams as budget allows.

 

[budmen]

Also love the tascos mother inlaw bought each kid a Tasco for Christmas 3 years ago. They stay on my property all year round and I always have decent pictures. I change the batteries about once yearly. That being said don't expect great pictures but I have not walked past or driven sxs or snowmobiles past one and not got a picture on the card. I have 3 running for 3yrs no complaints.

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[Alex.D102]

My buddy swears by the tasco walmart cameras on video mode over scrapes. No audio, but great video quality for the price. No need to worry about trigger speed or blurry walking photos when its video on scrape. Im going to try a few this coming fall

 

[Eastcoasthunter94]

I can vouch for the Tasco cameras as well. I have 3 of them and they have all been going strong for a few years now. Bad experience with wildgame innovations cameras (2 broke within a year)

 

[cnelk]

Ive been a fan of Stealth cams for a long time.
This past week one of my old ones died, so I contacted them and they gave me a 30% discount code.

I picked up a 2 pack for $55 with the discount code

 

[Forfarj]

Funny, I’ve had great luck with my SPYPOINT cams. I know that’s not norm ally the case.

 

[fatlander]

Moultrie A series cams. 8 AA batteries last forever, takes good enough pictures for me, they flat out work, they’re tiny, and they’re cheap.


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[Houseminer]

I bought a handful of I believe WildView cameras from Dicks Sporting Goods last year. $30 a piece. SO FAR, I've been pleasantly surprised all around. Trigger speed has been good, battery life has been much better than expected and the picture quality is fine. One of them either grew legs or got smacked by a bear and is buried under the leaves enough to where I couldn't find it. So at $30, I'm more upset about not getting the info from the card, than I actually am about the camera being gone.

 

[danarnold]

I ended up buying one of the Camojojo cameras and it worked decent during the seven day trial, I ended up upgrading it which is misleading because on their website there's three different plans to update but when doing so through the app only the premium is available for $129, I ended up doing that for unlimited photos and the camera has not once updated or sent another photo since,
Luckily I paid with it with Apple Pay and just received my refund for it not working.
The camera is 900 miles away from me and I'm unable to physically do anything with it until next month.
Another big negative in my opinion is it doesn't have an SD card which means when the system finally quit working like many of my spy points you won't be able to even use it as a Trail cam pulling the SD card for data