Infrared VS. Conventional Flash Trail Cameras

[USDA3]

I'm in the market for a trail cam and have noticed most of the new technology is converting to infrared lighting for low/no light picture taking. Just looking for a few comments on what people have expereinced with the new cameras, maybe the price isn't worth the Infrared? I will be mainly using it for deer, but also moose, bear, and any other interesting critters which may wander through. Also I know the higher the mega-pixels the quality will increase, but is it necessary to get a 6.0mp camera when just using it for scouting and not to hang on the wall, or will a 2 or 3 mp work just fine? comments, brands, and tips all welcome!

[USDA3]

Tough crowd, I guess the 14 pages of trail cam pics on this forum came from people with no opinion, and the 65 thread views in one day came from those individuals also looking at buying a new cam!

[Gissert]

Good question. I am looking to add another camera, and I have questions on the infrared as well.

I think most of the guys here are running motion detector/35m units.

[Bobb-o]

I have a 2.3 Mp digital camera with a flash, if i could have afforded it i would have definitely bought the infrared. The quality of pictures i get with mine are still very excellent, the only problem i have with the camera is that i think the triggering speed is a little slow.

[Mark Christianson]

No infrared cams for me.

I like a pic that looks decent.

The flash doesnt seem to bother the deer at our place, since I have many pics of the same bucks over and over again.

I dont like the look of IR pics. But for the guy that is worried about flashes spooking deer, then IR is a good reason for those people to buy it.

[archerystud]

I have a 3.0 Mpixel Cuddeback.

I think a 2.0 Mpixel is good enough for trail cams. I would just have a mineral lick close to the camera that way it isn't necesary to need more pixels for a sharper image.

I'm not sure about other cameras but I got about 2.5 months of battery life out of 4 D cell batteries over the summer. I thought that was pretty awesome compared to my old cheaper cameras.

As far as the "flash" issue. I see multiple shots of the same large deer so I don't think the flash scares them. At least in the summer anyways. I suppose it may spook bucks during hunting season when they become more wary. However, I plan on not having my camera in the woods during hunting season. I want to scout what deer are "living" on my property. I'm sure that I'll see other bucks moving through the property once the rut approaches but for scouting I'm only concerned with the deer that are living there.

[Bobb-o]

My main concern with the flash is that i have heard that it will spook bear, i no that it wont spook deer, as i have seen a lot of people having mulitple night shots of the same deer. If you're only going to use the camera for deer a flash shouldnt be a big deal.

[USDA3]

AStud, It sounds like cuddeback is kind of the cadillac of trail cameras, but one thing I have not seen is a viewer on the cam itself. We would like a viewer on the cam so we can check to see the activity when we go out in the field (to hunt), I know there are external viewers you can buy but it just one more thing to haul into the woods, what do these external viewers run?

[BLACKJACK]

One of my Leaf Rivers has the internal viewer and I never use it because early in the season, when the mosquitoes and horse flys are bad, the last thing I want to do is sit there and get eaten. Plus the screen is small, 1.25 inches by 1.25 inches, on the marginal pictures, you wouldn't see a thing. Lots more convenient to have two memory cards per camera, swap them out, and sit at my computer and view them. Plus sometimes, after a week, I can have 120 pictures!!! That would take awhile at the camera!! And if I have one I like, I can save it. Viewing at your computer is the way to go.

[archerystud]

USDA3,

The external viewer is extra. I do software development for a living so I have a few laptops.

I don't view the photo's out in the woods. I have 2 512MB flash cards to store pictures. So when I go in the woods, I just swap the cards out. I believe I paid $30 per memory card.

I really like the Cuddeback, I would recommend saving a few bucks and going for the 2.0 Megapixel. I think it would be plenty but the wife bought me their best for a present so I'm not going to complain.

[DooWap]

My birthday is in 5 days, I hope I get a present like that

[Gofishleech]

I do not have an infraid yet be will soon. Las tyear I placed my camera on several srcapes and only got a bucks picture one time, several bucks but they only tolerated the flash once. Now there may be other factors to only one buck picture but I will not take the chance any more. My cmeras that are out now get mutible shots of the same deer so it is not bothering them on the salt licks but on scrapes I would be carefull.

A dissapointment was I just got the wildlefe eye vedio system. I placed it where I had a still camera and it cut way down the number deer that visited that site. The sound or the infer-red is scaring them. I would see them backing away from it so it will not go on a scape eaither.

[Canuck]

Archerystud: I really need your help on the cuddeback. I see U have the cuddeback and are into softwear development. I tried to email U my problems but don't seem to be able to send it. My email address is [email protected]. I posted my problems under another post on this same field so MAYBEEEEEEEEEE U can tell what I am doing wrong. THANKSSSSSSSSSSS