Breaking new ground

[erussell]

Note to self, no Moultries. Check

[Doc]

Note to self, no Moultries. Check

I don't care what brand of commercial trail cam you consider, there are always some people that have had some kind of legitimate horror story with each of them. If you let these kinds of stories cross off manufacturers from your list, you will wind up with a pretty blank looking list ..... lol. Trail cams appear to be notorious for having quality problems coming off their lines.

However, there are some things to be learned from how you might consider buying trail cams. I was pleasantly surprised to find a couple of internet outfits that are willing to take back cameras in a no-questions-asked fashion, with no costs of shipping or re-stock (Hayneedle.com/binoculars.com and opticsplanet.com are two of them). You have to look specifically for those features, but there are internet sellers that have those features to their return policies. This gives you a period of time to determine whether you have a dud or not or if the quality was a bit over-sold by the producer. This kind of a hassle-free return policy is better than the manufacturers themselves are willing to give.

I just made a purchase of a camera that people have reported having difficulties with. If it turns out that those reports are true of all of their cameras, I will know within a day or two and it will be shipped back for free for a full refund. Let's face it, if every camera that these guys shipped out had problems, they wouldn't be in business very long. So from now on I will be going on the assumption that occasionally you will get a lemon, but there are ways of encountering a lemon and getting out from under it without any loss.

[landtracdeerhunter]

Doc, I agree with your first paragraph. We have purchased Moultries for years with little issues. The last camera we purchased, which was the IR 50, nothing but problems. They want at least $50 to repair, include shipping both ways, might as well buy another camera. Thinking of the reconditioned route this time. At least some of the issues, might be ironed out. Highly question, whether it will be a Moultrie though.

Edited March 6, 2012 by landtracdeerhunter

[Doc]

Doc, I agree with your first paragraph. We have purchased Moultries for years with little issues. The last camera we purchased, which was the IR 50, nothing but problems. They want at least $50 to repair, include shipping both ways, might as well buy another camera. Thinking of the reconditioned route this time. At least some of the issues, might be ironed out. Highly question, whether it will be a Moultrie.

Now compare that situation with the experience I had with Moultrie cameras. I found out that the camera was malfunctioning, so I sent it back to Hayneedle.com, no questions asked I got a replacement (free shipping). I had the same problem with that one, and again sent it back (free shipping) for a total refund. The whole fiasco didn't cost me a cent. By the way, that company charges no tax or shipping on their cameras and had a darn good price to start with.

Now, there is one thing that I should mention. If I had waited for more than 30 days to try these cameras out and then discovered a problem then just like everyone else, I would have been unhappily dealing with Moultrie. Hayneedle's refund policy only lasts for 30 days. But at least its far far better than a lot of store policies where their response is that you have to handle quality problems through the manufacturer.

[G-Man]

what are you trying now doc?

[WNYBuckHunter]

The thing with this cam is, I have another one of the exact same model, that I have never had a problem with, and Ive been running it for a couple of years. I dont have a problem returning something for warranty work if it breaks after a few months. This is electronic stuff we are talking about, and I know how finicky it can be. A camera that is brand new out of the box, sold to me directly from Moultrie and the first 25 pictures are bright pink, tells me that the camera was not tested, and theres no way I should have to pay return shipping to have it fixed. I bought the camera through them because their price was lower than anyone else's. By the time I get done paying for shipping, etc, the camera will have cost me almost the same as if I had bought it through someone else. Their style of customer service is why I will not deal with them again, too many other manufacturers out there that have better reputations for service.

[Doc]

what are you trying now doc?

Well, I am between a rock and a hard place on these because of my requirement for "white-flash". So many people are going to IR now (because they are into deer photos only) that the selection of white flash trailcams of any quality at all is very limited. I had my eye on the stealthcam Rogue or Sniper until I found out about the 4 second trigger time. That's simply unacceptable. So then when you take the Moultrie out of the equation, that only leaves one other manufacturer that does the job that I want it to. That would be Cuddeback. So, what the heck, even though the pricetag is nasty, I went with the Cuddeback Attack white-flash. The price ..... $188.99. So now I've got my fingers crossed, and we'll see how that all turns out. The Cuddeback Capture was only slightly cheaper, so I figured I would just go for the top end and see how that comes out.

[2GRIT]

Bought a Moultrie Game Spy camera a few years ago for a decent price. Got a ton of awesome pics and vids day after day, week after week, for a couple years. I thought I had made a great buy. Then, one day while bowhunting from a treestand location very close to the trail cam, I watched this small buck walking up the trail right towards the camera. He proceeded to walk right by the camera without triggering it at all. Hmmm, makes me wonder how many pics I never got that I would have got with a better camera.

[G-Man]

I think you'll be happy with the attack. i like my night photos..im sorry i like color... thats why i have a color tv. I personally think some deer are scared by the flash some aren't. but i have a few ir cams(was the thing to try ) and the deer look at tham cam as well so its still giving itsself away. Id rather see the color,i have bear,owls,racoons,possoms, skunks,even a giant toad on whiteflash at night and they are some of my favorite pics.. ir just don't cut it...

[erussell]

The 4 sec trigger is not as bad as everyone thinks it is. I have yet to get blank pics or butts on my stealth yet. The trigger area is so wide on the stealth I think it makes up for the slow trigger speed. I can almost stand next to it and see the light trigger on the test mode. Unless a deer or whatever is running by, I dont see it being a problem. The reviews I have read say that its best used on food plots and feeders, but I run mine on trails facing away from the sun and down the trail and get some pretty sweet pics so I dont know. Is it the best cam out there, no Im sure more expensive cams are better. But as long as i can count points its good enough for me. And I must say it takes pretty good pics for IR.

Edited March 7, 2012 by erussell

[Doc]

The reason I am so picky on the trigger speed is based on what the camera will be used for. It is primarily for pictures of small critters taken at kind of close range, and in a creekside/swamp setting. The pictures will be taken at ground level which means that these critters will be scooting through openings in the swamp grass, Or I will be trying to catch them in specific spots such as on logs, etc. It's not like trying to get deer where there is a big area to catch them in. If you have ever watched a mink working a shoreline with that fast nervous gait that they have, you can imagine where they might wind up in 4 seconds. And then there are pictures trying to catch beavers or muskrats swimming down the creek. About the only critter in that environment that might give me a chance at 4 seconds would be something like a possum or coon. A lot of those kinds of animals can make it through an opening in the grass too fast for any significant trigger delay. I have three IR cameras for deer and will continue using those for herd and pattern documentation. But this camera has a whole different mission.

[Doc]

All is well in the trail-cam world again. I got my Cuddeback Attack (White-flash) the other day and was able to test it out last night. I'm pretty happy with the quality and other things about the way it works. This picture was taken at a very ugly time of night when the sun had just gone over the hill. It was that time when the camera has to figure out whether to use the flash or not. I do think in this case the flash would have been useful, but still it isn't that bad of a picture. The sharpness could have been a bit better, but it really isn't that bad for a trail-cam.

Apparently the trigger speed is as they advertise I took several pictures throughout the day where I walked at different speeds through the picture area and for the most part, I wound up pretty close to the center. I was never able to get anywhere near out of the picture. So I'm happy about that.

I think it's going to serve my purposes very well.

[landtracdeerhunter]

For the light thats available, that pic is very useable. How is the quality of the night pics? Like the idea of the D battery use.

Edited March 11, 2012 by landtracdeerhunter

[G-Man]

wellcome to the world of cuddieback. i think you will be happy with this for the purposes you intend to use it. i have other cameras as well and have learned their limitations and use them appropriatly. i haven't found a limitation for my cuddiebacks other than i don't have enought of them.... no really the flash is said to be 50 ft but i find it works best 10 feet closer is about the only thing i can say i found with mine. Edited March 11, 2012 by G-Man

[Doc]

For the light thats available, that pic is very useable. How is the quality of the night pics? Like the idea of the D battery use.

The flash pictures were very good. clear, sharp and good color. Yeah, I think the deer picture was a pretty tough test because the time was just about when the camera was thinking about going to flash. But it was the only deer pic so that's the one I decided to post....lol. All the other pictures were some grumpy old ugly guy with a scruffy white beard.

The 4 "D'-cells work great. They do add to the overall weight. The one thing I don't care for is the fact that you have to remove the cam from the tree in order to make settings, and to install or remove the SD card. That seems a bit awkward. But the attachment to the tree if via a sliding insertion into a pre assembled mount on the tree, so it happens fairly fast. Over all, I think it is probably worth the exorbitant amount of money ($189 at opticsplanet.com) they are asking for it. I'll know better as soon as I get a feel for how long the thing will keep on functioning. It really seems built like a tank, and manufacturing and design takes in a lot of thought about some of the strength and ease of use.

Now I have to go downstairs and study the wonderful custom designed "floatable cam mount" that I built for the Moultries and figure out how to adapt it to the Cuddeback. The shape, size and mounting features are all totally different, so it may not be an easy thing to do.

[landtracdeerhunter]

That is one thing I like about design of Moultries, the 1/4 by 20 tapped hole in the bottom of the camera, for an adjustable mount. Keep us up on the pics.

[Doc]

OK, my cam-float device has been modified from a Moultrie mount to a the new Cuddeback. Now all I have to do is go over to the creek/swamp and do a bit of scouting. I am going to use a lot of the same techniques as I used for trapping years ago.

I think I am ready now in case of a flood. The styrofoam easily supports the camera and the rope will allow the whole thing to simply float up and down instead of floating away or going under water. The problem is that I am going to be trying to take pictures of the critters at ground level, and that whole area has a habit of flooding up to a couple feet above surrounding ground level. So I had to get a bit creative or run the risk of periodically dunking the camera for a several hours at a time. I know they are semi-water-proof, but I wouldn't expect them to tolerate a full burial in water for any period of time.

[WNYBuckHunter]

I have seen a bunch of times where guys have gotten flooded out and had their cams under water for several days and they stay dry inside.

Have you tested that float? Just wondering if having all of that extra weight on one end is going to make it tipsy if there is any movement of the water, like current or wind/wave action.

[erussell]

Nice concept. How is the cam secured against theft without locking it to a tree?

[Doc]

I have seen a bunch of times where guys have gotten flooded out and had their cams under water for several days and they stay dry inside.

Have you tested that float? Just wondering if having all of that extra weight on one end is going to make it tipsy if there is any movement of the water, like current or wind/wave action.

I know they have an excellent gasketing system, but they really don't make any claims or warrantees relating to total submersing. Yeah, maybe it would be alright, but I can guarantee that at some time each year that swamp will get flooded, and with a nearly $200 camera, I really don't want to take the chance.

I took the whole float system down to the pond to check it out, and it is very stable. As far as current and wave action, there are only a couple of areas where there is any, and I'll be staying away from those. Even in the most violent floods, the creek takes so many twists and turns that almost all of it never really gets a whole lot of water movement going. It just slowly comes up and then slowly goes down. I suppose the swamp kind of acts as a reservoir, and the water just simply spreads out rather than forming a torrent. I'm very familiar with how this body of water works since I have been around it all my life and spent a huge amount of time as a youngster trapping every inch of it. I have provided a generous length of rope to tether the whole thing off with so the angles should be very shallow and there should not be any tendency for tipping.

It's not the kind of floatation system that would work everywhere and in every kind of situation, but it will work well in this specific waterway. I just kind of figured that I should make some attempt at trying to avoid potential disaster. I'm fairly confident that it will work in the situation that I will be using it.

[Doc]

Nice concept. How is the cam secured against theft without locking it to a tree?

I never do use any locking systems, even when mounting it to a tree. The area where I use any of my cameras is on private (posted) land and in areas where nobody ever goes or even wants to go. The creek/swamp area where I will be using it is not a very friendly place to casually hike around in, and if you don't know where the beaver channels are located, walking around in there can get you pretty wet .... lol. Also, with the amount of cattails and swamp grasses and downed willow trees, you would pretty much have to step on it in order to see it.