I run 30+ cameras on our place, mostly to catch deter trespassers. For years the cheap Coverts were the best bang for the buck. Weren’t the fastest, clearest or took the best pics, but you could count on 30+ months of 365 a year use. The new ones have taken a serious reliably hit (50% aren’t lasting a year).
Because I’ve had a number of cameras stolen, I prefer the cheaper cameras. Having said that, my Reconyx are are perfect after 6 years.
Today, I tend to purchase two year old model new stock Brownings. They have a quick trigger and take good photos and video, day or night. With Lithium batteries, I’m getting 9 months of life (through brutal upstate NY winters).
My experience with Widlife, Bushnell, Stealth and Muddy has been mixed. I typically get 12-14 months out of these.
I’m getting ready to order another half dozen and I’ll probably just stick with the Brownings. They are lasting 24-27 months.
Similar to my experience. I've run cams since the 35mm days and at one time I was running maybe 10-12 cams about 9 months of the year and even pro staffed for one for about a year. I've ran many different brands, I think a lot boils down to preference and what someone expects but for me the WGIs were mostly junk, though had one that worked well for about two years.
I haven't had good luck with Moultrie either. Bushnell has been mixed, I have a Bushnell 446 model still running after 9 years, but other models (466's) crapped out in a year. Stealth Cam has been decent. The most reliable have been the Coverts (I still have a couple of the MP6 line still working that are 9-10 years old) and the Browning's. I have a first year Browning Recon Force still working and another that just quit. All the others still going strong. Most will take rechargeables so that works out well. The Covert MP line are $100 or less and take great day pics and battery life that's forever. Trigger and recovery isn't as good as Browning, but most Browning's are also a fair amount more. Anymore I'm mostly Browning and Covert, they've delivered.
