Favorite Trail cameras

My all-time favorite trail camera is an older Penn’s Woods Digital Scout 03 camera. The company had trouble with the Minolta camera used in this setup and I have only one working model out of three I bought. Minolta refunded my money for the other ones since the camera itself could not be fixed. However, the one good unit I have has served me faithfully for 5 years now, taking @500 pictures/month and @4000-5000 pictures/year. This camera runs off of four AA’s in the unit and 2 AA’s for the camera and takes up to a 2GB SD card. By using 2500 mAh Energizer rechargeable batteries, I have found this to be the slickest, most economical setup out there, taking between three and four hundred pictures per charge. I also have a newer version, the Digital Scout 06. This setup has a Sony camera that takes two AA’s and a 9-volt for the unit itself. I like this one too, except the camera needs a Memory Stick Pro for operation. I personally like to keep my whole fleet of cameras simple by using SD chips. Oh Well! I would highly recommend their newest version, the Digital Scout 07. It is basically the same as the 06, except it has 7 mega pixels instead of 6. These are the same cameras offered through Pixcontroller, and can be bought through either place. However, the Penn’s Woods one comes with an included Masterlock Python cable lock. I have found this to be the best way to secure your investment. A new camera that I like very well is the new Cuddeback Capture. This camera is far superior than their previous models, and it is cheaper also. I tried their Expert model and it ate up batteries worse than any other camera I have tried. I spoke with a regional rep and he said that they had been having a lot of trouble with short battery life. I believe they must have it fixed because I am getting over 400 pictures per set of batteries. The one shortfall of these cameras is that they take 4 D batteries and that gets expensive. I have tried the Energizer D rechargeable batteries with very little luck. I am still looking for the ultimate D rechargeable. Also, the new Capture takes an SD card instead of a Compact flash like the older models. I have tried several of the Moultrie cameras and have had ok luck with the Cabela’s Outfitter model. This camera is slow to trigger but it is very reliable when it gets cold out and you have the option of attaching a solar panel to keep the 6-volt lantern battery fully charged. I would recommend this as a great introductory model for someone who does not want to spend a lot of money. So there you have my favorite camera picks. I know there are many more makes and models out there (many which I have tried), but to keep it short and sweet, this is my list of favorites.