Hi Christopher, it all depends of your environment. I have checked several models and more than MP of the camera what I found to be more relevant was the trigger time or the time the camera takes between the event itself and getting it recorded. You can find expensive cameras with high megapixes but very slow trigger resulting in photos that do not show the animal that induced the trigger event. I found a good balance between price and fast trigger feature on the Bone Collector model from Bushnell trail cams and have several of them located in remote areas in Chilean Patagonia where after two years some started to deteriorate due to the extremely harsh conditions. Now they have new models with black IR flash panels that do not glow red at night.

I would recommend to dimm the IR flash by adding some wax paper to it (without covering the sensors) because it can produce strong reflections (burned pics) when the camera is located close to the floor.

regards

Thank you Gian for your input

Christopher,

The new Cuddeback Triple Flash (model C123) includes three interchangeable flash modules that let you choose between color, IR, and Black Flash technology. So you can adjust to the needs of the project and they can still serve use on future projects down the road. Simply insert the desired module depending on the situation. This particular model retails for about $230. However, if you know you just need one particular flash style you can buy that model without the interchangeable flashes for about $150. 

Just a little more info on this model (which I currently use): 1/4 second trigger speed with a 1 second recovery, 20 megapixel images, ability to adjust detection zone from wide to narrow, video with sound capabilities, and a 12 month/30,000 image battery life.

I have worked with Cuddeback Cameras for about 7 years now and they work great and can handle the elements. Their customer service has always been hassle free and very helpful.

Best of luck

Like others have said, it all depends on what conditions you are working in and what you would like to have (video vs. still, fast trigger, flash vs. no flash, etc.). I have found this website is a good place to start as it provides a robust comparison of camera reviews. http://www.trailcampro.com/trailcamerareviews.aspx

Feel free to ask more questions. I have used more than 10 different models across the tropics and in deciduous forests here in the US. I am sure there are people who have used far more, but happy to provide input if you have specific questions about any particular models.

Good luck

We've used a variety of cameras and have had great luck with Moultrie models 880 and 990.  We have great video and still images of tegus raiding an alligator nest which sounds similar to what you are trying to achieve.

Thank you to everyone for your recommendations and help.  We will be setting out snake models and measuring predation intensity on those models.  I am hoping the cameras can capture the actual predator as it is attacking the model.  So a fast trigger and a good picture will be fantastic.  Most of these events (if not all) will occur during the day, so flash and night imagery is not an issue.  I will continue to look into all of these great recommendations and any more that come in during the mean time.  Once again, thanks!

As others have pointed out, your first concerns should be identifying a camera with the appropriate features for your objectives and the species you expect at your sites--things like wake-up or trigger time, video or not, and stealth, IR or full color (white-flash) options. Regardless, I would be very wary of spending a great deal of money on a large number of inexpensive camera traps if you're using them for research and hope they'll last longer than a season. Many of the less expensive brands/models are spotty at actually detecting animals, so if having high confidence in your detections (or especially non-detections) is a priority, I would spend more $$. Also, while buying cheaper cameras may seem more cost-effective, if they start having problems after a season or two you'll spend much more money, time, and frustration constantly sending them back to the maker or having to replace them. If you're only buying a relatively few cameras, and hope to use them for years to come, I wouldn't buy anything but Reconyx. If you need to buy many, and it's not critical that they all perform optimally, and you only need them for a season or two, you might be satisfied with less-expensive brands and models.

I second Robert's recommendation of Reconyx Pro series, Chris. They are not cheap cameras, but they offer very reliable animal detection, good image quality, time lapse (in the event that you want to spy on ectotherms as well as endotherms, as I do), and are extremely rugged. Even a camera that got completely submerged for several days in a flood kept working well. In four years my lab has taken roughly 4 million pictures with our 10 cameras, and all are still going strong. I've sent one camera in for repairs and was extremely satisfied with customer service. I've purchased entry-level Bushnell, Primos, and Moultrie, and in all cases been dissatisfied with their reliability in detecting animals. I'm sure there are other reliable cameras available, but in my limited experience I haven't found one that was cheap.

I've had the same experience as Day--poor performance and short life-span from "more affordable" models, and a number of Reconyx models that were deployed continuously in snowy, mountain conditions for 5-6 years with little problem and consistent performance. I will say that within the Reconyx line the "recreation" (i.e., non-professional) cameras do seem to still hold-up quite well and have almost all of the features of their professional models. And, I won't claim that I'll never use another brand--perhaps for very specific circumstances (e.g., where risk of theft is high and missing a few detections may be acceptable)--but I'll definitely weigh the major tradeoffs first.

Check if Noldus could suit you...but it is not inexpensive!

Best,

Guy

I have a new Bushnell that is now made with a lens that you can add (screw) on for a better close up shot. I used it to monitor bird nests. Also, you can set it on time lapse, say one photo every hour. It will then record a picture every hour AND any detected motion. So, if somehow a predator didn't get picked up by the motion sensor (if reptilian, it may not), you will still know WHEN predation occurred. You can find it on the Bushnell trail camera pages.

With regards to the Bushnell trail cameras, some of the more recent models have real problems with the date and time stamp information. We purchased ten 119876C Trophy Cam Aggressor HD cameras from Bushnell, and all of these cameras repeatedly reset the date and time during deployment, resulting in many pictures with a date/time stamp of midnight 01/01/2017. If you want time and date information, I would not recommend this model. The older 119537C models work well, but I am not sure if you can still purchase them. We have an array of about 45 of the older model cameras that work great, and we rarely have failures. Because of the time/date reset issues with the newer models, we are considering moving to another camera, e.g., Reconyx. Some of my collaborators have had excellent luck with Reconyx cameras. They may be more expensive, but not as expensive as losing months of data due to date/time resets.