Best cam recommendations

[hayley3]

If you love your trail cam, can you brag about it here and tell me the brand? Even posting a picture that it took would be awesome. I wasted a lot of time trying to set up a wireless camera in my metal barn and I have now decided to try a trail cam after seeing the pictures in the other thread. I really need to see what visitors I have coming and going in my barn.



Thanks!

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I have a Bushnell X8 that is a couple years old. It isn't the most advanced or expensive but I like it and it does all I need it to do.

 

[blucoondawg]

Moultrie makes decent cameras in different price ranges they seem to take decent pictures at night, there's a lot of reviews online for game cameras, read through them and see the differences, for surveillance on a chicken coop you don't need top of the line just make sure to get something that gives a good picture at night, there are a few out there that don't light up very well in the dark, I can't remember off hand which they were

 

[Bridebeliever]

Do you have wifi at your coop? Mines not a trail cam and I love it. Here's a picture that it took in the total darkness.

We didn't have it placed perfectly in the coop so we changed the location and I'm very pleased with it. I can check on my girls from my phone any time of the day or night!

 

[hayley3]

I don't have WIFI so that's why I'm returning my other video camera, it's wireless. My chickens are housed in metal barn inside a stall and wireless is not working because of that.

I don't have any trees in my pasture either so it will have to have a tripod spot on it.

And that's good to know about how important the night images are. So that's something to focus on. Thanks!
I put up chicken wire and something already pushed through it. I normally attach a furring strip to the edges and hadn't done that yet and some creature already bent the chicken wire just to make their way in. This is only a day pen so I wasn't sure if I should go with hardware cloth or not but if they are going to tear it up even without chickens in it, maybe I should rethink that.

 

[sunflour]

I have an older Uniden outdoor camera system (got in a Walmart closeout a couple of years ago). 3 cameras are focused on the perimeter of my coop/run and one inside the coop. Although it can be connected to a PC and record - those features were disappointing. But used as live views and sound have made it so much easier to monitor from the house. The monitor is small but easy to quickly check on the area. The range is best at 30-50 feet for best detail.

I also had an IP surveillance camera - but lost connection and spent hours trying to get it back on line with no avail. It was not a high end one, but showed great resolution and did well with video or still photo records - Sharx brand. Mine was set up wireless, but they can be networked without wireless access.

Trees or wooden coop overhangs are the easiest, but cameras can be attached under an outdoor chair or a makeshift wooden stand - as long as the camera mount allows up or down attachment. And you can move those around to find the best views. And the IP cameras offer the clearest distant pics.



IMO go ahead and invest in more substantial protection, the chicken wire is an invitation.

 

[hayley3]

@sunflour
Yes I really wanted the live view camera but because they are inside a metal building it won't work. I even bought another access point but it didn't help the signal at all although mine is not an IP camera I found out..not sure since it's wireless. but that's what the manufacturer said.

What does your camera connect to so that you can view the live stream? The Amcrest has it's own monitor which is what I loved about it.

 

[MeepBeep]

@sunflour
Yes I really wanted the live view camera but because they are inside a metal building it won't work.

Get a camera with a removable antenna that way you can get an antenna extension cable and relocate the actual camera antenna outside the metal building...

 

[hayley3]

@MeepBeep That was my original plan but I then read that for each foot of cable, your dB goes down by 1. I also am not familiar with cable terminology so I am not sure I am selecting the right antenna.

 

[sunflour]

@sunflour
Yes I really wanted the live view camera but because they are inside a metal building it won't work. I even bought another access point but it didn't help the signal at all although mine is not an IP camera I found out..not sure since it's wireless. but that's what the manufacturer said.

What does your camera connect to so that you can view the live stream? The Amcrest has it's own monitor which is what I loved about it.

Do you need it inside the metal coop or perimeter, seems that you could position wireless connections outside to see the perimeter? If you really need it inside, then you will need either hard wired to a computer with a long cable, or maybe a "wireless booster" could be placed somewhere to see the IP?

The Uniden has it's own monitor, IP streaming is over the internet or by local network.