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Cell Cam Data Plans

elk yinzer

elk yinzer

Well-Known Member
Joined
Oct 23, 2017
Messages
3,099
Location
State College, PA
I've been using Bushnell cameras for years with good results, but their data plan is getting a little ridiculous for me at 5 cameras now. I find it inconvenient to manage also which cameras are in service when. They charge basically $15/mo per camera. There is a $10 plan but it pretty much excludes getting the hi res photos which I enjoy getting.

When I bought my first cell cam I just went with Bushnell without really shopping around because I had such good experience with them. Now I'm shopping around a bit but I can't find a good comparison of everything.

What would work best in my mind is paying mostly for the actual data used, not per camera. I put these cameras up at travel areas in big woods, I may get 100 photos in a good month. Why am I paying the same data rate as some guy that has a camera over a feeder getting 100 photos a day??? If I have 1000 photos being sent over the cell network, why does it matter if that is distributed over 1 camera, or 10? I'm sure to some degree it does matter but I highly doubt its 1:1 as Bushnell charges.

Spypoint is the only one definitely out, I've blackballed them for life after three strikes of terrible experiences.
 
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I used Stealthcam prior to mine getting stolen. My sample size of 1 functioned great for the 13 months I left it out for with only 1 battery change. I have a Tactacam waiting to be put out for next year, just can't quite decide how I want to mount it to deter theft again.
 
I've been pretty happy with Browning the last few years. For 4 cameras sharing 6,000 standard images, 300 HD images, and 100 videos I paid like $45 a month last season.
 
I have 5 spypoints. One has been replaced free of charge. One would have been replaced recently but they offered an upgrade to the flex for 30bucks and i took that route. The best thing is if you are running them on trails and only get 100 pics a month it is free no strings attached. That is the reason i went with them. They have not held up as good as some of my other cameras but they have warrantied them after doing some troubleshooting over the phone or by chat
 
elk yinzer said:
I've been using Bushnell cameras for years with good results, but their data plan is getting a little ridiculous for me at 5 cameras now. I find it inconvenient to manage also which cameras are in service when. They charge basically $15/mo per camera. There is a $10 plan but it pretty much excludes getting the hi res photos which I enjoy getting.

When I bought my first cell cam I just went with Bushnell without really shopping around because I had such good experience with them. Now I'm shopping around a bit but I can't find a good comparison of everything.

What would work best in my mind is paying mostly for the actual data used, not per camera. I put these cameras up at travel areas in big woods, I may get 100 photos in a good month. Why am I paying the same data rate as some guy that has a camera over a feeder getting 100 photos a day??? If I have 1000 photos being sent over the cell network, why does it matter if that is distributed over 1 camera, or 10? I'm sure to some degree it does matter but I highly doubt its 1:1 as Bushnell charges.

Spypoint is the only one definitely out, I've blackballed them for life after three strikes of terrible experiences.
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Check out this great review. I use the Reveal X cell cams (just started using cell cams last summer) and I have nothing bad to say about them at all. I get the intermediate plan but they have new plans coming out I need to consider upon renewal or whatever. This is a great video on some the most popular mid level cell cams.
 
My Reveal cams are $5 a month per camera for 250 pics, but it’s my understanding that the pic count is a pool so if you have multiple cams and one exceeds 250 it pulls from the other cams allotments. There is also a $5 charge for HD video downloads if you choose to download them. That’s per 50 that don’t expire. I’ve only paid it once in a year. So basically I run 5 cams for $25 a month.
 
I’m on my second year using Spypoint. I don’t hate it, but I don’t love it, and I have to call customer service once in a while because the cams are a little…unreliable at times. That said, I just got two more for Xmas because I don’t want to have to use a new system, and the spypoint stuff is relatively inexpensive, including data plans. When they work they’re great, and to be fair most of the time they work great for what I need, which is honestly just monitoring traffic of all creature varieties onto and off of the property. BUT you also get what you paid for about 1/4 cameras.
If I had to go with a new system it’d be tactacam because I have the app and accessories for it already, and their data was not really expensive from what I saw, or maybe a Muddy because again, not very expensive and data plans aren’t either.
I love saving pics from my cams for the sake of wildlife observation and such, but I’m not a wildlife photographer, I’m a property manager so practicality, simplicity, and price tag weigh heaviest (or lightest depending on how you look at it) on my priorities for cams.
 
I use tactacam and like someone else said the picture count is a pool. I pay $5 a month per camera - but I turn several off for the off season.

The nice thing is you can still manage all the settings with no cell service via the wifi from the camera. Of course you have to be near the camera. So you can still run the cameras in non cellular mode for the off season to save some money
 
elk yinzer said:
I've been using Bushnell cameras for years with good results, but their data plan is getting a little ridiculous for me at 5 cameras now. I find it inconvenient to manage also which cameras are in service when. They charge basically $15/mo per camera. There is a $10 plan but it pretty much excludes getting the hi res photos which I enjoy getting.

When I bought my first cell cam I just went with Bushnell without really shopping around because I had such good experience with them. Now I'm shopping around a bit but I can't find a good comparison of everything.

What would work best in my mind is paying mostly for the actual data used, not per camera. I put these cameras up at travel areas in big woods, I may get 100 photos in a good month. Why am I paying the same data rate as some guy that has a camera over a feeder getting 100 photos a day??? If I have 1000 photos being sent over the cell network, why does it matter if that is distributed over 1 camera, or 10? I'm sure to some degree it does matter but I highly doubt its 1:1 as Bushnell charges.

Spypoint is the only one definitely out, I've blackballed them for life after three strikes of terrible experiences.
Click to expand...
"Spy point is the only one definitely out." Good thing OP pointed that out. :rolleyes:
 
Exodus drops their “budget” $179 cam tonight. 5 years warranty and theft. Data plans seem reasonable. Reveal x still seems like a good value with their plan.
 
HeavyD said:
Exodus drops their “budget” $179 cam tonight.
Click to expand...
I don't understand why they didn't make the door latch integrate with the python lock cable slots. Seems like an issue to me
 
I get that line of thinking, but I think it prevents theft. They'd have to break it to steal it and then they would have a broken one.

Yes they could just smash it on the tree and then neither of us have a camera. But I think there is room for several layers of dishonesty between the guy that would read the pics off your camera and put the card back all the way to the guy that would steal it or smash it.
 
I get ruling out spypoint. I've been lucky with them and I'll continue to test my luck because of their free 100 pic plan. Sounds like it would be perfect for you. If I get close to the 100 I just buy the 250 pics for the rest of the month. As soon as the month is over I return it to the free 100 plan and repeat. Saves some money in low traffic areas. Tactacam reveals are better cams though and it's nice being able to share the plans. If you have 5 cameras on the 250 plan then you have a pool of 1250 pics to share between the 5. 1 cam could get 750 pics and the rest can share the remaining 500.
 
I have used Tatacam for a while. However the Blackgate cams are very interesting.
 
I have two spypoint cameras that I've left on the free plan. I don't move them/put them in good enough places to pay for extra photos, but it's nice to have the option if I do ever point them the right way. Have not directly translated a photo to a deer shot so I still have lots to learn. I know you said spypoint was ruled out but it's the only experience I've had, replying mainly to see what everyone else reccomends
 
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