Whats the best & why? Does someone make an SD card reader that that is battery operated or an adapter that plugs into an I phone? So that you can view the card on location. I am ignorant on trail cams. although not for long

Apparently Reconyx (sp?) are the bomb. Of course they are also expensive.

I have probably bought about half the brands out there. Believe it or not, I have settled on the Bushnell. Yes, I know, you would never catch me buying Bushnell anything, but these guys hit the jackpot with these little cameras.

I don't go cheap on my gear, I go quality. The reviews for the Bushnell were excellent and I have bought 5. Left 4 in Zambia, and bought one for the ranch. At $170-$250/camera (depending on the model) they are worth every penny.

Now, on the SD card reader, the iPhone does not support downloads directly from a reader, however, the iPad does.

Apple sells a small SD reader that plugs into the charging port of the iPad. You can go to your camera, take the iPad, download all pictures and put the card back in the camera in a matter of a minute or two.

Yes, the devise does fit into the iPhone charging port, but the phone does not currently support downloading all pictures off the card. Maybe someone will make an app for it some day.

Digital game cams have come a long way, and there are probably a number of them on the market which are good. I like to avoid complicated equipment, and have no use for battery-eating movies.

We have found the Cuddeback (Capture) to be the simplest and most dependable. Some of them earlier had a software glitch, but it could be quickly and easily corrected by downloading revised software from their webstite onto the SD card, then installing it in the camera. I like the plain old Capture model (not IR) the best because it takes full color flash photos at night. I've watched animals being "flashed" and they don't have the slightest reaction. I'm not sure if this model is still in current production, but you can find them new on various internet sites for less than $150.

I bought a mini laptop computer (10-inch screen) for work/travel for only $199. It doubles as a great photo viewer. I take it with me when checking the cameras to both view the photos onsite and to erase the chips. For two bills it is much more powerful and versatile (internet, word processing, spreadsheets, etc.) than dedicated viewers costing nearly as much. Having the photos already on my computer lets me email the notable pics to my hunting partners with minimal effort.

I'll second the Cuddeback. Took four to Labat in Zim last year and those are the ones he requested for quality and ease of use.

Thanks for the information! I feel more informed / less ignorant already.