Troubleshoot Your Trail Camera

How to Troubleshoot a Trail Camera

Do you have trail camera problems? Let's see if we can help with this quick guide and our trail camera owner's manuals.

There are more, but these are the most common problems we run into when troubleshooting trail cameras:

LCD display going out
Black night photos
Sd card error messages
Cameras taking photos continuously with nothing in the camera (aka "runaway cameras")

So what is the solution? There may not be one but here are the three things you should immediately do for any problem.

Format the SD Card in your computer. This resets the camera. Many times, sd cards can lock up causing problems with the camera. Formatting the card erases all data from the card. To format a card: place the card in your computer, go to "My Computer," right click on the folder the sd card is under, select "Format," and then hit "starts."
Check to make sure the batteries are in the camera properly.
If they are, replace the batteries (or test them with a ZTS Battery Tester if you have one) with new batteries. See video below for the proper way to test your batteries.

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If you have attempted these three steps and the camera still does not work, then the camera is defective.

There are two ways to deal with a defective camera that is still under warranty.

If you purchased from us...
We hope that you have purchased the camera from us and if so, you may still be under our 90 Day, No Questions Asked Return Policy or 2 Year Exclusive Warranty. If you are, click that link and fill out the return form and we will quickly get you taken care of.

If you purchased your camera elsewhere...
You should immediately contact the company you purchased from and see if they have a return policy you can use. If having a free 2-year warranty in the future seems beneficial to you, bookmark our trail cameras for sale page for the next time you are ready to purchase a game camera. We guarantee your satisfaction and you will have complete access to a team of trail camera experts.

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Read: Top 5 Trail Camera Mistakes

Trail Camera Warranties

Manufacturer warranties are pretty standard, most companies have a one year warranty against defect, HCO and Reconyx both offer 2-year warranties on some of their products.

What happens to your camera when sent back?

American made cameras

Reconyx is the only American made trail camera we have. They can repair and troubleshoot cameras even after the warranty is over.

Chinese made cameras

The majority of trail cameras are made overseas in China. Of these cameras, the manufacturers are unable to repair or modify the cameras. If it is under warranty, they simply replace the camera with a new one. Once the warranty on the camera is over, there is nothing that can be done to fix it. Usually, it ends up in a landfill.

We always welcome phone calls (1-800-791-0660) or emails, but all we can do to troubleshoot cameras is go over the steps at the top of the page. We are the best source for the latest news in the Trail Camera Industry. However, we do not make any of the cameras. We simply test, review and sell the different models.

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The trail camera manufacturer phone numbers are listed below.

Browning	1-888-618-4496
Bushnell	1-800-423-3537
Cuddeback	1-920-347-3810
Covert	1-877-462-1799
Moultrie	1-800-653-3334
Primos	1-800-523-2395
Reconyx	1-866-493-6064
Ridgetec	1-888-966-8929
Spartan	1-770-582-0004
Spypoint	1-888-779-7646
Stealth Cam	1-888-304-6125
Wildgame Innovations	1-800-847-8269