The federally endangered and California Species of Special Concern Buena Vista Lake ornate shrew (BVLOS; Sorex ornatus relictus) is a focal species of the proposed California Department of Water Resources State Water Project San Joaquin Field Division Habitat Conservation Plan. Initially, protocol-level (USFWS 2012) trapping studies for BVLOS were proposed. Ultimately, based on work performed by Tennant (2020) and Cypher et al (2017), the project team determined that camera studies would be more effective than trapping, and was supported by the wildlife agencies (US Fish and Wildlife Service and California Department of Fish and Wildlife). Per Cypher et al (2017), Reconyx HC600 HyperFire Covert model cameras factory modified to take close focal-length photographs were used. These cameras are expensive, so while the study was performed using the agency required Reconyx cameras, we also performed a supplemental study on a subset of the camera stations where Reconyx cameras were paired with much less expensive Browning Dark Ops trail cameras. The use of acceptable lower-cost cameras could help make larger and longer-term studies more cost effective and provide more data that could be leveraged toward species conservation and monitoring. This poster discusses and depicts the favorable results in support of this approach.