ABOUT THIS CAMERA:
This is a low-glow (i.e. red flash) trail camera. It runs on between 4 and 8 AA batteries.
BACKGROUND, ABOUT ME, AND MY HISTORY WITH TRAIL CAMERAS:
I have several other trail camera brands including Stealth Cam, Moultrie, Covert, Primos, Browning, TEC.BEAN, and now Distianert. Honestly, the day time pictures with all of these brands are adequate for hunting and scouting purposes. What separates a camera in my eyes is trigger time, quality night pictures, recovery time, battery life, strap connecting to the tree, ease of setup, pictures of an object in motion, and durability. I’ve been using trail cams since about 2009, mainly with pictures. I started taking videos with trail cameras in 2014 and took quite a few in 2015 in addition to taking pictures. My choice in taking pictures or videos depends on the setup. I don’t do time lapse. It’s just not something that’s useful for my hunting/scouting purposes. If you can’t decide on pictures or video, hybrid mode is a good option. I have included a video and some pictures.
A NOTE ON THE SIDE SENSOR:
Something peculiar about this camera that I haven't seen in many other cameras is the sensors on each side. Supposedly, the sensors on the side detect movement and "wake" the camera before game enter the picture. If you're familiar with game cameras, this is the most timely matter when taking pictures. The camera sleeps to conserve battery, but it takes time to wake up. In theory, this is a nice feature. However, I'm not sure it makes much difference based on my use and testing.
WHAT I LIKE:
+ 2-year warranty (highly unusual - most are 1 year)
+ Well written instruction manual
+ Tripod mount hardware included (if that's a feature you use it migh be helpful)
+ LCD Screen allows users to see where camera is pointed and you can review pictures/videos on it – Very unusual to see that in this price range
+ Easy to follow and program menu
+ High quality day pictures and video with excellent audio quality
+ Hybrid Mode (video + pictures), Video mode (1 to 60 second settings or, 3, 5, and 10 mins) Photo bursts from 1 to 3 pictures at a time
+ Security password (optional)
+ It takes up to 8 AA batteries, so batteries don’t need to be swapped as often as some cameras
+ I have taken fewer blurry pictures of moving objects than many other cameras I've used
+ I haven't had a ton of false triggers, but I haven't been able to move it to a variety of locations to confirm
WHAT I DON'T LIKE-
- My biggest complaint is that this takes a narrower picture than I am accustomed to.
- 2.4 second trigger time as opposed to the 0.6 second trigger time claim
- 8 second recovery time (time between pictures/videos) based on my testing. This is well below the industry average of 4-5 seconds (some are in the 2 second range)
- 40-45 ft detection range which is average or a bit below average for PIR sensors in game cameras
- This camera has a strap with a plastic buckle. I prefer a metal clip for easy removal and positioning.
ON PAR WITH MOST CAMERAS:
o 5.25" x 3.5" x 2.5" - Not the smallest, but on par with most on the market
o Durability seems on par with other cameras I’ve used - I'm not sure how the plastic bracket on the back will hold up long-term. For now, I can't knock it.
o Battery Life seems standard
o Video file size is about 12MB for a 5-second video on the highest resolution
o Night pictures are close to average - not great, but not horrible
CONCLUSION:
I'm quite torn on how to rate this camera. It has a lot of positives: LCD screen, quality day pictures/videos with great audio. It might have the best audio of any game camera I've used! I really like using the LCD screen in the field for checking pictures without a computer and needing to switch SD cards.
There are certainly a couple things I don't like including narrow pictures and a slower trigger time stated. I would like to see the strap and plastic buckle changed. It’s just a pet peeve of mine to have to use a plastic buckle strap. I would like to see the actual trigger time and recovery time drop to be competitive with other cameras. I'd also like to see detection range increase a bit.
This is certainly a serviceable camera. I like this camera, but, like ANY other game camera, I think there are areas for improvement. Each camera excels in some things and slacks at others. If you know how to use this camera, it can be very efficient for hunting (or potentially other applications). If I can help with any questions, I am happy to do so!
You can find this camera for sale by clicking here
FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION (FTC) DISCLAIMER:
I received this product for free or purposes of testing and reviewing. However, the opinions expressed herein were formulated based on my personal use of the product. I welcome all suggestions, feedback and/or product questions
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