Trail Camera Reviews

Reconyx Trail Camera Review - RC60

Justin_Zarr — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 14:14:00 GMT

Recently I was in the market for a new digital scouting camera and after much research and browsing many reviews I came to the conclusion that the Reconyx line seemed to have the features that I was looking for in a game camera. I have used dozens of different brands/models of game cameras and each one seemed to have a flaw or just performed poorly but the Reconyx reviews were great through every aspect. Trigger Speed, Photo Quality, Battery Life, Theft Prevention, ect... it was at the top of each category. I finally decided to purchase a Reconyx RC60 and I must say that everything that I read was true.

This unit is packed with features that take this from being just another camera to a top notch scouting tool. The unit boasts a trigger speed of 1/5th of a second along with a battery life of 10,000-15,000 photos with standard C-Cell batteries. The unit can be locked to a tree with a Phython Cable Lock (not included) that can be fed through slots on the side of the unit, around the front of the camera cover, and locked behind the tree. This means that not only is the camera secured to the tree but the case can't be opened until the lock is removed. The unit also prints a "user label", temperature, moon phase, time, and date on each photo along with the Reconyx logo. Every aspect of the unit was well thought-out and designed with performance in mind.

Upon opening the packaging the first thing that you notice is the superior construction of the unit. From the instance I pulled the unit out of the package I could tell that this wasn't just another game camera, this was a serious scouting tool . I scanned the unit over looking for any noticeable gaps around the sensor and camera lens that could possible allow condensation to get into the electronics, which there were none. I then removed the camera's cover and inspected the seal and gasket to make sure that it was waterproof. I found the gasket to be one of the better ones on the market and the cover had the most tight seal of any unit that I have had/used. The next thing that caught my eye was just how easy the batteries and memory card were to access. I had a major issue with the placement of the memory card slot on my previous two cameras as I had to carry tweezers into the woods in order to remove the memory card. The Reconyx has one of the better set-ups and allows you to easily replace batteries and memory cards without having to take an extra tool into the field. The Reconyx battery retention system is another small detail that is often overlooked but is crucial. Two of the previous game cameras that I have owned had battery retention designs that would cause the camera to loose power and shut off . The Reconyx systems leaves only two of the six batteries exposed and they have a snug fit that will ensure the unit doesn't loose power.

The unit also comes with BuckView mapping and image management software as well as a nice Reconyx decal. I inserted the BuckView c.d. into my computer and downloaded the program. After playing around with the software I realized just how helpful it would be. The software allows you to insert aerial photos or topographic maps of your hunting land and you can then set camera markers for each location that you have your unit placed at. You can then download photos from each specific area into its marker that way you know exactly where each photos were taken. This is going to be another valuable tool in trying to pattern certain deer throughout your property.

After glancing through the instruction manual I decided that I would set the unit up and do some testing. While it definetly isn't the easiest unit to set-up it wasn't as bad as I had figured. I was able to get all of my settings in as well as putting in my user label and code. I inserted my memory card and started the unit up. I shut the lights off to see if the claims of the covert IR flash were true. I waited a few seconds and figured that I must have set it up wrong as I didn't see any glow and never heard any noise from the unit. I remove the cover and noticed that the unit had already snapped more than a dozen photos of me. I was very pleased to see that the claims of "Covert IR Flash" were true and I was even more pleased to find out that the unit is entirely silent. Some of the other IR game cameras that I have used have made a very noticeable noise when taking IR photos, this unit is silent.

After my testing it was time for the real test. I grabbed my gear, packed up the camera and headed into the woods. After searching for a good location I came across a nice travel route between a thick bedding area and a field that the deer had been feeding in. I picked out the perfect tree and attached the unit to the tree with the supplied adjustable bungee cord and set the unit to "Walktest Mode". I was happy to see that the unit had a great detection zone and would really pick up on any movement even at a long range. I armed the camera and attached my Python Cable lock (a must if you purchase this unit). I really didn't expect to have alot of activity in this area but I figured that it would be a great place to test the unit out. After two days I returned to check the camera and found that it had taken 197 photos and the battery life was still around 97%. After loading the photos to my computer I found that the unit didn't take a single false picture and the rapidfire mode was capturing pictures every 1-2 seconds. The photo quality is very good but night photos are a little dark due to the IR flash being covert. I should mention that I had the unit set for "best quality" night photos and this helps cut the flash range down as well. I have since switched to the night mode to "max range" and it has helped brighten the photos. Even in "best quality" mode, it was simple to just brighten them slightly with photo editing software to see what was in the background.

I couldn't be more pleased with this camera. It has performed perfectly for me in some harsh conditions. I can say without any doubt that this is by far the best game camera that I have ever used, it excels in every important aspect and I will be adding another to my collection.

Cuddeback Capture vs. Moultrie I40

Justin_Zarr — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 14:03:00 GMT

Cuddeback Capture vs. Moultrie I40

After using both of these trail cameras for most of this season I have found some features I like about each one and other features that I wish they would change.

The Pros of the Moultrie I40

1. What I like most about the Moultrie I40 is the super long battery life. I honestly get around 6 months from a set of 6 D cell batteries. I haven’t heard of a unit with better battery life.
2. The no flash is another reason I chose this model. I was getting one picture of a deer at a scrape or mineral lick and then the flash would spook them. In the Infrared mode there is no flash, just a red glow from the leds.
3. The quality of the photos is very sharp. The 4.0 mega pixel camera takes crisp color daytime pics. And the IR pics at night come out black and white but also good quality.
4. The temperature, moon phase, date and time are printed on the bottom of the picture. It’s interesting to compare activity during different temp. and moon phases.
5. I can view my pictures in the field on my digital camera.

The Pros of the Cuddeback Capture

1. The best feature of the Cuddeback is its super fast trigger speed. I can set this camera up 90* to a trail and not miss an animal walking by it. Other models I have to set up with the animal walking towards the camera.
2. I really like the finish on the outside of the case on the Cudde too. It blends well with the bark of most trees. Making it hard for the animals and would be thieves to spot.
3. Although I do think the flash sometimes spooks game, I like the color pictures this camera takes at night. Much clearer than IR pics.
4. While not the 6 month battery life I get from my Moultrie, 3-4 months isn’t bad from 4 D cells.
5. This camera is the easiest to operate on the market. Once you have the date set (it takes 2 minutes) all you do it turn the dial to the desired time between pictures to turn the unit on.
6. The SD card is very easy to change out.

The Cons of the Moultrie I40

1. My main criticism about the Moultrie I40 has to be the placement of the SD card. It is stuck back behind the battery cover in a tight little space that makes it very hard to get to. I really wish they would find a better place to put it in the case.
2. The big black case sticks out like a sore thumb. I know the deer spot it on the side of trees and it would be easy for a thief to spot also. Grey would be a much better color.
3. When I first bought it the IR pictures would be very washed out. I had to download a file to fix that problem. No problems since the download.
4. Having to remember to select the mode after turning the unit on. If you forget to do this you get no pictures.

The Cons of the Cuddeback Capture

1. My main complaint about the Cuddeback Capture is not being able to view the pictures on my digital camera in the field. They made a big deal about switching to the industry standard SD cards this year. But then they decide to use a different format than everyone else. If I am spending a few days out there I might want to move stands depending on what I get on my cameras. Now I have to come home and plug the card into my computer to view the images.
2. No way to lock the unit to the tree.
3. The date and time are the only things printed on the picture. More info would be nice.

Let us know what you think by adding comments below!

Here are some photos from the cameras as well.

Here is a shot from my Cuddeback, you can see this buck did not like the flash at all. I usually dont see this with the IR cameras.

Good examle of a day time photo with the cudde back.

Above is example of the Moultrie during the daytime.

This is a photo of the moultrie taken at night with the IR.

Camtrakker MK-8 (Available?)

Justin_Zarr — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 14:01:00 GMT

Yes the Camtrakker MK-8 is available and is working well. Over the past two years Camtrakker totally redesigned the units and they are working great. There are now sample photos, taken with the MK-8 Digital Camera, available on this site under the photo gallery. These photos will let you see just what the new MK-8 Digital Camera system can do in the daytime, at night with color and infrared. The fastest capture speed for the daytime color images was 0.487 seconds, and is dependent on the amount of light available and the complexity of the scene. The night time images were captured in 0.814 seconds.

This new system comes with a variety of great new features which include:

Full color LCD display for reviewing your images in the field

FREE 512 MB SD card included with every unit

Sealed lead acid rechargeable battery lasts for an extremely long time even in the coldest conditions. No more buying new batteries every few weeks!

Our fastest image capture speed ever – under 1 second.

The MK-8 will operate in temperatures from -50 degrees to 150 degrees

1.0 & 3.0 Megapixel options for daytime and nighttime images.

Sharp full color images during the day time and Infrared images during the night with NO visible flash.

3 Image quality options.

Burst mode comes standard from 2 – 5 images.

Extremely easy setup right out of the box.

Made in the USA

Check out the new Camtrakker MK-8 now!

Cuddleback Capture: Mid-year Review

Justin_Zarr — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 13:58:00 GMT

After not getting any decent bucks on my trail cameras during the summer I was bound and determined to track some down come fall. I put my new Cuddeback Capture out in Mid-October in an area where scrapes usually open up and sure enough one did about 5 days after I put my camera out. After a few weeks of capturing photos I retrieved the memory card to see what I had. I was happy to see two really good 10 pointers, one intersting looking 2 1/2 year old 6 point, and a nice 2 1/2 year old 8 point that I have quite a few pics of from this year and last year when he was a dink 1 1/2 year old buck. It's really good to see that we have a few shooters running around this farm as I didn't get any good buck pictures during the summer, which is mostly attributed to lack of food on this farm. However this area still held quite a few doe groups which I'm sure is what brought these guys out of hiding.

Unfortunately a few days ago we found a nice roadkill buck on this property with his rack cut off so I'm hoping its not one of the two big guys as I'll be back hunting this farm now that I'm home from our trip.

This first buck looks like a 3 1/2 year old deer to me. He has good shoulder depth, but his backend is pretty small and he still has a tight stomach which indicates that he's a younger deer. If he makes it another year this guy is gonna blow into a 160-170" buck for sure. He's probably pushing 145-150" right now as it is and will definitely warrant an arrow from me if he gets close enough. It's also very possible that we saw this buck a bunch of times last year as a 2 1/2. We had one good 9 point that was in the 120" range running around last fall that had very similar coloration and shape to his rack. It's hard to tell without more pictures or matching up sheds, but it certainly could be the same deer.

These photos both turned out pretty well I think. The flash range on the Capture is excellent and even with the buck a good 25-30 feet from the camera you can see all of the details in the image just fine.

Now this is definitely an older buck. He is at least 4.5 if not 5.5 years old. I believe this is the camera shy 10 pointer I've gotten photos of the past two seasons, but without a head-on shot it's hard to tell. He's got really good mass and long, arrow straight brows that are characteristic of that particular buck. If you look at this chest where his neck meets into his body and how deep that is, along with his slightly sagging stomach, large hindquarters, and "short" looking legs you can tell he is truly a mature deer. I'd love to get a look at this guy! Again with these photos, the flash range is great and the trigger speed and timing worked wonderfully as well. The imaegs are perfectly centered with no chopping off of the head or butt.

Here's the scary looking 6 pointer. We've traditionally had some really big 6 point bucks on this farm over the years (3 year olds and older) but haven't seen those particular genetics in a few years until now. He gets a pass this year, but next year he'll be a candidate for the wall. This particular photo is a bit washed out from the flash, but this is one of very few images like this. I'm assuming this is because of the deer's close proximity to the camera when it was triggered. Unfortunately that's a bit of the price you pay to have a good strong flash range.

This last buck is one that I've nicknamed 'Scar'. Very original, I know. But it's like the bad lion brother from The Lion King. You know what I'm talking about. Last year we had some pics of him when his side was all torn open, but obviously his wound has healed and he made it. A good 2 1/2 year old buck that should be P&Y next year despite his complete lack of brown tines. Again, he'll get a pass from me this year but next fall he won't be so lucky. Notice how dark his tarsal glands are - this buck is in full rut for sure!

This daytime photo of Scar is a good represntation of what you can expect from the Capture. The colors are a bit muted and washed out and if the animal is moving at a pretty good pace there is some occasional blurriness, but it's not too bad. Not nearly as bad as the old Excite models which had a major problem with motion blur.

All in all, I have been very impressed with the performance of my Cuddeback Capture trail camera. I have had the same batteries in it for well over a month without any issues. There are VERY few blank or cutoff images, and as you can tell the Flash range has been great. At $200 this camera is very reasonably priced considering the features that it offers and the performance.

You can purchase the Cuddeback Digital Trail Camera along with a variety of other trail camera makes and models from the online store at Bowhunting.com. The Capture is in stock and ready to ship today. Click here if you'd like to purchase one.

Note: An infrared version of the Cuddeback Capture was just released several weeks ago and we are in the process of testing the camera now. A full review will be up shortly after Christmas. If you wish to purchase a Cuddeback Capture you can click here. They are in stock and ready to ship at Bowhunting.com.

Hunting strategies based on realtime trail camera pictures

Justin_Zarr — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 13:54:00 GMT

Smart Scouter sends pictures directly to your computer and cell phone

Do you ever feel like you are in the wrong place at the wrong time when chasing that monster buck? Ever get the in intuition that you might be on last week’s rub line, or setting downwind of a scrape that has done dead? The Smart Scouter Trail Camera System might just be in place to solve all those questions and equations. As hunters’ we’re constantly aware and reminded that mature bucks do not get to their trophy potential by making mistakes nor allowing predators to easily untangle their habits. That is why the Smart Scouter team has developed the next generation of wildlife monitoring. The Smart Scouter Cellular Surveillance System wirelessly send images the users cell phone and Smart Scouter account at http://www.smartscouter.com/. The system allows hunters, from anywhere in the world, to monitor their favorite hidden post without entering or disrupting the woods. This game monitoring innovation won the Smart Scouter Team the outdoor industry’s most prestigious award in 2007, Field and Streams Best of Best.

Save time, money and gas as well by not traveling to your trail cameras just to check the pictures. The Smart Scouter features fast trigger speeds and colored day photos. The 50 LED infrared invisible flash bulbs extent the nighttime range to 50 feet, and deliver crisp, quality, black and white images. The menu is very user friendly, and navigates quickly. From the website the user can manage their Smart Scouter unit, pictures and change any of the operational settings. From the site users can also view real time wireless signal strength and battery power consumption. Images are stamped with time and date, and be can viewed, emailed, downloaded, moved to favorites and/ or deleted. This is a great system for groups, clubs and outfitters because photos can be shared in real time. The onboard battery will last up to six weeks, and the external battery can be purchased giving the Smart Scouter 4 to 6 months of continued use. Three, Passive Infrared Sensors (PIR) have low, medium and high setting allowing the user to minimize false triggers and set PIR sensitivity custom for real woods application. The Smart Scouter System can also be used as a non wireless trail camera similar to other products on the market today. Simply go the unit and retrieve the CF card. Thus in extremely remote areas where cellular connectivity is not possible the unit still operates as a best in class trail camera.

The cost of buying the Smart Scouter System is impressively low for all the value it adds. For $649 an individual can purchase the unit, backend website account, battery, charger and a ready to operate cellular system. A low monthly wireless fee of $14.99 can be froze to $7.99 for non-active months. A $.04 per image uploaded charges to the users account for small resolution images. If a user exceeds 500 images in a month, the cost per image discounts 50%, $.02. This essentially allows an average user to uploaded 300 images in a month for under $25. The user has the ability to switch to and from higher resolutions images anytime from their web account. Many users have also found other applications, such as remote security, to utilize the Smart Scouter during different times of the year. Wow, when one looks at the cost of gas, valued time and intelligent tactics implied this is a no-brainer for people serious about their wildlife monitoring. I know for me, the Whitetail is now in danger.

Below are some bullet point highlights for Smart Scouter:

Smart Scouter is changing the way you scout forever by wirelessly sending trail cam photos to your computer or cell phone.
No scent or human presence to your hunting ground. We all know this is the key to killing big bucks. You don’t have to travel just to check your trail camera photos. It actually will save you time and money, especially with these high gas prices.
Imagine know what stand to hunt tomorrow morning based on the buck activity you get today. This real time info is advantageous, fun and exciting. It’s like Christmas ever time you get a new photo on your cell phone.
Smart Scouter works great for remote security as well. You can monitor your remote cabin, gate or business with the Smart Scouter.
Smart Scouter is simple and easy to use. Purchase the smart scouter, register the camera at http://www.smartscouter.com/ , attach to a tree and turn on, then manage camera settings and photos from your computer or cell phone.
For those areas that do not have cell coverage, you can use the Smart Scouter as a regular trail camera as well, just like any of the others available. It makes sense to have a trail camera that will do both.
Smart scouter was nominated as the winner of the prestigious Field and Stream’s BEST of BEST product of the year award.
Smart Scouter has fast trigger speeds, Infrared LED that does not spook game, long battery life that will last 6 weeks and an external batter that will last 3 to 4 months without have to go back to the system. This makes is great for hunters who live farm from their hunting properties.

Quick overview:

As an animal moves past the Smart Scouter it detects movement and snaps a photo. The photo is then wirelessly sent through the cellular network to your computer or cell phone, where you then view the photos. With this real time information you hunt the correct location based on the photos sent from smart scouter and bag a big buck! Now that is SMART SCOUTING!

To start getting photos sent wirelessly to your phone click here!

To view sample photos of the Smart Scouter click here!

Below are some photos of the smart scouter.

Cuddeback Capture: First Photos

Justin_Zarr — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 14:47:00 GMT

After two weeks out at one of my local hunting spots I finally got back to check on the status of my new Cuddeback Capture. I was a little bit let down to see there was only about 10 photos on the camera over that period of time. For some reason this particular area of the farm has been relatively void of deer traffic most of the summer. I'm sure there's a variety of reasons for this including the current crop rotation, but I'm hoping it picks up once October comes. There is usually a really good scrape line that opens up nearby where I plan on really putting this camera through it's paces

In any case, the photos turned out pretty much how I expected them to. The quality is okay, but nothing great. Night time photos are still a little bit grainy and some of the daytime photos are a bit washed out but there's nothing that drastically wrong with them. They're definitely a little better than the photos from my Cuddeback Excite, but not quite as crisp and clear as photos from my Moultrie I40.

Trigger speed and sensitivity appear to be on par with the other Cuddeback units I've tested - which is very good. I had several photos of deer that were a good distance off, some to the point where they could barely been seen, and the camera triggered without a hitch. On some of the closer shots the Capture was able to snap a photo of the entire deer before it got out of the viewing window so I didn't have any cutoff heads or butts either.

Flash Range on the Capture seems to be good as well. The forest still has a thick canopy of leaves and there's not much light reaching the camera so most of the photos were taken with flash even during the middle of the day. Although these deer weren't too far away, you certainly don't have a problem seeing them! The photos that didn't use flash were taken during mid-day when the sun was at it's highest point.

All in all, the Cuddeback Capture is shaping up to be a good camera. I will have to get a bunch more photos on it before I can see how the batteries are going to hold up but so far so good. For a $200 trail camera it takes good enough photos and the ease of use is a huge benefit to this unit. I don't think it took me more than a minute to open it up, replace the memory card, reactivate it, and be on my way. When the Capture IR comes out it will be interesting to see how it fairs against the Moultrie I-40. So far the I-40 has been rock solid and for virtually the same price it could be a toss-up between the two. The Capture certainly wins in ease of use and size, but the I-40 takes much better photos and has a really good IR flash range.

Cuddeback Capture: First Look

Justin_Zarr — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 13:33:00 GMT

Several months ago reports started popping up that Cuddeback was set to release a new trail camera for this fall, called the Capture. As one of the more widely recognized names in the industry needless to say we were excited to see what these new cameras would offer. This past week our first Capture arrived at the office. Here are our first impressions.

There are two models of the new Capture available, one with standard flash and one with an IR flash. Both cameras are 3.0 megapixels in both day and night, and are priced very reasonably. The standard Capture retails for $199.99 and the IR version for $229.99. To date only the standard-flash cameras have shipped out so that’s what we’ve had the chance to test.

If you’ve seen any of the new print or TV ads for this product you’ll notice that the main feature Cuddeback is trying to push is the ease of use. A lot of cameras we’ve tested have settings that are buried several levels deep into the menus and can be somewhat cumbersome to figure out at first. Let’s face it, none of us want to sit around and read a 20 page manual and spend an hour trying to figure out how to use our trail cameras. We want to open them up, put batteries in them, strap them on a tree, and be on our way. With the Cuddeback Capture, you can do just that.

Both Capture units feature a new rotating dial system for controlling the camera settings and arming the camera in the field. There are only two push buttons, which are only used for your initial time/date/year setup. Once you take care of those, which takes less than a minute, you don’t have to use them again. Once your camera is set up and in position you simply rotate the dial to the time delay you want (30 seconds, 1 minute, 5 minutes, 15 minutes, or 30 minutes), close the cover and walk away. It truly is a very user-friendly interface.

Like the older Cuddeback cameras the new Capture also uses 4 D-Cell batteries for power. Although unlike my C2000 Excite the battery system is much easier to use. The batteries actually slide into the case underneath the main cover and aren’t held in by that cheesy metal plate that I always had problems with in the past.
Also new with the Capture units is the switch from Compact Flash (CF) cards over to the more industry-standard SD cards found in most other manufacturer’s units. This is great for those of us who have a bunch of cameras and have been managing different types of cards. Not to mention SD cards are more readily available and cheaper than CF cards. A big thumbs up to Cuddeback for finally making the switch.

My one complaint on this camera is the fact that they did away with the screw-in fastening system found on my older units. I really liked this method as it added one small measure of security for my cameras. I could screw them in, fasten the face plate, then put a small padlock on it that made it more difficult for thieves to run off with. The new Capture units no longer have this option and instead come with a more traditional strap system. It works fine for what it is, but now there is no easy option for locking the Capture unit to the tree. Even if you put a padlock on the door that only prevents someone from opening it, not from removing the strap from the tree and taking the whole unit. Definitely a step backwards in my opinion.

My new Cuddeback Capture went out to the field last night and I plan on checking it next Saturday to see how the trigger speed, flash range, and image quality is. I tested it inside my house a few times before putting it out and the trigger speed looks like it’s on par with my older Cuddeback units, and image quality definitely appears to be higher than my C2000 Excite. As soon as I have an update, you’ll be the first to know!

If you'd like to purchase a new Cuddeback Capture digital trail camera we have them in stock and ready to ship right here at TrailCam.com! Retail cost is $199.99 and you can purcahse your new Cuddeback Capture by clicking here.

Cuddeback Excite 2.0 Megapixel Digital Trail Camera

Justin_Zarr — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 13:52:00 GMT

Two summers ago I was in the market for a new trail camera, my first digital model to be exact. Up until that point I only had experience with my 35 mm CamTrakker units which worked great but I was eager to get into the digital world and stop paying those film development costs. So I did a little bit of research to see what was available in my price range with the features I was lookign for and settled on the Cuddeback Excite 2.0 megapixel digital trail camera. The unit was fairly compact in size with a reported excellent trigger speed, battery life, and traditional flash for night photos.

With a retail prce of around $300 (which has since falling to under $250) it was one of the more affordable digital trail cameras on the market, and I had heard a lot of good things about Cuddeback units in general so I placed my order. Several days later a nice new trail camera showed up at my office. I was eager to use the camera so of course the first thing I did was take it out of the package and start figuring out how to use it.

My first complaint was that the camera didn't come with a flash card or have any internal memory, which meant I had to go buy a flash card somewhere. While this is fairly common for most trail cameras, it still frustrutes me none the less. Would it really be THAT hard to bundle the cameras with a flash card? I'm sure most consumers would be willing to pay a few extra bucks to avoid that trip to the electronics store when they'd rather be in the field using their new trial camera. In any case, off I went to my local Best Buy to pick up a compact Flash card, which set me back another $40 or so. I also picked up 4 "D" cell batteries while I was out, and I was finally ready to go.

When inserting the batteries into the camera I then became frustrated by the metal plate that holds the batteries in place. I couldn't seem to get it to stay put properly and the batteries kept falling out every time I turned the camera on it's end. However, after a few minutes of tinkering with it I finally figured out the trick and got everything in place. A word of advice - make sure the little plastic lever behind the battery cover is pulled out and to the side when inserting the batteries, then push it back in place once you've inserted the cover. It took me a few tries to figure out how to work the battery cover properly, but once I figured it out I haven't had a problem since.

My next step was turning the trail camera on and figuring out how to take photos. After a minute or two of running through the instructions I managed to set the date, time, and camera settings without too much effort. The menus are fairly simple to understand and easy enough to set properly, which I really liked. The buttons that control the camera are big enough that they're easily depressed, and there's not so many of them that you can't figure out what they all do. The on/off switch is also good size and right in your face, which is a plus. Like many other cameras I've played with in the past with my Cuddeback Excite you have to remember to set it to "live" mode once you turn it on or you won't capture any photos. Just because it's on doesn't mean it's actually taking photos, remember that! A few pushes of a button once you turn the switch on and you're ready to go. Additionally, there is an easy to adjust hi/low sensitivity setting which allows you to adjust how sensitive your camera is to motion in case you have the camera in a high-traffic area and don't want to capture every photo of every raccoon, squirrel, or bird that comes by.

Once I was ready to hit the woods with my new Cuddeback Excite I had to figure out how to attach it to the tree where I wanted it set up. I couldn't figure out the eyelet that comes attached to the back of the camera, I'm assuming you're supposed to use some sort of strap through the eyelet but that seemed like too much of a pain for me, so I opted to go with the torx-head screw that is included. This is a nice little feature that allows you to screw the camera directly into the tree for a nice solid attachment, then the cover goes over the screw head and can be locked for an additional measure of security. Just make sure you've got a torx-head wrench with you when you want to move your camera. I forgot mine in the truck once after a long walk and I was none too happy when I had to turn around and go back to get it!

A week or so after I set my camera out I came back to check on things and was amazed to find out that even though the camera showed a bunch of activity, there were no photos on the compact flash card. Dejected and pissed off I took the camera home to do some testing. I tried several CF cards and numerous setting changes with the same results - the camera would activate and say it was taking a photo, it would even flash in low light, but there were no photos on the card. Eventually I gave up and the camera sat on my desk for a few months without moving. By the time I got around to figuring out what was wrong the season was over and my camera hadn't taken a single photo of a deer.

After deciding I must have had a defective camera I went on the Cuddeback website in hopes of finding a number to call for some help. What I found instead was an FAQ area that walked me through some simple troubleshooting before deciding that my camera was indeed defective and needed to be sent back. An online RMA process gave me all the info I needed so I packed my camera up and shipped it back to Cuddeback. I was very impressed with their online system for returns and repairs.

About two weeks later my repaired camera showed up at the office and it was time to start over. Kudos to Cuddeback customer service, this was a very painless process and I had my camera back in my hands with a new set of instructions and a repair sheet to tell me what had be done. (If I recall correctly I believe they replaced the actual circuitboard inside the camera). So I threw some batteries in, put my CF card in, configured all my settings and put it up on my desk. After a few test shots I tested the camera and bingo! I had plenty of good photos on the card this time. At last, I was ready to put it out in the woods for a real test.

That weekend I took a trip down to Pike County, IL with Craig Neace from BowhuntingWhitetails.com. I decided to see how the Excite would do on the farm we would be hunting later that fall. Craig and I located a suitable spot for the camera, screwed it on the tree, turned it on, and off we went. I knew I wasn't going to be back down to this spot for at least 4-6 weeks so I hoped the batteries would hold up and I would have some good photos to show for it.

Early September arrived and it was time to go hang treestands in preparation for the October 1 opener, and check my Cuddeback Excite while I was at it. Much to my surprise the camera still had plenty of battery life in it after 6 weeks in the field, and it had taken nearly 100 photos without a hiccup. Now it was time to see what type of photos we had.

Overall my impression of the photos taken by my Excite is so-so. This is a middle-of-the-road camera so I didn't expect the best photos in the world, which is what I got. The 2.0 megapixel images are plenty large to view fullsize and see pretty good detail, but a lot of the photos are blurry, especially if the deer is moving at anything more than a slow walk. I'm no expert but it seems that the problem is caused by a shutter speed that is a bit too long during daylight hours, trying to gather additional light without using the flash. It can be frustrating at times as about one third of my photos are pretty blurry. (click the photo on the right to see it full sized for an example) However, the rest of them are pretty crisp so I can't complain too much. (click the photo below to view larger version) Trigger speed appears to be great as I didn't have very many butt shots, and sensitivity appears to be pretty good as well as I didn't have many empty shots either. All in all, I was very happy with the results of my first real test in the field.

I set the camera back up with some fresh batteries and didn't check it again until the 20th of October and the same as last time I had a lot of photos, some good, some blurry, and plenty of battery life remaining. Once again the Cuddeback Excite did it's job and I was happy.

My next test and last of the year came during the late season here in Illinois when I set the camera up near a hay field that the deer were hitting hard on a nightly basis. Unfortunately something must have been blowing in front of the camera because it took one photo every minute for 800 minutes in a row until it ran out of battery life. A week later when I came back I was disappointed to find 800 images of the forest, and only a few chance shots of a few does that wandered in front of the camera near dark. Since the hunting season was over and it was brutally cold and snowy outside I took the camera home and did some more testing, which showed it was working alright, before putting it up for the year. Next time it goes out in the field (in about a month) I'm going to try the sensitivity setting on low to see how it performs.

With this summer comes a new test of the camera entering it's 3rd season. I'm hoping to take advantage of the extended battery life during the warm summer months so I don't have to check the camera very often, thus minimizing my scent in the areas I'll be hunting come fall. I hope to put the camera out sometime in July at our new hunting spot in Brown County, IL and leave it up for a month or so before returning to check on things in August. Overall I have been pleased with the performance of this trail camera. With prices dropping to the $230 range (you can buy one here) this is an excellent option for people who want a digital trail camera with good trigger speed and decent photo quality. It may not by an infrared camera, but the standard flash does a good job at night with the pictures turning out pretty good. Nighttime photos are a little grainy at times, but they are good enough to get the job done.

Overall I'd give the Cuddeback Excite 2.0 megapixel Digital Trail Camera a 3 out of 5 rating.

For more photo examples from my Cuddeback Excite click here.

To purchase a Cuddeback Excite 2.0 Megapixel Trail Camera click here.

Moultrie Game Spy 4.1 MP Digital Trail Camera

Trailcam — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 15:40:00 GMT

The Moultrie Game Spy 4.1 MP trail camera is packed full of features at an affordable price.

It's just as exciting as finding a big shed antler or laying eyes on a big buck feeding in a field before opening day. What's just as exciting, you ask? Checking your game camera. There is a feeling like a child waiting for Christmas when you're looking through your photos waiting to see if the next photo could be the buck of your dreams. Now with the modern digital age you can see your photos at the base of your tree, or e-mail the photos to your hunting buddies. You're just as proud of that photo as if you harvested that animal.

I feel that the invention of game cameras is one of the best products invented to help land owners manage deer herds on their property. It also helps hunters better understand deer behavior at all times of the year and what caliber of bucks you have on your property. I have learned more than I ever thought by the use of a game camera. I've placed cameras on food plots, rub lines, scrape lines, and game trails. Not only can you tell what kind of animal you have coming through your property but you can tell what time deer are traveling through at. On some models you can tell the temperature and moon phase it was when the picture was taken.

I have used several different company's game cameras and different models. I have also used thirty five millimeter and digital. In this review I am going to be talking about the Moultrie Game Spy Cameras, both the 3.1 and the 4.1 megapixel and both of them are traditional flash models.

The Moultrie 3.1 and the 4.1 I have are both powered by the 6 volt rechargeable batteries. I start placing my cameras in the woods around mid June. At this time the battery will usually last until mid to late September before they need to be recharged. I feel that during the summer months and throughout the hunting season, the battery life on the Moultrie cameras using the 6 volt battery is something to brag about. The great thing about this is that I have to clear my memory cards and move the cameras more times than I have to recharge the batteries. Moultrie also has adaptable 6 volt solar panels that can attach to the camera using a set of alligator clips to extend the battery life of rechargeable batteries.

Now when the temperature up here in central Wisconsin drops, I notice I get much less battery life. Both models work great when the daytime temperature is in the mid thirties to the high twenties. The battery life will last for about a month even in these colder temperatures. However, once the temperature gets colder than this during the day, the whole camera seems to slow down. That includes the trigger speed from when the deer passes within the sensor to the time the picture is actually taken. The new models that Moultrie has come out with recently have switched from the 6 volt battery power to using six D-cell batteries. I could not tell you if this is a better switch for Moultrie simply because I have not tried them yet.

The easy-to-use inner workings of my Moultrie Game Spy trail camera.

The trigger speed on both the 3.1 and the 4.1 is very good. Very seldom do I have pictures without deer in them. I have used other companies game cameras that the trigger speed is so slow and poor that you would have to place the camera facing down the game trail in order to get a deer in the picture. The Moultrie Game Spy 3.1 and 4.1 are both good at taking a photo when the deer walks in front of the camera. Now the trigger speed is not perfect. To be perfect, the camera would have to take the picture the exact time the deer trips the sensor. Moultrie's trigger speed will work great for most applications, however, I will tell you that if a deer is running by the camera or on a fast walk you may get a picture showing a part of the deer, usually the rump (the end we see too much of in a season). As I mentioned earlier the trigger speed will also slow down when the day time temperature drops below freezing. This is something to keep in mind when positioning your camera for optimal performance.

When choosing a game camera you need to look at what you plan on doing with it and where you plan on placing it. I hunt a lot of public land and some private land. The price range on game cameras can vary from fifty dollars to eight hundred dollars. With that being said, I'm not going to be putting a four hundred dollar game camera on public land only to have it stolen. That is one reason I like the Moultrie Game Cameras. They are reasonably priced and work great for their cost. Now I'm not saying I want my game cameras stolen but if one does get stolen, I would rather it be a hundred dollar camera versus a four hundred dollar camera.

One thing I would like to see Moultrie improving on their game cameras are the security functions. All they have is a small round slot to place a padlock to prevent a thief from opening the camera. For a thief to get past this feature all they would have to do is break off the plastic padlock tab with a hammer and the camera could still be removed from the tree and still work just fine without the locking tab. This winter I will be welding up lock boxes for my cameras to deter thievery in the woods until Moultrie comes out with a better way to secure the camera.

These elastic straps work to secure my Game Spy to the tree, but they certainly could be improved upon.

Since we are on the topics of securing the camera, the other thing I would like to mention is that the Game Spy's are held to a tree by two small elastic cords. I wish they would improve this method because the common problem I have is finding the perfect tree to attach my cameras to. Often I find myself tying knots in the elastic cord to shorten it up to fit a smaller tree or wrapping the cords around the tree several times to tighten up the slack to hold the camera in place. To improve this Moultrie should use a nylon strap that is adjustable and synchs to adjust for the tree's diameter. If they can't come up with a better mounting system, I may just look into getting an AT-5 from Pine Ridge Archery to solve this pesky issue.

For those of you that don't have the electronic skill and know how (myself included), the Moultrie Game Spy is very easy to use and set up. With easy to follow directions and ease of use, you will have your camera up and running in no time. On the face of the camera there is a display that tells you how many photos taken, how many more photos you can take and how much battery power you have left. A great feature on Moultrie cameras is they have laser aiming. What this means is that with a flip of a switch, a laser will shoot out from the camera and a red dot will show you what height and what angle you need to move your camera to get that photo of a lifetime. I like to hang my camera and step back to the deer trail or scrape that I have my camera facing and use my body as a canvas to see what height I have the camera set for. I like to have the laser aiming just above my knee, approximately three to four feet off the ground, when I'm standing on the deer trail looking back at the camera. At this height I seem to get the best pictures with the deer centered in the photo. Other game cameras that don't have this feature may be set too high or too low by the user.

The photo quality of the Moultrie Game Spy depends on several factors which all work together. With digital cameras the more megapixels the larger your photo will be, which is nice when increasing the photo size to see the finer details of a buck's rack. Both the 3.1 and the 4.1 megapixel versions take great photos and I don't notice that much difference in quality between the two. When deciding on how many megapixels to get you first have to ask yourself what you plan on doing with the picture once you get home. If you plan on printing your pictures and cropping or zooming in on that big buck, you may want to go to a higher megapixel like the 4.1 versus the 3.1. If you just plan on printing the photo as it is the 3.1 will work just fine. The only negative I have about Moultrie's picture quality is that at night time the flash will give the deer a "deer in the headlights" look (I know it sounds cheesy but its true). The deer's eyes have a large glow to them giving your dream buck a buggy eyed look.

The powerful flash of the Moultrie Game Spy has a tendency to give that "deer in the headlights" look.

Now if you are as impatient as I am, you just can't wait to see what you have for photos (I can't wait long enough to make it back to the truck). What I like about the Game Spy is that it can take the SD card for memory. The amount of memory or the number of photos you can take depends on how large of a SD card you use in your camera. What I like about the SD card is that I use my photo digital camera (the one used to take photos of your dead dream buck) to read the SD card taken from my Moultrie and this allows me to view the photos right at the base of the tree. I can delete the ones I don't like and keep the ones I do. When I'm done I just put the SD card back into the Moultrie, activate the game camera and you're good to take more pictures. If you don't have a digital camera to view your SD card, you can also buy a card viewer to look at your pictures out in the field. Some of the new Moultrie cameras come with a small LCD monitor to view your photos right on the game camera itself.

The Moultrie Game Spy cameras that I have can take both photos day and night and video during the day and photos at night. The problem I have with the video is that the video quality is very poor and very grainy. So much so that I don't even use the video feature. Now I will say that the 4.1 takes better video than the 3.1, however, the video is still poor and I would rather just take a good clear photo that I can actually count the points on.

Overall, I am very happy with my Moultrie game cameras and I wouldn't hesitate to buy more of them. They take good photos, good trigger speed, and very easy to use. With the price being very reasonable for the quality of the camera, an average hard working man or woman on a tight budget can afford one or more cameras. Now, I know in this article I mentioned things I don't like or things that could be improved on them. I'm just mentioning things that you too will notice about the camera to better help you make the call on what camera you want to get and what feature you may be looking for. Don't let the little things like the elastic straps to attach the camera to the tree or the locking system on the camera deter you on your decision making. These are things that with a little ingenuity and time you can come up with a way to secure the camera or make your own lock boxes. Overall, I feel that this is a great camera and worth your time to take a look at. I have taken more photos of "shooter bucks" with Moultrie cameras than with any other game cameras that I have used. On a scale of 1 to 10 I would rank The Moultrie Game Spy 3.1 a seven and the 4.1 an eight.

Moultrie Game Spy I-40 Infrared Digital Trail Camera

Trailcam — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 03:23:00 GMT

I wanted a camera that didn’t produce a visible flash. I have read many of the debates online about whether the visible flash spooks deer and I have talked to many friends who use flash cameras. Many of them feel the visible flash does spook deer. I reasoned that if the IR mode helped me photograph even one more buck on my farm that otherwise might have melted into the woodwork at the sight of the distant flash, it was worth the price.

I selected the Moultrie Game Spy I-40 Infrared unit primarily because it is affordable (around $230 - $240) and has a nice four mega-pixel camera. It takes regular photos during the day and IR flash photos at night. Moultrie advertised some other neat features that I wanted, such as long battery life, quick trigger time and a laser aim that makes aligning the camera a snap.

I ran six I-40s on my land for three months last fall and got many images of great bucks. This review will detail what I learned.

SPECIFICATIONS

The camera has many very useful features. First, as mentioned, it has an infrared flash. The camera still has to produce a flash, but the flash is infrared, not visible white light.

It has an infrared sensor that detects changes in temperature in order to trigger the shot. It is not supposed to trigger on branch or grass movement. I got a lot of images of grass, but it is possible that the way I had the cameras set up there was a temperature gradient between sun and shadow and that was causing the extraneous shots. Either way, it was a bit annoying but not a major issue.

Moultrie advertises a 150-day battery life on these cameras and I can’t dispute that number. I had them out for 90 days and all of the cameras still show roughly 75% battery charge.

The I-40 has a 50-foot flash rating. Again, I would have to say their number is conservative. I have shots of deer that are at least 50 feet away. The camera didn’t seem to trigger on these long range deer, but they certainly appeared in the shot when the camera triggered on closer deer. I am not sure from looking at my photos what the maximum sensor distance is for the camera to trigger, but I don’t see any that were much beyond about 15 to 20 feet.

The camera accepts SD cards and as inexpensive as these have become, the SD is definitely the route to go.

The I-40 has a cool feature in which it prints the date, temperature, time and moon phase on the images. This offers a great way to monitor activity versus these factors. I felt like the temperature reading was at least somewhat accurate. The rest, or course, were simply a function of your initial settings.

It has a video mode that I did not test.
The software is upgradeable and that fact proved to be beneficial later.
The camera is weather-resistant and airtight. I had no problems in this regard.
Operates on 6 D-cell batteries

NOTICEABLE GAME SPOOKING

I could tell from some of the photos I got that the sound of the shutter opening and closing was enough to alarm some of the deer. I got tons of photos of deer staring at the camera, so they must have heard something.

In a few cases, they looked noticeably tense, back on their heals, while in others they merely seem curious. Typically, the tense ones appeared to be older deer and even then, it was only a few. Overall, I would say that deer were not excessively alarmed by the camera. Most got used to the sound of the shutter quickly enough. In fact, I generally got multiple pictures of each buck on the corn pile even though I had the camera set for a one-minute delay. They may have been startled enough to look up, but most weren’t startled enough to leave.

THE QUALITY OF THE IMAGES

The daylight images look great, as you will see from some of the samples. In the Low Quality mode, you don’t degrade the image; you simply reduce its resolution. They still appear clear but you can’t enlarge them to look more closely at a sticker point, for example. That is why, if you are going to check the camera often, you should use the Enhanced or High Quality modes. On the upside, I was able to get huge numbers of these low-resolution images on a single 1 GB SD card, a tremendous advantage given the fact that I only checked the cameras every two weeks.

WHAT I LIKED

I liked the long battery life, and overall, I liked the quality of the photos. I am not a huge fan of the way the infrared flash images look because they appear washed out in many cases. Basically, they are black and white photos. Standard flash photos look much better but then you have the flash. If you like to blow up the photos from your trail camera and put them in a scrapbook or on your wall, you definitely don’t want infrared (unless you like black and white photos).

However, the overall clarity and sharpness of these images is definitely impressive enough to justify printing them out on paper. The daylight shots are gorgeous. Moultrie makes a conventional flash version of this camera, as well, for those who prefer the look of that format. Moultrie also makes a six mega-pixel version that would likely produce fantastic enlargements, suitable for poster size around the hunting camp.

I was set up to photograph over corn piles in order to better control the position of the deer so I never severely tested the camera’s quick trigger time, but I did test the battery life. During those three months, I never replaced a single battery. In fact, pulling all the units out of the box I keep them in, they are still showing roughly 75% battery charge. That is very impressive given how many photos of crows, deer, raccoons, cattle, ATV riders and turkeys I took. In fact, more than once I arrived to harvest my SD cards and had nearly 1,500 images on each.

WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE

The infrared I-40 took fine, useable pictures once it decided which mode to be in. Unfortunately, it had a hard time deciding that important status. At daybreak and dusk, presumably when the camera had to decide how to react to the light conditions, it produced unusable images. Very disappointing.

The I-40 has a standard photo mode for daylight images and an infrared flash for nighttime images. When it tries to take infrared flash photos during low light daytime conditions the images are completely blown out. They are pure white. Entirely overexposed. It leaves you wondering what deer came in at these prime times and left before the I-40 got a readable photo of the animal.

I called Moultrie to report the problem and to test their customer service. It was a Monday morning and they reported that they receive high call volumes on Mondays. The recording advised me to call back mid-week. I didn’t need the information in two days, I needed it at that time. I guess I would simply shuffle someone else into that position as needed to keep the wait time low. So I waited. I spent one about 7 minutes on hold before I got the technician, not at all out of line given I have spent 40 minutes before trying to get the right technician at AT&T. No wonder I changed my long distance service. Anyway, back to the I-40.

After explaining the problem, the very polite technician directed me to their website where I found and downloaded the necessary firmware updates. She assured me that the software update would fix that problem 99% of the time. The process was simple. I went to the page displaying the I-40, clicked on the software update link and then followed the directions.

After erasing the SD card in the camera, I connected a USB cord between the camera and my computer so I could copy the files (you must upgrade two files) to the camera’s SD card. It is a simple drag and drop process. After placing the files on the card, I then went through the menu and updated the software as detailed on the website. It is a painless and well-explained process.

Of course, the big question is whether this fixed the problem. I have not had the opportunity to get the cameras back in action but from the assurances of the technician it sounds like they are well aware of this problem and have addressed it with the software upgrade.

CONCLUSIONS

For the price, I think this is a great camera. I don’t need to see beautiful photos so I am fine with the infrared mode, I just want to know what is living on my farm and where, so I know where to concentrate my efforts and this camera will give me everything I need along those lines. It has a huge battery life, plenty of juice to last me an entire season, so I see no reason (assuming the over-exposure problem is solved) not to buy this camera. I give it a big thumbs up.

Pine Ridge Archery AT-5 Trail Camera Support

Justin_Zarr — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 01:59:00 GMT

One of the biggest chores when it comes to properly and effectively using your trail cameras is mounting them not only in the proper location, but in the proper direction to capture the most and best photos possible. After all, having your trail camera in a hot doe bedding area during the first two weeks of November won't do you any good if it's not pointing towards an actively used trail. With that need to locate and position your camera in a great spot comes the dilemma that we've all faced - finding a suitable tree to put it on. It never fails, you find the hottest scrape for the best trail in the woods and there isn't a straight tree bigger than your thumb for miles. With the advent of the Pine Ridge Archery AT-5 trail camera support that problem is over.

The AT-5 is a rather unique mounting system in that it has been designed to work both on trees as well as metal "T" shaped fence posts that can be found at most local farming and building supply stores, and also scattered about woodlots and fencerows all over the world. This feature allows you to use the AT-5 in any location under a variety of conditions unlike other mounting systems which either require a tree to be screwed into, or a particular post to be mounted on. Others require expensive tripods to be purchased which can potentially be knocked or blown over.

Included with the AT-5 are two nylon straps with adjustable buckles. One for securing your trail camera to the unit itself, and the other for use when attaching the AT-5 to a tree or round fencepost. The detachable base makes it extremely easy to strap onto a tree as you don't have the added weight of the camera to hold up while attempting to get the strap in place and secure. This is especially helpful when using the device on larger trees when you often need both hands to reach all the way around the trunk. I don't know how many times I've dropped my StealthCam while attempting to do this with the ridiculously long strap that is included with their units. Once you have the base attached to the tree you simply slide the other half of the unit into the mounting holes and you're ready to go. No more bringing your cordless drill into the woods to screw your Cuddeback camera into the tree, and no more fumbling around with bungee cords that are barely able to hold the weight of your trail camera to the tree.

When using the AT-5 on a fencepost you simply attach the back half of the mounting bracket to the base with the 4 included bolts and wing nuts, slide it down the post to the desired height, tighten the screws, attach the rest of the unit, and once again you're up and running in no time. This particular feature is great for use in areas that don't have many, or any, suitable trees nearby. This includes marshes, small brushy areas, CRP fields, any agricultural field, and especially food plots. Considering that each metal fence post only costs a couple dollars and are relatively easy to install this is a great option for people who like to set up cameras in these great areas that traditionally aren't conducive to having good mounting spots nearby. With the popularity of food plots for attracting wildlife this is product is much overdue in today's marketplace.

The last great feature of the AT-5 is it's adjustability. A virtually unlimted vertical range is secured by a locking hinge and allows you to compensate for those trees or posts that may be leaning a little too far in one direction for a traditional mount. This great vertical adjustability also allows you the freedom to mount your trail camera much higher than usual with a downward angle to capture images from above, cutting down on the chance your expensive camera could be spotted by either game or potentail thieves. It also eliminates having to jam sticks, rocks, twigs, and other assorted items behind your camera to get it at just the right angle. The side-to-side adjustability is decent, but not great. Three locked adjustments are secure, but do prevent those fine adjustments to get things just right. Although in the big scheme of things, this minor con is far outweighed by the numerous pros.

The AT-5 works with most trail camera brands including the popular Cuddeback, StealthCam, Bushnell, and Moultrie models. Seen here is the AT-5 with my Cuddeback Excite mounted on it. The included mounting strap is easy to secure and can be adjusted vertically using the provided slots on the back of the mounting plate.

In my opinion the AT-5 from Pine Ridge Archery is a great investment for anyone who is even slightly interested in capturing the best images possible with their game cameras. It helps eliminate the struggle of finding a place to mount your camera when you've found that perfect spot, and it greatly increases the flexibility of where you can use your trail cameras. This truly is one trail camera accessory that can be used in any terrain and at any time. Used in conjunction with the EZ Scent Strip available from Hunting Science (it can help get those big bucks to stop in front of your cam for a great shot) and your favorite scouting camera this is one great combination.

This product retails for $24.99 and can be purchased by clicking this link.

Predator Evolution Digital Trail Camera

Trailcam — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 19:35:00 GMT

With the advent of digital cameras and their increase in popularity it wasn’t long before the first digital trail cameras hit the market. Over the past several few years we’ve seen and used a lot of trail cameras that weren’t worth the packaging they were shipped in. At one time it basically got to the point where we had so many problems and issues with trail cameras that we nearly stopped using them altogether. We’ve had constant battery issues, confusing set-ups, and countless wasted trips into the field to retrieve cameras that hadn’t even been working. Anyone who has been through this painstaking process can surely relate.

When we first heard about the Predator Evolution camera the touch screen user interface was what caught our eye. While we work in front of computers and use technology on a daily if not hourly basis when it comes to trail cameras and anything we bring into the field; simplicity is king. We don’t want to read a complicated instruction manual in order to use a trail camera. In the past, some of us had actually written cheat sheets to use in the field when trying to set up certain cameras. This isn't exactly fun.

We’ve now been using our Predator Evolution cameras for the past few months and will give you the straight forward product review that you deserve. After all, that is what Trailcam.com is all about. Providing straight forward, unbiased opinions of trail cameras and trail camera accesssories to help you, the consumer, make better purchasing decisions.

Overall Design and Impressions

The guts of the Evolution are housed inside of a compact and waterproof polycarbonate case. This is the same material they use to make bullet-proof glass! The case is very similar to many of the high quality camera cases that are used by professional photographers to protect their camera equipment. The Evolution's case is unbreakable and won’t crack like many of the other trail cameras that use a cheaper ABS plastic housing. When you are paying good money for a trail camera the last thing you want is for the case to break or crack, allowing moisture into the unit which can destroy the electronics. Speaking of which, all electronics in the Evolution are tightly packed behind the LCD screen with only a single visible “On-Off” switch visible when the case is open. The entire unit is very small in size, which we love. Big, bulky, heavy cameras are not only a bigger pain to carry around the woods but also present a larger target for deer, and theives, to spot.

The Evolution has one of the most impressive fit and finishes of any camera we’ve seen or used. From the touch screen to the large secure latch this camera has been built right. Our only real complaint is the storage of the batteries. Predator uses a battery pack that holds 10 AA batteries. This is somewhat loose inside of the provided holding area and could be improved, but it works fine as-is.

The user interface of the Predator Evolution is extremely easy to use and well designed. The only problems we encountered were during cold conditions when the screen became slow and at times almost unresponsive.

Setup & Ease of Use

When we first received our Predator Evolution trail camera we opened the owner's manual, and found very little information about how to use the camera. We loaded it with batteries, turned the unit on (with the very simple “on-off” switch), and quickly realized why. It has quite simply some of the easiest and most straight forward controls we’ve ever seen. The first time we had ever seen, used, or turned the camera on we had it completely set up in a matter of 2 minutes. It was beyond simple and actually enjoyable to set up, unlike many of the cameras we've tested over the years.

The huge 3 1/2 inch touch screen does what it was designed to do. It puts all of the information in a very organized list. You can very simply access all the functions and settings by scrolling through the options with the arrows located at the bottom of the screen, and by using “Enter”. Every function and/or setting is very simple to understand and clearly spelled out for the user. Even someone who has never set up a trail camera in their life should be able to figure this camera out in a matter of minutes.

When looking at the ease of use of a camera the most important thing we want to know when we're walking away is that it is working properly and we won’t return to find an empty card. There's not many things in the November woods that can send us off into a furious tyraid than checking a trail camera that we've had over a hot scrape for the past 7 days only to find out it hasn't been working. And believe me, we've had this happen more times than we'd care to admit (and I'm sure we're not the only ones). The Predator Evolution does what it’s supposed to, with very little possibility of not turning it on or not setting it up correctly. When you flip the switch to the "On" position there is no further action needed to make sure this camera is going to take photos. Simply close the case and walk away.

Functionality

The Evolution allows the user to choose between video clips or still photos. The video is a great feature for those who are looking to get the best possible look at an animal from multiple angles. However, beware that this camera is extremely sensitive so you may end up with video clips of birds, squirrels, raccoons, and other small animals as well. Also, if you are going to use this camera in video mode your best success will come in areas where your quarry is in a stationary position for a few moments. Places like food plots, mineral sites, scrapes, and wallows work the best.

Images and video are stored on either a Compact Flash card or mini-USB drive. Both formats work well and for those of you who may have a stash of Compact Flash cards already this shouldn't be a problem. However, we would like to see added functionality for accepting more widely-used memory sticks such as SD in the future. Compact Flash cards seem to be getting harder and harded to come by, and certainly aren't coming down in price. The cheapest card we could find at a local retail store was $45 for a 2.0 GB card, compared to $25 for a 2.0 GB SD card.

The Evolution is an infrared nighttime illuminating camera. This means there is no white flash for your night time photos or video clips which could potentially scare game. We’re not going into any further detail regarding the infrared other than it works great. Distance is good, anything within pretty much 15-20 feet is illuminated very well. Beyond that, like any other camera, it has its limitations.

Picture Quality

The picture quality and video quality of the Predator is probably middle of the road. We’ve seen higher quality photos from different systems, but this isn’t something we always consider a top priority. Generally speaking, we're not blowing our images up and making posters out of them. We are using them to gather information on what types of animals are on a particular piece of ground. The images and video we’ve gotten through our Predator cameras are good, but could certainly be improved on. Infrared images are occassionally washed out and excessively grainy. It would be nice to see this improved in future product releases.

Still photos from the Evolution are 2.0 megapixel color images during the day, and 1.3 megapixel black and white images at night.

Trigger Speed

The trigger speed of the unit is excellent. It’s as fast or faster than any other trail camera we’ve used. Predator advertises a trigger speed .15 of a second and although we have not gotten our stopwatches out and tested this, it certainly seems fast to us. It also has an adjustable sensitivity level from 1 to 9 depending on the size of the game you're after, and the conditions that you're using the camera in. This is a nice feature to have because we have set up cameras in certain areas where a blowing leaf or corn stalk has used up both our memory card and batteries before it could take any real pictures.

Battery Life

Although battery life could certainly be improved upon, the interchangeable battery pack is handy for quick changes in the field. Here you can also see the rubber o-ring on the inside of the case that creates the water tight seal when closed.

Battery life of the unit is OK, but could certainly be improved. Like most of the trail cameras on the market when the cold hits the life of the batteries go downhill fast. In warm weather we have had units last for up to a month. In cold weather the length of operation drops dramatically, sometimes lasting only a few days. The Predator is not nearly as bad as some units we've tested and with the use of rechargeable batteries it’s manageable, however this is one area we would like to see improved in the future. AA batteries are not exactly cheap so if you have multiple units and it gets cold things can get expensive in a hurry. Especially when you're chewing through 10 AA batteries at a time.

Mounting and Security

The Evolution uses a separate mounting bracket that is secured to the tree first and then the camera is placed on the bracket. This is a great little feature that not many other companies have thought of. A heavy duty mounting pin is then put through the rear of the camera unit to mount it onto the bracket. Predator offers additional mounting brackets for additional functionality and versatility.

In order to secure your camera Predator offers a cable locking mechanism and also features a 4 digit security code which makes the camera effectively worthless should anyone steal it. Trail camera theft is an unfortunate reality in today's woods and it's nice to know the guys at Predator are doing their best to help prevent it.

Final Thoughts

Of all the cameras we’ve seen and used, we believe that the user-friendliness of the Predator Evolution makes it an excellent choice for anyone. It has some great features that go beyond many other similarly priced cameras out there and because of the great touch screen interface we believe it is a hard trail camera to beat.

Please keep in mind that the Predator Evolution has many features and benefits that we haven’t even gotten into. This review has been based on the features that are important to us. For additional detailed information regarding the complete functionality of the Predator camera, check out their website: http://www.predatortrailcams.com/