February 9,
2020
Cell cameras look to
be much more affordable in 2020. If you
are in the market, take your time and do
your research. Trailcampro
can definitely help answer your
questions.
October 29,
2017
My Browning
Strike Force HD Pro cameras take a
lot of photos. Somewhat amazed the
batteries are still at 100%. The Covert
Blackhawk Wireless is sending photos
like crazy this week. The camera is
pointed at a scrape in area not easy to
check on a regular basis.
October 21,
2017
Well. I may have found
my first glitch with the Stealth
DS4K...I think. The focus on my
still photos is off for some reason. I
want to change some settings before I
make a final decision but I'm pretty
sure the focus of the lens is off. The
day photos are the ones that bother me.
They are definitely out of focus. You
would think the video would be off too
but it is not. It is excellent quality.
Will make changes next card pull.
The new cameras seem
to last forever with AA
Lithium batteries. Expensive little
suckers but it's nice not change
batteries once a month.
October 14,
2017
TCP
is having a video contest. Send in your
videos. Switched my setting on the Stealth
DS4K over to pictures only. I might
have focus issue. I've had cameras in
the past that don't seem to focus
correctly. All a person can do is return
them.
October 1,
2017
I recently deployed a Stealth
DS4K camera. Camera seems to have
very good fit-n-feel. I believe it is
the only 4K camera on the trail camera
market.
My first card pull shows that
the quality of the 4K video is good.
Really good! If you like to capture
video, you need to try this camera.
The camera has a
Combo setting. It captures 4 still
frames during the video (beginning,
middle and end). Not just all in the
beginning or all at the end. This is
neat. I've only had the camera a short
time
but my first impressions are very
positive.
The camera just seems
to be very well made.
September 24,
2017
Time to get the final cameras
deployed. Well....most of the final
cameras. I usually keep a couple
"on the shelf" ready for
deployment to a special spot to be found
later. I keep in fairly good contact
with my friends at Trailcampro
as to which cameras are performing well,
which ones take the best night photos or
which ones are the best all around
cameras. Simply put, when I strap the
camera to a tree or post I want it to
work.
The next six weeks are
go time for an Iowa whitetail hunter. I
want my cameras to work. I have a boat
load of lithium
batteries ready to go, I checked all
my shelf cameras, got the time set
correctly and found my straps. Just need
to find the spots for deployment
and the spots that I can access
fairly easily.
September 17,
2017
Nothing really new
with the trail
cameras this week. I spent some time
yesterday dusting off some of the older
ones and getting them ready for
deployment. I always do a check on my
dates and times. I haven't found a trail
camera yet that can keep decent time.
One thing that is good, trail cameras
can run a long time on a set of lithium
batteries. It really depends on the
number of photos, but a very long time.
September 10,
2017
Added a couple of Strike
Force Pros to my camera inventory
this week. I wanted a couple of cameras
with the best night photos. This camera
or the Strike
Force HD 850 are the best in 2017
that I have seen whereas the Bushnell E2
in 2016 produced an elite night photo.
Give me elite all the time please!
Cameras all seemed to
work well this week. Bucks were sparring
in front of multiple cameras and the
cameras snapped a lot of photos. Great
for me and the photos but would prefer
there not be a bunch of busted racks on
October 1 already.
September 3,
2017
Somewhat of an
eventless week as it relates to trail
cameras. This is good! Moved the cell
cams to capture some new scenery and to
check two locations that have been left
alone until now. Both cameras were
sending photos early this morning at a
fast clip.
As I mentioned last
week I miss the fact that I can't
purchase more cameras like the E2.
Decided on two Strike
Force Pros this week. The color can
get get a little funky on occasion but I
like the night shutter adjustment and
the fast shutter seems to do as
advertised, reduce blur. The batteries
have lasted forever in my first one.
August 27,
2017
Deployed a few more
cameras this week. Forgot how much I
really like my 2016
Bushnell Essentials E2 cameras.
Elite night photos. No question. The E3
did not quite equal its older sibling.
Have been researching the next best
thing in 2017. I think I have it in the Browning
Strike Force 850 HD or Strike Force HD
Pro. I would say they have good
night photos. Not elite night photos.
My Covert
Verizon Cellular camera continues to
send me pictures. So far so good. Just
wish the quality of the night photos was
a smidge better.
It's amazing to me
what a slight adjustment in a camera
position can provide. My Browning
Dark Ops 940 HD is connected to a Slate
River mount which is attached to a
big oak tree. I had the camera pointed
to the northeast for a month or two.
Decided to point the camera to the
northwest to determine which side of the
tree most of the deer were travelling
on. No doubt northwest. Now the tree is
shedding acorns like crazy. My photos
went from a few hundred in a week to
over 4700 in a week. My guess is if most
of you look on your deer farms you will
find a special oak tree or two the deer
call the dinner table. The ground under
my oak is covered with acorns.
My 2016
Browning Recon Force Platinum is
giving me some fits. I have a brand of
SD cards it does not like. Two weeks in
a row the camera has taken pictures, the
SD appears to have pictures on it but
the cards are corrupted according to my
computer. Damn it! My computer will not
read them and it's only with that brand
of SD card from that camera. Friggin'
gremlins! Only cards I have that
consistently work are the SanDisk cards.
My opinion? Don't buy any other brand
unless you know they are made by
SanDisk. New cameras only seem to like
Class 10 or better. Wish there were
industry standards the camera
manufacturers had to meet. Would make
our trail camera efforts easier and a
lot more fun. I hate camera problems. I
have learned that most of my camera
problems are either batteries or SD
cards. I only buy Lithium batteries now
and only buy SanDisk cards. Still have
some minor issues but for the most part
I'm good to go. I also stopped using my
Canon point and shoot camera to review
photos in the field. I'm sure it was
corrupting cards. I bought a Stealth
reader. Solved a lot of my problems by
going to a card reader.
I ran back out
yesterday morning to check on the Recon
Force with the SanDisk card. It was
working like a trooper! Yes! I could
read the card with my Stealth
reader. I also checked my acorn tree
camera. Nine hundred more photos
overnight. The deer love that tree's
acorns!
August 20,
2017
Sometimes it doesn't
make sense to me when a camera
manufacturer stops producing or
changes a very good camera. I have two
of the Bushnell Essentials (E2s) from
2016. Highest picture quality camera
(day and night) that I own. I deployed
them this weekend. The 2017 E3s are
different. I should have purchased 10 of
the 2016 E2s. I love these cameras. Will
somebody please make the mate to the
E2s? My 2017 E3 just was not the
equivalent of the 2016 camera.
My favorite 2017
Browning camera is the Strike
Force 850. Best all around camera
for the way I like to use cameras. The
Browning cameras are quite comfortable
to use. However, the switch on a couple
of my cameras can be finicky. I think
the camera takes a while to write to the
card and those last few photos of me as
I walk up to the camera take a while to
write to the card. That is one thing the
WGI
cameras do quite well. They are very
responsive to the power button.
August 13,
2017
After a lot of trying with Verizon and Spartan to get
the Spartan GoCam connected the Spartan
got replaced. The assumption is a bad
modem. New one arrived and is up and
running. Works as intended so far.
Broke out the Bushnell
E2. Damn! That thing takes great
pictures day and night. I remembered why
I like that camera so much.
Deployed cameras in a
couple of new spots and swapped some
cameras out.
Trailcampro
picked their winners this week for the
photo contest. Awesome photos!
August 6,
2017
Deployed 3 more
cameras but quickly un-deployed (?) one.
My HCO
Spartan GoCam will not grab a
Verizon signal. I spent an hour on the
phone yesteday with Verizon to narrow
the problem down to a Verizon issue or
Spartan issue. I think it will require a
tech support call next week. Worked
perfectly while deployed this summer. I
pulled it (about 3 weeks ago) to replace
it with another camera and brought the
Spartan home. All I did was turn it off.
Turned it on Friday again. It would not
connect to the Verizon network. Shtuff
like that drives me crazy. No reason
whatsoever for it not to work.
Really like my Browning
Strike Force 850. Simple camera.
Takes nice photos. For the most part I
just want a dependable camera that takes
nice photos. The Strike Force HD Pro is
a nice little camera but I question the
long term dependability of the
adjustment bracket.
July 30, 2017
Still haven't captured
a picture of a gagger yet. Sent the
Defender 850 back. The Covert wireless
takes some awfully nice photos. I really
like the picture quality of the Browning
Strike Force 850 photos.
I have a two-year-old
Covert camera. It is a picture taking
machine. Have learned that due to it's
PIR sensitivity that instead of turning
the sensor to High during the hot
weather (as recommended by the
manufacturer) I turn it to Low, else I
get a lot of empty photos. Same with the
Bushnell and Primos cameras. Super
sensitive PIR but also can result in
lots of empty photos during hot weather.
Anyway back to my
older Covert.
First card pull in over a month. Damn
card was full and had over 8000 photos.
Full on July 14 by the way. Expected
nothing but sunshine pictures. Oh no! I
had over 6000 photos of this one little
2-year old buck that absolutely camped
in front of the darn camera from the
time it was deployed. Never been so
pissed at a deer. Not sure what he is
feeding on in front of that camera but
it must be his "Crack" because
he parked his 4-legs, with head down and
fed almost every darn night. No mineral
here. Just Mother Nature's dinner table.
As mentioned before,
the WGI
cameras seem to do a good job of sensing
and taking pictures....as they are
intended to do. That's why you buy them!
However, the text size on the menu is ridiculously
small. Extremely difficult to read in
the field. Make sure and take your
readers. As long there isn't high speed
movement the night photos are at or
above average. If you like burst photos
(like I do), not an option with the
cameras I have. One photo, every five
seconds, or every recovery period.
Battery life seems good. Surprisingly
satisfied with these cameras.
Almost forgot. Walked
up to my first camera yesterday morning.
Damn camera was hanging a foot off the
ground. What?!?! Slide it two feet back
up the trunk, tightened it down and then
scrolled through the photos. Last two
photos were of a raccoon's tail as it
walked away. Bastard! Darn raccoons
wreak havoc with cameras at times. They
seem to just maul the darn things. Come
November, be on alert Mr. Raccoon! I
will have a fur bearer's license.
Make sure you send
your photos to www.trailcampro.com
for the photo contest. Deadline is
August 4th! It's easy to submit. Read
the submittal rules. I bet all of you
have a cool photo you can share. Send it
in!
July 23, 2017
The Covert
Verizon Cellular cam is doing well.
Just need to find a good spot for it.
Moved it yesterday. Have one buck that
is moving around high noon on a regular
basis. Wide open movement. Weird.
Adjusted another setup and added a
camera back this week. Most everything
is setup for my east access. Staying on
the edges for now. The WGI
cameras just keep plugging along.
Wish they burst mode.
For some reason I
cannot get the wifi on the new Browning
Defender to work right. It's going
back. Bluetooth range is limited.
Yesterday could not get the wifi to kick
in. Could be my iPhone. Not sure but
either way it doesn't work well for me.
July 16, 2017
Cameras
were a little slow this week. I might
have captured a picture of a decent
buck. Not sure yet. Too far away and the
angle was not very good. The Covert
Verizon wireless is working well.
Pretty cool to get photos at home during
the week. Not sure how many of you have
tried to deal with a micro SD card in
the field. Those cards are just too
small. My fingers are not as nimble as
they used to be. Sticky wicket to not
lose one in grass up to your hips. Don't
like them.
Lots of fawn pictures. You can tell when
they are running around and having fun.
Lots of those pictures. I have a couple
of camera brands where it is common for
me to get a lot of empty photos this
time of year due to moving grass or
limbs. The PIR on the cameras are very
sensitive. The Owner's Manual gives
guidance to change the PIR sensitivity
to high when the weather is hot. I
always do the opposite. Turn it to
"LOW" otherwise I will end up
with a card full of moving grass. that
really chaps my hide.
Have seen some
pictures of bucks from others. Wow!
Going to be some big ones again this
year.
July 8, 2017
I need to do a better
job of updating this page. Have been
defaulting to the Blog page. I deployed
a new camera today, the Covert
Wireless Verizon cell camera. It
worked well on my cat-cam at home. No
Verizon contact is needed. Everything is
done through the Covert web page. It was
easy. Will see how it performs in the
field.
The WGI
cameras work well but the screen
text is ridiculously small and the they don't
have a burst mode. If no burst mode then
need to cut the interval down to 3
seconds.
My Browning
Defender takes great photos but the
blue tooth and wifi just will not work
at the distances indicated in the
Owner's Manual with my iPhone 7.
January 29,
2017
Browning came out with
their new 2017
cameras already. It was Christmas at
my house again this week as the new Dark
Ops 940 HD and Strike Force 850 HD
came in the mail. Looks like Moultrie
has also released some of their 2017
lineup.
October 8, 2016
The Bushnell
Essentials E2 is one heck of a
picture taker. I have been looking for a
high quality photo camera for a few
years now, especially with regards to
night photos. This camera is awesome!
Every card pull has some stunning
photos.
June 26, 2016
If you haven't been
there in a while, Trailcampro
has a dandy new website. It's been up
and running for a few months. I spend a
fair amount of time reviewing
information evenings and on the
weekends. Love learning about the new
stuff and even the not so new stuff. is
it just me or are videos becoming more
prevalent? Cameras are taking
outstanding videos but file sizes are
huge.
Three of my new
cameras for the year are the Browning
Command Ops, the Browning Strike Force
Elite and the Browning Recon Force
Platinum. Each one has a unique
up-side.
One camera that
appears to be quite special might be the
new Spypoint
Solar. Love the day photos and the
solar panel could be special if the
batteries truly do last more than a
year.
October 2,
2015
Trailcampro
is taking videos for their video
contest. Send in your videos.
September 18,
2015
My trail camera
deployments have been a true adventure
this year. I went over two months
without a buck picture and now they have
returned. I feel much better. I focus
quite a bit on the perfect setup. I try
to make sure the big flash cameras are
some distance away from the target
picture location and a lot of time
trying to get the right angle and height
of the camera.
My three new cameras
this year are the Bushnell
Aggressor (great camera so far), the
Primos
Proof 2 and the Browning
Dark Ops. Each camera has some
unique qualities and some things that
can be improved. The Bushnell and the
Primos have night shutter control. I
love this but both Bushnell and Primos
have a little bit of work to do to make
the control better. The Browning is a
great camera. The two things I would
like to see improved are SD card
compatibility and the quality of the
photos. Checking the properties of my
photos shows a 72 dpi photo. I would
like to see this at 96. A 4 mp
resolution should be more than adequate
for most uses but when you zoom in on
the photo the clarity is significantly
reduced. Anyway, a few opportunities for
improvements on some very good cameras.
If you haven't been
watching the Trailcams
and Coffee videos at Trailcampro
you are missing some fantastic learning
opportunities with trail cameras.
December 16,
2014
Got your last
minute trail cameras ordered? What
question have we asked before? How many
trail cameras does a person need?
Answer: Just one more!
My favorites so far
this year: Primos
Supercharged Blackout HD, Stealth
G30 and Browning
Recon Force XR.
I have specific
reasons for each: the Primos has
outstanding day photos and the battery
life is outstanding, the Stealth almost
never has a blurry photo and battery
life is outstanding, the Browning is
just a solid camera. I've actually got
the Strike Force but I think I would
look more seriously at the Recon Force
XR due to the double latches.
I've also been running
the new Reconyx
XR6. I need some more time with this
camera before I can give an honest
opinion. If you are all about video then
this camera is for you. Nothing better
on the market. Wow!
October 27,
2013
My Covert
Cellular Trail Camera is working as
advertised. A couple of things I've
learned. Check your AT&T coverage
map on-line. Make sure and get the SIM
card loaded with Go-Phone minutes before
you leave the store. It was a pain in
the neck to do it on the phone with
AT&T. The camera only sends the
first photo of a 3-shot burst and
sometimes the critter is barely in the
frame when it captures the photo.
August 11, 2013
Been test driving a
few cameras: Covert
MP6 Black, Spypoint
Tiny W3, Primos
Ultra 46 and Browning
Recon Force. The Recon Force is
awesome! One of the best cameras I've
ever used. The Covert MP6 is also a hell
of camera and it is small. I am
struggling to get good photos with the
Spypoint but I don't believe I've given
it fair chance. This week finally I have
it in a setup that should pay dividends.
However, I have tried the black box
twice. Neither time could I get the Tiny
W3 to send captured photos to the black
box. I need to find a good spot for the
Primos Ultra 46 but the picture quality
isn't as good as I like so it doesn't
get my good spots.
Do not forget to vote
in the Trailcampro
Photo Contest. It's the best trail
cam photo contest anywhere!
One thing I've been
doing with all of my cameras is setting
the cameras to the lower picture
resolutions. The higher resolutions
almost always involve some software
interpolation. I want a raw image with
no software interpolation. It's a test
for myself to see if I can tell a
difference in picture quality. The
Covert Black Ops goes up to 12 mp. That
can result in a huge picture file. Large
picture files are difficult to deal with
and take up hard-drive space in a hurry.
I have it set to 3 mp this week and will
probably work towards 12 mp the
following week.
During the last few
weeks the temperatures have been higher
than normal. I've got a couple of
cameras that have a lot of empty photos
due to heat of the day. With those
cameras I have set the PIR sensitivity
to Normal or Low. Even set to low I get
a fair share of empty photos. This seems
to be just the opposite of what the
Instruction Manuals say. The cameras
that seem to do well are the Moultrie
M880 and the Browning Recon Force. Very
few if any empty photos.
I had one camera
mounted on a tree with a Slate
River EZ-Aim Game Camera Mount. As I
walked up to the tree I saw the camera
was tilted sideways and covered with
mud. I knew immediately it was raccoons.
Those damn raccoons just mauled the
camera. The camera was pointed
straight up in the air part of the week
and sideways the rest of the week. They
must have thought it was a new toy on
their favorite tree. I could envision
those rascals hanging from the darn
thing. The camera took 4900 photos of
the sky, swaying corn stalks, nose whiskers,
their phase mask and a couple of
sideways deer pictures. My rubber plug
on the bottom was gone. I peeled a
sticky label off one of my RAYOVAC
battery containers and put it over the
hole to prevent ant intrusion. I sprayed
it down with lens cleaner to clean it
off and then strapped it onto the tree.
It's tight now. If the raccoons move it
this week, I submit. The camera will be
moved.
July 14, 2013
I continue to be
impressed by all the camera manufacturers.
They improve their cameras to compete
and we are the beneficiary. One thing I
do notice is that the PIR sensors are so
sensitive now that I get a lot of false
triggers during the heat of the day.
It's really not a problem except that it
uses space on the SD card. Don't forget
to enter the Trailcampro
2013 Photo Contest.
June 30, 2013
The most impressive trailcam
photo contest anywhere is here. Trailcampro
is ready to receive your photos. The prize
packages are pretty sweet. Time to
send your photos in!
June 22, 2013
Got some nice photos
last week. The antler growth is picking
up the pace, got another kitty on camera
on a different farm and the Browning
Recon Force only captured a couple
of blurry photos. It might be my setup
but it seems that I always get a few
blurry photos. This camera is sweet! In
all honesty I would say that all of my
photos were blur-less (if that is a
word). Need to continue the testing.
Quality of the night photos from the
first card-pull were well above average.
June 14, 2013
Wow! Has it been two
months? That is how busy we are at work.
I've been following all of the trail
camera reviews and the most recent
shootout on Trailcampro.
There is no lack of good cameras on the
market right now. I have tried a few Moultrie
cameras the last three months. They are
all outstanding cameras. Moultrie has
invested very well with this current lineup
of cameras. Nick
told me as much. Thanks buddy. I look
forward to the pictures from my new M880
and M990i.
Awesome cameras!
I am taking a close
look at the new Browning Recon Force and
the Spypoint Tiny W3. Other than the Spypoint being a little choosey with
the SD card, it appears to be an awesome
camera. Most of the manufacturers have
significantly improved their product
from 2-3 years ago. I truly believe that
Trailcampro is probably one of the main
reasons for that improved quality.
Thanks from all of us trail camera
addicts for getting us a high quality product
for a very reasonable price.
You-all don't know how
addicted I am to trail cameras. It is
like Christmas every weekend for me when
I go to the woods to pull SD cards and Trailcampro
is my Santa Clause. I told my wife not
to get me anything for Father's Day
because I already spent some money with Trailcampro.
April 13,
2013
Well, the Wildview
X8ir was returned. The day photos
are quite acceptable for a $70 camera
but the night flash is weak. I did not
get one critter in any night photo. The
ir flash probably did not extend more
that 15-20 feet at the most.
The Moultrie
M880 is an excellent camera so far.
It's a keeper. You can't go wrong with a
$160
of this quality.
March 17,
2013
The following cameras
are in the field:
-
Moultrie
M-990i,
-
Moultrie
M-880,
-
Moultrie
D-444,
-
Wildview
X8IR No Glo,
-
Moultrie
Panoramic 150.
Each
camera has a unique quality that sets it
apart from the other cameras. The
Panoramic 150 is by the far the most
unique. We just field deployed the
camera. Stay tuned for sample photos.
March 3, 2013
How many trail cameras
should a person have............Just one
more!
February 24,
2013
I'm currently test
driving a few new cameras. They include
the Moultrie
M-990i, Moultrie
M-880, Moultrie
D-444 and Wildview
X8IR no glow. The Moultries appear
to be very well built. The 990i and 880
are currently on field deployment.
November 28, 2012
Now that I've had some time with the Scoutguard
SG560C and Covert
Black 60, it's time for an update. For those of you that like nighttime
color photos, the SG560C
camera meets the needs. If you want color video at night, this camera puts out
the lumens. It is bright! Follow this link to my
Youtube Channel for some video samples.
I really like the ease of setup in both cameras. The menu
system is simple. The size of both cameras is acceptable. I am currently running
both cameras on rechargeable batteries. A plus for me. The quality of the day
photos with the SG560C is very good. The accompanying literature indicates that
firmware upgrades are possible. Fantastic!
For a black flash camera the Covert
Black 60 is the best I've tried so far. I do not see any flash when checking
the camera after my evening hunts. The switch in each of the cameras is nice and
solid.
These cameras are both keepers in my opinion. The one thing I
do want to check is battery life. So far so good.
What I do wish these cameras had was a loop for a python
cable. Neither has it.
I should note that I don't run my cameras in video mode very
much at all. The main reason is the challenge in managing all the videos. It
just takes more time than I really have available.
November 6, 2012
The ScoutGuard
560C and the Covert
Black 60 take excellent day photos. I haven't logged enough night photos yet
to make a determination on night photo quality but the Covert is bar far the
best black flash camera I have ever tried. Setup is really easy, in fact I like everything
about these cameras. I just want more time to determine night time picture
quality. The ScoutGuard is trending towards more blurry photos than I like and I
have only pulled one card from the Covert as of this writing.
October 31, 2012
I am trying a couple of new cameras, the Scoutguard
SG560C and the Covert
Black 60. These cameras are nice! I like everything about these cameras. I
am partial to night color so I am taking a liking to the SG860C. The housings
are solid on both cameras, the switches are excellent and the menu is simple. If
you prefer a no flash camera then take a look at the Covert
Black 60.
October 20, 2012
The guys at Trailcampro
just finished up their 2012
Fall Shootout. 47 cameras! If you can't find a camera to order off the Shootout
list, you aren't trying very hard.
October 7, 2012
I've been running cameras hard for a month. I have them all
out. If you are thinking about buying a camera from Trailcampro,
I thought I would give you my thoughts, based on my experience.
I like quality pictures. For day photos, my choice would be
the the Moultrie
D55ir XT or Bushnell
BTC HD (not the black flash). I consider a quality night photo, one without
motion blur. My favorite is the Bushnell
X-8 but the Leupold
delivers good day and night photos with a pretty decent night flash. I really
like how the Leupold
RCX-2 meters light.
If you want a camera that takes great night color photos and
outstanding day photos, there is only one choice in my book, the Scoutguard
SG565.
If you want a camera that is dependable and takes pictures all
the time and has decent day and night photos then the Reconyx
HC500 is the right choice.
If you want a camera that runs on AA batteries (alkaline or
rechargeable NiMH) then the Bushnell
(not the X-8) or Reconyx
would be the choice.
If you want a big night flash but aren't too concerned about
the motion blur then the Moultrie
and the Bushnell
deliver a big night flash. the Bushnell goes one step further though and lets
the owner adjust the number of LEDs used for the night flash.
If price is the main issue for you then you should really look
at the Moultrie
D55ir XT. Super value!
We never have enough cameras, it's always good to add one or
two a year to your inventory....at least! But most of you probably know I am
addicted to trail cameras!!
Call the guys at Trailcampro,
what are you waiting for?
October 1, 2012
Moved my 2012
BTC to a new spot. It was capturing too many dark photos at its prior
location. It seems to go to day mode (color) to soon in the morning and stay in
day mode too late in the evening. It seems to work a little bit better at its
new location. The guys at Trailcampro
continue to be my best source of info. They always help me figure out my camera
issues.
September 11, 2012
An accessory I felt worth mentioning, Slate
River trail camera mount. These things work really well. There is one for a T-post
and one for a tree
or wood post. They are well worth the investment in my opinion.
The cameras produced a little bit better this week. The X-8
is a picture taking machine. I had the camera set to 2 mp and medium shutter
speed. Still no blur in the night photos and the quality of the night photos is
more than acceptable. If the day photos were much, much better, I would fill my
inventory with this little camera. The D55ir
XT is taking great day photos but no night photos. I filled the tank with
new batteries. The camera's battery indicator showed 30% this week but the
camera quit taking night photos at 40% last week. Hopefully that will help.
Another accessory I can't seem to be without anymore are the Reconyx
Desiccants. The humidity really eats them up but that is their intended use.
August 18, 2012
SD cards were kind of thin on pictures this week. I did manage
to capture a few nice bucks on camera but the big ones are dispersing. I ended
up with with a corrupted SD card from my Reconyx
HC500. I downloaded some freeware and was finally able to to recover most of
my pictures.....after 3 hours of work. I've had this happen a few times but not
to this extent.
August 12, 2012
The batteries have lasted a long time in my Moultrie
D55ir XT. It is a great value. The two weakness with this camera are the
night photo picture quality and the use of C-cell batteries...but the day photos
are good and it captures everything. It is a picture taking machine!
My new Bushnell
Trophy Cam HD is doing well also. I really like the LED control. I have the
LED setting set to LOW and the flash emitted is plenty.
The day photos on the Bushnell
X-8 are average at best but the night photos are great with the shutter
speed control. No night picture motion blur, yippee! I really hate motion blur.
The other thing on the X-8 is the wide screen picture format. I prefer a 4:3
picture ratio over the wide screen. For the price, though, this camera is a
great value also. I had shutter speed set to medium this week and took the
following pictures.
July 30, 2012
The Moultrie
D55ir XT just continues to take pictures. Batteries are still in good shape
at 55%. The only thing that could use some improvement is the night photos but
at a cost of $129 the value of this camera is very, very hard to beat. I am not
kidding when I say this camera captures everything.
I pulled my first pictures from my Reconyx
HC500 after the firmware update. There is a noticeable improvement in
picture quality in my opinion. If you feel comfortable installing the upgrade
then do it. You won't be disappointed. Follow the directions on the website for
your model.
July 22, 2012
Checked cameras again Saturday morning. It was fairly slow
last week. One camera, a Scoutguard
565, did produce quite a few buck pictures. I moved the Moultrie
D55ir XT to a different location to see how it performed. The answer? Not
very good. This location was along a fence line with a cornfield background. My
assumption is that the flash is so powerful that reflection of the flash off the
cornstalks basically washed-out the entire photo. I moved the camera to a
different setup. Don't get me wrong, the camera still continues to sense
critters and take pictures but the strong flash needs to be put in setups where
it excels. The Bushnell
HD on the other hand has an adjustable LED (High/Medium/Low). That makes a
big difference and is very convenient. Right now I have it in a setup with the
LED set to Low and it puts out plenty of flash.
Reconyx has come out with a firmware
update for their Hyperfire series of cameras.
Don't forget to enter your photos in the Trailcampro
photo
contest.
July 16, 2012
Another card pull and another card full for the Moultrie
D55ir XT. Holy smokes guys and gals, this camera is a picture taking
machine! My 4 gb card had 3,200 photos and 99% of them had a deer in it. It was
set to 3-shot fast mode and 5 second delay. There are only two things I
can find that I would change if possible, a somewhat improved nighttime picture
quality and adjustable flash, otherwise after one month of testing I would say
this camera is way underpriced for it's value ($130). I can't remember the last
time I filled a card in my Reconyx
HC500.
The Bushnell
HD did well again but I did have a slight snag. It's current location is not
producing a lot of pictures so I decided to swap the 4 gb card for a 2 gb card.
For some reason it did not like the 2 gb, it would not display the setup screen.
I inserted a 4 gb card and it worked fine.
For you Reconyx guys, check out some sample photos from the
new HC550, their night color
camera.
July 10, 2012
After the second card pull for both the Bushnell
HD and the Moultrie
D55ir XT it is easy to see that both cameras are packed with value. I am
continually impressed by the Moultrie, it continues to pack the SD card full of
pictures and every single one of the photos has a critter in it.
I really like the LED adjustability of the Bushnell HD. My
setups vary widely, from 10 feet to 10 yards, and IR flash adjustability is very
important for quality photos.
I am quickly learning that the picture focus point or target
distance for the D55ir
XT needs to be closer to 10-15 yards as the lens has more of a zoom in lieu
of a wide angle view and the flash really lights up a large portion of the
field. At only $130 you should really call Trailcampro
and talk to them about this camera, what a value! If you don't like it, send it
back, they have a 90
day, 100% satisfaction guaranteed, return policy.
July 5, 2012
I checked my two newest cameras yesterday, the Bushnell
HD and the Moultrie
D55ir XT. The Bushnell took a 3-shot burst of a nice 4x4. The camera was set
on 8 mp, medium LED and Auto sensing level. I'm a little concerned that I didn't
have very many pictures on this first card check. Hopefully the next card check
will give more insight.
The Moultrie
D55ir XT is a picture taking machine and has a huge IR flash and I mean
huge. Many of the deer in the photos had IR burn from the big flash. I captured
around 1,000 pictures in 3 days and every one of them had a deer or other
critter in it. The camera was set on High picture quality, 3-shot standard burst
and 5 second delay.
June 30, 2012
I'm working with two new cameras and they both appear to be
detecting and picture taking machines. One is the new Bushnell
Trophy Cam HD (red flash) and the other is the Moultrie
D55ir XT (red flash). They both went right to work in my basement before
deployment. The functionality of the Bushnell HD is exactly what I like: time
stamp label to personalize the pictures, three levels of LED flash, quality
pictures and video, runs on AA batteries, python cable ready and multi-shot.
Bushnell just continues to make this camera
better. It's priced right at $200.
The D55ir XT is a sweet and solid little camera. The only
thing I don't like and it is minor, is that it runs on C batteries. The camera
is priced at $130.
If the camera continues to take pictures in the field like it did on cat-cam, I
can't think of a better trail camera value than this one right here. Moultrie
FINALLY reduced the delay time down to 5 seconds. The multi-shot fits my needs
perfectly. It gives you two options: 2,3,4-shot fast or 2,3-shot standard.
Multi-shot fast spaces the pictures 1-2 seconds. Standard spaces the pictures
every 3-4 seconds. I like the multi-shots to be about 3-4 seconds apart. They
have met my desires perfectly. I even used the stopwatch app on my phone to see
what the time was between photos and it matched the specifications perfectly.
We will continue to present more information during field
deployment. In the mean time check out the 2012
Trail Camera Shootout and reviews for each camera on Trailcampro.
Don't forget to enter your photos in the 2012
Photo Contest. They are due July 25th.
June 18, 2012
Trailcampro has
completed their 2012
Trail Camera Shootout. Reconyx topped the list again but there were some
newcomers right behind the industry leader. The test is all about capturing
photos and that's
what we all want to know.
The shootout tests the combined abilities of a camera’s
trigger speed, detection width & detection range. The test area is
established by setting cones at 10’ intervals from 10 to 100 feet from the
cameras. A human test subject walks in front of the cameras twice at each
distance- once from the right and once from the left. This process
averages out any inconsistencies created when detection sensors are mounted
incorrectly.
May 12, 2012
I worked on getting my trail cameras and equipment ready for
summer deployment. I did some reading in my Leupold Owner's Manual. There is a
setting that should help me capture a few more pictures (I did not know about it
before). I have had the sensitivity angle set to 45 degrees. In the RCX-2
is a setting that allows both the wide and narrow setting. This DST setting
should help me get a few more pictures. The narrow setting is supposedly
sensitive out to 90 feet.
February 12, 2012
The Primos
X-Cam Blackout is on the shelf. The picture quality needs improvement.
However, as I said before the user-friendliness of this camera is fantastic.
The Leupold
was a little short on pictures this week but the number of deer tracks in
the snow was less than normal. My only question with this camera at this point
is the detection circuitry. The number of pictures is less than what I expect.
January 25, 2012
Well I checked both the Leupold
and the Primos
last weekend. The Leupold got a good workout and performed quite well. Battery
life is still at a full charge with Energizer Ultimate Lithium fuel. The
controller is sweet to use. You just plug it into the USB port and download the
photos. No need to shut the camera off or open any camera doors and it has a big
viewer.
The Primos Truth Cam X Blackout is one sweet camera to operate
but two things are showing up as a weakness to me: 1) the picture quality is
well below average and 2) the focus appears way off. However I have to say it
could be the easiest camera I have ever setup. I love everything about the
intuitive setup but the picture quality needs improvement.
January 13, 2012
I am really beginning to take a shine to the Leupold
RCX-2. I
still have a lot of field testing to do and need to get it deployed in a location for the
opportunity to take a lot of pictures. One thing that many of you might like is the
ability to view your setup from the controller. For those of us that like the
camera pointed perfectly before we depart, this is a great time saver. I still
have questions on detection circuitry but the picture quality is good and the
recovery is short...so far. I have had some pictures that indicate a lens issue or
a SD write issue but they have been few. I really like the ability to plug the
SD cord into the camera without shutting it off. That is sweet! The other thing
that is nice is that you literally plug the the controller into the camera and
then download the pictures to the SD card in the controller. There is a lot of
thought that went into this camera. This camera is not without blurry night
photos but even the blurry night photos are acceptable.
The Primos
Truthcam X Blackout is a different story. The biggest issue is the quality
of the night photos. My pictures have been extremely grainy. However, I need to
get it in a location to capture a lot of pictures. Everything about this camera
is decent but the picture quality needs much improvement.
For you Reconyx Hyperfire owners there is a firmware
update dated 10/24/2011. I updated my cameras and am test driving them now.
December 28, 2011
Deployed the Leupold first. Had an issue when downloading
pictures from the camera to the controller. Swapped the camera out with the
Primos. Pulled the Primos card for the first time tonight. I was concerned about
picture capture because of my SD card issue. The camera seemed to work just
fine. Next step is to keep track of battery life.
Leupold is ready for deployment again. I'm just trying to find
the right place. Picture quality of the Leupold is what I hoped for.
December 18, 2011
I am getting ready to deploy two new cameras, the Primos
Truthcam X Blackout and the Leupold
RCX-2. My first comment for both of these cameras is that they are very well
made compared to cameras in a lower price range. That is about all they have in
common. The Blackout is different from the Truthcam X. The Blackout is black and
is a black flash camera. The Truthcam X is a red LED camera.
The Primos camera is a true blackfash camera. I don't notice
any flash. The operating menu is a pleasure to work with and almost fun. I
always spend a lot of time at home with new cameras before I deploy them. This
camera has given me many challenges in trying to get it ready for field
deployment. At first I thought I had a defective camera but after most of a day
I discovered that this camera is very, and I mean very, choosy about its SD
card. The user manual indicates it can use cards up to 8 gb. After trying three
brand new 4 gb SD cards and going through all of my older cards, I have
discovered the only cards out of my inventory it likes and works quite well with
are 2 gb Sandisk cards. I don't know if it is the FAT card format or what but
they work. The strap is very nice and you can secure the camera with a Python
cable. I really like this camera so I want to give it a good chance to work. I
was even impressed with the box and package it came in. It was very well thought
out. Probably the only thing I don't like about this camera so far is the four D
cell batteries needed to operate it and of course its need for a very specific
SD card.
The Leupold RCX-2 is a different issue. First of all, just to
get it out of the package was a challenge. After getting it out of the package I
couldn't believe all the pieces and parts. It is operated by a remote. Now that
I've spent some time with the remote it is very simple to use. It appears to
want a lot of power. To get it to work properly I installed 8 AA Energizer
Ultimate Lithium batteries as recommended in the user manual. Once they were
installed the camera seems to work quite well. The picture quality is very nice
and I have a passion for above average picture quality. The strap is a standard
buckle strap but it does come with a bracket for a Python cable. Due to its need
for power I am curious how many pictures I will get with a set of lithium
batteries. I'm not a fan of remotes but Trailcampro's
review of this camera intrigued me.
December 12, 2011
Trailcampro has
developed some videos to help educate trail camera users. Take a look at the videos
on the Blog page and see if they
help your knowledge of trail cameras. They do an excellent job in my opinion of
helping us all become smarter in the use of trail cameras.
Some final comments on the Spypoint
Tiny: this camera has huge potential in my opinion and most users will be
happy with this camera as it stands today. My favorite part has to be the holder
that attaches to the tree. The camera inserts into the holder and is removed
when swapping SD cards or changing batteries. This eliminates the need to
disturb the aiming of the camera when changing SD cards. The holder also allows
for use of a Python cable. The camera size is very small and works well for my
deep woods treks. You can throw more than a few in a backpack and head to the
woods for deployment. If you like view screens, this camera has one. You can
perform a quick field check for that buck of a lifetime. Just remember that
using a view screen reduces the life of your batteries. Spypoint does not
recommend use of rechargeable batteries in this camera.
November 25, 2011
I've had some time to test drive the Spypoint
Tiny. The good: fit-n-finish, size, view screen, black box, ease of setup,
average picture quality. Needs Improvement: camera depth of field/focus, reduced
time between burst mode pictures, picture quality of black box photos,
instruction manual. I can't express enough how I like this camera. The way I use
cameras, however, it needs some changes or improvements.
Now that we have hit Black Friday it's time to make your
Christmas lists and make sure you get your next camera(s) from Trailcampro.
They are extremely helpful and can recommend the camera that works best for you.
This guys are extremely responsive and provide very good customer service. Time
to go shopping call Trailcampro at 1-800-791-0660.
November 11, 2011
I've been checking my cameras as much as possible. I ordered
another Scoutguard
565 from my good friends at Trailcampro.
I really like that camera. I'm not a fan of remote controls but this camera does
everything I ask. I like night color photos.
I am trying a new Spypoint
Tiny. I really like the fit-n-finish on this camera and the small size. It
is unique in that it has a separate Black Box that will receive pictures. This
is good if you would happen to have your camera stolen. The one issue when using
the Black Box is that you can only take one picture at a time with a one minute
delay. It does work. I tried it. The Spypoint
is deployed to what appears to be an active scrape right now.
October 23, 2011
I am liking the Cuddeback
Attack IR more and more. The one thing I am really coming to appreciate is
the limited number of blurry night photos. I just wish the delay time was much
less than 15 seconds. I don't get near as many photos with the Cudde as I do my Reconyx
and Bushnell
cameras.
Has everybody seen the Trailcampro
2011 Fall Shootout? Great info, you need to check it out!
October 16, 2011
I've been test driving a Cuddeback
Attack IR. I am pleasantly surprised. The best things about this
camera are picture quality and detection circuitry. The rotary dial is fairly
simple to use but requires a little dexterity. The things I would like to see
improved are reduced delay period between pictures and the mounting bracket. The
darn camera sticks about 1-2 inches from the tree when used. Coons, squirrels
and deer can rotate this camera if not mounted properly. With the delay period
and no burst mode, you don't capture near as many pictures. I like to take a lot
of pictures, especially in burst mode, for that perfect pose. The Reconyx and
Bushnell allow me to do that. At $230 the camera seems to do pretty well. The
one thing I don't understand is the narrow detection cone. Yes it gives them
that "centered subject" they advertise about but I would prefer a
shorter delay period and wider sensing cone. All-in-all it seems to be a good
camera. Call the guys at Trailcampro to
try one.
October 10, 2011
Holy cow! I've been away from this page way too long. I've
been a one-man-band hunting, checking cameras, hanging stands and scouting for
whitetails. You've never seen a limping fat guy walk so far. It's time to go!
For you cost conscious trail camera buyers and Moultrie
supporters, you need to take a serious look at the Moultrie
M80. The price is hard to beat at $140. It isn't perfect but the upside
makes this camera hard to resist. My favorite things about this camera include:
size, price, fit-n-finish, color, flash range and setup. Things I would like to
see improved are reduction in the number of blurry photos and shorter recovery
time. I'm no code writer but I bet a firmware upgrade would help. Give the guys
at Trailcampro a call and order one. If
you aren't satisfied, take them up on their return policy, 90
Days Satisfaction Guaranteed.
P.S. The Moultrie M80 is the #1
selling camera in the world right now! You need to try one.
September 11, 2011
Trailcampro.com
wrapped up their photo
contest. The Grand
Prize winning picture was hard to beat. I hope a lot of you take time to
check the Trailcampro website on occasion. You can also e-mail me any time with
questions. I'm no expert but have had my own challenges with various cameras.
For example, it seems that many issues are related to low battery power. I have
one camera with mixing pixels on the LCD because of moisture and humidity. The
only thing I know to do is to bring it home and let it dry out. I have one that
is set along a creek in a low lying area. The last two times the camera has
taken many pictures but the lens has been fogged over. The location is awesome,
however, if the same thing occurs the next time I check it, I'm moving the
camera. It's a waste of my time to look at indeterminable pictures of Iowa
whitetails.
August 6, 2011
The 2011 BTC software update really makes a difference. The
flash is significantly brighter. The software update is available for the 2010
and 2011 BTC cams. Go to the Trailcampro
Blog, scroll down and follow the link.
July 30, 2011
I was reading the Trailcampro
blog the other night and read that
Bushnell
had a software
update for both 2010 and 2011 Trophy Cams. I downloaded the files to an
empty SD card, plus a backup card and took the cards to the field with me. I
followed the update instructions, took a couple of daytime test photos, checked
that it still worked and headed for the next cam.
I am somewhat nervous about making field updates even if the
cam reacts as the instructions say. If I do something wrong
July 26, 2010
Wow! has it been that long since I updated this page. Sorry
about that. I'm just now starting to get back in a rhythm with my cameras. Trailcampro
is having another photo contest. Please take time and checkout the entries. Holy
crap am I jealous. There are some beautiful photos.
Talked to a hunting buddy the other day. He has a couple of
workhorse Moultrie I40 cameras. He lost his pixels on the LCD. I had the same
thing happen a couple of times. It's moisture. You really only have two choices.
Send the camera back to Moultrie and have them fix it or bring it in and let the
moisture evaporate. With the highly humid summer we have had in Iowa this year,
the cameras don't stand a chance. I had the same thing happen to one of my
Reconyx last year. I brought it in and dried it out.
We started a new page for those of you that would like your
photos displayed on the site.
April 16, 2010
Well, my friends at Trailcampro
hooked me up with a 2011 Bushnell Trophy Cam. I've been test driving the camera.
This camera has audio with the video...SWEET! The detection circuitry seems to
be quite sensitive but I do notice a definite change when I adjust between
levels (i.e. High.Normal.Low). Photo and video quality is good. Audio isn't too
bad either. It's acceptable in my opinion. I can't wait to point the camera at a
rub or a scrape while in video mode. You might want to read their Moultrie
M100 camera review.
February 19 ,2011
I captured a photo with my new ScoutGuard
SG565 that I really like. I thought I would share it. I adjusted the camera
angle up last week to gain more distance from the flash. As you can see the
camera pumps the flash downrange quite well.
January 29, 2011
Trailcampro completed
their review of the ScoutGuard
SG565. I got some more pictures this week from this little camera.
January 22, 2011
I really have to give kudos to my Scoutguard
SG565 trail camera from Trailcampro.
This little camera takes some awfully nice pictures. It does have one little
gremlin that I can certainly live with but would prefer it didn't have it. It is
a filter "snap" when the camera takes a picture. I would give this
camera a 5 on a scale of 1-5 if it didn't have that little noise. As it stands
now I would give it a 3 or 3.5. I am hoping that HCO comes out with a firmware
upgrade. This would be a great little camera then.
December 31, 2010
Pulled my first SD card from the ScoutGuard SG565 incandescent
flash camera. All I can say is nice! Picture quality is what I expect. Thanks Trailcampro!
December 29, 2010
The ScoutGuard
SG565 is deployed. The setup looks good. I hope to check it soon and report
on its function.
December 22, 2010
I received my new ScoutGuard
565 incandescent flash camera from Trailcampro
this week. Here is what I like about this camera: price, size, use of AA
batteries, trigger time around 1.5 seconds, picture quality and the ScoutGuard
reputation. These factors outweighed my concerns of the filter clunk, remote
control operation and lack of burst mode. The filter clunk is noticeable but not
a deal killer for me. I "hope and expect" that the manufacturer will
come out with a firmware upgrade to eliminate the filter clunk. I've been test
running the cam for now on cat cam. So far so good but the span between pictures
is a little long. However, I feel I can live with the clunk unless my photos
show very alerted whitetails. Stay tuned. I trust my friends at Trailcampro.
They won't steer me to a camera that won't meet my needs.
I am going to take this opportunity to present the following
criteria to all camera manufacturers regarding the perfect incandescent flash
camera: size should be small and use AA batteries, trigger speed around 1.5
seconds or less, camera should have a burst mode of 3-5 photos and no more than
10 seconds apart, batteries need to last 60-90 days at least, picture quality
needs to be above average and not have the "eye ghosting issue",
security needs to be available and the detection must be wide, dependable and at
least 45-50 feet. The flash range should be at least 50 feet. If anybody can
produce a camera that meets these criteria, I will take an honest look at it. I
would also like a camera without the remote. The remote for my 565 is a little
touchy.
December 13, 2010
This cold weather is a challenge for most trail cameras. My
Reconyx cameras seem to work well especially with NiMH batteries. However, the
display screen is very slow to respond when changing settings or arming the
camera. The Bushnell Trophy Cams don't have the same issues but they seem to be
harder on batteries. My old Cabela's I50s work well but the mechanical filter is
temperamental on one of them. When it gets down to zero, even I move a lot
slower.
I've been talking with my great friends at Trailcampro
about a night color camera. I think they are tired of listening to me. There is
a new camera that I just had to have. It will be on its way shortly. This
incandescent flash camera is the ScoutGuard
SG565. I am anxious to set it up and test it out. The camera uses AA
batteries, which is a big plus in my book, especially for remote deployments. Scoutguard
has a good reputation for dependability. One last thing that makes this camera a
winner is its size, it is 5-1/2 x 4 x 2-1/2 inches. Now that is small for a
trail camera.
If you like incandescent flash, contact the staff at Trailcampro
to discuss this camera further.
November 30, 2010
This cold weather really does a number on alkaline batteries.
Now is the time to switch over to lithium or rechargeable
NiMH batteries. Cold weather does not reduce the life of lithium or NiMH
batteries
November 28, 2010
Trailcampro has
completed a new test I think many trail camera addicts will find very
interesting. In essence it shows the detection width of the camera's PIR and
compares it to the camera's Field of View. This is sweet information. I base my
camera choices on this exact information. I don't understand why narrow
detection cone camera manufacturers continue with a narrow sensing area.
November 18, 2010
Trailcampro has the
new Scoutguard
SG565. It's a nighttime incandescent flash camera. The initial information
sounds pretty good.
November 9, 2010
I have a Moultire I-50 camera from Cabela's about 18 months
old. My mechanical filter doesn't always fully swing in front of the lens for
the day pictures. I finally figured out what the issue is. When the batteries
get below 60% they don't have enough juice to move the filter completely.
October 24, 2010
The Reconyx cameras captured some nice pictures this week.
After looking at the pictures I decided to change the resolution setting to
1080p. The camera seems to zoom in a little closer with this setting. We'll see
what we get next. Hopefully the detail will be a little better. I prefer the 3.1
setting but due to the current camera setups I may have to compromise.
October 19, 2010
As a trail camera addict, I usually have a ton of questions
about specific situations, settings or camera trap setups. The guys at TCP
are absolutely fantastic at answering my questions. In the world we live in
today there is no substitute for customer service and responsiveness. The crew
at Trailcampro respond to my questions
all the time and with very good suggestions.
October 17, 2010
The Reconyx captured some great pictures in Rapidfire mode
this morning. The files are big but it is definitely worth watching. This is
where the Reconyx cameras really shine.
October 16, 2010
I have one 2009 BTC that seems to be catching the rear end of
deer instead of the full deer. It seems to only occur when the deer are walking
at the camera from the right (about 1-2 o'clock). I'm not sure if it means
anything but I did adjust the angle a little bit hoping it would help. I had
adjusted the sensitivity to 'High' a week ago but it didn't seem to help. I
assume it is my setup. I need to continue with adjustments until I figure it
out. I like the location. My 2010 BTC replacement camera from Trailcampro
is working great so far (knock on wood). It seems to be very sensitive in my
current setup. The guys at Trailcampro
are extremely responsive to my questions.
October 4, 2010
I've been extremely pleased with my Reconyx Hyperfire HC500
from Trailcampro. I put together a
little animated gif file of a recent scrum that took place in front of the
camera. The camera was set to take one picture at a time with no delay. I would
say it did a darn good job.
October 2, 2010
Pulled one of my Reconyx cameras on Friday night. It needs
different scenery. The display is missing a few pixels. I took it home,
pulled the batteries and am letting it "air-out". That seems to work
with my I50. My I50 that lost much of its display last week is back to normal.
The sunny skies and dry air we've experienced the last week or so sure seems to
help. LCDs with missing pixels doesn't bother the camera's picture taking
ability but it is somewhat annoying.
Trailcampro is a great
company. Their responsiveness is top notch. I had a 2010 BTC go bad. I sent it
to Springfield, MO. It arrived there on Friday according to my tracking number.
I literally had a new camera on my doorstep today. Fantastic service!
September 25, 2010
Well, it was a rough checkup this week for three of my
cameras. I think all three will still take pictures but each one has display
problems: A Bushnell, a Reconyx and a Moultrie. What is the chance that would
happen in the same week? I assume it is all the rain we had. All were
dry on the inside when I opened them up.
September 22, 2010
Trailcampro has begun
to post their findings from their 2010
Trail Camera Shootout. Nineteen (19) cameras found their way into the
competition. Was your camera one of the top performers? Follow the link and find
out.
September 21, 2009
And the winner of the Trailcampro 2010 Trail Camera Shootout
is................???
September 19, 2010
After arriving home last night I got to thinking that I
probably needed to go back out and dry out the internals on some of my cameras
especially the Reconyx. Yesterday was just nasty. Note to self "Don't pull
SD cards when it is raining". So I trekked back out Sunday afternoon. Below are some
pictures captured by the camera since I was there yesterday. Talk about one ugly
little buck. It would be tough to find a volunteer to take a crack at this
thing. Man is he ugly! The camera was set on 5-picture burst and 1080p for
resolution.
Here is a 5-picture series of infrared pictures. The camera's
night flash setting was Maximum Flash.
Update: My 2009 BTC is deployed again. It seems to work OK.
We'll see in a few days.
September 18, 2010
I have a 2009 BTC that just wants to give me a gremlin every
now and then. Today it's the picture numbers on the bottom of the Setup screen.
I opened my camera, checked the number of photos, turned it off, pulled the
card, inserted a new card and turned it back on today and the picture numbers on
the bottom of the Setup screen won't show up. I tried new batteries and a
different SD card. The numbers still don't show up.
Update: I brought this camera home. Pulled the batteries, let
it dry out, put the batteries back in and now it works fine. The software in
these 2009 BTC cameras just seem to need a 3-finger salute every now and
then...Control>Alt>Delete or a one finger salute in this case...turn it
off and pull the batteries...that will teach this camera to mess with this Iowa
fat boy.
September 12, 2010
I moved my 2010
BTC to a different farm on Saturday. The prior setup just wasn't fair to the
camera. The new camera spot is more typical of a camera setup. I forgot my
security cable so I went back on Sunday to pull the card and add the security.
After the one-day soak, the BTC appeared to be operating as I felt it should.
The pictures looked fine. I'll know more in a few days. I sure like this camera,
it takes sweet pictures. I typically lean towards a camera that has higher
picture quality and this camera hasn't disappointed me in the quality category.
For those of you with 2010
BTC cameras, my 2010 is a 119435C with the C being important I believe.
Bushnell has a firmware update on their website. Check your packaging to see
what version you have, you might need updated.
I also deployed my new Reconyx Hyperfire HC500 from TCP.
I test drove it in the back yard for a day. These cameras are top notch. The
fit-n-finish is fantastic! But, as with all cameras, you need to put them in a
setting that is fair. Trigger speed isn't that important to me. You need to know
your camera and give it a chance to excel. Trailcampro
has all sorts of info to help you with that. Use TCP
as a resource.
September 11, 2010
The Reconyx
Hyperfire HC500 from TCP is
performing as advertised. It is in a sweet spot and doing well. I'm not sure how
my 2010 BTC is doing though. I think it was just in a spot that was tough to
perform and I was shooting the flash into nowhere. I'm still getting some blank
day pictures with sensitivity set on Normal. This camera has been moved to a
location that is just a little more conducive to taking pictures.
September 4, 2010
I think I have a "run away" camera. My 2010 Bushnell
Trophy Cam seems to go on a picture taking binge every now and then. I hope it
is just temporary but we will see. I will keep an eye on it.
September 3, 2010
Trailcampro continues
to perform reviews and
tests on cameras as they come in. Check out their review of the long awaited Uway
NT50B with true covert black flash.
September 14th Trailcampro
will be holding their trail camera shootout with results released a couple of
days later.
In an effort to keep you up to date with our Reconyx HC500 experience, below is a 5 picture series of some turkeys. The camera doesn't seem
to miss much but the picture quality needs just a little bit of tweaking. We
sure hope they consider a firmware upgrade in the near future. The only editing
we did from the original was to change the size to 640 x 480 pixels.
August 21,2010
This is a follow up to the date issues I was having with my
2010 Bushnell Trophy Cam. The cam held the date and time all week so I assume it
was the batteries. It is currently running on a set of NiMH. The number of
pictures on these batteries in one week: 3,500.
August 20, 2010
Trailcampro is
performing their 2010
Trigger Speed Showdown. For you speed junkies keep an eye on this Trailcampro
report.
Trailcampro has
indicated on their Blog that there
is a Bushnell Trophy Cam firmware update. Follow this link
to the blog. Once there you will find a link to the location of the firmware
itself.
Everybody should stay in touch with the Trailcampro
website and keep an eye on the Uway
camera. The engineering that went into this camera is supposed to be extreme.
Delivery has been delayed for months until the engineers and manufacturer got
things just right. This sounds like a high level of quality control. The picture
quality is said to be very good. It comes in both a red flash and black flash
option. Visit Trailcampro
for more details.
August 10, 2010
For you trigger speed junkies, read this
article by Trailcampro. It is from
2009 but tells you who has the speed.
August 7, 2010
The Reconyx HC500 took 2,900 pictures this week. The camera
was set on 3-shot burst, 3.1 mp and balanced night mode. Below is a 3-shot
series of both color and black and white. Still no shooter bucks at this
location.
August 1, 2010
The Reconyx HC500 took 5,100 pix this week. I don't know how
it crammed all those pictures on a 2 GB Sandisk card. I'm still waiting for my
first mature buck. Below is another 5-shot series in color and some random night
mode shots. The night mode setting was "Fast Shutter".
July 24, 2010
Trailcampro indicated
on their blog that the Uway
NT50 and NT50B Nighttrakkers may actually begin shipping this week. Keep
your eyes on this cam as the 'hype' on the web says this camera is one to watch.
One of the unique specifications with this camera is sound recording with the
video.
Below is a 5-shot burst of pictures from our new Reconyx
HC500 purchased from Trailcampro.
Our location isn't producing any mature whitetails yet but we think it should only
be a matter of time. We will give it a couple more weeks before deciding if we need to
punt and move it to another location. We anticipate the deer will move from the
soybeans to the corn any time.
Below is a single nighttime picture from the Reconyx HC500.
July 15, 2010
Check out the Trailcampro
2nd Annual Trail Cam Photo Contest. Help a brother out and vote for Picture
No. 84. There are some very good photos in this year's contest. Top prize is a Reconyx
Hyperfire HC600 Ultimate Package. Trailcampro
needs to be commended for putting together such an awesome prize package.
July
10, 2010
The Bushnell
Trophy Cams have really been pumping out the pictures (knock on wood). One
of my I40s takes very nice pictures but the light metering can really be a pain
at times. Before I moved my I40 last week, it sat just inside the edge of the
woods pointed out into a field with about one fourth of the picture 'horizon'.
This caused the the camera to meter perfectly on the sky but during the day, the
pictures were extremely dark. I couldn't even make out the little fawns in the
pictures. That is one thing I have learned with the Moultrie I40 and I50. This
camera isn't smart enough to know to meter on the darker foliage right in front
of the camera. The Bushnell does a much better job.
June
5, 2010
My
little '09 Bushnell
Trophy Cam really did well in it's first week in the field, it took 681
pictures. The Tenergy
NiMH rechargeable batteries were still hanging in there. My settings are as
follows: Camera, 5 mp, 3-shot, 15 second delay, normal sensitivity, time stamp
on. This time of year with warm temperatures it is typical to set sensitivity to
high but I was worried about false triggers so I left it on normal. It seemed to
do quite well. I'm watching for ants or bugs taking over my security box. So far
so good. I may need to stop at the hardware store and get some ant killer if
they begin to call my box home.
May
30, 2010
There
appears to be a lot of decent looking cameras to hit the market yet for us
camera addicts. My friend at Trailcampro
indicates they are anxious to run through their trail camera shootout for 2010
but they are waiting on some of the cameras to hit the market yet. One type of
cam that seems to have a limited choice in the market place is the nighttime
incandescent flash. Trailcampro
staff feel the Cuddeback
Capture is a very good camera for those people looking for the nighttime
color photos. I am saving my pennies for now waiting for the staff at Trailcampro
to to
May
7, 2010
Well, I
held a new Reconyx Hyperfire HC500 in my hands today. I was in a sporting goods
store and they had one in stock. The camera is much smaller than I expected. Trailcampro
says Wow!
April
30, 2010
Here's
what Trailcampro has to say about the
Bushnell Trophy Cam:
Bushnell
has made trail cameras for a long time. The Bushnell Trophy Cam is their
best game camera yet! Much like the Scoutguard and DLC cameras, the
Bushnell Trophy Cam comes in a tiny package. Measuring 6" tall X
4" wide you could fit a half dozen cameras in a backpack with room for
lunch. Don't let the small size fool you, this camera is capable of
taking picture after picture for months on end.
During our review of
the Bushnell Trophy Cam, we found the trigger
speed to be 1.024 seconds. Our testing also revealed the
detection width, or the area the camera can effectively "cover", to
be the same exact width as the field of view of the game camera. This is
great news! Consider this, as soon as that monster 10 point buck walks
into the field of view of the Bushnell Trophy Cam, you will have a picture
1.024 seconds later. Depending on whether you have the camera set at
either 3, 5 or 8 mpxl, the Trophy Cam can be
armed and ready for the next picture in 7, 11 or 15 seconds.
You can use up to a 16
Gig SD Card with the Trophy Cam trail camera. A 2 gig card, set on 3
Mpxl, will hold 2400 daytime pictures or
3200 night pictures. If set on 5 Mpxl, the Trophy Cam will hold 1600
daytime pictures or 2000 night
pictures. Obviously, not all of your pictures will be just day or night
but this gives you an idea of what to expect.
We noticed that the night
flash range goes out to about 45 ft. on average. The 2010 model
has 32 infrared LEDs which have greatly improved the night pictures clarity
from right to left.
Another great thing
about the Bushnell Trophy Cam, is there is no
remote to use during programming. All the programming is done by
simply opening the camera and punching a few buttons. Programming was a
cinch, no problems whatsoever. On the Bushnell
Trophy Cam XLT (Viewer) model, you have the option of viewing pictures
right there on the camera.
The video quality is 16
frames per second. It is very easy to set to video as well. Simply
open the camera, hit menu, go to the "camera mode" setting, and put
it in video mode. It is just as simple to switch back to picture mode.
Battery life might just be the strongest point of this game camera. You
can expect 6 months on a set of 8 AA alkaline or NiMh batteries. If you
use Lithium batteries, you may get up to 1 year battery life! This is best
in class.
As with just about
anything, the Trophy Cam is not perfect. During our review of the
Bushnell Trophy Cam, the camera only detected
out to about 45 ft. The focus is also a little blurry on objects
within 1 meter.
April
16, 2010
Trailcampro
Low Price Guarantee
Buy With Confidence!
At Trailcampro we guarantee our customers the lowest priced
Scouting cameras on the web. If within thirty (30) days of your purchase you
find a lower price on a exact product we will gladly refund you the
difference. Please note the following:
-
Qualifying
products must be in-stock and shipable from our competitor.
-
Final
comparison price must include shipping, rebates and any applicable sales
tax.
-
This policy
does not apply to items listed on Ebay or other auction sites!
April
12, 2010
Trailcampro
has a new article that compares
the Tenergy NiMH batteries and regular alkaline batteries. Take some time and read
the article.
Trailcampro
says: "So how long will your Tenergy Batteries last? Roughly 1,000
charges. Let's see, you have saved money, increased the battery life of your
trail camera, and now you have kept hundreds of batteries from finding their way
to the landfill. This is an easy decision!"
We all
know that individual Owner experiences will vary but it is well worth the time
to give it a try.
April
6, 2010
For
those of you looking for rechargeable batteries. You need to take a look at the Tenergy
NiMH. I for one get sick of buying batteries, especially when the weather
turns cold. This is definitely an option for cost-conscious trail camera
addicts. Trailcampro has sample 2010
BTC photos posted for your review. All I can say is nice!
April
1, 2010
Reconyx
is at the top of the list with BEC when it comes to quality and dependability.
Reconyx has a new line of cameras coming out in 2010. These "HyperFireTM"
cameras will use SD cards in lieu of flash cards and AA batteries in lieu of C
or D batteries. This camera is priced around $550. What really intrigues me
about this camera is the fact that the camera will accept a python cable. I
look forward to Trailcampro's review of
this camera.
March
12, 2010
The 2010
Bushnell Trophy Cam XLT trail camera has some changes that can definitely be
considered improvements. It will have 32 LED's for extended IR flash and
improved image quality after dark, improved picture sensor, ability to handle 16 gb SD
cards and a molded receiver on the back for a python cable. That sounds like the
perfect camera to me. We'll see how it turns out.
I still
haven't seen any reports on the ideal incandescent flash cameras. I want decent
picture quality and a camera that doesn't eat batteries like my yellow lab eats
dog food.
One
thing that absolutely drives me crazy is the hype that goes with new cameras
coming to the market then end up being a big dud. There were a couple of models
in 2009 that had many game camera consumers giddy with anticipation. The cameras
were a flop. I refuse to preorder just because of this. I want to read some
testing and feedback information on any new model before I make a purchase.
There are a couple of cameras right now that looked great when their
advertisements hit the internet last fall but they still aren't in the market.
Go to
this website for excellent trail camera information:
February
6, 2010
Take a
look at what's new in 2010.
Well,
time to start looking for the next great trail camera. Right now the Reconyx
Camera is by far the best in the
industry. But unless somebody sends one to me
in the mail, I am not going to spend the $600. It's just too much of a risk in
the areas I hunt. There are some new things coming out and I am anxious to read
the reviews and add one or two to my inventory. The Moultrie I45 and I65 were a
bust in 2009. The cameras never lived up to the hype. The word is Moultrie is
already revamping the line-up.
I plan
to "go small" in my inventory. I really like the Bushnell Trophy Cams
but have ran into a situation where a bad batch at Cabela's required me to go
through 5 different cameras before I found one on the fifth try that didn't have
problems with the LCD screen.
I plan
to really consider a camera that has audio with video. Some already exist.
My
ideal camera will include:
-
Use
of AA batteries with battery life in the 6 month range
-
Burst
mode of 3 or more pictures
-
Included
security
-
Choice
of picture and video
-
Decent
infrared flash for IR cameras
-
A
white flash camera with dependable battery life and quality picture
-
Price
in the $200 range or less
I
learned in 2009 that the large cameras spook the deer when they see them on the
side of a tree especially when the cameras are in a security box. So if anybody
wants to send me a camera to try in 2010, I'm sure I can find a tree that a nice
Iowa whitetail walks by every now and then. See our photos page.
2009
Bushnell
Trophy Cam
Wanted
one of the new, small cameras that could run on AA batteries. Decided to
purchase a Bushnell Trophy Cam due to its somewhat positive reviews. Have been
putting it through the home testing regimen. So far so good except the switch is
a little touchy when going from the On to Setup mode.
Pros
