Wow, I can't believe all the reviews in process this year and nothing on any of the newer flash cameras. It definitely seems like an IR partial review of cameras this year.

I guess I'm the odd man out here, I really can't bring myself to justify the added expense of IR cameras to get black & white night pictures and the other problems that go with IR cameras when they both seem to scare the deer just as much as the other.

So I'm ready to buy a D-55 Flash version and the one quesiton I have is has anyone that has purchased one been able to test the trigger speed and if so can you give an estimate of trigger time? The D-40's are fast at less than 2 seconds, I would hope that same kind of trigger time followed the D-55.

_________________
1 Spypoint FL-A (2010)
2 Moultrie D-40's
1 Stealthcam (Old 1.3 Mp Still Going...)

I have a D55 and am not to thrilled with it. Best I can tell, the trigger is 4 to 5 seconds and that is if it wakes up to take a pic. I tested it in my hallway and living room with poor results and some said to put it outside and give it a chance so I did. I strapped it to a tree in my backyard. I left it out for about 4 hours while I sawed up some trees. Got a pic of myself heading back in after cutting but it didn't get me walking out to cut. Got a few of my dog while she was eating a hot dog bun I had thrown in front of the cam. My son walked directly in front of and to the camera and waved and it didn't take a pic. Not sure how the sleep mode works but I have walked up to it and and the led says "waking up" and after a minute or so it will take a pic. I had a wildview Extreme 3 for several years and it took 1000's of pics with no problems and had a 2 second trigger. Thief liked it too I guess. Lots of people hate the WV's but it worked great for me. Guess what it boils down to is there are good ones and bad ones in all of em' and unfortunately, it seems I got a lemon. T post is satisfied with his and a friend of mine just ordered 2 of the D55's so I am hoping he will have better luck. I'll post when he tries them out.

Rob

Sorry..that is not a good method to judge a game camera.

Here's your answer.
I found a cool on-line stopwatch:
http://www.online-stopwatch.com/full-screen-stopwatch/
I hit the F11 key to put my IE into full-screen mode ~ set my netbook on a bar stool ~ put my D55 on another barstool facing the netbook ~ leaving enough distance for me to walk through between the camera and netbook ~ clicked my wireless mouse button to start the stopwatch as I walked in front of the camera.

Results are an honest 3 seconds. I did this 9 times, same results each time. Zooming in to read the hundredths display; the average is about 3.3 seconds.

_________________
Pat Murphy

I'm a micro manufacturer and on-line seller of Trail Camera Mounts and Accessories.
Please visit my store.
Details & Free Shipping: http://www.murphymetalart.com/trailcameramounts.html

Well, I clicked on Tposts stop watch link and got 3.4 to 3.6 consistently. As consistent as I could anyway by clicking a mouse when tripping the cam and when the flash goes off. May just hang the thing at the farm and see what happens. I do like the way the cam looks and the ease of setting it up. I'll post pics in a week or so.

Rob

Hey Rob,

Hopefully you'll be pleasantly surprised....cuz I've been feeling kinda bad that you bought it on my recommendation and were disappointed. Looking forward to seeing your pics.

I found a better on-line stopwatch; this one has larger numerals to the right of the decimal:
http://stopwatch.onlineclock.net/

_________________
Pat Murphy

I'm a micro manufacturer and on-line seller of Trail Camera Mounts and Accessories.
Please visit my store.
Details & Free Shipping: http://www.murphymetalart.com/trailcameramounts.html

For a cam used ONLY at feeders or bait sites, trigger speed is virtually meaningless.

_________________
Bryan Kinkel
BSK Consulting
Specializing in small land management

T-post great idea finding the online stopwatch. Thanks guys for posting your results. I might have to give the Spypoint a try afterall, it's trigger time is 2 seconds.

_________________
1 Spypoint FL-A (2010)
2 Moultrie D-40's
1 Stealthcam (Old 1.3 Mp Still Going...)

The Spypoint FLA looks like a nifty little camera. My only objection is that at night the deer's eyes glow in huge circles. Look at the photos in Anthony's review to see what I mean. The Moultrie Game Spy used to do this 10 years ago; it bugged the heck out of me.

_________________
Pat Murphy

I'm a micro manufacturer and on-line seller of Trail Camera Mounts and Accessories.
Please visit my store.
Details & Free Shipping: http://www.murphymetalart.com/trailcameramounts.html