Each year we are aggravated inside because of the anticipation of not
knowing what the upcoming year will provide in scouting
camera family. Things have changed so much the past two
years to where it is nearly impossible to read the
market. Unless you have a good inside source the
information becomes very protected. We cannot blame the
producers for this because the speed that a new
innovation can be copied and marketed is absolutely
unreal. The series of trade shows that happen each year
covering the hunting industry that now also allows
Scouting Cameras as part of their scheme is growing at a
record speed. The mention five years ago of scouting
cameras was very few and far between but the
addiction/popularity has grown. The way that many
individuals get hooked on trail cameras almost would
come under some of the controlled substance laws.
With this new year the advertising by the producers has mellowed down to
where truth in advertising means something. The
outlandish claims seen as late as last year have gone
away after we proved through our review testing that the
function of the camera did not match the advertising
claim. The stack of brochures from the shows however
does not match the number of active producers of
scouting cameras. The early release of new products that
proved to be very profitable the past two years has not
caught on yet and a few of the die hard producers are
sticking to that May/June to get the word out. This
means that the probing E mails and phone calls have to
be made so that I can produce this information in a
timely manner to those who habit requires a fix to get
well.
This report will give as much data as possible and keep it short enough
to where all will read. To much information has a
tendency to get skimmed over and not read. We will
provide pictures as much as possible and include
specifications in general.
BuckeyeCam
This is a high end company that produces some of the best cameras ever.
Not any where near the mini size of some cameras the
physical size is required because they have chosen to
use the SLA batteries to power their cameras. These
batteries along with the optional solar panels can keep
one of these cameras in the field for a year on a single
charge. They come in two options, the red flash and
black flash versions. Both are a 54 count array with out
an overlay filter. Each of these units (red/black flash)
comes in one of three configurations. The Apollo which
is a stand alone version and the Orion that comes in the
5060-2 wireless (radio) and the 5030-3 PC based
(cellular) system. The resolution is .3, .8, 1.3, and
3.1 Mp with a 1 second to 2 hours delay and trigger time
of .02 seconds.
Spypoint
This growing company has become a real player in the market and has
begun to turn out products that operate and function
very well. They are going to maintain the same units
they released late last year that proved to be very
popular. They are also releasing two new for 2010
cameras in red flash 46 count array cameras. These will
be the mini versions the same size as last years Pro X
cameras that quite a few folks fell in love with.
According to the marketing people at this company these
two new cameras will have very good trigger times. Let’s
hope this is fact and not a little bit of that last
years hype still slipping in this year. They kept the
removable camera where the case can be left on the tree
and the camera can be removed and worked with and
returned to the case and still maintain the aim. Their
product line has shown very good improvement each year
so we expect to find very little negative things to
report.
Stealth Cam
These people have always been a strong player with a wide number of
offerings. They seem to just up grade last years models
to a higher ratting in some cases or then surprise us
and come out with a new market trend. The Sniper 5 mp 36
count IR red flash and 8 Mp white flash appear to be the
same this year. The OW 250IR is a 45 count IR red flash
with a new 168 degree wide angle lens in a new style
case. I wanted more information on this camera but after
35 minutes and my phone battery going dead I guess I
will have to do with what I have now. Next is the
Prowler which is 8 mp 54 count IR red flash which is
about the same as last year except Video has gone to
1080p with sound. The Rouge will remain the same as last
year which is a 38 count IR red flash. The really big
news is the introduction of the Unit mini cam 4X6 inch
38 count IR red flash in 8 mp with 2X and 4X zoom. The
zoom business has not yet been explained to me due to
someone forgetting what that ringing noise means to
answer someone that is on hold. The dream has been in
the past for Stealth to get their trigger times down to
match their other great features that they build into
their cameras. Wildview will remain the same with their
5 mp 24 count IR red flash and 2 MP white flash. EZ cam
remains un changed. Reviews will tell as the cameras
become available.
Leaf River
This very strong dependable company seems to stick with what works. They
will keep the existing camera from last year but will
call them the IR-5 and IR-7 this year. These will be a
36 count IR array 5 and 7 mp cameras. They are sticking
to a minimum delay of 1 minute but they have a multi
shot programmable option where if motion is present the
camera will take the second and third shot to capture
what ever caused the additional motion. The general
appearance is the same as last year. One thing that we
have found out is that the black flash extender from
UWAY works exceptionally well with the IR-7 camera where
it has the option to switch off the array. The market
price should be very much in line where a combination
purchase of a IR-7 camera and a Uway XtendIR B would be
fairly close to some of the cost of many red flash
cameras and result in a very functional black flash
setup.
Moultrie
My last year’s heart break was named Moultrie. Big hype and little to
show or prove the rascals claims. This year a reserved
but somewhat positive approach to their product claims.
First off a non trail camera but should be of interest
to those who are interested in trail cameras. This is an
action cam similar to the Epic from Stealth last year
but is 5 MP and also will mount to about anything with a
bunch of attachments. I like this kind of stuff so I had
to give it a mention. The GS D-50 is the old style basic
white flash camera in the same case as last years D-40.
One more step up is the GS-D55 which is a 5mp white
flash camera in a slick camo new style case. This is a
standard front door style and not the lunch box design
from last year. Works of 6 C cells and will take a 16
gig SD card This should be a workhorse like the D-50/40
and carries many of the same specifications. This case
design is a big improvement over the water and trash
collection lunch box. Moving on up we have the GS 55IR
which is a 5 mp 28 count array red flash. Packaged in
the same style case as the white flash version it is
also a very good looking camera and seems to appear very
solid. Both of the 55 series have one minute minimum
delay but they have a burst 3 mode that will capture 3
pictures with a 10 second delay between shots to catch
that buck following the doe in if this mode is selected.
One more step forward and we have the GS I-35 a 4 mp 28
count IR red (maybe lo glow) array that has up graded
specs from the 55 cameras with more resolutions and also
being compatible with the optional cell based game
management system. The M 45/65series from last year did
not make it out even though it appeared in the catalogs.
It is again advertised and we hope to see it out this
time. This cam is built in the lunch box case which we
really found not to our liking last year even though it
is tight and solid. Getting to white flash through the
use of a 60 count white IR array is new and impressive
because of the ability to have color night video. This
will be one cam to watch user’s reaction to. Full blown
credentials, yet untried by the public we think we will
see a strong following to these two cameras. They both
are also compatible with the game Moultrie management
system also. The flag ships are the I-45s and the I-65s
lunchbox cameras. Slap full of features plus a high
count low glow IR array makes these cameras very sought
after provided the reviews find them performing up to
the standards outlined in their advertising. My un
happiness with the lunch box design was because of
multiple occasions where we has water or trash fall down
the SD card slot while servicing the camera. Once
learned tricks kept things going without problems unless
we had damp conditions where water would fall out of the
leaves down onto the camera or pieces of bark from the
tree falling. These occasions we had to remove the cam
from the tree and service the camera.
Bushnell
Well all we could find from these people was three little cameras. This
cannot amount to nothing packaged in a 3.5X5.5 inch box.
Well the disbelievers got a real wakeup last year when
Bushnell hit the market early and gobbled up the
consumer’s usable space in their trail cam budget. A big
ole 2 year warranty and highly functional camera brought
on a big following. There was some rough times when
their supplier went south on a couple of components last
year but things are back in line and now they have
learned to keep a tight reign on this supplier QC has
been reported to be much higher. Not an exact clone of
last years Trophy Cam they did keep the same basic look
but upgraded picture and flash quality. All three cams
will have a red flash 32 count IR array. The resolution
has now moved 3, 5, and on up to 8 mp. The video is
wide-view 720X480 format 1 second to 60 minutes in
length. Standard flat brown color (nice) easy to hide
and the Bone Collector has a tan camo
look while the brown 119-455 has the 2" Color viewing
screen. Memory card size has been
increased to 16 gigs and battery life says should last
up to a year. I bet there are a few of the addicts that
will say “I gots to have one of these”.
Predator
We have watched this camera company gain maturity and things appear to
be much better this year. The guys that started black
flash have come a long way in their technology and I
will give them a giant thumbs up in this years
advertising. Starting off with the Informer XP a 3.2
day/1.3 night mp camera with a new type of large 10
count IR array. There is no mention in their material as
the flash being red/black/white but labeled as being
“nearly impossible to detect” which leads us to assume
it is very low glow orange like last years Moultrie.
Built in a very good strong weather resistant camo case
it makes for a very good looking camera. Specifications
like under a 1 second trigger time and video with sound
are just a few of the goodies. On up the line is the
Trail eye (two models) 5 mp having a 5 count array and
looks like maybe one is white so we think this will be
like Moultrie and have a low glow in one model and a
white flash in the other all accomplished with these new
emitters. Their external battery is something that
should catch a lot of folk’s eye. It is an exceptional
design that mounts with its own bracket to the tree and
is about the same color as the Bushnell brown that melts
into the background.
We have spent the week since receiving the new Cabelas
Archery catalog asking different Predator cam vendors as
to just what we will see actually delivered to the
consumer should he/she decides to purchase one of these
cameras. The problem is that what was displayed in the
company brochure from the shows is very much different
from what is now being displayed in the 2010 Cabelas
Archery catalog. There are a number of discrepancies and
we would like to have the final pictures and
specifications along with the proper names of these
cameras to post so the consumer gets exactly what they
order. We had a similar situation last year with this
company where the advertising did not match the actual
product that was received by the customer. This is not
to say that it is a bad product we are only saying that
the customer should know what will come out of the box
once it has been ordered and received.
Reconyx
This word always seems to turn a head when mentioned around the scouting
camera crowd. It is synonymous with quality. Their
advertising even seems to come below the actual
capabilities of their product. These are just first
class people to work with and believe me they do support
their product. Last year I caught the rumor of a mini
camera coming from Reconyx and when I asked the
management about it they told me they would have to kill
me if I mentioned it to the public. I just about kept my
word but last month I let that word slip out. Since then
the shows have happened and now the following are on the
edge of their seats waiting for them to be released
(May) maybe. Being just 4.5X5.5 inches in size with a
thickness of 3 inches makes it qualify for the mini
market. The super clean array mask that they developed
is a real great idea. To break up that large expanse of
shiny black glass covering the array is absolutely
genius. Having all the specifications that make the cam
addicts drool except standard video. In its place they
have “near video” 1080p 2fps which works great. A sack
full of lithium (12) 8X will keep this cam out in the
field for a year and the 4 gig card can hold 15000
pictures. Two flash styles are available, the first is
the black flash and the other is a very low glow red
flash. A pipe through built into the case for security
is another first in a commercial camera.
Recon
Another all American company that has been in our firm appreciation for
providing to the scouting camera market cameras that
work and just don’t break. I can say that our first
Recon is still ticking and has no intentions of going
bad. These folks build about as good a solid camera as
you can need. Weak areas have been their battery holder
but ours still work so they can’t be to bad. Last year
these people went through all the R&D plus substantial
marketing only to have them shut out of a vital
component during the production start-up. As a result
their new “Viper” camera never made it to the stores.
The disappointment was voiced throughout the country.
Nothing could be done until the circuitry could be re
engineered to the point to exceed last year’s
expectations. Mean while they were still providing the
Extreme series cameras which will last through this year
then. Along with the Extreme the viper will see the
sores this year. Two versions having 2&4 mp ratings with
a very high grade image processor should give some super
sharp pictures. Remember this is a tiny camera that fits
into a tree holder (mini back pack) and is elliptical in
shape and just plain good looking. They have had an
additional year to make sure things are exactly as they
should be. I have had this camera on my list just after
the number one for a whole year now. They promised that
we will not be disappointed with its function and
trigger times.
Uway
From 08 into 09 we had cameras coming a company called HCO and they
built a real big loyal following because of their
support plus having a product that cost less and
performed better than much more expensive competitive
cameras. As the year progressed there were some
difficulties in China where the manufacture/supplier had
internal company issues. There were periods of time
where the manufacture support was weak and this
reflected all the way down the chain to the consumer.
Realizing the problem of not having control of what the
manufacturing facility was doing cause them to search
for their won facility to build products. A solid year
of hard work coming from scratch with a set of ideas
this company now carries the name of Uway. This year
they are offering 4 of their own cameras and two flash
accessories. The first camera is the NT-50 5 mp 40 count
red flash array. This camera is supposed to have a 1
second trigger time and a far reaching flash. Video with
sound in 620X480 resolutions having a 1 to 60 second
programmed length. This camera is stuffed full of
features and is small enough to fit in your hand.
Security is also built in and a optional box is
available for high risk areas. This is a deluxe camera
in every way. We were fortunate enough to follow it
through its development and we know of no short cuts
taken. Quality was the first issue on every move during
development. Let’s hope this new facility can keep that
in mind during the assembly of each unit. Next is the
NY-50B 50 count array
BLACK flash
which makes this the third camera to hit the market
producing a successful black flash. This camera will
have a price that is below the two black flash cameras
but they are US made and it is this company’s intention
to show that quality can also come from a Chinese built
camera and still have a reasonable low price. The NT
series cams utilize a wireless remote for all the camera
function. Next is the larger (still palm size) NX series
which are 5 mp 28 count red flash cameras. These are a
little larger but having about the same specifications
as the NT cameras. They are only divided by one having
just an LCD for programming and the other a view screen
to program and view pictures in the field. New to the
scouting camera world is the introduction of a flash
extender by this company. It is called the XtendIR and
comes in two versions. Each unit has three programmable
banks that allow you to select the distance you wish to
cover with the flash. Not using all the banks will also
conserve on battery life. Being that the market has
pushed a ton of IR cameras (red flash) out there that
have very limited flash range and results in a lot of
pictures with the shine of distant eyes as the picture.
The red flash XtendIR can work in conjunction with the
existing flash of it can be covered and just use the
extenders flash. Field test show great success with this
device and it brings new life to a lot of old cameras
that got shelved because of weak flash. This same
XtendIR is also available in Black flash and how this
works is you cover the flash on your existing red flash
camera and the extender provides the black flash. Most
cameras that have been produced will be able to see the
black flash and record it through its image sensor. The
advantage to this is that the animals cannot see the
black flash like they spook from seeing the red flash.
Primos
New this year with their own line of cameras Primos has jumped in with
both feet. We heard the news through one its competitors
and when we began investigating we found a ton of
information that was very informative and pleasant in
nature. First off we will talk about their Truth Cam X
which is a very deluxe little camera that supports less
than a 1 second trigger time pushing a 62 count IR red
flash down range to 65 feet. Password protected picture
plus video rated at 7, 5, 3.1, 1.3 mp pictures and
620X440 video. Powered by 4 D cells the battery life
should be great. They also sell a optional articulating
tree mount for this camera. Next is their standard
cameras that are of a more traditional design. The model
numbers Truth Cam 35, 46, 60 which equates to the flash
IR count in their respective arrays. The 35 series is
dark green and the other two are in the Matrix camo
pattern. From the bottom to the top they have the
following MP ratings, 35 cam 3 mp, 46 cam 5 mp, 60 cam 7
mp. Prices range from a low of $119 to the top model
costing $279 which puts these cams in competition with
about al the Moultrie and Stealth cameras.
Hunten Outdoors
New to the market this year and they bring a whole line of cameras with
them. They are in appearance very much like the WGI
cameras we tested last year. We have those pictures and
specifications but we are not going to display them
because as of now their web site is not up and running
so we have no idea whether or not they are going to be a
player in the market this year. Once we get information
of them being in business and the site is up and running
we will update this section with their data.
WGI Wild Game Innovations
We have contacted them but as of this time they do not have the
brochures ready but will provide that information
shortly. They became a strong competitor with some new
cameras last year and we expect a good surprise again
this year.
Here are the two
PDF Brochures for this years line up.:
Brochure_1
Brochure_2
DLC Covert
They have been busy out of town when contacted and will provide
information soon on what to expect from this company
once they get back home.
Cudde
No word from the shows
and no one answers the phone???????????????
Day6Outdoors.com
Plot Watcher
PDF Brochure on PlotWatcher
Press release (word document)
