|
2012
Stealth Cam Shadow 54/36 count black flash* 8 MP digital
camera Report
Six inches tall and four and a half inches wide this camera is built
with that Delta 8, 3 D type housing. The color is 3D
flat black and it sticks out off the tree two inches.
There are strap loops and no bark grabbers on the back
like the Delta 8. Case components are much lighter gage
than the Delta 8 case also. We have chosen two cameras
to report on this year and this one is one of them. The
other was going to be the “Core” but it is a relabeled
Titan from last year which we had and returned this will
probably be replaced with a BF Wildview. Strap and (no
USB cable) instructions were in the box. Door has a full
rubber gasket for weather seal. Tri pod insert on the
bottom center of the case.
This is the first camera in what they advertised as being “no glo” that is coming
from this company this year. The evaluation of visible flash
distance will be evaluated to ensure that it is a true
black flash or not. Trigger speed is advertized as 1
second and last years like claim on this company's
cameras was never met so we must also look very close at
this claim. The flash range is also advertized to be out
to 50 feet. Video is programmable from 5 to 240 seconds
and does not have sound. Maximum SD card size is 16 GB.
Multi-shot burst mode can be set up to 9 shots. Delay
time is advertized from 0 to 59 seconds and 0 to 59
minutes. There is no image view screen, only LCD plus buttons for
programming. Info strip on pictures include date/time
and moon phase/temperature. Camera operates off 8 AA
cells or external battery through a bottom port. There
is a programmable 2X and 4X digital zoom feature.
Documentation was average and understandable. There are
also time lapse capabilities through the programming.
Picture count displayed on small front LCD.
-
Resolution: 8 MP
-
Trigger Speed: 1 second
-
IR or Incandescent: Black Flash
Infrared
-
Flash Range: Up to 50 Feet
-
Video: Yes, 5-240 seconds
-
Audio on Video: No
-
Memory Card Type: SD, SDHC
-
Memory Card Size: Will accept up
to 16 GB Card
-
Memory Card Included: No
-
Multi-shot: Yes, up to 9 shots
-
Programming Method: LCD Menu
-
Viewing Screen: No
-
Battery Type: 8 AA
-
Batteries Included: No
-
Photo Stamping: Time & Date, Moon
Phase, Temperature
-
Time Lapse Mode: Yes
-
External Display: Yes, picture
count
-
Camera Dimensions: 6" x 4.5" x 2"
The programming is straight forward menu driven buttons and LCD screen.
There is no built in security on this camera. *Dark room
observation of the array (switch selectable to 36 or 54)
at 3+ feet during triggers indicated a barely visible
glow. This observation would take it out of the
black flash category and put it in the very low glow
category. (See insert copied from manuals frequently
asked questions below which calls it low glow)
01-21-2011 update: Trigger testing resulted in a time of
1.7 seconds with out flash and 1.5 seconds with flash
which exceeds advertized time of
one second by
a half a second with flash and seven tenths second
without flash which is much greater than one second.
Delay time on the 5 second setting is timed at 11
seconds on average.
01-22-2012 update: This update will deal
with the audio on video function. The manual does not
state that there is audio with the video but the picture
diagram does however show that there is suppose to be a
microphone. I then went to the sales brochure and it
also does not state this either. I then scanned the
specifications listed on the site where I purchased the
camera from and those specifications clearly state no
sound on video. One of our forum users has notified that
he also has this camera and it does in fact have audio
on the video. We have had this exact thing happen
previously from this company before and we also had to
make a correction to the report at that time. Because of
this we now must say that this camera does have audio
with the video mode.
The
flash range tests (see pictures below) show about 25
feet on the 36 count setting and about 30 feet on the 54
count setting. The sensing was consistent 40 feet at 57
degrees.
02-02-2012 update: We have had absolutely
no interest in this camera for some reason. We did not
get any daytime pictures or low resolution pictures as
the deer are just cooperating. We are going to close
this review and report on the battery life when ever
that happens.
03-10-2012 update: This camera took 26 video
clips and 450 photos in a period of 3 weeks and the
batteries were dead.
|
