BolyGuard SG520/August 04, 2017
So, you say you need a small camera?
Well, I believe I have found what you are looking for. Bolymedia, the creators of the small and revolutionary Scoutguard SG550, has introduced yet another small camera this year. The Bolyguard SG520 is an extremely small sized scouting camera and touted as the smallest scouting camera on the market. It uses only 4 AA batteries internally. The SG520 sports a small 1.44″ color LCD display screen which is mounted on the front of the camera rather than the inside. This camera utilizes only four low glow LEDs for its night imaging.
The surface of the camera, while not molded with a texture, has a matt finish in an olive green color.
Although this camera opens like a book, the rear half is merely a cover and the batteries push into the front half. The bottom of the camera has a rubber cover for the external battery port which is labelled 6V. The back of the camera supports a strap and a threaded insert.
Included in the box is a traditional narrow nylon strap with a plastic buckle. I tried to use my favorite Browning strap but it is too wide for the strap slots on the rear of the camera. Fortunately I am able to use my favorite Screw-in Swivel mount from Custom One Enterprises. I took media photos using the screw in mount supplied with the BG962.
Ultimately, I recommend a lock box for this camera for better security and protection even though it is small. Steel lock boxes are available for this unit.
The settings menus are not so familiar to use but the values are actually familiar from my Scoutguard SG550 days and its monochrome remote. The menu layout is somewhat different and I found important settings are under the Advanced menu. Also having only two buttons rather than 4 buttons and an “ok” made for a little work but still I was able to complete the setup without reading the guide. You may want to save yourself some trouble and read the book on using the navigation menus and buttons.
Manufacturer model #: SG520.
Manufacturers specifications:
This camera is one of the smallest game cameras in the market and can be used for digital surveillance, security, hunting, or bird watching. It is triggered by any movement of humans or animals, monitored by a highly sensitive Passive Infrared (PIR) motion sensor, and then automatically captures high quality pictures or records video clips. Designed for outdoor use, there is a built-in color LCD display screen on the camera supports up to 32GB SD/SDHC cards, and is resistant against water and snow.
• Smallest game camera on the market (107x76x40 mm)
• 940nm Low-Glow IR LED lights
| Photo Resolution | Up to 12 MP |
|---|---|
| Video Resolution | Up to 720P |
| Illumination Type | Low-Glow Infrared Flash |
| Illumination Range | 70 ft. |
| Detection Range | 85 ft. |
| Detection Field of View | 55 degrees |
| Video Screen | Built-In 1.44″ LCD |
The MSRP on this camera is around $79.99.
Chasingame Test Results:
| Test Performed | Result |
|---|---|
| Flash Range | Usable flash to 50 feet. Pretty grainy when zoomed. Overall somewhat dim image. |
| Trigger Time without flash | 2.50s |
| Trigger Time with flash | 2.90s |
| Video Trigger Time | 4.00s |
| Photo Recovery Time | 12.50s at 0s interval |
| Video Recovery time | Not Performed |
| Day Range | Decent clarity beyond 50 feet. Natural color. |
| Battery Life | |
| Filter Clunk | No |
| Invisible Flash | Yes |
| Motion Blur | |
| Sensing Test | 60 feet at 78F degrees |
Photo Samples captured in 10MP setting.
Video Samples captured in 720p setting.
2017 Bolymedia Scoutguard SG520 from Chasingame.com on Vimeo.
