Robert
A trail camera’s primary mission is to offer you a hunting advantage. Even though we’d all like to be in the woods round the clock, we can’t (life happens, right?). Still, you can supervise the domain with a trail camera!
When used accordingly, a trail camera could be life changing. As a hunter, using such a unit could seriously maximize the success rate of your hunting ventures.
Of course, if you want that to happen, the product you choose matters, just as much as your hunting technique. So, today we have a product review for you – pros, cons, our experience with the unit, and other valuable tips. Let’s get started!
About The Product
The 2nd generation version of this camera is a reliable product. The manufacturer included the lens, sensor and LED section of the camera in a separate airtight compartment.
Without further ado, we present to you the main characteristics of this tool.
- Photo Resolution – You can choose from four options: low (0.9 MP), medium (2.0 MP), high (4.0 MP) and enhanced (10.0 MP). We recommend you to use the enhanced setting if you need print-quality shots. Otherwise, the other options will do, since they use less of the card’s memory capacity
- Video Resolution – The camera features two video resolution alternatives, as well: VGA (640×480) and HD with sound 1080p (1280×720)
- Batteries – The unit necessitates 8 AA batteries. We recommend Lithium since they work best in cold weather conditions
- Storage – It is compatible with memory cards up to 32 GB. Note that the camera doesn’t come with a card
- Trigger Speed – Less than 1 second
- Ease of use – The practical design makes this gadget easy to set up and operate. You can even see photos in low-lighting conditions, thanks to the LCD view screen
- Durable case design – This unit is created to meet the specifications of the roughest environments. Still, apart from durability, the item is adequately concealed, so that it doesn’t draw any unnecessary attention
The Results
The camera incorporates a nice blend of characteristics. It features an Eye-Fi branded SD card that enables you to connect to a Wi-Fi network. That could be convenient especially if you want to upload the photographs on the Internet.
Secondly, each picture presents a range of useful information such as date, time, temperature and moon phase. From our point of view, this is an important feature. We always look at this information to establish certain patterns in the animals’ behavior.
You can also select the memory management feature. For example, you can choose the overwrite mode. This option deletes old photos when the card is full.
Moving on to the ease of use, we can say that both inexperienced and experienced users should easily navigate through the settings. The mounting strap is useful for securing the trail camera to a tree.
Another nice feature is that you can introduce a 5-digit security code, for safety reasons. The invisible flash, of course, is worth mentioning. That means this unit captures decent pictures of the game from approximately 70 feet, without being discernable.
Also, due to the improvement in image compression and camera operation, this unit has enhanced battery life. In other words, you can expect taking up to 17,000 images before changing the batteries.
What Other People Say
As we do with every product review, we always assess what other customers say. So, most users were pretty happy with the product.
The quality of daytime photographs is significantly better than in the case of nighttime pictures.
Other customers were happy that the batteries lasted for an extended timeframe.
The general view is that the unit is a budget choice that performs well for the price.
What We Like
As we already said, the manufacturer has significantly improved the battery life of the device. So, you won’t have to worry about replacing the batteries every two months. With the right settings, you could definitely leave the unit up to eight months on a tree without needing to change the batteries.
Secondly, daytime pictures feature first-class quality. The colors are vivid and sharp. The built-in internal viewer is also a handy feature. And, most importantly, at daytime, the camera captures excellent photos without distorting the coloring excessively. We observed minimal blur in the case of moving animals.
What We Don’t Like
There isn’t such thing as a perfect product. Hence, this unit has its flaws as well. For example, it has slow recovery time. Apart from that, the python lock bracelet could be enhanced.
Secondly, even though the night pictures have decent flash range, some can be blurry or a tad grainy. Overall, we would have to say that the night pictures are still above average, which is decent. Moving on to the detection range, it is of 50 ft., according to the manufacturer’s information.
Source: Moultriefeeders.com
If we were to consider today’s standards, this is below average. On the whole, the detection circuit could seriously be enhanced. Even so, it is fast enough for most trail camera users.
Buying Advice
Moultrie is a top producer of game cameras. Every product stands by its high-quality craftsmanship, including a standard one-year warranty. If you get the product from Amazon, you benefit from free shipping. Of course, from time to time, there are other offers, as well.
Considering the price – under $150 – we find that this gadget is a decent purchase that reaches its purpose. It’s a great buy especially if you are on a budget.
Final Thoughts
In the long run, the Moultrie Game Spy Trail Camera features wonderful vivid colors on daytime videos and pictures. It also has excellent battery life and a handy built-in viewer.
As for the flaws, the minor case design and the average detection circuit could do with some improvements. Apart from that, this is an excellent item that hunters will find particularly useful.
This item is a reliable, reasonably priced trail camera that delivers most of the features that hunters are looking for. It’s true that you can choose from other more qualitative products, but they come at higher rates.
