Episode #55 - 2020 Cell Camera Test - The Truth and probably some Hurt Feelings

Published: 2021-03-10
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Duration: 86 min

In this episode

announcement

Terry announces he will bring all six test cameras to an upcoming master class so attendees can see, hold, and compare them in person. 36:45

browning

Terry experienced a flood of false triggers on his Browning camera once autumn leaves dropped and sunset glare hit the lens through the trees. 35:40
Terry rates the Browning cell camera about a three out of five for picture quality, calling it middling. 39:21
The Browning cell camera Terry tested retailed for about $300 when he purchased it. 40:49
Terry found Browning’s cell service customer support outsourced to a separate company that repeatedly told him to call another number. 43:10

camera-deployment

Don asks whether Terry actually used the test cameras in the woods this season as part of his hunting setup. 6:15

camera-quality

Terry found through his test that a bigger photo file size does not always mean a clearer picture. 26:19

camera-selection

Terry avoided testing the CudiLink camera system because a close friend of his had used it and had really bad luck with it. 2:44
Don asks Terry how he went about picking the cameras for this trail camera test. 1:45

cell-cameras

Terry argues that no matter how good a camera manufacturer is, cell cameras remain dependent on the cell provider and tower, a constantly shifting target. 21:05
Terry recommends that before buying a cell camera, shoppers call customer service to ask exactly how the camera handles photo transmission and storage. 24:06
Terry advises buyers to consider whether a cell camera’s firmware can be updated remotely, since cellular networks change frequently. 33:20
Don asks whether Terry checked the SD card after his test to see how many pictures were never sent to his phone. 22:21

disclosure

Terry discloses that of the six cameras tested, he has some personal connection to all of them except Browning. 5:49

exodus-render

Terry considers the Exodus Render’s case design, with latches on both sides, better engineered than any other camera in the test. 70:51
Terry says Exodus’s confidence in build quality lets them back the Render camera with a five-year warranty. 71:53
Terry calculates that over the Exodus Render’s five-year warranty period, guaranteed cost of ownership works out to about $67 a year at most. 75:46

photo-sensor

Terry explains photo sensor grade, not advertised megapixel count, determines clarity, noting Reconyx and WiseEye are the only ones using true five-megapixel sensors. 25:26

plan

Terry plans to stop running six competing camera brands and instead stick with just Exodus and WiseEye cameras going forward. 82:00
Terry plans to run similar backyard grid tests this spring on his standard, non-cellular trail cameras to learn their sweet spots too. 82:38
Terry declares he is finished testing cell cameras after this project. 86:00

spypoint

Terry found the SpyPoint Link Micro S case so cheaply made that tightening a zip tie to mount it actually ripped the back of the case apart. 63:14
Terry rates the SpyPoint Link Micro S’s overall picture quality two out of five. 63:33
Terry describes SpyPoint’s customer service as horrendous, a reputation he says is well known across the trail camera industry. 64:05
One advantage Terry credits to SpyPoint is that its cell plan offers unlimited pictures, which he says they get right. 65:24

stealth-cam

Terry jokes that the Stealth Cam is so bad he wouldn’t even use it as a wheel chock for his trailer, calling it the cheapest-designed camera in the test. 66:54 (light moment)
Terry jokes that he plans to have Jeff Hankins shoot the Stealth Cam with a custom muzzleloader at 442 yards to destroy it. 68:59 (light moment)

tacticam-reveal

Terry found a gap in the TactiCam Reveal’s door gasket where it fails to seal against the battery side, predicting it will cause water intrusion over time. 57:53
The TactiCam Reveal generated a lot of buzz this year largely due to its roughly $120 price point. 56:48
At just 18 yards, Terry had trouble identifying which buck was in the TactiCam Reveal’s daytime pictures. 59:04
Despite its flaws, Terry says the TactiCam Reveal is by far the best camera available in its low price point. 60:45
Terry recommends the TactiCam Reveal for budget buyers and says there is no reason anyone should ever buy a SpyPoint or Stealth Cam at any price. 78:15

testing-methodology

Don asks what specific parameters Terry was testing, such as battery life, trigger speed, or missed photos. 10:22

trail-cameras

Terry explains he tested new trail cameras this year because knee surgery limited his ability to travel back and forth to his Illinois hunting property in a vehicle. 1:51
Don recalls buying twelve trail cameras of one particular non-cellular brand last summer. 8:29
Don says before that summer was over, he had to send several of those cameras back for warranty work. 8:42
Terry believes cheaper trail cameras have lower and more variable quality standards in their components than higher-priced units. 9:23
Even the best-performing camera in Terry’s backyard grid test only captured 50 percent of the possible pictures during the simulated deer walks. 20:35
Terry recommends hunters do their own backyard grid test with any trail camera to learn its true performance before relying on it. 31:58
Don says he knows for certain that at least 75 percent of non-cell trail cameras on the market are garbage. 31:34

wiseeye

Terry found the WiseEye camera’s daylight picture and video quality the closest he’s seen to Reconyx quality. 46:11
Terry gives WiseEye a five-out-of-five customer service rating, praising the family-run business’s focus on taking care of customers. 48:00
WiseEye’s Hunt Control photo-management software costs about $5 a month on its own, separate from the roughly $15-a-month cellular data plan. 51:56
Terry ranks WiseEye as having the best photo quality of all six cameras tested, with potential to take market share from Reconyx and Spartan. 77:28

Deer activity

Trump (trail-camera) 12:14
Mel (harvest) 13:00
unnamed buck (trail-camera) 13:15
Joey (harvest) 74:13

Listener questions

Question: Don asks Terry how he went about picking the cameras for this trail camera test. 1:45

Answer: Terry says he identified cameras generating hype online that he had no prior personal experience with, so he could give unbiased feedback. 2:33

Question: Don asks whether Terry actually used the test cameras in the woods this season as part of his hunting setup. 6:15

Answer: Terry says he deployed the cameras across three different Illinois properties in varying environments throughout the hunting season, not just for testing. 7:17

Question: Don asks what specific parameters Terry was testing, such as battery life, trigger speed, or missed photos. 10:22

Answer: Terry says his early field testing focused simply on picture quality, since he couldn’t yet quantify battery life fairly across cameras and environments. 11:32

Question: Don asks whether Terry checked the SD card after his test to see how many pictures were never sent to his phone. 22:21

Answer: Terry says no, explaining that relying on an SD card would defeat the purpose of paying a monthly fee for the cell camera’s data plan. 22:33

Terry and Don reviewed six cellular trail cameras Terry field-tested across three Illinois properties this season, choosing brands generating online hype that he had no prior experience with. Testing focused on picture quality via a backyard grid comparison, where even the best camera only captured half of possible images. Terry rated WiseEye highest for photo quality and customer service, with Exodus close behind for build quality and its five-year warranty working out to about $67 a year at most. Browning rated middling with poor outsourced support, while TactiCam was called the best low-price option despite a case-seal flaw. SpyPoint and Stealth Cam drew harsh criticism for cheap construction and bad service, though SpyPoint’s unlimited photo plan was praised. Terry said he’s done testing cell cameras and will stick with Exodus and WiseEye going forward, next turning his backyard testing method to standard, non-cellular cameras.

Unofficial fan project. AI-synthesized from public episodes; may contain errors.