Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)After looking at a game camera for some time, I happened across this model as a starting camera for me. I bought it at a local sporting goods store in northern lower Michigan.
Took this unit out to the woods at a friends farm for a test. We set it up on the side of a road running through the property, 90 degrees to the roadway at a height of 7 feet above the ground (see my sample pictures on the product page). Fresh batteries and a 32 MB SD card -- walked away for 9 days. Here is what we learned.
The Good:
* The day and night pictures were 4.0 MP in size (2272 x 1704)
* The flash will throw out just about 40' from the unit (see sample pic's with product)
* The color balance is quite good for a lower price, fixed focus camera
* The pictures are approx. 1 meg in size, unlike the stated 500K size
* The passive infrared motion sensor works out to 40', if aimed properly
* Battery life is quite good -- even after 12 days, the battery level was at 3/4
* The supplied bungee cords held the camera steady against the mounting point
The Bad:
* When you arm the camera, one shot goes off each time
* The power down button has to be pressed twice to turn the camera off -- bad in the rain
* The SD card appears not to be hot swappable -- you have to turn the camera off first
* The flash angle is quite narrow -- only the center portion of the frame is flash filled, edges are black
* NO provision to install an SD card larger than 2.0 GB, which is getting hard to find today
* The internal 64 MB (not 16 MB as advertised) internal flash memory cannot be cleared w/o a computer
* "C" cell batteries -- why not "D" cell -- longer life in the field and far less costly
The Ugly:
* There is a six (6) second shutter delay from when the motion sensor is triggered and the picture is taken
* There is NO menu option to change this 6 second delay
* Unless it is really bright outside, the shutter speed is very slow -- blurred still pics
Having learned from this camera, we are relegating it to a different area where the Bad and Ugly factors will be less critical. If you are not worried about cross road pictures, this is a great camera for it. If you really want to capture live action, look elsewhere. The 6 second delay is a real show stopper.
*****
10/20/2009 Update
Reviewed the latest pictures from this unit last evening, after the camera was placed back into the woods for two additional weeks.
Unfortunately, we positioned the camera in a "dead zone" of wildlife. The only pictures we got were the camera mounting and unmounting. Those pictures came out clear. Again, the 6 second trigger delay factor was apparent in the repositioning process. There has to be some firmware adjustment made to lessen the delay factor. A real disappointment.
The upside -- With over 30 days of use on these batteries, the battery level remained at 3 out of 4 bars, even with the temperatures dropped into the lower 20's at night for a number of nights in a row. The life will decrease when the unit is actually taking nighttime IR pictures. If nothing happens, I don't know how long the batteries will last?
*****
11/12/2009 Update
Three more weeks in the woods with more deer pictures. The 6 second delay remains a problem. Battery level remains at 3/4 bars.
I tried to write Customer Support on a couple occasions inquiring about modification to the trigger time in the initialization file. Going to the Wildgame Innovations website for support -- support will NOT even take my support question. There is some problem contacting support with an initialization error when the inquiry is submitted. It seems to me that Wildgame doesn't really care about their customers who may have problems with their product. I just hope the unit doesn't fail within the warranty period -- I may be out in the cold.
Giving CS issues via their only contact medium for support, the official Wildgame website, I'm lowering my rating to 2 stars. CS is where Wildgame stumble completely. Fortunately for me, the game cam still works.
*****
11/22/2009 -- Update
Hunting season has ended in northern Michigan as of Friday. Yes, we were successful.
Since I couldn't get through to CS, I did some additional experimentation on this camera. Trigger response time -- I brought a good digital stopwatch up with me, calibrated the internal camera clock to my atomic update watch and ran some exposure/trigger tests. The daytime firing of the picture is 2 seconds from first trigger and an additional 4 seconds to write the file to the card/internal memory. The firmware was modified from the original specs on the package and web site, so it blinks green only when the camera is ready to fire again, not that the camera took the picture in the first place. Night trigger time is the same and the write speed is a bit slower.
The camera EXIF tag shows all pictures -- day and night -- exposure time a 1/11 second and F3.61 aperture value. To me, this is grossly unacceptable -- some programmer at Wildgame Innovations clearly is not a photographer in the design of this unit. This explains why moving objects are blurry/fuzzy, unless the dumb game is standing still.
One final point -- I finally replaced the batteries (2 out of 4 bars) in my camera so I can leave it on a trail over the winter. When I put the new set of batteries in, the one positive terminal was not making contact with the battery. It was pushed back into the case housing. Since the warranty is useless, I cracked open the case. Much to my surprise, three of the four battery contact points, held in my plastic clips BROKE OFF! I had to reglue them to get the camera just to work. It sits in the woods now -- I will redeal with it in the spring.
I have, again, lowered my rating to 1 star, now based upon the broken plastic battery clips, CS issues and the trigger time with the unusually long exposure time in daylight pictures. I don't recommend this unit, or similar design Wildgame Innovations camera to anyone for reasons stated above.
****
12/12/2009 -- Update
We made it back up north today just as a major snow storm blew into the area. We retrieved the camera (before resetting it in the woods again, now in 30" of snow in a bad location) with 218 pictures of deer this time. All nighttime photos with the flash reaching out just over 40'. One rainy night photos produced streaks of light in the picture when the raindrops lite up when IR flash fired.
The shining spot -- the battery levels continue to amaze me -- 218 flash pictures later with fresh Duracell "C" batteries, the battery bar remain at 3/4. The reglued battery clips (see above) have held solid, even when the temps have dropped into the lower single digits overnight.
When we retrieve the camera next March, the real test will come. This camera is mounted along side it's lower powered brother -- a 1.3 MP trail cam made my Wildgame Innovations (see my review of that camera also).
*****
3/22/2010 - Update
This camera survived the harsh winter in northwestern lower Michigan. No pictures of any consequence, just like the 1.3 MP deer camera. The camera was working fine and took my picture as I was walking up to it. There appears to be no hibernation issues, unlike some game cameras out there.
Battery life still amazes me. The camera battery meter registered 2 out of 4 bars. These batteries were NOT changed in December, but last changed in late November 2009 -- 4 months in the field and over 200 pictures, mostly flash pictures on this set of batteries. The battery clips held after being reglued. Battery voltage tested between 1.335 and 1.411 volts after 4 months in the woods (Duracell batteries). This was unlike the 1.3 MP camera.
We reset this camera in a known hot area and we will retrieve it in mid-April.
*****
5/31/2010 - Last Update
Went back up north this weekend to retrieve this camera. Some nogoodnick stole it. No more updates about this model in the future.
Last point -- I will NOT replace it with this model in the future. My search now begins for a better replacement.
*****
8/18/2010 - 2010 Model now available
WGI released their 2010 deer cam line up with an updated version of this model camera. A friend of mine picked one up (cheap locally) and we are testing it. I'm working with him and will post a more comprehensive review once Amazon starts to sell the 2010 model. Preliminarily, it looks better than the 2009 model with more up-to-date specs. Stay tuned.
*****
10/08/2010
Amazon only carries the Wildgame Innovations IR5 5.0MP Digital Game Scouting Camera with Infrared Flash. I posted my 2010 IR4 model review under this camera, since all components are the same except the CCD camera sensor. Disappointing.
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Wildgame Innovations® 4.0MP IR Digital Game Camera
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