Bushnell 8MP Trophy Cam HD Max Black LED Trail Camera with Night Vision (Model #119576C)

I just ordered my third Trophy Cam. I put camera number one in use and was satisfied, then bought cam number two (both last year), now adding a third to my hunting efforts. Cams 1 and 2 have been in the field for over a year each, and I have good reviews of both. I use Sanyo eneloop rechargeable AA batts and find I get at least 2 months between recharges. Add to that that my cams are very active (I get 700-1000 images per week) and I can attest to a very good battery life with this camera.The daytime pics are sharp and clear. I cant say anything about video since I never use this mode. Night pics are lower quality as expected, but I can easily count the points on each buck's rack from 40'. I try to keep the cam out of the way of animals since I have tons of wild boars and a resident black bear. The animals are not aware of the camera since it doesnt flash, but they do lots of rubbing on trees scratching themselves.For a $200 camera, I have been very happy with their reliabilty and quality. I wouldnt hesitate to suggest this camera to friends.

It will not trigger if it mounted behind a glass window. That hadn't crossed my mind when I bought it. It picks up images acceptably in the dark. The batteries last a long time. The programming method is bit hokey. It lacks the ability to be programmed to shoot video at a preset time for 5 minutes or more. The video will shoot for a max of 1 minute. The field scan option does not appear to work exactly as described. Also the strapping brackets on the back side need to be bigger to allow more types of locking mechanisms. It does not turn any lights on nor make any noises when it is shooting a photo or video, which is perfect. I would say it needs three additional features to make it perfect: 1. USB interface to software on PC to program it and 2. the ability to shoot as much video as you want at several preset times, and 3. a button that turns on a bluetooth wireless connection so you can review or capture pictures/videos with a smart phone without dismounting it from a tree or shooting location.

UPDATE: Well, my Bushnell just went to trail cam heaven. The batteries check out as good, the red light blinks in Setup and it blinks a few times as it should when On, but that's all. It no longer takes pictures or video, and the LCD screen won't come on. I expect a piece of gear like this to last more than 6 months, especially when not exposed to extreme weather/outdoor conditions. Sadly I need to re-rate this item from 5 stars to 1 star and caution anyone considering this camera to either buy something else, or be prepared for it to go south on you.I just retrieved my first set of pix and video from this camera and am quite pleased with how well it worked. I set it up just inside the woods outside our cabin in NW WI to see what wildlife came around when we were away. What a pleasant surprise to come back and see both stills and video of various deer, wild turkeys and other critters "doing their thing," both day and night. It also was very informative to see the weather changes over the 3+ weeks we had the camera set up--we saw the snow melt, return and melt away again over that time.Day shots/video come out well up to a distance of 25-35'. Night shots at that distance are harder to discern; many times you know a critter is there only because its eye reflects. When they are closer to the camera, the night video and stills are, of course, much better.I used a 32GB SDHC card and 12 Ray-O-Vac alkaline batteries; the battery gauge still shows full strength and just over 1/32 of the card was used to store over 900 pictures and video clips. You can set up each still shot to have time, temp and (I think) moon phase data noted; videos have a time stamp.Be sure to get all the accessories out of the packaging. The manual mentioned a buckle strap to hold the camera in place and various cables that at first I thought I hadn't gotten. Then I rechecked the packaging and saw these items were tucked into the bottom.This is my first experience with a camera "trap." The manual explains the configuration options clearly and it is easy to set the camera up. I'm going to play with the placement to try for better night stills and video (perhaps in exchange for less screen time, as the critters will be closer in). I now wish I'd bought two of these when Amazon ran a deal on them in early March; I definitely will be watching for the next time they go on sale!

The downgrade is a result of: 1. a design fault and 2. an operational fault as a result of #1. The battery compartment is a design flaw. The batteries are not secure and have a tendency to become 'disconnected.' The batteries are stacked, by two's, one on the other, across the inside back of the clam shell unit. When the battery compartment is full, there are 6 pair of stacked AAA batteries with a removable narrow plastic retainer that fits across the mid-line of the stacked AAA's. Because of the springs at the negative end of the cells, there is potential force (the pressure of the springs) to move the batteries. In short, the design of the battery compartment and retainer don't securely hold the batteries in place because of the spring pressure. #2 This potential disconnection problem caused a failure for the camera to operate for a week. When I checked --- no pix!! Upon closer inspection, the batteries had become dislodged just enough not to be connected. I know the batteries were connected when I went through the setup process. I guess the unit was jostled when it was strapped to the tree. I certainly will be vigilant double checking the batteries next time.Bushnell certainly can do better with the battery compartment design to securely prevent the batteries from disconnecting.I purchased the unit as a package security cam --- there have been several packages delivered and stolen from doorsteps in our neighborhood. I think it is a good application for the camera.

This camera works good. The problem I had is one of the clamp style closers quickly broke and I have been very gentle with it. If the case, closers and rubber seal was a litlle "beefier" this would be a 5 star product.