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BUSHNELL
http://www.bushnell.com/
Model 119600
Trail Scout
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Our original
purchase of this camera was a couple of months ago. This camera had many
problems with its ability to sense and trigger. When and if it would
trigger, the picture quality was less than acceptable. The weatherproof seal
failed and as a result of its poor performance this camera was pulled out of
service and returned to the factory. The folks at Bushnell returned a new
replacement camera and we are in the process of re-evaluating the new
camera's performance. The first thing is that it has extremely good trigger
time (less than a second) and second the picture quality is marginal but
much better than its predecessor. Pictures are somewhat grainy but readable
at reasonable distances. The flash is somewhat weak but is good out past 20
feet. Field testing is in progress.
Check field testing
history for full write-up
The following trigger times are for the replacement model 119600 we received.
The following sample pictures were taken recently with the replacement model we
received.
11-22-05 Update: Today this
cam was brought back to the shop to do the new flash test on our new testing
station. Last night we had some rain and when this cam was opened about a cup of
water poured out. Contact with the factory rep found that this has been an on
going problem with the Bushnell cams and the factory is working on it,
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BUSHNELL
http://www.bushnell.com/
Model
119700
Trail Scout
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This is what seems to be
Bushnell's answer to the Moultrie 1.3 MP
cameras. This cam sells in the $200.00 range and has all the same features as
the 119800 and 119600 with the difference being the 1.3 MP rating. The trigger
time is in the 2 to 2.5 second range. While attempting to get trigger time
without flash using the day only setup mode the flash still would go off. Again
as with the other models the battery holders are a real pain when installing
batteries. The springs want to fold over and this could cause damage to the cam
if caution is not taken during battery installation. It is strange that the
119600 and 119000c have a constant + or - 1 second trigger time and this cam is
much slower. The instruction book is the same as the 600-800-900 models and easy
to follow. This cam did not come with the SD card as all previous models did, so
that fact should be considered before purchase. We will put this camera to work
in the field the first week in November.
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BUSHNELL
http://www.bushnell.com/
Model
119700
Trail Scout
2006 model
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This new 2006 camera is the same as the older
model with the exception of a supposed sensing range of 90 feet and it moved up
to 2.1 MP. I opened the box and the first thing I saw was it did not come with
the memory card and also when I installed the batteries and started the trigger
time tests it was out past 5 seconds. I pulled the batteries and put it back in
the box thus concluding the review. Update
08-23-06: [1.3
MP] During a big sale at our local store
the Bushnell rep was here to help out. We spoke about the changes that had taken
place with the Bushnell cameras for 06. I requested that we get one of the 3.0
MP Trail Scouts to go through for a comparison between the 05 and 06 models. He
said he would send me one as soon as he got back. Well it arrived and with out
looking at the end of the box I just assumed that it was a 3.0. I began the set
up and in big letters on the box it said 1.3 MP model
119700. Well you can see (above) we have been there before but in the 2.1. I
went ahead and powered it up and did the programming (in Bushnell it is a snap)
and basically rushed to my trigger time set up to do a test. Well to my surprise
this camera produced a consistent 1.25 second trigger time. I took it out side
and set up looking at my wife’s flowers and had it snap a few pictures. They
were the typical VGA quality, very readable but a tiny bit fuzzy. This camera
would be like the old 1.3 Cudde with its great
trigger time but having lower picture quality. A search of the catalogs showed
only the 2.1 version and not the 1.3. I checked the internet and found it for
around $175 several places. The manufacture date on this camera is March 06 and
I believe that the 2.1 that I tested was January 06. I will go ahead and do the
flash test and get some sample field pictures to post.
This morning 08-24-06, was
a 70 degree morning and I set up for the flash range tests. The flash is pretty
good on this camera. I could see a buck at 60 feet with enhancement, but without
enhancement it was good to 40 feet. We were testing the new LR 6SS at the same
time and it had a much better flash but failed miserably when it came to
sensing. The 119700 would see me at 25 feet every time but the LR would not see
me until I was at 15 feet. The testing of the Bushnell was very easy to do
because of its trigger time and min. delay, whereas testing the LR was a pain
and took a long time just waiting that 1.5 minutes between pictures and slow
trigger. If the test pictures prove to be acceptable, this just might be a good
alternative to the old 1.3 cudde.
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Trigger Time is
1.5 seconds |
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Flash Tests |
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Sample Photos |
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BUSHNELL
http://www.bushnell.com/
Model
119900
Trail Scout
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As with the
600 series this camera was in testing for a couple of months. During that
period of time the camera did not perform well at all. Very slow trigger
time coupled with picture quality that was far less than its 2.1 MP rating.
The IR flash failed and the weatherproof seal failed also. The camera was
returned to the factory and they replaced it with a new camera. The
replacement camera has a variable trigger time first tests were 2.5 second
average and later test the trigger time was a constant 4 seconds. We are
waiting to talk to someone responsible at the factory to get answers to
several questions. The flash is weak but pictures at 25 feet were readable.
The IR flash seems to only work properly when the batteries are strong. When
the batteries start to wear down the IR flash seems to stop working. Prolong
use of the IR mode would probably result in night time pictures being lost
due to low battery power. The regular flash worked well even when battery
strength was low. We placed this camera in the field and will have sample
pictures soon.
Check field testing
history for full write-up
The following trigger times
are for the replacement model 119900
we received:
Note: Sample pictures for the replacement
model will be posted when we get them |
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BUSHNELL
Model 11-9000c
Trail Sentry
2005
http://www.bushnell.com/
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Purchased from Sams Club
October 07, 2005:
This is one of
Bushnell's new entry
level cameras with a $100 price tag. It is advertised as 1.3 MP but this is only
gained through software interpolation. (inserting
pixels). Out of the box impression was fair. No latches as on previous units,
just clips. The clips appear fragile and the door does not always close tightly.
Make sure you take care opening and closing the door. It appears that it also has the same type of water seal as the older
units. These failed on all of the previous units tested. Care must be
taken while installing batteries because the springs have a tendency to fold
over and could be easily damaged. It will take 1280x960
stills and 320x240 AVI 15 second daytime movies. The instruction manual is
better written than the two previous cams tested and was fairly easy to follow.
The only confusing portion was how to set it up to take pictures in the field
just before closing the door. You must enter the security code and press enter
to activate it just prior to leaving. Most of the cameras have a one minute
delay time and I was surprised to see a 30 second delay time on this little cam
which is a great feature. This camera came with a 32 MB SD card and a great wide
strap for fixing it to what ever you choose to mount it on. There is a good set
of instructions inside the door but if your eyes are like mine you had best
carry a magnifier or be prepared to read very tiny print. There
is no provisions for security other than a plastic
loop for a lock, I would recommend that something be constructed for this if it
is going to be used in an area where security is an issue. The flash is
suppose to be 15 feet but my first few pictures in
shop were sensed at 20+ feet and were readable.
The camera does not come with a secure mounting bracket so we
engineered our own. Take a look at the photos here on the left to get an
idea on what we constructed to more securely lock this camera to the tree.
Click on the bottom one for a larger view.
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Model 11-9000
Trail Sentry
late 2006
http://www.bushnell.com/
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Bushnell late 06
model 119000 review 10-17-06:
Our old 05 model has just kept on taking
pictures with fairly good battery life and its VGA quality pictures. We have
a new late 06 camera just to see if things have gotten any better since our
last review. This camera has the latches and not the clips like the previous
model to close the case. The programming is the same and super simple to do,
but requires a peak at the book to get past the security code. As with all
the new Bushnell cameras this camera has a super fast trigger just like
before. Picture quality remains the same but very readable for its VGA 1.3
interpolated rating. I did notice that it has some extreme sensing that
would catch me out past 60 feet at 65 degrees. All previous security
brackets shown on the 9000c review will apply to this camera. We prefer the
security bar from Stealth cam and a Python lock for security. There seems to
be a lot of small very good reliable cameras on the market that will perform
the basic duties of a scouting camera. This camera with its exceptional
trigger time should be high on the list. If picture quality is an issue a
step up to the 119200 could be done but will also pull another $50 dollars
out of the old wallet. They are both the same case and trigger time it is
just that the 119200 is 2.1 MP. I have held tight on to our old 9000c and
have used it in those areas where a camera might get legs if not watched.
The Bushnell cameras are taking a fair share of the market away from Non
Typicals Cuddeback
cameras. Bushnell has a little faster trigger time than
Cudde and they have real honest
accessable customer service.
We are having a run of rainy weather so the sensing range and flash range
tests might be delayed. I have always liked this camera and will always have
a couple around for those special needs. The flash range shows that 40+feet
is readable and the sensing range for this 70 degree morning was a constant
60 feet. Trigger time for this camera was a real pain because I could not
move fast enough to clear the picture before it snapped. Trigger times in
most cases were around 1/4th second but because of the
difficulties doing the test they show ½ second because of how I had to do
the test.
We
have had this camera in the field for a few days and when we made our
first visit we found it dead. We suspected that it had ate a set of
batteries in less than 6 days. Once back in the shop we found that one
of the batteries was tipped out causing the problem. As reported in
previous Bushnell reviews, there is a problem with the battery holders
where the springs tend to fold over during battery installation. Who
ever is installing the batteries must do it with care and examine the
springs on the negative end of the batteries to insure that they are not
folded over. When we finally get our set of test pictures this camera
has a role in a security mission that I am doing involving trespassers.
This concludes the review on this camera.
| Trigger Times appear to be less than a second. |
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Flash Tests |
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Sample Photos |
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BUSHNELL
2006
Model 11-9200
Trail Sentry 2.1mp
http://www.bushnell.com/
Mounting bracket options: On the 11-9000c (above), Bill shows of a bracket
he made which is compatible with this camera:
Also, as an option here is another design Bill came up with:
The Bushnell trail
sentry
can also be secured by
using a 1/16X2X10 inch plate with holes drilled in it to accept a chain or
python lock.
Care must be given to
insure that the cable does not interfere with the lens or sensors.
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2006 Bushnell 119200 Trail
Sentry 2.1 MP
07-13-06 -
This will be short and sweet because all the programming and setup is the
same as the previously tested 05 Trail Sentry. This new cam is 2.1 MP and
has a sharp 1/4th to 1/2 second trigger time. An improvement on
this new cam is the use latches instead of clips to close the case. This
will make the case much more water tight. Picture quality is very good.
Security is non existent so a home brew security bracket (Please refer to
11-9000c above for info on a compatable bracket) is in order
for protection. Major issues in the past have dealt with sensing but we
placed this cam in a four day carefully setup test against a
Cudde 3.0 this cam took 155 pictures and
Cudde took 41 pictures, The
Cudde only looks out in a narrow area where this cam will see the
peripheral and capture many more pictures. The Cudde
did sense at a greater distance than did this cam but knowing this fact
makes the setup easy and productive. This simple to use and above average
features makes this camera a pleasure to use.
One of
this company's policies is that you must include
a $10 payment on all warranty returns. This is out of line with most of the
camera companies and it is something we would like to see changed by
Bushnell. A little push from its loyal customers might help get this policy
off the books. What we have paid out in return fees for the many cameras we
have had and have had to return for even minor warranty concerns would have
easily been enough to buy us another camera.
09-26-06 Update: We spoke with the folks at Bushnell about the
warranty return charge and it was stated that those cameras that have
problems develop under warranty, there is not suppose to be a charge. We
also started to notice that on some of the outdoor forums that a few
folks were having a problem with the trigger time being 3 to 4 seconds
on the first trigger after the camera has been setting idle for a period
of time. The company says that this is definitely not suppose to happen.
A call to Bushnell customer service should get you a return number.
| Trigger Times |
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1/4 to 1/2 second |
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Flash Tests |
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Sample Photos |
  
  
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BUSHNELL
2006
Model 11-9300
Trail Sentry 2.1mp
Infra Red
http://www.bushnell.com/
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2006 Bushnell 119300 Trail
Sentry 2.1 MP
Another addition to the Bushnell line is this camera. The
main features are that it is both IR and standard flash. One troubling thing
about this camera is, it is what is known as a “Cabelas
Exclusive” which means that it is like the M-200 Moultrie 4.1 and is only
available through Cabelas. The price is in the $250
range and unlike Cudde this cam comes with a strap
and memory card and is dressed out in a Seclusion 3D camo
case. Out of the box impression was good with the case featuring the latches and
not the old plastic clips. In comparison to the Cudde
this camera has a full rubber seal on the case which makes it much more weather
resistant than the newly designed Cuddeback case. My
attempt to do the programming without using the manual failed. There are a
couple of quirky little things in the programming that require close attention
to procedures outlined in the manual. The main issue with the programming was
dealing with the selection of either the standard flash or the IR flash. Once
this is accomplished the menu button must be held in for a longer period of
time. Other than that, the date/time programming is the same as previous Trail
Sentry cams that we tested. Trying to use the
instructions pasted inside the cam proved that they are not for this cam but for
the standard flash unit and do not include the instructions for changing it to
IR flash. This needs to be fixed. I tested the trigger time
and the standard flash was around ½ second like the model 119200. The IR trigger
time was just under 1 second. The IR array is split and there are 6 emitters on
each side of the main camera lens. This is the same amount of emitters used on
their more expensive Trail Scout with night vision. I had to cover up all but
one emitter while doing the trigger time test due to the brightness. Securing
this came in the field will be the same as outlined in our other Trail Sentry
reviews. The IR flash range is around 40 feet but weak compared to other IR
cameras we have tested. The low amount of emitters is the reason for this but
knowing this up front a person could locate this cam close enough to the target
area to gain the desired results. We will soon be blessed with the presents of
the new Stealth WD-2 IR and we are going to stack most of the competition
(Recon-Leaf River) together for a test. Cudde will
not be joining in due to a series issues many folks have experienced with Non
Typicals attempt to enter the IR race and the fact
we have never received our order. Image delay is 30 seconds.
Will take up to 1 Gig cards and MMC not recommended. The battery life (duracels)
is up to 30 days depending on the amount of pictures taken and flash usage. I
placed this camera out for a one night test on a feeder and only one deer cam by
at about 40 feet and you can tell she was there but this being an new camera I
found that the IR flash shoots lower than I had anticipated and most of the
flash hit the ground in front of the doe. In the IR mode both night and day
pictures are black and white . In the standard mode
the pictures are color both day and night. This is a cool little camera and I
like it very much so far. During the flash/trigger tests I also tried to compare
this cam to the Cudde Excite as far as sensing
range. I discovered a quality control issue with the Cudde
which led me to look at its sensing range. To have another camera to compare my
findings was necessary and both these cameras were being tested at the same
time. This was a 70 degree morning and we had just had a good rain. This camera
would easily sense and trigger at 45 feet every time and the
Cudde would hardly trigger at 20 feet. We feel that
do to some poor assembly on the Cudde the sensor and
camera boards were put in the camera crooked which
led to its poor performance.
With the Standard flash mode on, we placed this camera side by side with the Cudde Excite
(the cudde has a sensor issue) and the 119300 got 130 pictures while the Excite
took 58.
Update 07/29/06:
The next step was to put this camera in a field test side by side with the
new Cudde IR using the IR mode. In four days the Cudde took 74 pictures and
the 119300 Bushnell took 249. The 3.0 Day pictures off the Cudde IR were
much better than this cameras but fell below the Cudde Expert 3.0's picture
quality. The Night IR pictures off this camera were better than the Cudde
IRs but the Cudde No Flash has stronger IR illumination but a much weaker sensor.
This
camera's picture quality is not nearly as good as the 119200 or the
Cudde Excite. Also it seems to have the same problem as some Moultries,
where it is confused at dusk and dawn as to whether or not to use the
flash. The peripheral of the pictures are also a little out of focus.
Trigger Times
1/4 to 1/2 second |
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Flash Tests |
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Sample Photos- Std Mode/Flash |
 
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Sample Photos- IR Mode/Flash |
  
  
  
  
  
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Infra
Red Camera visual comparison
Pictorial Page |
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BUSHNELL
2006
Model 119901
Trail Scout 3.0mp
Stand/Infra Red Flash
http://www.bushnell.com/
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08-25-06
Bushnell 119901: Our test camera was a March of 06 manufacture date.
Setting this camera side by side with the (05)119900 you will see that there
have been some changes. Gone is the removable filter lens for IR and in its
place is a front panel switch to make this change. Most every thing else
appears to be the same. When I asked the tech folks the two main changes for
06 is suppose to be more attention to water tightness and trigger times.
Bushnell has a really nice setup of switches that makes the dreaded task a
very simple matter. This camera setup time is very quick and easy. The 3.0
MP rating is nice when it includes a 30 second delay time. Security is still
the same with the supplied cable and brackets. Not the best but acceptable
for most cases. I inspected the gasket and the front cover and everything
looks very water tight. I believe that just above the door is a slight and
blow the camera lens the plastic has been molded to provide a roof over the
junction of the top of the door and the case. These cameras also come with a
laser aim that is initiated by going into the setup mode for proper aiming.
I hate to compare these 06 cameras to Cudde but
just having an included memory card and a means to mount the camera and a
good water tight case is the way things should be.The
big unique feature on this camera is the ability of choosing either white of
IR flash by just moving a couple switches. I love the design, size, and
features. The absents of internal memory and not
being able to hook the camera to your TV or computer is a missing feature.
In order to view your pictures you must have some type of external viewing
device (Bushnell has one) in the field or exchange the cards and bring them
home to view with a card reader. If you choose to use this cam for movies it
is only programmable in the IR mode. Included in the box is a remote control
which can be used to activate the camera remotely or if you are the type of
person who might loose your camera, the flash cam be activated remotely to
help find that lost camera. These guys even give you a lock to secure the
case. Cabelas has the non
camo version for $350 and the camo
version for a bit more. When I research and find these new features
advertised about certain cameras I get excited with the hopes that maybe we
have found the perfect camera. Well the first test that I put this camera
through was the programming and that was a snap. Next I put the case and the
engineering of the case and seal under the magnifier and found that to be
very good. Then on to the big trigger
time test, this is when things fell apart. During the white
flash trigger time tests this camera turned in a horrible
9 second
trigger time.
This is even worse than the
first 119700 (the second (06) 119700 had a 1 second time) that we tested for
06 which was 7 seconds and I pulled the
test. I would have normally discontinued the test at that time but being
this camera is also IR, I decided to go ahead and do the IR trigger time and
wow I was amazed that it was less than a second. Conclusion based
just on trigger times is this would be a very good “trail camera” in IR and
an acceptable feeder camera in white flash and with its 1 second trigger
time without flash it would work any where during the daylight hours. I will
set up for the flash range and sensor tests tomorrow morning then off to the
field for sample pictures in both color and IR. We are hoping that the 3.0
MP IR pictures are suitable and the day color and white
flash pictures are good (not my choice with this cam). I would just tape the
switch to the IR position and leave it or for those who just like the
daytime pictures it could be set up to do a very
good job there also.
The
flash range tests proved that both the standard and IR flashes were good
to 40 feet and this 70 degree morning it would continually sense me at
30 feet. Other than the bad trigger time for standard night time flash,
this is a really great little camera. It will be interesting to see how
its IR pictures compare to the other cameras in our
IR comparison
page. Bushnell is finally getting on top of many of its previous
problems and has been turning out some outstanding cameras. Now we will
get this machine in the field to gather both IR and standard pictures.
08-31-06 Update: We discussed the trigger time findings
during the white flash tests with the Bushnell folks and they felt
that there must be a problem with this cam to turn in that kind of
trigger time. They have requested that we return the camera and get
a replacement to complete the review. The field tests to get sample
pictures showed flash problems, so this morning I will be sending
this camera in to Bushnell to figure out what the problem is. If the
replacement camera turns in a 1 second white flash trigger time to
match the IR flash time this will be a very nice camera. I spent the
day going back over this camera and found that the appeared to be
very sensitive to battery level. As the battery drained so did the
performance of just about everything. I used set of Duracell’s for
this camera and re started all the tests. The white flash trigger
time suddenly went to 1 second I then re installed a used set of
batteries and the 9 second time returned. I then hand picked 4 new
batteries to complete the tests. This is when everything went south.
The trigger time again was 9 seconds and I could not get it to
change. We have determined that there is a definite problem with
this camera and after discussing this with Bushnell we decided to
return it and we are waiting for a replacement so we can finish the
review.
11-08-06 Update: We had a small loss
of communications and for some reason the replacement cam did
not arrive as we expected. A short E mail corrected this and a
beautiful camo cased camera arrived. Into the cabinet for four
new duracells and it was up and running. Programming took about
a minute and on the bench for some initial testing. The trigger
time tests without the clock appeared to be less than a second
in both flash modes. The pictures were sharp and clear with a
very natural look to the color tones. We have noticed that the
night white flash pictures on most of the Bushnell’s that we
have tested have a slight haze to them, but with very true
color. Being this camera is in direct competition with the Cudde
cameras here is a short comparison. This camera is listed in
Cabelas for $370, that is a good $30 cheaper than the Cudde
Expert and $80 cheaper than the Cudde no flash. This camera can
perform the function of both of the Cudde’s and do it with a
faster trigger time. The IR illumination of the 119901 is not
nearly as strong as the Cudde no flash but knowing this up front
allows the user to just situate the camera a little closer to
the target area to compensate. Having a solid water tight case
and a decent battery holder is also a plus, compared to the
Cudde. You can actually change out the batteries without laying
down on your back under the cam, as I had to do with all the 06
Cudde’s reviewed. This camera also comes with a means of
security (padlock included) and with a memory card, which Cudde
does not. Bushnell does have a reachable customer service and
presently because of a backlog they are slow, with several weeks
delay in getting your cam back if something does go wrong. The
Bushnell customer service does work and they are hard at
work to make it better. Because of the problem plagued Cudde 06
cameras, Cudde customer service appears to be non existent and
un reachable. For you folks that can hang your camera on a tree
and forget where you put it, this camera comes with a remote
control to help you locate it. So much for the comparison, it is
easy to see that Bushnell has steadily upgraded and Cudde chose
the other route. I like everything about this camera, especially
the ease of programming and uncomplicated operation. Another set
of test pictures and trigger time tests will be done prior to
the conclusion of this review. I
don't want to be seen as arbitrarily beating up on Non Typical (Cudde)
but it is a fact that the Cudde’s have a multitude of problems
along with their support. We feel about this Bushnell camera
like we did last year about the old 05 3.0 and 1.5 Cudde,
which are good cameras.
11-18-06 Update:
The trigger time with flash tests were all that were pending
and they proved to be in the 1.5 second range. This is an
exceptional camera and was a pure pleasure to review.
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BUSHNELL
2007
Model 11-9905
Trail Scout Pro 5.0mp
Standard/Infra Red Flash
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05-30-2007 Camera
Purchased from
TrailCamPro.Com
We did this cameras predecessor at the end of 06 and found it
to be one of the best cameras tested. Super fast trigger time and both IR and
incandescent flash make this camera very versatile. The firm well camouflaged
case with Bushnell’s own security device and tight water seal makes this camera
fit in the outdoors like a glove. The advanced switch system that they have
chosen for this camera makes it so super easy to program and use. With out a
doubt my favorite camera to use with the Wildview
cameras by Stealth running a close second for ease of use and setup. Four new D
cells and about 2 minutes and this camera was ready
for testing. The CMOS sensor is 3 MP and the 5 MP rating is gained through
interpolation. The real bummer is that it is fixed resolution and lower MP
ratings cannot be selected. This can be a problem when you want to send someone
an E mail and the file size is up in the clouds. Like Stealth cam they have
chosen to use a full 45 degree PIR sensor and is
rated out to 45 feet. The IR flash (24 emitters) is rated at 30 feet and the
white flash will probably reach out to its advertised 45 foot sensing range.
Sure would like to be able to choose a lower rez
setting for those long deployments on a lower capacity card. A flick of a switch
and you are in either movie of still mode and the same for flash changes from IR
to white flash. The video clips also incorporate sound by way of a built in
microphone, which is a pretty neat feature. The little piece of foam that we use
to stick inside the case to keep the batteries from popping out in the middle is
not needed. The company has added this for us and holds the batteries just
great. The spring folding over when trying to install the batteries is still
somewhat of an issue but knowing this ahead of time and a little care will
prevent this. Trigger time is much less than a second but the delay time is
longer due to the file size to write to the card. The red sensing led on the
front of the cam should be covered with a small square of black electrical tape
to prevent spooking the game. It appears to be a very good camera and will be a
pleasure to test.05-31-07 Update:
Putting this camera through the trigger time testing and flash testing was super
simple because of the simple method of changing settings. Both the IR and the
white flash worked well out past 50 feet. The sensing range was varied between
40 and 45 feet for this 70 degree morning. The night white flash pictures did
not change to color as expected so there may be problem there. On one of the
previously tested Bushnell’s we had a mechanical filter to move or a filter
glass to install when changing to IR operations. This camera is supposed to do
this electronically. There is a small port at the base of this cam which appears
to be an external battery port but there is no mention of this in the
documentation, web site or on the box. The new and greatly improved articulating
mount that they included makes aiming this camera a pure pleasure to use. I will
place a call to the tech folks at the factory to see if I can get a couple
answers to these minor difficulties. The flash pictures were very good even
though they were not in color. Sensing turns on a red LED behind the sensor lens
which is useful for testing but could prove to be a problem when that wary ol
buck is strolling in to his rub line. It is time to stick this cam in the woods
for some live game pictures.
My call to the Bushnell customer service resulted in basically zero, I asked for
the most technically astute person that had knowledge of game cameras. The young
lady who answered the phone had a book to look through to find the answers and
it was not up to date with the new 07 features. The web site is also lacking at
this time and needs to be tweaked a little. My advice at this point is that one
should probably hold off a while on purchases until they have a chance to do a
small amount of updating in their customer service area, documentation and web
site on the 07 models. This being all new this month, it will take a while for
them to get everyone up to date on the new stuff.
06-05-2007 update: Our field testing has proved that there is a
problem on this cam so we are going to have to pull it and return it. The filter
appears to be stuck and in less that a hundred pictures we had to replace the
Duracells. Maybe the replacement cam will let us complete this review.
06-20-2007 update: We have had lots conversation through our
supplier with Bushnell tech folks and it appears that the camera is
operating as designed, and is not really meant to be a standard (white)
flash camera and even though you can force it to do color standard flash
through the programming by changing the 6-18 setting you would still end up
with a hour during the 24 hour period that it would revert back to the non
color pictures. Once again we must stress that the battery problem we
experienced was due to faulty Duracell batteries. For some reason the past
couple of years we have several new packages of batteries that had some bad
cells in them. We are not going to pull another camera to continue this
review because we have covered all the main features, with exception of
being able to show a picture with sound using the new featured microphone.
This is a solid well made camera with exceptional trigger time that will
look good hanging off one of your favorite trees.
|
|
BUSHNELL
2007
11-9302 Trail Sentry 2.1
MP IR/standard flash |
Bushnell
11-9302 Trail Sentry 2.1 MP IR/standard flash Review 06-22-2007
Camera Purchased from
TrailCamPro.Com
Last year we reviewed this same camera known then as a
Cabelas exclusive. This year it comes in the plain brown case with an
upgraded amount of IR emitters. The really great camera we tested last year
had only 12 emitters in the IR array and this year it has been increased to
20 emitters. The flash range should most definitely be improved. Bushnell
has the corner on the market when it comes to trigger times. They are not as
fast as a buckeye or a Reconyx but in most cases
we have found that they are faster than the Cuddeback
cams with an average time of .5 seconds. The Trail Sentry models of Bushnell
cameras have always worked well for us. The battery life is rated at an
average of 30 days but we never was able to push it that far with a finding
of 18 to 25 days on new duracells. All of this
will be re evaluated in this years look at this neat little camera.
With what Stealth, Moultrie, Recon, and
Bushnell have done in the past couple years we will probably have to arrange
another shootout in a side by side comparison. The folks that run Bushnell
have their irons in a multitude of products. Because of this we have found
that their customer service is somewhat lacking. It does work but not as
good as the other companies who only cater to cameras. We would like to see
the management give those folks in the camera customer service a little more
help with their enormous task. One thing is in most cases their cameras work
very well and do not need to be returned. When that happens expect to have
to pay that $ 10 fee to get your camera through their system. We do like the
fact they have the repair trail listed by number and can be tracked through
their web site. For a while in 05 and 06 we were ten
dollared to death, but everything got repaired or replaced in time
and returned. With all the past problems that have surfaced on all brands of
trail cameras we see great improvements that will stop the dreaded trips
back to the factory for repair. The better the product, the
less requirement for repair services. Our last
years Bushnell cameras are still out there hammering away at those sneaky
critters and have not failed yet. We will get this thing out of the box and
put it to work.
This camera came in a plain bubble pack containing camera, booklet and
strap. First to the booklet, putting it mildly I needed help here because I
figured that I already knew the instructions. Well folks, things have
changed. This camera even though has a white flash along with the 20 IR
emitters it does not use the standard flash as was the case with last years
model. This may be Bushnell’s answer to last years same old issue with the
whiteout problem. Instead of just using a light sensor to tell the camera
the light conditions this camera has to be programmed by the operator with
what the current daylight time and what the current dusk time is. If during
the daylight hours the camera determines that light conditions are too low
it will allow the small white flash to go off when the camera is triggered.
Night time is IR only. So if you are a previous owner of a Trail Sentry, it
might be a good idea to spend some time reading the not so well written
pamphlet. I did not experience the springs in the battery compartment
folding over like was noted in previous models. Once programmed, the first
test appeared to be a less than a second trigger time. The IR pictures came
out real clear on our indoor tests and obviously better that last year’s
cam.
This camera can be purchased for $170 most places. If you just have to have
camo then again Cabelas
has this cam in camo and with an interpolated
boost to 3.2 MP but the price is in the $250 range. A close inspection of
the case showed the water tight seal fit and finish was great and did not
leak even under direct splash from my shop faucet. Security will be the same
as last years (see
lockingbar withpython) which is the same as the locking bar from Stealth
cam or a home brew version of the same. As with all previous Trail Sentry
cams from this company, it is a good idea to put a small square of
electrical tape over the red sensing LED once it is properly aimed to the
target area. If this lamp is not covered it has a tendency to scare the hell
out of a wary old buck when he is sensed. There is no internal memory or
means to hook up to this camera. The only way that the pictures can be
viewed is by removing the SD card and using a card reader hooked to a
computer or one of those small field picture
viewers. If the trigger times prove to be like last years and the day/night
pictures are sharp and clear this just might be a $170 prize. I am assuming
that the only way to get color night white flash pictures would be to
program the camera to think that it was daylight for the full 24 hour
period. This is one of the flaws we found with the more expensive 5.0 Trail
Scout. This will be checked out once it is deployed in the field and after
the flash, sensing, and trigger time tests are completed. Right now I am
about blind from reading and re reading page 9 paragraph
5 and trying to make heads or tails out of what is written. Flash range
tests in the morning, then off to the trigger time tests.
06-28-2007 update: While I was waiting to do the flash range
and sensing tests I decided to place this camera on my deck looking at a
fountain where the birds like to visit and there is a colorful flower
background. This camera would easily sense the tiny finches that came to
take their bath. The full color daytime pictures were vivid in color but
lacking in detail. For a 2.1 MP camera the pictures were quite fuzzy. This
morning I proceeded with the flash range tests and found the IR illumination
reached past 40 feet. The sensing range tests caught me at 45 feet every
time. This camera is much like all the cudde cameras with a very narrow
sensing cone. If the animal is a little off center this camera will not see
him. The night pictures taken during the flash range tests were also very
fuzzy but readable. We have to remember that this is not Bushnell’s top of
the line camera and it appears to get the job done with just a few minor
issues.
06-29-2007 update: Funny thing happened on the way to the
trigger time table. We decided to add another test in our series of
tests, this being sleep mode test. We boot up the cam and lay it on its
back with a coin over the PIR sensor and leave it for a couple of hours.
Turn the lights off in the room and remove the coin and see how long it
takes to fire the flash. With this cam it was 3 plus seconds for the
first trigger the after the 30 second delay period it would fire in less
than a second every time. So this cam does have the sleep mode function
built in. So now we will have to have another test picture showing the
sleep time then the trigger time there after and then the rest time
prior to it returning to the sleep mode. Wow another head ache.
07-12-2007 update: This
is one of the cams that we decided to do a long range test with and had it
deployed in a good spot. When we went to check on this cam yesterday we
found that it had gone to sleep on the tree and died of an extreme overdose
of rain water. This cam had a door gasket failure and our attempts to give
CPR (camera precipitation reduction) did not appear to help. I bought a nice
card and wrote a note along with the required $10 and am sending it home for
replacement to its parent company. This is the second cam from Bushnell we
have had a leak problem with. This style of case design has never leaked on
us before just one of the more expensive models.
07-25-2007 update: The ole Bushnell folks have replaced the
wet one and now we will continue the review. First check again will
be the sleep mode test then double check the trigger time. If all
remains the same it will be deployed to its tree to gather the needed
picture quality samples and more movie and IR pictures. I will probably
sneak a little short test somewhere under the water tap just to make
sure all is well prior to its journey to the outback.
08-07-2007 update: Yep, this one still has the sleep
function and the trigger time (which will be checked and double
checked again) seems to be in the 2 second range. We are having a
hard time trying to figure out why some of the factory Bushnell
cameras that come from the same source and at the same time have
such different characteristics. This camera has a much longer
trigger time but the overall function is perfect. In a couple of
days it took a couple hundred pictures. The day color pictures were
very good and when the light dimmed it shifted to standard flash and
they were the same. When the cam hit the programmed switch to IR
time, it did, and functioned very well. This is a total switch from
the original camera that we started with that just seemed not to
function very well at all. We are watching to see if any of our
early findings show up across any of the many outdoor forums that I
monitor. So far I have seen only good reports for the few that have
been purchased so far. The roulette business of purchasing trail
cameras and having to keep returning them until you finally get a
good one sucks. In our case it seems that we are just one and no
other reports have surfaced as of yet. The testing will have to go
on for a much longer time this time than we expected because of the
previous problem on the ol “wet one”. Basically this does seem to be
a pretty good cam, even with the slower trigger time.
08-19-2007 update: Clicking away for a couple more weeks we
have gained a little more respect for this cam, purely because of the
mark degree of function we see over the returned camera. The movie mode
does fair and the product seems to be fuzzy at best. The color is quite
good and if we had a means to sharpen the movies this cam would shine
much brighter. Still hacking away on its original batteries so we have
not yet determined what kind of battery life we are going to get. Many
folks really like this camera and because of its popularity we will try
to spend some more time with this unit.
08-29-2007 update: Time is up for this cam, as of
8-25-07 this little cam batteries that were installed 07-30-2007 are
finally gone. A total of 217 pictures were taken. One troubling
features of this cam is you have no way to tell if the camera is
actually functioning. When the batteries get low and the small red
LED ceases to function.
Until the buttons are actually manipulated it is a trial and error
process. A little over three weeks and over two hundred pictures
this is not to bad for the price of this little cam.
Battery Life
is updated for this camera.
|
BUSHNELL
2008
11-9305 Trail Sentry 5
MP IR/White flash |
Bushnell 11-9305
(I guess) Trail Sentry red flash IR camera review
07-18-2008
Camera purchased from
TrailCamPro.com
There is absolutely nothing on this
camera that identifies it as being of any kind of a model. So off to the
documentation and again there is pictures but nothing there to make me
believe that what I have in my hand is any certain model. This is about the
tenth Trail Sentry that I have owned and its the first one that I wanted to
throw across the room during the first hour. I have loved a number of these
little cams but this one leaves so many things lacking that if I was to give
into my feelings right now I would pull this review as a bad experience. To
correlate this camera to the documentation and compare the 5 MP qualities to
many other cameras from the same company is a big stretch. I first attempted
the trigger tests expecting the same as many of its predecessors and found a
pretty solid three second time. This is as much as two seconds worse than
other cams from this company that carry the same name. I did some sample
pictures at full rez to see just how good a 5 MP
picture from this camera looked and thought I was looking at VGA pictures. I
again went through the cam setup to insure that I was indeed on the proper
setting and still the pictures came out lousy. Right now I am not sure that
what came out of the box is what I am supposed to have here for this review.
There are things on the camera that are not in the book and visa versa.
Programming this cam was pretty standard but there is a curve thrown here
because of its predecessors where you could select whit or red flash.
This cam is IR night and no flash during the
day with the exception when light is starting to fail then the whit flash
will kick in and help clear the pictures. You must program the times you
wish the IR illumination to happen, by narrowing this time will cause the
white flash to work longer. This is not controlled by a light sensor. The
red light on the front of this cam is of use when setting up but should be
covered up for this cam to function in the field. I use a short piece of
black electrical tape for this. This camera lists for about $200 and
compared to the competition it probably would not be a wise choice. We will
still give this cam the go through but as of now it looks like a VGA cam in
a 5MP box. The picture dimensions say it is 3 MP but the quality says VGA I
have yet got this camera to go to the 5 MP setting. Flash range tests in
the morning then off to the hill for sample pictures. We will probably not
have this cam long enough to do a battery life test. I had a number of
cameras to do tests on this morning so I started very early. All went well
with the rest but when I started to do the flash range and sensing tests on
this camera and things came to a halt. I spent more travel time between the
shop and flash testing area than I spent on the rest of the cameras. I was
finally able to get the camera to trigger enough times to collect the flash
range (good to 40 feet) and sensing (25 feet @ 71 degrees). That is about it
for this camera, we will gather a few test
pictures and be done with this review.
I had Anthony poke at this camera in an
attempt to set the rez settings and he found that the Enter button is
flaky and about 90%of the time failed to work. This seems to be another
issue with this cam. Also, after powering off the resolution will
revert back to 3MP.
07-25-2008 update: Well we stuck it out on the hill for some
test pictures and were able to gather a few of the low rez pictures. The
pictures all have a green hue to them and the color is such that it is
nearly impossible to read the time date. They just lack a degree of
contrast. Spent a lot of time and carefully put it on high rez and put
it back out. We just pulled the cam and again it reverted back to low
rez. So far we have only been able to get this camera into the high
position one time. The night pictures with IR were ok and better than
some. The transition time when the camera chooses to help out with the
white flash resulted in some washed out pictures. We were using the 0600
to 2000 setting which is pretty close to our transition times. Two
broken fingernails and a small sprain will hopefully result in this
thing going in the high position so we can get those test pictures. It
looks like those good old 119000C trigger times is definitely a thing of
the past. We had a whole series of these cameras that wood blow the
socks off a cudde when it came to trigger time. If this camera
represents all (and it should) that is being sold in this model and
costs a couple hundred dollars I would look elsewhere like down the road
at the HCO’s Scoutguard or HCO 30. The Moultrie D-40 costing $89 could
be purchased as a pair and you would have better trigger time. Better
pictures and you could have cameras hanging off two trees instead of
just one. As much as we have liked Bushnell’s cameras, this camera has
been a disappointment.
|
|
BUSHNELL
2008
11-9907 Trail Scout 7
MP IR/White flash
     |
Bushnell 11-9907 red/white flash with microphone and game call 3,5,7 MP
camera 08-14-2008
Camera purchased from
TrailCamPro.com
After the last go around with the 119305 we
were a little shy about getting into the next Bushnell camera. Just imagine
a 10 inch tall brown real tree plastic case with a big
camo lollypop sticking out of one of the top corners. This is a four
inch tall speaker that has the capability of emitting different selectable
calls. The idea is to be able to program in a call and set it up to go off
for a short time then have the camera wait for
something to come and investigate that sound. Another feature is the built
in microphone that will record sound when the video mode is selected. The
case is about seven inches wide and three inches thick with out the mounting
bracket. The lollypop is removable and there is a rubber plug to close the
hole if that is your choice. All of the top of
the line Bushnell’s have had this same basic design but without the caller
module sticking out of the top. Centered on the top front is the white flash
and just below that is the IR array which has 24 emitters. Left and right of
the array is on the left the PIR sensor and right is the single lens camera
with movable filter. This takes up 1/3 of the front of the camera and then
the rest is the door to the battery compartment and programming components.
A twist latch opens the door and inside is the LCD screen, SD card slot (up
to 1 gig), caller volume knob, and the up/down/enter programming buttons.
Below that is the line of switches that select most of the programming and
turn the cam on and off. First is the on/off/setup switch then the
following. Still/Movie, IR/whit flash, rez
high/low, and the camera delay 30 sec-1min-2min.Right below all this is the
battery compartment and this is where we see some new improvement. In the
past there was these chromed springs and contacts that were always
problematic. Now these same items have been doused with a coat of silver to
improve battery contact and cause less drain. The bottom of the case has
three weep holes that got a dose of electrical tape instantly to make sure
the ants will not visit to see what brand of batteries we are using. The
back left hand of the outside bottom of the case has a small port for use
with an optional solar panel if you choose to use this camera with
rechargeable batteries. A fast trip to the unofficial trigger time table
gave me the feeling that this camera was going to be around one second. This
is very nice. I even let the thing go to sleep for a while I grabbed a
peanut butter and sardine sandwich. I had to sneak quietly so I would not
wake up this sleeping monster and give it a fright. The trigger still came
out in the one second time frame. I hope it did not smell my breath and wake
up early. This camera was made in May of 08 so in camera years it is about a
teenager by now with the way technology is moving. We had a fairly long
conversation with one of the guys at Bushnell that is forced to wear a tie
this morning and found out that there will probably be some good news around
this time next year, because they seem to be very much watching the market
trends and will try to stay out front. The things that are improved inside
the case this year are not evident but will show up in areas like battery
life and water leaks. This cam came to us with a loose gasket and had to be
re installed to insure the water resistance. The central cam lock that is
used to close the door is made so as you twist the lock counter clockwise
the tighter it gets. Leak test showed that water could not enter the camera
in the upright position. For you folks that like to use the bear proof
boxes, make sure there is drainage in the bottom of the box because this
camera would take on water through the weep holes if it was to be set
upright in a pool as little as 3/8 inch deep. The Information strip has the
time/date, moon phase and you’re programmed in ID if you wish. This camera
is also password protected if you choose to use one. Security is handled by
their bracket which is weak. Look at the side bar of previously tested
Bushnell cameras and there is a lock bar that I made that worked well for
us. There is space for four D cells in the compartment and when things start
to run down there is a low battery indicator on the front of the cam. This
camera is a CMOS 5 MP camera with an interpolated
to the top figure of 7 MP you can also select by switch either one of the
two lower rez settings of 3 and 5 MP. For my use
I like the lower settings but we will be testing in all modes. I spent an
hour or so digging into the documentation because I wanted to know all I
could find out about the recorded sound in the movie mode and the game
calling feature. Well I guess the best way is to do as I did and then spend
a couple hours with the cam in your lap and play with it because I felt the
documentation was lacking in some details. Daytime color pictures of the
bosses flower garden showed a degree of fuzziness
in all three rez settings I am not to fond of
all the light flashing when things are sensed with this camera. One of the
red lights is behind the sensor lens and is very apparent in the dark. This
tells me that this cam needs to be well above the old bucks eye level or he
might spook if he looking in that direction. There is also a degree of
filter clunk which is about equal with the I
series Moultrie cameras. It is time to get
the flash range and sensing range things done so we can deploy this cam for
the sample pictures. Then we will take it south and see if it will call in a
couple of predators.
08-15-2008 update: It
is fun working with this camera because it works as advertised. I found no
surprises so far while working with this camera. The flash range shows it is
good to 40 feet with both white and red flash modes. The sensing range
picked me up at around 30 to 35 feet for this 71 degree morning. Picture
quality is still not as good as we would like for this priced camera but is
acceptable for most uses in the scouting purposes. It is off to the hill now
for some test pictures and movies. Even though it shares the same camera
with its cheaper brother we found none of the glitches that were present
with that cheaper cam.
08-17-2008 update: Had
a couple of operator errors but once we got our head out of our sleeves we
began to capture pictures. With this cam it is very important to know what
the dusk and dawn times are and set the 6-18 setting to match those times.
The function and operation has been very good but what is lacking is the
degree of picture quality. Our sample pictures show that the camera reverts
to three MP at night and back to the higher setting during the day. This
testing will continue until we get through all the settings and then we can
head for the big country and do some predator calling and picture capturing.
We also want to do a side by side with the other camera that has sound with
video to give a comparison. If we were on the star rating thing right now we
would be s 3+ out of 5 with this camera. This is purely on picture quality.
08-28-2007 update: Hard process capturing all the rez pictures
in both IR and white flash but we have proceeded. The last cam from
Bushnell we reviewed I was the one that wanted to pitch it across the
room and this time it is Anthony. For the amount of deer that visit the
testing area during this test period this camera did not capture what we
would call a passel of shots. It did work and by this weekend we hope to
pull it from the picture testing and see if the game call thing is worth
a hoot.. Then a couple of side by sides with the Leaf River to see how
good they compare as far as capturing sound during the video process.
Right now the door is still on the hinges and there is no dents in the
sheetrock so we will possibly be able to transport this cam to the wild
for some critter calling and see what comes to that noise.
09-19-2008 update: We have had a couple of weeks in the
wild with this camera and we set it up in the call and movie mode.
We have yet to capture a single movie of any critter so far. We
added a little sent down range to see if that would help and we will
need another week to see if we can get this cam to call in a
varmint. It has just not worked the way we had figured it would. We
have a god awful amount of varmints like yotes and bobcats that are
all over our other cams without calls. We will give it a little more
time and when the batteries die this time we will finish this
review.
10-18-2008 update: We just did not
have any good luck capturing anything by using the call to bring
them to the camera. We did get enough sample pictures for the review
but as far as the call it was not effective for us. This closes this
review
| Trigger Times |
With IR Flash -around 1 second
With out flash - around 1 second
  |
Flash Tests |
    |
Sample Photos
Low Res (3MP)
   
   
  |
Medium Res
   
  
  |
Sample Photos
High Res (7MP)
note: the camera automatically down sized the ir
shots to 3mp) |
  
   
 
|
Samples - White Flash
   |
|
|
Movie Samples
Note: if you have trouble playing these, right click
and choose "save target as..." to your computer and open them off
the computer.
 |
|
