One of the greatest things about technology for wildlife management is the control we’ve never had before. Just 20 years ago only high dollar agencies and large wealthy landowners had access to trail cameras to be eyes in the field for months on end. Now we have literally dozens of products just a click away via the internet.
Many of these cameras can be hard to tell apart when they look so similar and new models come out every year. Reading through product catalogs will point you in the right direction and product reviews give the best information. This is our Stealth Cam P18 review.
The three most important things to look for when shopping for a trail camera are: trigger speed, picture and video quality, and battery life. If you can find a camera that has these three main criteria, then you have a winner. Most cameras will have elements of all three but the more you have of each will make the camera better.
Many cheaper “budget” cameras will have decent pictures but bad trigger speed and short battery life. A model that fits into the lower price range is the Stealth Cam P18. The P18 is a screaming deal within its price range with its quality.
Tech Specs
The Stealth Cam P18 is a basic Game Camera, but don’t confuse basic with lacking function, especially with this trail camera. The camera has a 6 mega pixel resolution for taking pictures and recording up to 15 seconds of video. The trigger is set at 20 yards and takes pictures day or night. The Stealth Cam P18’s infrared flash illuminates targets up to 50 feet out.
Here's a short clip of video taken at night:
The camera is set up with a quick trigger speed and a user adjustable time delay between pictures. The burst mode takes a series of pictures quickly or can be made to record video while the time delay is set up to keep from taking too many pictures in high traffic areas.
The camera is designed for wildlife observation and includes a new energy efficient design to reduce battery life. The trail camera needs 8 AA batteries and they last for ample time to get good pictures. To really make batteries last, the unit can be wired to accept an accessory 12volt battery to make the camera run for months on end. Storing all the pictures is easy as the camera will accept up to a 32gb SD card and has a mini USB port.
To top things off, the design is easy to adjust and set up and even comes with a tree strap, batteries and an 8gb SD card. The low battery level indicator on the unit helps service the unit and the whole thing is wrapped in a heavy duty plastic shell with rubber O-ring sealed clasps for weatherproofing.
PROS
It’s dead simple to set up and use. It comes with everything you need to set it up, all you really need is a place to put it and something to take pictures of. The utility of a low cost trail camera for use on public land, or having many cameras is often understated and unappreciated. The camera comes with all the standard features and does it well. Overall the camera is a solid buy based on features but the redeeming factor is the quality of the design and construction.
Whereas other cameras in this price range will feel light and cheap, this camera is a solid piece of equipment. The claps feel solid and the controls don’t feel cheap like many cameras sold at department stores and discount centers. The bundle of quality components at a more than reasonable price and is the calling card of this trail camera.
CONS
While the camera has all the basic features you’d expect it doesn’t particularly do anything above and beyond. It takes pictures and video that get the job done but are by no means HD and the night flash works well but leaves something to be desired.
The included SD is 8gb which is plenty if you check the cameras every few weeks but for more remote locations where they get checked every few months, places cheaper cameras get used most, it can be a bit small. The unit isn’t particularly large, but not noticeably small either.
It does its job and is a tool but won’t win awards.
Stealth Cam P18 Review: Overall
The results of the Stealth Cam P18 review make it a buy. Stealth Cam is known for making quality products with unique features and this is among their basic option. This is the silent workhorse for upping your scouting to the next level on public land or on secluded small plots you only go to drag out game in. The Stealth Cam P18 does a good job of pictures and video day and night and will help you harvest more game by being your eyes while you are everywhere else in the world.
It is offered at a great price, even better with the batteries and SD card, and is a “Grab-and-Go” kit for taking pictures of wildlife. So why not grab one and go do what it was designed for?
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This post first appeared on Best Trail Camera Reviews: The Ultimate Buyers Gui, please read the originial post: here
