| Model | Trigger Speed | Flash Range | Resolution | Storage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Bushnell Trophy Cam HD  Check Best Price | 0.6 sec | 80 ft. | 8 MP usable | SD Card (not included) |
Pros:
- Excellent battery life
- Hybrid mode records photo and video at same time
- Records full HD video
- External power compatible
Cons:
- Light sensor misfires in low light conditions
- Slight overexposure in daytime shots
How Well Does the Detect Movement?
The Bushnell Trophy Cam HD has one of the best detection circuits in the range of cameras, with an adjustable PIR sensor. Detection range is at least 60 feet most of the time, and the detection field is about as wide as the field of view of the camera itself. With a quick 0.6 second trigger speed and 2.9 second recovery time, you are sure to catch the critters on camera whenever they come within range of this camera.
The adjustable PIR sensor allows you to set the camera to whatever sensitivity you want, and can be set between Auto, Low, Normal, and High. The “Auto” setting allows the camera to automatically set sensitivity based on ambient temperature, and works fairly well when you expect the weather to change significantly during the time the camera is being used.
How Reliable is This Field Camera?
The Trophy Cam lineup has always been known for reliability in the field, and the latest Bushnell Trophy Cam HD model is no exception. This camera has been running for months next to my feed plot, and it is a rock solid performer. Some reviewers have run into problems with their cameras, but they are few in number. My experience with Bushnell is that their products are solidly reliable, and Bushnell stands firmly behind every product they produce.
What Is the Image Quality Like?
Image quality from this camera is quite good, but a bit overexposed in daytime shots with full sunlight. Other than that, the color, clarity and focus are all strongly competitive with more expensive cameras. The camera is really within its glory at night, but still suffers some blurriness if the animals are in motion. This is much better with the firmware upgrade installed, but still some blurriness occurs from time to time. I’m not sure any camera for less than $300 would catch a crisp and clear shot of a running doe, though. The shots that I’ve picked up on this camera have all been decent enough for the cost of the camera, and the animals that stand still to feed are completely focused.
Every image and video taken with the Trophy Cam is stamped with the date, time, temperature and moon phase. You also get GPS-tracked geotagging in your image files, so you can pinpoint which camera has been detecting the movement if you have several of these set up along your property.
What Picture-Taking Modes Does This Camera Offer?
This particular model of camera features a truly unique mode called “Hybrid” mode, where the camera actually shoots video and takes full resolution photographs almost at the same time. You can program video length from 1 second to 60 seconds, and can program a trigger interval of 1 second to 60 minutes. You can also set burst mode for 1-3 images per trigger.
Finally, my second favorite feature of this camera is the time-lapse mode. You can set the time-lapse mode to take pictures at preset intervals from 1 minute to 60 minutes. The time lapse pictures are terrific, and give you an excellent view of the animals moving in and out of the camera’s field of view.
My favorite feature, though, is the hybrid mode. In hybrid mode, the camera takes a photograph and then immediately takes a short video. There is about a 2-second delay between when the camera snaps the photo and when it starts recording video, so this is a great way to capture the animals feeding in front of the camera.
How Many Pictures Can the Store?
How many pictures you can store depends on the SD card you have installed in the camera. The camera supports up to a 32GB SD card, and they’re dirt cheap nowadays, so I’d just get a 32GB SD card. You’ll be able to fit weeks of photos on the card before it fills up. Of course, if you’re shooting video, the card will fill up faster, so you should be prepared to check it more often for video. I don’t know about you, though, but I tend to check my cameras every few days just to see what type of critters I can see feeding from my plots.
How Is the Battery Life?
With lithium batteries, you can expect this camera to last for anywhere from 8 and 12 months in the field between batteries. If you use rechargeable batteries, which the owner’s manual says will not work but actually do work fine, expect 2 to 2 and a half months of use out of a single set of batteries.
One of the nicest features of this camera is that it has a DC port for plugging it into an external power source. This is great if you have power coming near the camera, since you can plug it in and not have to worry about batteries at all.
Is This Field Camera Easy to Use?
Bushnell really knows how to make a camera easy to use. There are plenty of setting options, and they are all easy to use. The instruction manual is second to none, and makes it very easy to learn how to get the most out of the Bushnell Trophy Cam HD.
When it comes to downloading or viewing the pictures on the camera, Bushnell has you covered with a variety of options. You can just remove the SD card and view the pictures on your computer, or you can bring the camera in and use the TV Out port to display the pictures and video on your television instead.
The camera has a tripod socket for mounting on a tripod
Summary of the Bushnell Trophy Cam HD Field Camera
Thanks for reading our review of the Bushnell Trophy Cam HD field camera. This is a very high quality camera at a fairly low price point. It is feature-rich, lasts forever on a single set of batteries, and takes fantastic shots day or night, as long as you update the firmware to the latest version. This camera is probably my favorite among all of the field cameras I’ve used. Take a look at Amazon.com’s price on the Bushnell Trophy Cam HD if you’re interested.
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