I was excited to test this scouting camera because of its low price point.  I picked up the kit for around $149.00, which included the I-530 game camera, a 2 GB memory card, batteries, and a security bracket.  I've had lots of questions from readers looking for the best infrared game camera at the lowest price possible.  I had hoped that the Nomad IR would meet that criteria, but there were ultimately some issues during testing that would make me not recommend this game cam.

The first minor issue I encountered was with the mounting bracket.  I've had previous Stealth Cams and previous mounting brackets, but this one just didn't seem to have as tight of a fit as prior models.  This normally wouldn't be a concern, because it is still a very secure solution, but the issue is that it could potentially shift its position and block the camera lens.  I ended up using a twist-tie through the bracket lock hole to hold it tight to resolve this issue.

My big concern with this scouting camera had to do with performance related to image quality.  This camera had big issues during the transition periods from light to dark.  This resulted in pictures that were washed out due to over compensation by the infrared LEDs.  It's almost like the timing needs to be changed to allow the LEDs to cut off sooner.  I have a series of videos near dawn that start off looking OK, but are increasingly washed out by the IR LEDs as more daylight sets in.

Here are some example images from these videos:

This first image was from a video captured at 6:32 am.  Note that it is a bit washed out.

This second image was from a video captured at 6:42 am.  Note that it is even more washed out.

This third image taken at 6:50 am is barely viewable because it is almost completely washed out.

You can see how this became more of an issue as the natural light increased.  This issue continued until the IR LEDs completely cut off, and pictures were just taken with natural light.

In Stealth Cam's defense, I may have just gotten a lemon of a game camera for my testing.  I spoke with the service employees at the retail establishment where I purchased this game cam, and they stated that they had not seen and unusually large number of returns on the Nomad IR thus far.  I ultimately swapped this game camera for the new Moultrie I-35, which has the same price point as the Nomad IR.  The I-35 is the next model that I'll be testing in my quest for a low-cost game camera that still offers good performance.

You can see my full video review below.  Any comments on my YouTube video are appreciated.

I say 'package', because StealthCam has bundled everything you need in one kit to head straight to the woods and set the I-530 up.

Included in this package is the following:

• The StealthCam Nomad IR game camera
• A heavy duty security cable and locking bracket
• A 2 GB SDRAM memory card
• A strap for affixing the Nomad to a tree
• Six Energizer C-cell batteries
• A USB cable
• A user manual

I like the fact that StealthCam often includes security brackets with their camera kits.  After being the victim of game camera theft in the past, I always purchase security lock boxes for my game cameras.  StealthCam has already taken care of this for me, and this is something that I wish more game camera manufacturers would include in their packages.

This game camera has the same look and feel of previous generation Stealthcam models, but sports a new camouflage pattern; the NEXT G-1 Camouflage microprint.  This is a welcome change from the drab olive green color of past models.  This should help to make the Nomad a little more difficult to spot by would-be thieves.

The jury is still out on this trail camera's performance, until I get it in the woods to see how it performs.

Check back in the near future for all the test results and a video review demonstrating the features and capabilities of the I-530!

Check out the following link that has an example video from this game camera:  Prowler HD Video (link will open in a new window).  This is a 1280 x 760 HD video of a little buck in velvet pawing at a doe and ends up bumping the camera.  I was definitely struck by the quality of the video.  The incredible detail, the color, and the clarity of the video from the Prowler HD beats out the video from any other game camera that I have seen to date.  Add the recorded audio to the equation, and you end up with a realism that makes you feel like you are in a blind, watching the action unfold in front of you.  The H.264 video compression gives you this widescreen format at 30 frames per second for a fluid video.

A few other features caught my eye while looking at the specs.  The video length is adjustable like with many other game cameras on the market, but this one can shoot videos from 5 seconds to 300 seconds (5 minutes).  It accepts a memory card of up to 16 GB, so a large number of videos (even long ones) can be stored to the memory card.  It can shoot  8 megapixel still pictures as well, giving you high definition quality stills, but lower resolutions can be set too.  It has all the other standard features that you are used to seeing from Stealth Cam.  The Burst Mode allows you to fire off multiple still pictures when the PIR is actived, and this one will let you take between one to nine images.  You get the Date, Time, Moon Phase, and Temperature stamping on images and video files.  This information remains visible on the bottom of the screen though, as opposed to just being displayed in the first frame like other digital game cameras.  That is a welcome change.

What don't I like is that some of the advertising details from Stealth Cam conflict.  For example, this link says that the 54 infrared emitters have a range of 30 feet.  But look at the Stealth Cam Product Specification Chart says that it is 40 feet.  I'd like to think that it is the 40 feet, as many other game camera manufacturers have been increasing their ranges with HO (high output) infrared emitters.  I'll tell you one other thing that bugs me is the built-in 64 MB of RAM.  Seriously?  What I would love to see is a game camera manufacturer placing 16 GigaBytes of built-in memory in their cameras.  Why do these trail cam manufacturers even put such a small amount of memory in a game cam?  And the 64 MB is generous compared to what some game cams have built-in.  Such a limited amount of memory is not usable.  I mean, does anyone reading this post actually make use of internal memory, or are you like everyone else I know, who swaps external memory cards in and out of the cam?

I think those issues are minor compared to the benefits offered by this trail cam.  The Stealth Cam website has this camera for sale for $309.00.  I have found this camera selling elsewhere for less, and in some cases as much as $60.00 less.  That's about 20% less, at a price of around $249.00 with free shipping.  You can see those deals here:

Well the game camera manufacturer StealthCam has jumped on the bandwagon, and started their own similar program called 'Cash for Cameras'.  If you are on the StealthCam mail131913191319ing list, you may have received an email131913191319 about this.  I did yesterday, and will be taking advantage of this program.  StealthCam will be offering $35.00 worth of 'bailout money' through this program which ends on October 31, 2009, so make sure you act quickly.

Here is how it works:

1. You can trade in any old (but functional) digital scouting camera for a $35 credit towards the purchase of a new StealthCam game camera that is priced at $149 or more.  You can trade in any brand of game camera.  The game camera that you purchase from StealthCam must also be in stock, and must be grand new.
2. You must call StealthCam at (877) 269-8490 to tell them that you want to participate in this program, and they will provide you an RMA number.
3. You ship the camera to StealthCam, and upon receipt, they will provide you a promo code with a value of $35.00 that can be used during the checkout process at the www.stealthcam.net website.

I called StealthCam, with some additional questions.  It was about a 15 minute phone call, start to finish.  I have an old STC-WD1 camera that I'm interested in trading in on a Sniper or a Nomad IR.

I had questions about the shipping.  Would I be responsible for shipping, which would reduce the value of the $35.00 credit I would receive?  The answer is Yes, and No.  Yes, you are responsible for the cost of shipping the camera to StealthCam, BUT they will ship your new camera to you Free of Charge.  So the shipping cost is a wash.

You have the option of how you want to ship the camera back.  So if USPS shipping costs less than UPS or FedEx, then you can ship via USPS>  It's up to you how you want to send it back, you just need to make sure that your RMA number is written on the outside of the box.

So I told them I wanted to participate in the program.  The service rep took my name, address, email131913191319, and model of camera that I will trade in.  They in turn gave me an RMA number, and an address to ship my old camera to.  Once they receive it, they will email131913191319 me the promo code.

I like it, and will be giving it a shot.

Stealth Cam Prowler HD

What I know about this camera so far, is that it will support 1280 x 720 high definition video, with H.264 Video Compression. It will also record full audio when recording in video mode. In addition to the HD video mode, it will support the standard VGA and QVGA video settings. You will be able to preconfigure the video lengths from anywhere from 5 seconds to 300 seconds (a full 5 minutes). This game camera will have 64 MB of internal memory, but will accomodate up to a 4 GB SDRAM card.

The sill imaging has been ramped up on the new Prowler as well. It will now shoot 1.3 MP, 5 MP, and 8 MP still images. The burst mode is still there, which will shoot anywhere from 1 - 9 still images on each activation of the PIR. You get the time, date, moon phase, and temperature stamping on each of the video files and images.

This is an infared game camera, that has 54 IR emitters that reach out to 30 feet. Like all Stealth Cam models, this camera will have the 12 volt auxiliary power jack allowing it to accept an external power source.

Stealth Cam has definitely raised the bar with this new High Definition model, and we can wait to see it.

Stealthcam i540ir Video

You can click on the slideshow below to make it larger for better visibility.

Stealth Cam Sniper V650

The Stealth Cam Sniper V650 is one of the latest offerings by the notable game camera manufacturer. It is endorsed by Jim Shockey, the award winning outdoor writer, wildlife videographer, and wilderness guide.

One of this camera's most impressive features, is the built-in 2 inch color LCD viewer.  This allows you to view your game camera images and videos in the field, right from your game cam.  The burst mode technology allows this trail camera to shoot 1 to 9 images, or video segments between 5 to 90 seconds when the PIR sensor detects game.  The delay feature can be programmed from 1 to 59 minutes between motion sensing, so you don't end up with a ton of pictures of the same animal.  This feature is especially helpful if you have the camera set on a feeder or corn pile.

It has a strong 50 ft flash range, giving you vivid color images at night.  The images are Time and Date stamped, and include moon phase and temperature stamping as well.  The videos are also stamped with Time, Date, and Video Length.  The STC-V650 shoots at 6 megapixels, giving you high quality images.

The Sniper V650 has 32 MB of built-in memory.  This isn't much capacity, so you will want to make use of the SD memory card slot.  The SD slot accepts up to 2 GB memory cards.  I recommend having multiple memory cards.  This way, you can pull your old SD card, and replace it with an empty one when checking your camera.  The Sniper has a USB port that allows you to connect it to your computer to access the images stored on the internal memory.  You also get an AV-out port, that allows you to display your pictures on a standard television.  This feature is also nice for transferring videos to a VCR or CD recorder.

Another nice feature (available on most all Stealth Cam models) is the ability to add an auxiliary battery pack.  The aux power jack allows you to connect a 12 Volt lead acid battery pack that gives you long duration battery life.  These battery packs are rechargeable, and come with their own charger.  No more buying and swapping out dead batteries.  This feature will pay for itself in little time.  If you choose to use traditional batteries, you will need 6 C-cell batteries.

The all-weather camera housing comes in a Realtree camo pattern.  I like this, because it makes your game camera less detectable for would-be thieves.  A locking bracket is another recommended option.  You have the ability to secure this camera to the tree with a standard lock and security cable, but the locking bracket with provide better security for your investment.

One last noteworthy feature of this camera is the adjustable PIR switch.  You have the ability to adjust the sensitivity of the motion sensor to Near and Far settings.  This is one feature I've really come to appreciate when using this camera on a feeder.  This has helped me to cut down on pictures of squirrels and rabbits feasting on my corn, and maximize the number of deer pictures.  The trigger speed isn't rapid, like some of the more expensive cameras on the market.  But it isn't bad either.  It's typical of most other Stealth Cam models.

To sum it up in Jim Shockey's own words, "The new SNIPER incorporates all of the features that I and my whitetail guide team wanted in a scouting camera.  We trust this camera, and you can too... and that's No Guff!"