I’m finally getting some pictures and videos in from the Moultrie I45.  I had been eagerly anticipating the arrival of this camera, and after looking at the images, I am torn as to whether or not to keep it or send it back.

Let me first say that I had very high hopes for the I45.  At $249.00, I was expecting decent quality images and videos.  After reading the specs, it sounded like this infrared game camera would do everything I was looking for.  They have been backordered everywhere, so I assume the demand has been high for them.  I’d like to hear from others as to what their experiences are with the Moultrie I45.  Please leave a comment and let me know.

Here are my experiences thus far…

For the most part, I like the design of the camera.  It has a solid feel to it.  I like the leveler, as well as the V-shaped back braces which give it a firm fit on the tree.  It straps on very nicely.

After hanging it for the first time though, I discovered my first problem; no way to secure it.  There is a lock hole on top of the game camera that allows you to lock to top shut.  This is the only lock hole available for securing the camera to the tree.  I went to secure the camera with a long shank lock and a security cable, and discovered that the lock hole is too small to accept a standard gauge lock.  I was forced to go buy a smaller gauge lock.  The only way I could secure it to the tree was to lock my security cable with the long shank padlock, and run that through my smaller gauge lock.  This is a big drawback with all the concerns about game camera theft.  I contacted CamLockbox.com (which I wrote about the other day), and they will have security boxes for the I45 available in a couple of weeks.

The second draw back is the positioning of the lock hole.  It is located on the rear corner of the camera.  When I went to open it this evening, I had a difficult time inserting the key and turning it.  I didn’t have much room in between the camera and the tree to work with.  I would have preferred to see this located a little more on the side of the camera, instead of towards the rear.

It has been raining heavily here in Kentucky over the past couple of days, and that is what led me to my next concern.  To access the memory card, and the camera controls, you need to unscrew two thumb screws on the sides of the game cam, lift the top open, and rotate it forward.  With a light rain occurring, I noticed water droplets landing on top of the camera.  I did my best to wipe them dry before closing the camera back up, but I’m concerned that the design of the camera could lend itself to condensation issues.  You need to really watch for dripping water or rain when changing your game cards.  You may even want to keep a cloth handy just for this purpose.

On a positive note, I love the controls and ease of programming.  For a camera that uses an LCD panel for programming, this was one of the most straight forward I have seen.

I would have liked to have seen more configuration options though.  For example, you can choose from 5, 15, or 30 second videos.  Those are the only options.  And I just recently learned that at night, the video length defaults to only 10 seconds.

For the photo delay, you can choose between 1, 5, 10, 30, or 60 minute delays in between each activation of the PIR.  I’d like to see the ability to configure any desired delay here, similar to what the Scoutguard SG550 gives you.

I pulled my memory card this evening to review the quality of the images.  I’m torn here as well.  I have a mix of very good quality images, and some that were pretty poor.  Let me qualify this though.

I had set the camera to high quality video at 30 second clips.  I was pleasantly surprised to see that each video was also accompanied by a still image that contained the photo strip with the date, time, temperature, moon phase, and camera identification.  I wasn’t expecting to see both images and videos on my card.  I was only expecting to see videos.  What this allowed me to do though, was see a big difference between the photo quality, and video quality.  Some of my daytime images were crystal clear.

A good I45 image

They had vivid color, and excellent definition.  The level of detail they caught was much higher than expected.  To the left is an example of one of the good daytime images of a doe captured by the I45.  This one was caught at 3:37 pm.  It was shaded in the woods, but there was good light still.  The upload to the blog may not do this image justice, but I can say that I was pleasantly surprised with the quality.  But after reviewing some more images, I started noticing some problems.  I noticed that some of the images had some pretty serious blur to them, when my targets were on the move.  When inspecting the videos, I noticed that the daytime videos were a bit grainy.  Not bad, and something I could live with, but a disappointment after seeing the quality of some of the stills.

Moultrie I45 - Infrared mode didn't kick in

As I inspected some of the images and videos taken around dusk or dawn is where I had my doubts about the I45.  Mine seemed to have a difficult time determining when it should cut over to infrared mode.  Some of the images and videos taken around this timeframe are so dark that I can barely see my game.  It appears to be cutting over to infrared mode too late.

Here is an example of a photo taken at 7:28 PM EST, when infrared mode would have really helped out.

The video that I captured right at this same time was dark as well.  Had the infrared mode kicked in earlier, I think it would have resolved this issue.  I don’t know if this is something that can be resolved with a software update or not, and would like to approach Moultrie’s support for more information.

Here is an example of the video that was captured at the same time.  It is darker than I had hoped for.  Had the infrared kicked in earlier, the vido could have been much more viewable.

I did notice on one image about 7:44 pm EST that the infrared did kick in.  That’s just too darn late.  In my area, there is a lot of dusk and dawn activity, and the I45 gave me too many images that just aren’t viewable.

I typically am a big fan of Moultrie’s game cameras, and love what whey have done with some of their prior models.  That may be in part why I had such high hopes for the I45.  But after looking through 100 images and videos that I’ve captured over the last few days, I think I’ve just made my decision to send this one back.  It’s time to take a hike back into the woods and pull this one down.  I hate to say that too, but for $249.00 I expect more.  I’ve had better experiences with less expensive game cameras.  I’m not going to shut the door on Moultrie yet though.  I’d like to take another look at this game cam if they come out with any modifications.

This is just one man’s experience, and I urge you be the judge for yourself.  Maybe I got a lemon, but at this point, I can’t say that I’m very pleased with it.  I am interested again in hearing from others on their experiences with the I45, so drop me a comment if you’ve tried the I45.

I went to set my new Moultrie I45 infrared digital game camera in the woods behind the house tonight, and I made a disturbing discovery.  The lock hole on the camera housing is too small to accept a standard long shank padlock.

My buddies tell me I’m crazy sometimes, but I’m not crazy enough to leave a brand new $249.00 game camera in the woods unsecured.  I’m in a residential area that borders a nice section of woods, but on occasion, there is some foot traffic through that area.  I’m not willing to take the chance of losing another game camera, especially this one.

So far, this is the only big flaw I can see with the I45.  I wish all the game camera manufacturers would get their acts together and focus on some more simple security measures … like lock holes large enough to accept a real lock.

I did some searching online, and I haven’t been able to find anyone making a good lock box for the I45 yet.  I even checked Moultrie’s site, and couldn’t find a lock box that stated it supported the I45.  I’ve heard some bad things about their older lock boxes, and the one they currently have on their site only references the I40 and I60 as related products.

So I called the good people at CamLockBox.com.  I had visited their website, and didn’t see a model that supported the I45 yet.  They told me that they have received their I45 and I65 cameras, and are currently working on a new lockbox for them.  They anticipate having them ready in about 2 weeks (around the first week of October).  This was good news to me, as I own CamLockBox cases for other models of cameras, and I love them.  These things are designed rock solid, and because of the way the case interlocks, there is no way it’s coming apart, unless you have the key.

I’ll be first in line to get mine.

I received an email from a friend in Canada that I have been swapping game camera pics with.  There were no pictures in this message this time.  Instead, he told me that his Cuddeback Capture IR was out of commission.

It seems that a bear came across his camera, and appearently did a number on it.  It had been ripped from the tree and appeared to have been gnawed on a bit.  It won’t even power on at this point.  He obviously didn’t have his Capture IR in a bear-proof security box.  Bears are very curious creatures and their sheer power can turn their curiosity into severe damage.  You need to be very cautious of scent when placing a game camera in bear territory, especially if you are baiting them.  If you get the scent of the bait on your camera, I can guarantee you that the bear will be very interested in it.

For me, not living in an area with bears, I typically just have to worry about game camera theft, not damage from wildlife.  To protect your game camera from destruction by bear, you really need a security box that is engineered with the bear in mind.

So if you are in the market for a security box to protect from bear damage for your Cuddeback Capture IR, then check out the following link for the lowest prices:  Cuddeback Capture IR Bear Safe Box .

You will find some heavy duty, all metal, bear safe enclosures designed specifically to protect the Capture IR.  These security boxes can be secured to the tree with lag bolts.  Once your game camera is placed inside, the cover is replaced, and a padlock can be added to secure your camera from damage or theft.

The Spypoint IR-A infrared digital game camera is a new player on the market that is getting a lot of talk.  The IR-A is a 6 MP digital scouting camera.  It is infrared-motion triggered, and has 48 infrared LEDs to capture images and video in the dark, with no visible flash.

I mentioned video.  Yes, this game camera shoots 640 x 480 AVI videos that can be 10, 30, 60, or 90 seconds in length.  You get color JPG format pictures by day, and black and white pictures at night, and the camera can be set to take 1, 2, 3, or 4 pictures per each activation with the multi-shot mode.  It embeds the date and time on each picture taken.  With 32 MB of built-in memory, you will want to use an external memory card.  With the IR-A, you can use SD memory cards of up to 8 GB in size allowing you to store up to 15,000+ images.  This gives you the capacity for ample image and video storage.

It has a single backlit LCD display panel for configuration and status, and it is programmed with a user-friendly switch panel.   Set the Spypoint IR-A to operate during the day, night, or both with an easy toggle switch.  Another delay switch allows you to set a delay of 4 sec, 30 sec, 1 min, 5 min, 15 min, or 30 min between each activation.

You can use the USB or TV out ports to transfer your images, or display your images and videos on a TV.  Both the USB and video cables are included.  An external 12-volt auxiliary power jack can be used to give you extended life in the field.  Otherwise, you can power this camera with 6 C-cell batteries.  The low battery indicator lets you know when it’s time to replace them.  The firmware that controls this camera’s operation is upgradeable as well.

The IR-A allows you to adjust the sensitivity of detection from 5 feet, all the way out to 45 feet.  This camera comes with a mounting strap.  I highly recommend you use a cable lock, or padlock with security cable to protect from theft.  The IR-A is tough too, and operates in temperatures between 4° F – 122° F.

Check out the low prices on the Spypoint IR-A.

Stealth Cam Memory Card Viewer

Stealth cam has released a handy new memory card viewer that no game camera enthusiast should be without.  It is the Stealth Cam Memory Card Viewer model STC-CRV20.

This handy little viewer has a two inch LTPS LCD screen that allows you to view the images and videos on your memory card, without using a PC.  This remote viewer is small enough to fit in your pocket, and powerful enough to let you view your pictures and videos on the spot.

It has two SDRAM memory card slots, that supports up to 2 GB memory cards.  The memory slots also allow you to copy and move images and videos from one memory card to another.  So as you check on your game cameras, you can pull the pictures off your memory cards on the spot, consolidate them to a single SDRAM card, and place the original memory card right back into your game camera.  This eliminates the need to purchase a bunch of extra memory cards to swap in and out of your game cameras.

I like the fact the the STC-CRV20 gives you a 4X zoom, which allows you to enlarge the details of your images.  The vertical and horizontal panning while zoomed in really gives you the ability to study all details of your images.

This memory card viewer runs on four AA batteries in the field, and can be powered by a 6V adapter from your home.  As an added bonus, the STC-CRV20 can be connected to your PC to serve as a memory card reader for your computer.  This will allow you to transfer images from your memory cards directly to your PC.

The thing I like best about this new gadget, is that you no longer have to wait to view your images.  You get immediate gratification.  This easy-to-use device is a must have!

For more details, and to see the best prices on the STC-CRV20, click on the following link:  Stealth Cam Memory Card Viewer .

New for 2009, the Stealth Cam Nomad IR digital game camera is yet another great offering from the popular game camera manufacturer that is loaded with features.  This infrared digital game camera, model I530IRx2, is capable of taking photographs and capturing video in the daytime or at night.  Best of all, this game camera is infrared, which means there is no flash at night that will spook your game.

It can give you high quality VGA video, and will record video clips any where from 5 to 90 seconds in length.  The Nomad has 32 MB of built-in RAM, but accepts standard SDRAM memory cards of up to 2 GB in size, so storing lots of images and videos will not be a problem.  We recommend that you have multiple SDRAM cards.  They are inexpensive, and you can just quickly swap out your memory cards when checking your camera, and view the images and videos from your home PC.
The Nomad IR will capture images in high quality mode of up to 5 megapixel resolution, and will capture images by day and night.  The image quality is sharp, and all images are stamped with the date and time, as well as temperature and moon phase.

For still images, you have the option of 5MP, 3MP, and 1.3MP resolutions.  The daytime images are in color, and night time images are black and white.  The burst mode setting can be defined to take between 1 to 9 image upon each activation of the PIR.  And the PIR can detect game out to 30 feet.  Its 27 infrared emitters give the Nomad clear images and video out to 30 feet in pure darkness.

You will like the new icon-based programming, and ease of use.

The Nomad IR is powered by six standard C cell batteries, but it also accepts the optional 12 volt power supply for extended operation in the field.  A mounting strap is included, but we recommend adding a cable-lock, or pad lock with a security cable for protection from theft.  A USB cable is also included in the box, for hooking the camera up to your PC.

We like the new camo design over the drab green or black colors seen on previous stealth cam models.  So if you are in the market for a new game camera, give the Stealth Cam Nomad IR a closer look.  It is sure to please.

See the Best prices on Stealth Cam Nomad IR