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!"

• 6 megapixel camera
• 50 foot flash range
• A built-in 2 inch LCD color image viewer
• Time and Date stamping
• Moonphase and Temperature stamping
• Photo 'burst mode', which can take from 1 to 9 pictures when triggered
• Shoots videos, programmable between 5 - 90 seconds

You can set a delay on this camera between 1 and 59 minutes.  So if you have this camera over a food plot or corn pile, you don't end up with a ton of pictures of the same deer.  But you can expand the memory to 2 GB with an optional SD card, so who cares how many pics of the same deer you get.  If it's that monster buck I've been watching, I want all the pictures I can get of him.

My three favorite features of this camera have to be the integrated 2" LCD image viewer, the 50' flash range, and the ability to add an optional 12 volt lead acid battery pack.  I hunt a lot of remote areas, and it's not always easy to get the time to go check my cameras and pull the memory cards.  Having the ability to check the pictures right on the spot with the image viewer allows me to determine whether or not to leave my camera in that spot, or abandon the area and move it to another location.  If the area or trail is deal, you will know it right then and there, and you can move on.

I have other cameras that have a weak flash.  I can't tell you how many times I've had a camera triggered and I can see other deer in the background, but the background images are too dark to make them out.  The extended flash can give you a full view of a group of deer when the lead animal triggers the camera.

I love the 12 volt battery for hunting remote areas.  There is nothing I hate more than going to check a camera after a period of time, and finding dead batteries.  Who knows how many pictures might have been missed.  The 12 volt battery gives you a strong supply of power that is ideal for those remote game cameras.

Yes, StealthCam has definitely exceeded expectations with their newest scouting camera.  If you own a StealthCam V650, we'd love to hear from you and see some of your pics.  Please post a comment.