Bushnell is a world leader for a reason, and this sleek looking Bushnell 8MP Trophy Cam HD is another reason why. The company didn’t take any shortcuts in introducing the product to the general public to much fanfare. Besides being one of the most powerful on the market, it is one of the better high cost trail cameras that can be purchased and relied on for years. Buyers can expect to get a lot of mileage out of this camera, and all without ponying up an extreme amount of money. For a cost vs. performance option, it is very good and well worth the money.
Style
It’s about as professional looking as you can get, and uses a very dark brown that works for all home security or trail hunting. It will blend into virtually any environment without any extra help on your end. The camera was made to be universally used, so going with the dark brown was a perfect choice for all involved. The casing has a loop on the end so that you can get creative with the placement. Expect to spend a lot of money for another brand with this styling of case. This is about as low priced as you’re going to get without getting into the collector’s edition for this style.
Recommended Level
This one is an interesting mix since it leans more toward intermediate and up, with advanced users being the bread and butter. Advanced users more than any group will be able to maximize the features of the camera. Intermediate users can catch up in time, and will get user out of many of the great features of this Bushnell. But where does that leave beginners? Although the camera isn’t geared toward beginners in a way that is user friendly, the device is still useful as a trail camera (for example: MOULTRIE PANORAMIC 150I ) hunting and home security tool for beginners. If they are willing to learn the advanced features of the camera over time, then things will progress normally as if they were an intermediate user.
Durability
Bushnell had no choice but to make the case on this camera strong, due to the expensive components on the inside. It is a fine case that is very well made. There are no problems opening it, and it only requires a little force. Drops won’t bother the internals, and your camera won’t go flying to the other side of the forest even if something or someone knocks it down. Weather doesn’t bother it and it is just an all-around great case, which is very important when purchasing an expensive camera. Expect this case to continue to amaze those that have never owned a Bushnell before.
Pros
A high definition 8MP camera that can take 1-3 solid images per trigger. Full HD video of 1280×720 with audio that can be recorded up to 60 seconds. The length of the video is completely programmable, so you can define it based on how much space is left. Hybrid capture mode lets you take pictures and video at the same time, a feature found only in Bushnell devices. Geotag data is automatically added to each photo and video you take, and on 8AA batteries the camera works up to a full year. With the extensions to the PIR system, media is crisp whether it is taken in the daytime or
the nighttime.
Cons
The price may be out of reach for the common customer, as others may opt to go to the next tier down. The unit can run on 4AA or 8AA batteries, but in order to get the full power out of the unit you want to get name brand. Going with a generic set of batteries will cause the power to fizzle out a lot sooner than expected. As one of the high end products in their lineup, it is still only 8MP total. Bumping it up to 10 or 12 would have been the better option since this is one of the better reviewed models.
Included Accessories
With an adjustable web belt and included ¼ socket to tighten it, this bad boy is ready to go out of the box. You can hang or position it anywhere, and with its ideal weight of only 1 pound, expect for your creativity to go wild. The web belt is on the same quality level as the camera, and will hold up well over the years even under heavy abuse. The unit is also external power compatible, which saves a lot of money on purchasing batteries year round. External add-ons are cheap and won’t break the bank, so it is recommended to buy it together with the camera if you need it.
Value
Powerful and fully featured, this is a tremendous value out of the box. It has everything you need to get started with HD photos and videos. The design makes it ideal for home and outdoor use, with the perfect balance between the two. All the parts of high quality and will do wonders when taxed to their limit. And years from now the value of the camera will remain largely the same, do the how much futureproofing was put into the product. While the 8MP camera could have been tweak further to predict industry standards, it is still a very powerful resolution that will fetch you some great media.
Lasting Appeal
It will be around for a long time in your arsenal, and won’t fade in quality. HD cameras are hard to come by that are this fully featured, and since it is a Bushnell product it has longevity just based on name alone. You won’t get any better than this unless you go to a wireless camera or 12MP camera. So for all of your needs this will pretty much meet them over the years, keeping you from having to replace the camera for at least a decade of use. You won’t need another camera for a very long time.
Best Comparison
The collector’s edition of the Bushnell 8MP Trophy Cam HD is made pretty much the same with a different casing and similar price. Also some of the features of the original have been tweaked to perform better. The collector’s edition is the superior version component wise, but the casing of the original may be preferred by those that want an indoor and outdoor camera. Either one works fine, but the most universal one is going to be the original Bushnell 8MP Trophy Cam HD. If you strictly want an outside trail hunting camera, then go for the collector’s edition that blends in well with the environment.
Personal Opinion
This is an upper tier camera that deserves all of the great reviews it gets. Expect for the company to really get gains on this camera even years after its introduction. There is a reason that they made a collector’s edition, and even with new trail cameras being built everyday it remains one of the best.