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I resisted shopping for a mobile path digital camera for years, however a whitetail hunt with Area and Stream searching editor, Will Brantley, modified every little thing for me. I noticed how he used the real-time intel from path cameras to decide on sizzling stands and study how deer used his properties.
It wasn’t lengthy after that I purchased my first cell cam, a SpyPoint Hyperlink Micro. I used to be shocked at how straightforward it was to arrange and the way addictive it’s to examine the app for brand new images. Trying by the few dozen images every day additionally beats trying by a couple of thousand from my normal path cams. The Hyperlink Micro is nice, however I wished so as to add a greater digital camera to my toolkit this yr, so I purchased the brand new SpyPoint Flex. I’ve had it for a couple of months now, and it’s been hanging alongside trails, in feeding areas, and over mock scrapes. It was additionally a part of our mobile path digital camera check. Right here’s what I consider it up to now.
SpyPoint Flex Specs and Options
- 8 AA batteries
- 0.5-second set off pace
- Flash vary: 100 toes
- Marketed detection vary: 100 toes
- 0.3-second set off pace
- 33 Megapixels
- 1080p video with sound
- 2 SIM playing cards included
- GPS Enabled
- Makes use of micro SD playing cards
Twin SIM Playing cards
You’ve most likely observed that in some locations, one cell service has a powerful sign whereas one other service has a weak sign. The Flex’s twin SIM playing cards will mechanically discover the service with the strongest sign and connect with it.
Photograph and Video
You may seize picture, video (with audio), and time lapses with the Flex. Along with the standard time lapse, you too can allow Time-Lapse+, which is able to take a time-lapse at your set interval and nonetheless take images when the digital camera’s sensor is triggered.
Plans
- Premium: $15 per thirty days for limitless images
- Customary: $10 per thirty days for 1,000 images
- Fundamental: $5 per thirty days for 250 images
These costs are month-to-month per digital camera, and you may select totally different plans for various cameras—it can save you just a little if you happen to purchase an annual plan. You can even cancel anytime if you happen to’re paying month-to-month, which I select to do since I don’t run cameras all yr.
App
I’ve been utilizing the SpyPoint app with my Hyperlink Micro for over a yr, and I’ve discovered it straightforward so as to add cameras, overview images, and replace settings.
Including a digital camera is so simple as inputting the mannequin and scanning the QR code within the battery compartment. From the app, you’ll be able to modify your picture seize settings and the way usually you obtain photos from the digital camera. You can even view the digital camera’s battery life, sign power, SD card standing, location on a map, GPS coordinates, and ambient temperature.
The principle operate of the app is to view your images and movies. By default, the app types your images by date and time, however you’ll be able to add a species and media-type filter. Whenever you seize a cool picture you’ll be able to favourite it, obtain it, or share it proper within the app.
Testing the SpyPoint Flex within the Area
I spent my very own cash on the SpyPoint Flex (relatively than asking the corporate for a check mannequin), as a result of I wanted a cell cam and I figured that if I occurred to love it, I’d write a overview. I’ve had the SpyPoint Flex for 2 months, and I’m glad to report that it has carried out nicely in each the sector and in a standardized walkthrough check.
For my preseason scouting, I moved the Flex between journey corridors, mock scrapes, and feeding areas. It has been 100% dependable and all the time sends images on the scheduled occasions. On trails, the set off pace was nice, and the three-photo burst captured a number of, clear images of deer as they walked previous the digital camera. The primary picture was usually the deer getting into the body, adopted by a centered picture and one final shot because the deer left the body. In feeding areas, the digital camera was delicate sufficient to seize deer as they approached, so I may see which trails they have been utilizing.
You may cling the Flex with the included strap, however I like utilizing it with a screw-in tree mount as a result of the ¼-20 threads are situated on the again of the digital camera as a substitute of the underside. That thread location makes it superb to be used with that model mount. Nevertheless it additionally makes it troublesome to make use of on mounts that stake into the bottom and are supposed to screw into the underside of a path cam.
The Flex’s picture high quality is nice—day or evening—and it captured footage of two spectacular bucks feeding in entrance of my digital camera. I first caught a kind of bucks on digital camera as he minimize by the realm. The buck was simply within the higher right-hand nook of the picture, however it was sufficient intel for me to remotely change the digital camera over to video. I don’t go away the digital camera on video usually as a result of SpyPoint prices an extra charge to ship the complete 15-second video to your cellphone. You get the equal of a flip-book video if you happen to don’t pay the charge. One other factor to remember is that sending movies will damage your battery life.
I used to be just lately a part of a check crew that evaluated the greatest mobile path cameras utilizing a standardized check process. The protocol was to stroll by every digital camera at a standard strolling tempo at 10, 60, and 110 toes—day and evening. This walkthrough check would consider the digital camera’s set off pace, sensitivity, flash vary, picture high quality, and shutter pace.
At 10 toes in daylight and evening, the digital camera captured three images of me. Throughout daytime, it caught me within the body 3 times at 60 toes, and at evening it triggered, however it didn’t seize me within the body. The digital camera didn’t set off at 110 toes, however the different cameras within the check didn’t both. It did have wonderful flash efficiency, with a fair flash illuminating past 110 toes.
What the SpyPoint Flex Does Greatest
Anytime I set a digital camera, my first concern is that it received’t work appropriately. My second concern, particularly on public land, is that it’s going to get stolen. The Flex does a great job at calming each these issues as a result of it’s a dependable digital camera with GPS enabled. It’s by no means missed a scheduled ship, even in sensitive cell reception, and I’ve the peace of thoughts that if somebody did take the digital camera, I’d know the place it’s as quickly as they turned it on. Add these options to good picture and video high quality for beneath $150, and also you’ve acquired an ideal deal.
What the SpyPoint Flex Does Worst
The SpyPoint Flex has some stiff competitors with some nice cameras just like the Bushnell Cellucore, Tactacam Reveal X/XB, and the Moultrie Cellular Edge for across the identical worth. These cameras have been all a part of our Greatest Finances Path Digital camera check, and the Flex misplaced out to these cameras on a couple of factors:
Remaining Ideas
The SpyPoint Flex is an efficient all-around mobile path digital camera that comes at an inexpensive worth with an easy-to-use app. I can put it out within the woods and really feel assured that I received’t get a bunch of blanks or blurry photos, simply clear images and shooter bucks.
