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2011 Bushnell Trophy Cam Review
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Bottom Line: An excellent detection circuit, superb battery life and a two year warranty, the Bushnell Trophy Cam continues to be the best camera in the $200 price range.
Read Full Analysis
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Quick Facts
• Price:
• Trigger Time:
• Recovery Time:
• Detection Range:
• Flash Range:
• Battery Life:
• Battery Type:
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Basic $169.95
1.3 s
4.7 s
52 ft.
45 ft.
2-4 months
8 AA
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3.8 Stars
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Pro's
• Small, compact design
• Audio with video
• True time lapse technology
• Good detection circuit
• Great Battery Life
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Con's
• Blurry on objects closer than 1 meter
• Batteries are difficult to take out
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Trailcampro Analysis
The Trophy Cam is one of the smallest cameras on the market, measuring in at 5.5" x 4" x 2.5." It is dark brown in color and weighs just under 1 lb without batteries.
Detection Circuit
 3.7 stars
The Trophy Cam still has a 1.3 second trigger speed, 4.7 second recovery (on 3 Mpxl) wide detection circuit and detects out to around 50 feet.
The 1.3 second trigger speed is in the 60th percentile of trail cameras. That and the 50 ft detection range hold the detection circuit back just a bit.
Picture Quality
3.3 stars
The picture quality during the day is very good. The night pictures are a dark and have the "halo" effect around the edges. With that being said, it seems there is less blur in the pictures at night which indicates the shutter speed is quicker (which would also make the night photos darker).
It is also important to note that the flash range is 45 ft. depending on moon conditions and sky clarity.
For the trail camera video lovers, you will now have audio with the
video. This is a tremendous upgrade as audio can sometimes be more
interesting than the video itself!
Battery Life
 4.3 stars
Battery life has long been one of the strongest points of recent Bushnell cameras. Depending on how many pictures the camera takes you can expect anywhere from 2-4 months on a set of Nimh rechargeable batteries. These batteries are also rated for over 1,000 charges.
Resting Current Draw
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Day Current Draw
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Night Current Draw
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Duration of Photo
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0.19 ma
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89 ma
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267 ma
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3 s
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s = seconds
ma = milliamps
Ease of Use
3.8 stars
The 2011 Trophy Cam has a simple case design and programming that is both intuitive and user friendly. The programming can be set up in seconds, and does not require any technical skill. There are no "tricks" that you need to know. On the same hand, there is not a ton of options to customize settings (i.e. adjusting the flash quality at night).
The durability of this camera has been solid and the warranty rate is minimal.
The 2011 Trophy Cam does have time-lapse capabilities. This means the camera
can be programmed to take a picture in as little as one second
intervals or as long as one hour intervals (regardless of motion in
front of the camera or not).
With a solid detection circuit, fantastic battery life, small/compact design, audio with video all on top of a two year manufacturer warranty (best of all camera companies); this is a good choice for $170. The dark night pictures and slower trigger speed
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Bushnell Accessories
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If you live in an area with cold weather, I would strongly recommend the AA NiMh rechargeable batteries and the NiMh charger. NiMh is unaffected by cold weather, unlike alkaline batteries. These batteries can also be charged 1,000 times.
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Buy a 2011 Bushnell Trophy Cam
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