Discontinued Trail Camera
- Poor pictures, short flash range and average detection circuit make the RX36 sub-standard. Battery life and small size aren't enough to keep its head above water. - TCP Staff
Read our full review below.
Stealth Cam RX36 Review
Model # STC-RX36 | Stealth Cam RX36 Owners Manual
Pros
- Solid battery life
- Small, compact case design
Cons
- Average detection circuit
- Very poor night pictures/videos
- Poor flash range
Trailcampro Analysis
Stealth Cam has completely re-worked its 2015 line of trail cameras. The RX36 sports a smaller, more compact design that lends itself to being more discreet in the woods.
Quality of Design
Dimensions: 4.5" x 3.5" x 3" | Battery Type: 6 AA Batteries | External Battery Jack: 12 Volt
Case design is very solid. Camera seems to be well constructed. Buttons feel positive and the latch works well. This camera is compatible with the Slate River mount and the Python Cable Lock.
Programming has quickset modes and custom settings. We still haven't gotten used to the settings on the quickset, so if you plan on using them make sure you take the manual.
From what we have found while conducting the Stealth Cam RX36 Reviews is the durability of the RX36 is pretty typical of a camera made overseas.
Detection Circuit
Picture Trigger & Recovery Speed: 0.80 s. / 4.9 s. | Video Trigger & Recovery Speed: 2.9 s. / 6.7 s. | Detection Range: 60 ft.
The RX36 has a 0.80 second trigger time for pictures and that drops to 2.9 seconds on videos. These are very pedestrian numbers. The recovery time of 4.9 seconds on pictures (6.7 seconds on videos) is in the same boat.
Detection range is about 60 ft., which is suitable for most camera trap stations. The slow video trigger speed keeps this camera from achieving a higher ranking in this category.
Picture Quality
Photo resolution: 8, 6, 4 or 2 mpxl | Video Resolution: 1280 x 720 w/ audio | Flash Type: Red Glow Infrared
Day pictures have solid color but poor clarity. The images aren't as sharp as we are used to seeing. Last years Stealth Cams had excellent picture quality, we aren't sure what has changed on the RX36, but the pictures have taken a turn for the worse.
On a similar note, night pictures are very poor. This camera scored last place on our Flash Range Shootout. The flash range is very weak and lacks depth. Clarity on close objects seems to be ok, but overall, night pictures are among the worst we have seen this year.
In the past, many people get confused with the megapixel ratings trail camera manufacturers advertise. Don't get caught up in this. We consider 99% of megapixel ratings to be a marketing gimmick. Companies inflate the mpxl rating to attract eyes to their products. They do this through interpolation, which digitally adds megapixels to a photo without actually improving the picture. The only way to judge picture quality is through the pictures a trail camera takes. For instance, the RX36 interpolates its photos out to 8 mpxl (if you choose the highest photo quality in the settings). We consider interpolation completely unnecessary, however, every manufacturer employs this tactic. You will notice this the most when you zoom in on a full size image that the camera has taken. The details of the photo will appear hazy or even digitized. This is normal and to be expected.
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Day videos are adequate in color, but the clarity is once again poor. The videos also have a tendency of "jumping" from frame to frame at times. Overall, video quality is low.
Battery Life
Resting Power (on): 1.53 mW | Daytime Power Consumption: 3.77 Ws | Nighttime Power Consumption: 5.49 Ws
We switched around our terminology for battery readings in 2015, so if you are lost, you aren't alone! The resting power is very solid, which means that the camera could last for a rather long time in the field if you weren't considering the consumption from photos being taken. The day and night power consumption are both in a really good range. Overall, these are very solid numbers.
While this camera can operate on alkaline AA batteries, we greatly prefer Energizer Ultimate Lithiums in our cameras. They are much more consistent and will last an incredible amount of time. If this camera were to take 35 day pictures and 35 night pictures every 24 hours, this camera would last 5.8 months in the field (with lithiums).
Tenergy rechargeable batteries do not work well in this camera.
Stealth Cam RX36 Reviews Conclusion
Overall, the poor picture quality this camera produces overcomes any positives the camera possesses. We do not recommend the Stealth Cam RX36.
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