Browning Dark Ops Pro X 1080 Trail Camera Review
Blazing speed and outstanding battery life make this little unit one of our top choices for scouting - TCP Staff
Model # BTC6PX-1080 | Browning Dark Ops Pro X 1080 Manual
Trailcampro Comprehensive Score:
89/100
Browning Dark Ops Pro X 1080 Review
Pros
- Fantastic detection circuit
- Excellent picture battery life
- Small/compact body
- Viewing Screen
- Timelapse Plus
- Operation Hours
- Smart IR Video
Cons
- n/a
Be Wary Of Megapixel Ratings
Megapixel ratings for trail cameras seem to increase more & more every year. In reality, the native resolution of 99% of all trail cameras is 5 megapixels or less. Manufacturers artificially inflate megapixel ratings for advertising purposes through a process called interpolation. Interpolated photos are enhanced by software to mimic the file size of a higher megapixel photo, but seldom offer additional clarity or resolution. The result is an exponentially larger file size photo which takes longer to load and slows down the speed of your camera. We always program our cameras to capture photos at the image sensor's native resolution. This allows our cameras to operate as efficiently as possible and store more photos to memory. With shorter load times, this also allows us to review photos at a much quicker pace. To put things in perspective, the trail camera widely considered to be the "Gold Standard" and used by more professional researchers than any other unit is just 3 megapixels.
Photo resolution: 24 mpxl (interpolated)
Video resolution: 1980 x 1080
Flash Type: No glow IR
Picture & Video Resting Power (on): 0.2 mW
Picture Daytime/Nighttime Power Consumption: 0.9 Ws | 3.5 Ws
Video Daytime/Nighttime Power Consumption: 10.9 Ws | 70.3 Ws
Here are your best battery options:
Trailcampro Choice: AmpTORRENT Rechargeable AA Lithium
If the Dark Ops Pro X 1080 were to take 35-day and 35-night pictures every 24 hours, this camera would last 17.9 months in the field - per charge - on a set of AmpTorrent Rechargeable AA Lithium batteries.
There are a number of benefits to these batteries:
- Up to 1,200 charges
- Consistent 1.5 volt operation
- Charges with the included USB cable
- Eco-friendly (less batteries in a landfill)
- Batteries pay for themselves after 2-3 charges
Picture Mode
If this camera were to take 35 day and 35 night pictures every 24 hours, it would last 27 months in the field on a set of Energizer Ultimate Lithium batteries.
Video Mode
If this camera were to take 15 day and 15 night videos every 24 hours, it would last 2.6 months in the field on a set of Energizer Ultimate Lithium batteries.
Picture Trigger & Recovery Speed: 0.19 s. | 0.6 s.
Video Trigger & Recovery Speed: 0.3 s. | 0.9 s.
Detection Range & Angle: 90ft. @ 46.8° detection angle (58° field of view)
Dimensions: 4.25" x 3.75" x 3.25"
Battery Type: 6 AA
External Battery Jack: 12-volt
Case Design
The Dark Ops Pro X 1080's case feels really solid and durable. It has an adjustable metal back bracket that swivels up and down (about a 30° range of motion). The bracket allows for easy up and down adjustments without using twigs for shims. If you need more adjustability, we'd still recommend a Slate River Mount.
Browning made the SD cards easier to load and unload (much easier than other Dark Ops models). The only downside we found is the battery eject button takes a bit of work to unlatch. Expect to use a sturdy fingernail.
Temperature ratings can be off by a significant margin.
Overall, the case design on the Dark Ops Pro is outstanding. It is nearly everything you'd expect from a quality trail camera.
Camera Setup
The Dark Ops Pro X 1080 has a small internal viewer that makes camera setup and picture/video playback extremely easy. The viewer's live-view element eliminates the guesswork to setting up for the perfect trailcam shot.
The internal setup should only take you a minute or two - at the most. Even though the internal viewing screen is small, Browning was nice enough to enlarge the words on the screen for those of us with poor eyesight!
The Dark Ops Pro X 1080 can accept SD cards up to 512 Gigabytes.
Durability
The vast majority of consumer-grade trail cameras are inexpensive, imported devices exposed to harsh conditions 24/7/365. Most manufacturers only offer a one-year warranty. We stock only the most durable units and provide an additional year of warranty at no extra charge. The Trailcampro exclusive 2-year warranty allows you to deal directly with Trailcampro avoiding long wait times on hold with the manufacturer and prolonged periods without a replacement camera. We turn around most warranties in just one business day!
All test results are achieved through the use of proprietary equipment used exclusively by Trailcampro. Any re-publication of this data without prior written consent is strictly prohibited by law. COPYRIGHT TRAILCAMPRO, L.L.C. 2023, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
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