Covert Black Viper Review

Covert Black Viper Review

The Covert Black Viper's slow detection speed and poor night photos keep this from being a higher rated camera. We like the battery life, case design, and night videos; however, at this price point there are higher rated cameras on the market. - TCP Staff

Model #5380

Black Viper FAQ's

Pros

• Surprisingly good night videos
• Outstanding battery life in picture or video mode
• Exceptional case design

Cons

• Slow detection circuit
• Grainy, blurry night photos

Trailcampro Analysis

Picture Quality:

Photo resolution: 12 mpxl (interpolated)

Video resolution: 1280 x 720 w/ audio

Flash Type: No Glow IR

Day pictures may not "wow" you but they are solid and do the trick. Night pictures leave a bit to be desired. We experienced quite a bit of blur and graininess.

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Night videos appear to be quite a bit better than the photos. We captured several really good night videos. Day videos are above average.

Megapixel Ratings:

In the past, many people get confused with the megapixel rating trail camera manufacturers advertise. 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 best way to judge picture quality is to look at actual pictures. You will notice this the most when you zoom in on a full-size image that a camera has taken. The details of the photo will appear hazy or even digitized. This is normal, and to be expected.

Battery Life:

Picture & Video Resting Power (on): 1.07 mW

Picture Daytime/Nighttime Power Consumption: 2.58 Ws | 3.68 Ws

Video Daytime/Nighttime Power Consumption: 15.97 Ws | 67.23 Ws

Battery consumption draws are extremely efficient.

Picture Mode

If this camera were to take 35-day and 35-night pictures every 24 hours, the Black Viper would last 11.6 months in the field on a set of 8 AA Lithium Batteries. This is absolutely outstanding.

Video Mode

If this camera were to take 15-day and 15-night videos (10-second videos) every 24 hours, it would last 2.7 months in the field on a set of lithium batteries.

Detection Circuit:

Picture Trigger & Recovery Speed: 0.93 s. / 4.8 s.

Video Trigger & Recovery Speed: 2.38 s. / 5.3 s.

Detection Range: 60 ft

This is a very poor detection circuit. Slow trigger and recovery times, combined with an average detection range, equal a poorly rated detection circuit.

Quality of Design:

Dimensions: 5" x 4" x 2.75"

Battery Type: 8 AA Batteries

External Battery Jack: 6-Volt

The case design is small, smooth, sturdy and minimalist. The latch is big, strong, and works perfectly. The battery compartment is particularly impressive as the batteries load, unload, and reliably stay in place.

The Black Viper has a bracket on the back for the Python cable lock and an insert on the bottom for a Slate River Angle Mount.

Overall, we LOVE the case design. If we were to be picky, the setup screen is a little small but that is really nothing to concern yourself with.

Programming the camera is quick and easy. It surprising has start/stop time, SD card overwrite, PIR sensitivity.

We have had no reason to worry about durability, if something arises, we will update the Covert Black Viper review.

Covert Black Viper Review Conclusion:

The Covert Black Viper's slow detection speed and poor night photos keep this from being a higher rated camera. We like the battery life, case design, and night videos; however, at this price point there are higher rated cameras on the market.

Enjoy our reviews? Please consider purchasing your next trail camera from us.

FAQ's: Covert Black Viper Scouting Camera

Q: How do I view the pictures?

A: There are a number of ways to do this. Pictures/videos are stored on the SD card you place in the camera.

• View pictures on your computer. Plug the SD card in a desktop computer or laptop via the built-in SD card reader or use a USB reader if your computer doesn't have one. This method works for most tablets as well. With this method, we recommend having two SD cards per camera so you can swap them in the field.
• View pictures on your smartphone. Choose between the iOS Reader for iPhones and the Android Reader. Phone readers require an app to access the photos, you can read more about these via the previous links.
• Trail Camera Viewers. While more expensive, handheld viewers are useful if you don't have a smartphone or run multiple trail cameras.

Q: Will this trail camera trigger on small animals (birds, rodents, etc.)?

A: Trail cameras detect on a combination of heat and movement, so, yes, small mammals will trigger the camera. However, if you are going after smaller warm-blooded mammals, we recommend getting the camera closer to your target. For best performance, place the camera in an area that would enable picture detection from 3 - 20 ft.

Q: Can animals see the infrared flash on this camera?

A: This is somewhat controversial. Humans can't see the flash as the nanometer spectrum is above what the human eye can detect (that is where the 940 comes from in the Dark Ops name). It's also much harder for an animal to see, but that could depend on the species of animal as different species see in different light spectrums.

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