This is a discontinued camera. - TCP Staff
Covert Outlook Review
Model # 2748 | Covert Outlook Owner's Manual
Pros
- 97° field of view
- Solid day pictures
- Easy programming / big viewing screen
Cons
- Slow recovery time
- Poor battery life
Trailcampro Analysis
While the Covert Outlook is branded as a "panoramic" trail camera, we prefer to reference it as a "fish eye" lens trail cam. The fish eye lens was first used on last years Moultrie D-555i, with mixed results.
The Outlook is marketed at having a 130° field of view, please note that the actual field of view is 96.9°. Let's take a look at the rest of what the Covert Outlook reviews can show us.
Dimensions: 5.5" x 4" x 3" | Battery Type: 12 AA Batteries | External Battery Jack: 6 Volt
The case design is solid and without apparent flaw. There is a large bracket for a python lock on the back of the camera, and a 1/4" x 20 threaded insert on the bottom for a Slate River Mount.
The internal viewer is exceptionally large and clear, making both programming and viewing the photos very easy.
Programming the camera is a breeze. Everything is labeled clearly and there are no hoops to jump through. This camera does have start/stop times. Meaning you can program it to only be active during certain times of the day or night. This is very handy if you are using this for security. Here is a look at many of the popular setting options:
- 1-3 multi-shot
- 5 s. - 60 s. video clips
- Time Lapse: custom start/stop time. 5 s. - 8 hr. time intervals
- Photo Stamp: Time, date, temperature and moon phase
- Picture + Video Mode: No
- Start/Stop Time: Yes
- Password Protection: Yes
- SD Card Overwrite: Yes
- PIR Settings: Yes | High, Low
- Flash Settings: No
Picture Trigger & Recovery Speed: 0.90 s. / 8.2 s. | Detection Range: 60 ft.
The trigger speed is 0.9 seconds, which is considered average by today's standards, but definitely fast enough for most critters. The recovery time is 8.2 seconds, which is much slower than we would like to see.
The detection range is impressive. 70-80 feet of range, combined with a wide detection zone that is only enhanced by the wide field of view, makes this an excellent candidate to sit out on an open food plot or field.
If the recovery time were quicker, the detection circuit would rate much higher.
Photo resolution: 12, 8, 5 or 3 mpxl | Video Resolution: 720pw/ audio | Flash Type: Red Glow Infrared
The day pictures are especially impressive considering all other fish eye lens cameras we have seen produce a very distorted photo. The pictures aren't crystal clear, but they are much better than we had initially expected.
Color and depth appear to be normal and blurring was noticed, but not frequent.
Comparing the Outlooks night pictures to that of the Moultrie D-555i offer a stark contrast. The Outlook produces a much brighter photo and most impressively, the entire field of view is lit evenly. Don't take our word for it, all the sample photos below. Click on each of the thumbnails to enlarge.
This is a low glow camera, meaning that it will omit a low red glow when triggered at night.
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Resting Power (on): 7.8 mW | Daytime Power Consumption: 7.3 Ws | Nighttime Power Consumption: 6.6 Ws
One thing the Covert Outlook reviews shined a negative light on is battery life. This is a definite weakness for the Covert Outlook. The resting current draw is entirely too high and immediately keeps the camera from lasting very long in the field. The day and night power consumption will quickly drain your batteries.
The camera uses 12 AA batteries, if you need the longest life, lithium batteries will serve you well. However, lithiums are expensive so prepare to invest some money in batteries.
Enjoy our Covert Outlook Reviews? Please consider purchasing your next trail camera from us.
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