Moultrie M-50i Review

Moultrie M-50i Review

Model # MCG-13270

Moultrie M-50i FAQ's

Much like the Moultrie M-50, the low glow IR M-50i has a lot going for it. The picture quality is top-notch, daytime video quality is impressive, picture battery life is really good, and the camera has an excellent case design. The downside of this camera is the tricky menu setup, and poor video battery life. - TCP Staff

Pros

• Great picture detection
• 1080p videos
• Long detection range
• 8+ months of battery life

Cons

• Slow video trigger speed
• Feedback on video audio
• Poor video battery life

Trailcampro Analysis

This camera is advertised as no glow IR, however, we can see a faint red glow within 15'. For that reason, we classify the M-50i as "Low Glow."

Picture Quality:

Photo resolution: 20 mpxl (interpolated)

Video resolution: 1920 x 1080 w/ audio

Flash Type: Low glow IR (Moultrie labels this no glow but we can see a very faint visible glow)

Picture quality is a strength of the M50i. The photos are bright and clear. Much like past Moultrie models, the pictures tend to be a bit unrealistic on the color green, but overall, the day pictures are fantastic.

Night pictures are really good as well, as they are illuminated adequately and offer decent contrast. We have noticed some blur, but that can be reduced by turning "Motion Freeze" on in the settings.

Video quality is really good in the daytime and mimics the picture quality. The 1080p videos are bright and clear but do tend to overexaggerate certain colors (green). The night videos have pretty good flash and illuminate pretty well.

We have noticed some "feedback" in the audio on the M50i videos.

Battery Life:

Picture & Video Resting Power (on): 1.31 mW

Picture Daytime/Nighttime Power Consumption: 2.4 Ws | 7.1 Ws

Video Daytime/Nighttime Power Consumption: 21.9 Ws | 146.2 Ws

Battery life is really good in picture mode and below average in video mode.

Picture Mode

If this camera were to take 35-day and 35-night pictures every 24 hours, the 2018 M-50i would last 8.1 months in the field on a set of 8 AA Lithium Batteries.

Video Mode

If this camera were to take 15-day and 15-night videos (15-second videos are the only option) every 24 hours, it would last 1.4 months in the field on a set of lithium batteries.

Detection Circuit:

Picture Trigger & Recovery Speed: 0.25 s. / 1.3 s.

Video Trigger & Recovery Speed: 1.95 s. / 2.6 s.

Detection Range & Angle: 110 ft. (maximum) | 43° (36.7° F.O.V.)

Picture detection and recovery are outstanding. The M-50i takes the first picture quickly and recovers in just over one second. Video trigger speed is average, but the recovery speed is good.

Detection range is calculated from our 2018 Detection Shootout and the M-50 detected out a whopping 110 ft! This is obviously extremely impressive but it would be unrealistic to expect this capacity every time. Just realize this is a max detection range and probably not the average.

Quality of Design:

Dimensions: 5" x 3.25" x 3"

Battery Type: 8 AA Batteries

External Battery Jack: 12-Volt

Case Design

The Moultrie M50i is a very well-made game camera. The plastic case is thick and sturdy. This camera is very small, which makes it easy to haul into the woods, harder to be spotted by a trespasser, and easier to mount on a tree.

The latch to open and close the camera has an unorthodox mechanism, but it is easy to manipulate, even with cold fingers. We think it is much more practical and durable than it may appear at first glance. The battery tray ejects from the bottom of the camera and fortunately, the batteries are easy to load and unload.

The M-50i has two python lock brackets. You can choose to use the traditional back bracket, or, slide the cable lock through the front brackets, which locks the inside of the camera as well. This was a smart upgrade from Moultrie. The 1/4" x 20 threaded insert for Slate River Mounts is on the bottom of the camera.

M-50i Game Camera Setup

We've struggled the last several years with Moultrie's setup process. To us, it isn't intuitive and feels clunky. You shouldn't need the owner's manual to set the camera up, but it does take some getting used to. This shouldn't deter you from purchasing the camera, though, after spending some time with the M50i it starts to feel more natural.

SD Card Storage Examples

With a 16 Gig SD Card and the camera taking 4 mpxl photos (this is our recommended setting as it is closest to the native resolution), the M-50i could store 19,998 pictures on the SD card. Keep in mind, day pictures (color) have larger file sizes than night pictures (black and white), so this number could go up or down.

With a 16 Gig SD Card and the camera taking 1920x1080 videos, the M50i could store 774 10-second videos.

From this data, you can extrapolate storage capacities for different sized SD card and different resolution settings. We give you a 16 Gig SD Card with the purchase of this game camera through us. If you need additional or larger SD cards, you can shop all SD card options here.

Durability

Through our 2-year warranty program on the trail cameras we sell, we are able to track warranty rates on all trailcam manufacturers. We do not publish this data but Moultrie game cameras were one of our most durable cameras the last two years. This is a new model, so we will continue to keep an eye on this going forward. If an issue arises, we will update this Moultrie M-50i Review immediately.

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

FAQ's: Trail 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. Moultrie labels this as a no glow camera, but we can visibly see a very faint red glow at night. For practical purposes, this is much less visible than a typical red glow camera, but it is not a true no glow camera either.

Q: Where can I purchase this camera?

A: From us! We hope to woo you with our incredible charm, two-year warranty, 90-day returns, free continental U.S. shipping, and technical expertise. If that isn't enough, we give you a 16 Gig SD card with this camera and you can call and talk our ear off anytime.

Seriously, though, we know you have plenty of options of where to spend your hard-earned money. The internet can be the wild, wild, west of too-good-to-be-true deals. If you choose to do business with us, we will go out of our way to make sure you are happy with the camera you select and the service we provide you.

We are passionate about testing and reviewing trail cameras, but most importantly, we are passionate about treating our customers the right way. We do things differently from what you have come to expect from other internet retailers and we hope you give us the opportunity to prove that to you.

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