Stealth Cam XV4 Review

Stealth Cam XV4 Review

Model #stc-xv4 | XV4 Owner's Manual

Stealth Cam XV4 FAQ's

The XV4 is a really solid overall trail camera. It doesn't have any great weakness and scores well above average in all categories. This is a jack-of-all-trades type of camera as it is versatile and can handle just about any camera trap station. -TCP Staff

Trailcampro Comprehensive Score:

85/100

Pros

• Good day photos
• Impressive video quality for a 1280x720 trailcam
• Solid detection circuit
• Long battery life in picture and video mode

Cons

• Overexposed night pictures

Trailcampro Analysis

Picture Quality: 84/100

Photo resolution: 22 mpxl (interpolated)

Video resolution: 1280 x 720

Flash Type: Red glow IR

Pictures seem to be really good at times during the day but they do have a tendency of overexposing in bright sunlight. However, the pictures have good color and clarity and are really good overall.

Night pictures overexpose on close animals but have good flash and clarity. They would be really good if not for the overexposure.

Video quality is about as good as you can expect from a 720 resolution trailcam. Day videos are clear, have good color, and stream smoothly. Night videos are really impressive up close and far away as they do not overexpose close objects. Overall, these videos are really good for 1280x720.

What if you purchase from us and aren't happy with the image quality?

This is a common question and we have a very simple solution. Call, email, or chat with us and we can take a look at the images and offer suggestions or immediately tell if something is wrong with the camera. If so, we will warranty the camera for you (with the free 2-Year warranty you receive from us) or return the camera for a full refund (within 90 days of purchase). You have control of the process, remember, we work for you.

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: 85/100

Picture & Video Resting Power (on): 0.62 mW

Picture Daytime/Nighttime Power Consumption: 3.2 Ws | 4.0 Ws

Video Daytime/Nighttime Power Consumption: 22.3 Ws | 46.9 Ws

If this camera were to take 35-day pictures and 35-night pictures every 24 hour period, this camera would last 8.8 months in the field on a set of lithium batteries.

If this camera were to take 15-day videos and 15-night videos every 24 hour period, this camera would last 3 months in the field on a set of lithium batteries.

Detection Circuit: 82/100

Picture Trigger & Recovery Speed: 0.41 s. / 2.8 s.

Video Trigger & Recovery Speed: 1.16 s. / 2.8 s.

Detection Range & Angle: 70 ft. | 47.1° (41.5° F.O.V.)

The XV4 is pretty fast in every category, it doesn't recover as quickly as others on the market, but there is nothing wrong with the detection speed of this camera.

The detection angle is 6° wider than the field of view. This will result in a few "false triggers." We are still testing the detection range.

Quality of Design: 89/100

Dimensions: 5.5" x 3.75" x 2.5"

Battery Type: 8 AA Batteries

External Battery Jack: 12-Volt

Case Design

Case design on the XV4 is solid. It has the feeling of a well-made trail camera. The latch works flawlessly, the battery tray slides out easily and the camera has a built-in bracket for a python lock (that locks the latch closed as well). There is a 1/4" x 20 threaded insert on the bottom of the camera for a Slate River Mount.

Camera Setup

Stealth Cam likes to have "Quickset" modes as programming options. There is Q1, Q2, and Q3 preset options. While these are quick and easy to use, we almost never use them. In fact, they are pretty unnecessary with as easy as the camera is to program in "custom" mode. If it were up to us, we would scrap the pre-set options and just stick to the custom option. It is easy to navigate, intuitive and sets up in less than a minute.

We were happy to find many of our favorite settings in the menu. Start/stop time, format sd card, password protection, PIR sensitivity, and IR flash control options were all present. These features may seem like a small thing, but they are certainly handy when you need them.

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), this camera could store 4,016 pictures on the SD card.

With a 16 Gig SD card and the camera taking 1280x720 video resolution, this trailcam could store 195 10-second videos.

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

Durability

We have had good luck with recent Stealth models and expect the XV4 to be the same. If something changes, we will update the review accordingly.

Keep in mind, our 2-year warranty program is your free insurance program in case something goes wrong with a camera you purchase from us. This warranty protects you from any manufacturing defect the camera might experience for two years.

Stealth Cam XV4 Review Conclusion: 85/100

The XV4 is a really solid overall trail camera. It doesn't have any great weakness and scores well above average in all categories. This is a jack-of-all-trades type of camera as it is versatile and can handle just about any camera trap station.

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: Yes. This is a red glow trail cameras, meaning it has a faint red glow when taking pictures or videos at night. Humans and animals can see this if looking at the camera. This does not "light up" the woods, though.

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 an 8 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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