Browning Patriot Review

The Browning Patriot delivers high performance in every category. The detection and battery life are superb and the dual lens technology makes for strong picture quality. This is a top-rated trail camera for 2020. - TCP Staff

Model #BTC-PATRIOT-FHD / Browning Patriot Owner's Manual

Patriot FAQ's

Trailcampro Comprehensive Score:

92/100

Browning Patriot Trail Camera Review

 Pros

• Strong picture/video quality
• Outstanding battery life
• Extremely fast detection circuit
• Wide field of view and detection angle

 Cons

• *Does not work with NiMH rechargeable batteries.

Picture Quality:  87/100

Photo resolution:  24 mpxl (interpolated)

Video resolution:  1920 x 1080 @ 60 fps

Flash Type: Low Glow IR

The Browning Patriot is a dual lens trail camera, meaning it has a dedicated daytime lens and nighttime lens. Day pictures don't have the sharpest clarity we have seen on other game trail camera, but do have good color, depth, and seem to stop motion well. Overall, the pictures are great.

Night pictures display improved contrast and clarity over single lens cameras and the flash range is more than sufficient. You will see a halo effect, meaning the edges of the photo are darker than the middle. This isn't too surprising considering the wide field of view on the Patriot. We have had a decent amount of blurry photos at night, which warrants consideration if you are using the camera in an area with fast moving traffic.

Video quality seems to be a small step down from the Browning Edge cameras, due to slightly poorer clarity. However, as you can see from the samples above, video quality is still excellent overall, both day and night.

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:    98/100

Picture & Video Resting Power (on):  0.63 mW

Picture Daytime/Nighttime Power Consumption:   1.0 Ws  |  2.5 Ws

Video Daytime/Nighttime Power Consumption: 14.2 Ws  |  48.7 Ws

Picture Mode

If this camera were to take 35-day and 35-night pictures every 24 hours, the Browning Patriot would last 21.2 months in the field on a set of 8 AA Lithium Batteries. For a trail camera using 8 batteries, we consider this to be elite.

Video Mode

If this camera were to take 15-day and 15-night videos (10-second videos) every 24 hours, it would last 3.6 months in the field on a set of lithium batteries. 

*Does not work with nimh rechargeable batteries.

Detection Circuit:     96/100

Picture Trigger & Recovery Speed:  0.12 s.  |  0.4 s.

Video Trigger & Recovery Speed:  0.42 s. | 1.4 s.

Detection Range & Angle:100 ft. @ 63.3° detection angle (field of view 58.4°)

The Browning has plenty of speed in both picture and video detection. The detection range is 100 ft., which is a plenty far enough for any setup.

The biggest thing to note is the wide field of view and detection angle. Most cameras hover around a 40° field of view, however, the Patriot is 58° and the detection angle is just a bit wider than that. That gives this camera the capability of detection quite a bit more square feet than your average trailcam. Overall, this detection circuit is excellent.

Quality of Design:     90/100

Dimensions: 5.5" x 4.25" x 3"

Battery Type:  8 AA

External Battery Jack:  12-volt

Case Design

The Patriot feels like all the other Browning trail cameras with its' well-built outer case, easy to open latch, large internal color viewing screen, and positive buttons. The metal bracket on the back is great for python cable lock and the camera has a threaded slot on the bottom for a slate river mount. This is a classic, simple, and fantastic case design.

Camera Setup

The internal picture viewer doubles as the setup screen. Setup couldn't be easier and more intuitive on this game trail camera. You won't have a problem getting this camera up and running. New setup options include options to have start/stop time, a normal/long detection range, and to have economy/long range IR flash power. 

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 Browning trail cameras have proven to be a durable camera for us. The only issue we have seen are some cameras being out of focus with hazy looking images. Outside of that, they have had typical Browning reliability.

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.

Since 2005, our mission has to been to provide consumers with unbeatable value, advice you can trust, and customer service that exceeds expectations. There are plenty of places you can choose to do business with, if we are lucky enough to earn your support, we promise to give you our undivided attention. Trailcampro has grown each year not only by relying on your happiness but on the assumption that if we blow you away with customer service, you will brag about us to your friends (have you seen our referral/reward program?).

As always, if you have additional questions, feel free to call, email or chat with us. We look forward to helping you find your next trail camera!

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. Here are some other methods for viewing images:

• 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.
• 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. 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.

A: This is a low glow trail camera, meaning it has an extremely faint red glow when taking pictures or videos at night. We rate cameras as low glow if we can see the glow within 15 ft., but have a much harder time seeing it at a greater distance.

A: Yes. This is a red glow trail camera, 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 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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