Description
Discontinued Trail Camera Model
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2015 Moultrie M880i Gen2 Review
Model # MCG-12693 | Moultrie M880i Gen2 Owners Manual
Pros
- Good battery life
- Vivid color daytime pictures/videos
Cons
- Very poor design on Python lock bracket
- Programming can be tricky
Trailcampro Analysis
The Moultrie M-880i Gen2 is brand new for 2015 and comes with a complete redesign from last years M-880. This is a no glow infrared trail camera, meaning the infrared LEDs are invisible to the human eye when taking a picture at night. Structurally, this is the difference between the Moultrie M-880 and this camera, the M-880i. The "i" stands for invisible. Let's take a look at the rest of the Moultrie M-880i Gen2 Review.
Quality of Design
Dimensions: 5.75" x 4.75" x 3.25" | Battery Type: 8 AA Batteries | External Battery Jack: 12 Volt
The case design changed quite drastically from previous years. The latch is huge, which so far is a plus. It has been relatively easy to open and close even with cold fingers. The buttons for programming and the battery eject tray are all positive and work well.
The python lock bracket is an extremely poor design. The loops are angled which makes the camera sit funny on a tree if you are only using the python lock and not the security case. It would also be pretty easy to torque the camera in a way to easily snap the brackets. We don't like this design at all, the only way to truly correct this is to use the camera with a security case.
We have found the programming to be tricky and not intuitive at all. The programming from the 2013 M-880 was simple and easy to use, but ever since then the programming has grown in intricacy. We have received quite a few calls from our customers needing help programming their camera (which is unusual for a non-cellular trail camera). Here is a breakdown of some of the more popular settings:
- 1-3 multi-shot
- 5 s. - 90 s. video clips
- Time Lapse: 10/30 s. / 1/5/10/15/30 min. 1/2/3/6/12/24 hrs. w/ 1 or 2 prog. / day
- Photo Stamp: Time, date, temperature, moon phase and camera name
- Picture + Video Mode: No
- Start/Stop Time: No
- Password Protection: Yes
- SD Card Overwrite: Yes
- PIR Settings: Yes (High/Low)
- Flash Settings: Yes (Motion freeze on/off)
Detection Circuit
Picture Trigger & Recovery Speed: 0.75 s. / 4.2 s. | Video Trigger & Recovery Speed: 1.39 s. / 7.8 s. | Detection Range: 50 ft.
The picture trigger time is pretty quick at 0.75 seconds. The picture recovery is 4.2 seconds is fairly typical of many modern trail cameras.
This is the first year we are incorporating video trigger and recovery times into our rankings. This will make the rankings even more accurate and stringent. The trigger time for videos is 1.39 seconds (which is decent) and the recovery is 7.8 seconds.
Detection range is right at 50 ft, just as the manufacturer claims. By today's standards, this is below average. Overall, this detection circuit isn't slow by any means, however, it would benefit from some improvement.
Picture Quality
Photo resolution: 8 mpxl (Enhanced, High, Med. & Low) | Video Resolution: 1280 x 720 no audio | Flash Type: No Glow Infrared
2014 Moultrie models were severely out of focus. It seems that has mostly been corrected with the 2015 models. The clarity isn't perfect, but it is a huge improvement. Along with the improvement in clarity, the M880i Gen2 has excellent color. They are bright, vivid pictures These are some of the better pictures of 2015.
The night pictures have good flash range but can be a bit grainy and blurry at times. Overall, for a no glow camera we consider the night pictures to be good.
[powr-image-slider label="2906342"]
Day and night videos appear to be very good. There doesn't appear to be sound on the videos.
Battery Life
Resting Power (on): 1.08 mW | Daytime Power Consumption: 2.09 Ws | Nighttime Power Consumption: 7.17 Ws
The resting power is extremely low, as is the daytime power consumption. The night consumption uses a decent amount of power, but nothing overwhelming. Overall, these are good numbers.
While this camera can operate on alkaline AA batteries, we greatly prefer Energizer Ultimate Lithiums in our cameras. They are much more consistent and will last an incredible amount of time. Even with the high nighttime power consumption, if this camera were to take 35 day pictures and 35 night pictures every 24 hours, this camera could last 8.6 months in the field (with lithiums).
This camera will not work with rechargeable batteries.
Moultrie M880i Gen2 Review Conclusion 
3.7 Stars
Overall, this is a very solid no glow trail camera but it is not perfect. The programming could be tough for consumers that aren't tech-savvy. Outside of that, we love the picture quality and the all-around durability of the game camera.
Additional Resources: Moultrie Game Cameras - an overview of the Moultrie game camera products we have reviewed for 2017.
Moultrie M-40i - Top-rated night pictures for a no glow trail camera.
Moultrie M-40 - Rated best red glow night pictures for 2017.
Moultrie A-30i - This is our highest rated $100 trail camera.
Trailcampro's 2 Year Warranty | 90 day Return Policy
Trailcampro 90 Day Return | 2 Year Exclusive Warranty Details
If you purchased your trail camera from us (Trailcampro.com), here are the following warranty stipulations. If you purchased from another retailer, we recommend contacting that retailer or the manufacturer of that product for their warranty details.
If You Purchase From Trailcampro.com
We attempted to make our return policy and 2-year exclusive warranty as simple as possible. However, there are a few stipulations.
90 Day Returns
You may return or exchange anything purchased from Trailcampro for a full 90 days from the date of purchase. Please use the items as you normally would and much as you like subject to the rules below.
Our return policy lets you field test products, at no risk to you!
- Buyer's remorse? Return the camera to us for a full refund (minus shipping).
- Purchased the wrong camera? We will ship you the right camera.
- Something wrong with the camera you received? We will replace it at no cost to you.
90 Day Return Policy Rules:
- 90 days from date of purchase.
- In order to receive a full refund, items must be returned with their original packaging (including UPC code) and all contents
- Cameras or products must be returned in their original condition. You cannot write on the cameras, paint them or deface them in any way. This completely voids the warranty with both us and the specific manufacturer.
- If you purchased one of our "Package Deals" and only return part of the package, we will refund the items full price minus the package discount.
- Orders with quantities of 5 or more are not eligible for a refund or exchange. They are still eligible for warranty replacement.
- There are no returns on used cameras or cameras that clearly state "No Returns"
- If you are returning for a refund, you are responsible for return shipping. Your refund amount will be minus the cost of the initial shipping to you.
2 Year Warranty
We strive to make our customer experience superior to anything available. Traditional warranties only last a year and must be processed directly through the manufacturer. This process usually involves frustrating minutes on hold with call centers and oftentimes weeks, if not months of down time waiting for your replacement product. We process our warranties in-house and expedite the replacement process. When you call Trailcampro you'll speak directly with an expert who will immediately identify the problem and offer a solution.
2 Year Exclusive Warranty Details:
- Warranty starts from the time of purchase and continues for a full 2 years.
- Replacement cameras receive the remainder of the 2-year warranty leftover from the original purchase.
- Warranty is only valid for full retail priced orders (quantity discounts void our 2-year warranty). Discounted items still receive the manufacturer warranty. Price matches void the 2-year warranty as well.
- If your defective camera has been discontinued, we will exchange it for a similarly priced item to your liking.
- If you have a 3G cellular trail camera, it is not considered manufacturer defect if you lose 3G reception in your area.
- Used cameras do not apply for our 2-year warranty
- Cameras cannot be marked on, damaged, or defaced in any way. Warranty is for manufacturer defect only. Defect does not include damage, whether intentional or not.
If you have any questions that were not answered here please feel free to contact us.
To warranty a camera please use the form below. Upon receipt of an RMA number, you will need to ship the camera back to us. You will be responsible for the shipping charges of the defective camera back to us. We will ship the replacement back to you for free.
Payment & Security
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