Wildgame Innovations IR4 initial impression

[fr0sty]

Doit, is that an old D40 cam?  I have one of those also.  It has been working for three seasons.  The only thing I don't like about it is the 6 D cells last only about a month.

The latest info I have on the IR4 is that they improved the battery life issue the last half of 2009.  Reports are 3-6 months plus on battery life with tons of pic.

I have had mine running for about a week and half and will be checking it tomorrow.  It's not on my hunting land now.  I don't usually get hundreds of deer going past my cameras.  I just need to batteries to last a long time and catch the ones that do come down my trails.

I will update this thread tomorrow.

[fr0sty]

Ok, 8 days with 1 video and 34 pics.  Only three of one deer this past week.  Moved the cam to a new spot with hopefully more action.

Battery indicator still show full charge (4 bars)

[Marc Anthony]

OK, the results are in with this phase of testing.

As mentioned earlier, our first IR4 test camera failed that was sent to us. We were sent a replacement camera, so we set it up 2+ weeks ago in our test timbers. We set this IR4 right next to the new Reconyx Covert and and older Reconyx Hyper Fire and a Bushnell Trail scout. I personally picked up the SD cards from them yesterday and the results are below. FYI, if you don't see any pictures from the IR4 or the Bushnell, it's because there weren't any from the IR4 and I didn't post the Bushnell because they weren't worth wasting the hosting space on this forum. There was one picture for every 85 of the Reconyx's. You'll never know what you're missing unless you test them side by side. These buck pictures below were not picked up by any of the other cameras!

The last 2 pictures were from a month ago in which the Bushnell failed to pick up also. I would have never known these bucks existed if it werent for the Reconyx's. I flat out love those cameras. Can you see why?

[fr0sty]

Marc, was it that the IR4 didn't trigger at all, or did they trigger but the deer had passed by the lens?  From the reconyx pics, it looks like the trail is perpendicular to the camera sensor.

The trigger speed on the IR4 isn't anywhere near as fast as the reconyx.  I point my cameras up the trail.  That keeps the animal in frame, even with the slower trigger.

ORIGINAL: Marc Anthony
As mentioned earlier, our first IR4 test camera failed that was sent to us. We were sent a replacement camera, so we set it up 2+ weeks ago in our test timbers. We set this IR4 right next to the new Reconyx Covert and and older Reconyx Hyper Fire and a Bushnell Trail scout. I personally picked up the SD cards from them yesterday and the results are below. FYI, if you don't see any pictures from the IR4 or the Bushnell, it's because there weren't any from the IR4 and I didn't post the Bushnell because they weren't worth wasting the hosting space on this forum. There was one picture for every 85 of the Reconyx's. You'll never know what you're missing unless you test them side by side. These buck pictures below were not picked up by any of the other cameras!

[SHKYBoonie]

ORIGINAL: Marc Anthony

OK, the results are in with this phase of testing.

As mentioned earlier, our first IR4 test camera failed that was sent to us. We were sent a replacement camera, so we set it up 2+ weeks ago in our test timbers. We set this IR4 right next to the new Reconyx Covert and and older Reconyx Hyper Fire and a Bushnell Trail scout. I personally picked up the SD cards from them yesterday and the results are below. FYI, if you don't see any pictures from the IR4 or the Bushnell, it's because there weren't any from the IR4 and I didn't post the Bushnell because they weren't worth wasting the hosting space on this forum. There was one picture for every 85 of the Reconyx's. You'll never know what you're missing unless you test them side by side. These buck pictures below were not picked up by any of the other cameras!

The last 2 pictures were from a month ago in which the Bushnell failed to pick up also. I would have never known these bucks existed if it werent for the Reconyx's. I flat out love those cameras. Can you see why?

Marc, I respect your opinion and your test is probably spot on. Problem is, most of us don't have $400 or more to spend on one camera no matter how GREAT it is. Heck, the camera I take pictures of my family with didn't cost that much. Also, if you test something that is known to function good against crap, it only supports the fact that it was crap in the first place. The Bushnell Trail Scout isn't worth the $100 or so I spent on it and that is why I don't own it any longer. I would love to see how the NEW Bushnell Trophy Cam holds up against the Reconx. I know from my own experience that the new Bushnell's are miles ahead of what the Trail Scouts were. The WGI IR4 cams may be better than last years model but they pretty much ruined the prospect of me taking any chances on them again with the IR4's I had last year. I can't imagine them being much better this year than last, they are still less than $100 and that means you probably got what you paid for.

FrOsty, that doesn't seem like a very good average unless you did actually get pics of this one deer 34 times. Anyway, 1 video and 34 pics doesn't tell me anything about how dependable these cams are. I would usually get around 200 pics from the IR4, problem with that is, I can get that many pictures of deer, turkeys, squirrels, raccoons and all the other animals that passed by in about 3 to 5 days. Then the batteries were done. I spent more money on batteries last year for that cam than I paid for the cam itself.

[fr0sty]

All the other pics were me goofing around   I just included that number for reference on battery life.  The only in the field pics were the three I posted.  No blanks, just those three.

[Marc Anthony]

Frosty,

I rarely ever place my trail cameras on a trail. Since I'm a head hunter, I set the cameras up for capturing mature bucks. Mature bucks will RARELY EVER use a beaten trail. I would have had no place to position this camera down the "trail" in this particular piece of property. This was a select corner of timber with a food source, bedding and water all within 200 yards of each other. If you notice, this buck didn't travel far as he returned to go back to his hiding place. I would bet he didn't move more than 60 yards all day, which made it difficult for me to position this camera in the first place. Hunting big bucks with cameras is just as difficult to do with a bow!

The trigger speed was the main culprit. The Bushnell and the IR4 missed all of the action because of the close proximity of the movement but I can't figure out why they failed to show at least some of the traffic. I know the Reconyx's are expensive and I watch my money carefully, but it would have been a total waste of money in this case NOT to have spent more on a better camera. FYI, I would love to find a camera with this type of quality for hundreds less but I haven't found one yet. I'm still looking though!

[Marc Anthony]

Skyboonie, I agree! I ould love to test the Reconyx against the NEW Bushnell cameras but when there hear it's being tested against the Reconyx, the conversation goes silent. Very few companies will send us anything unless they are sure it will beat the competition. They're no dummies, you can count on it that they have tested their cameras with the best out there and are very aware of the results.

[doit]

Marc, u need to start a new Thread on your Recx,
You can't compare apple to oranges, your comparison testing is a waste of time and is useless info.
its a shame that the quality of the cameras are not consistent, I would have purchased a "10" IR4
but from what i heard the Trigger time is slower than the "09". mY "09" is 1 second. but than i heard other people
with "09" cams did not have a 1 second trigger. i guess i'm lucky.
i think most people, like me, are interested in the IR4 because the intended use for public land or semi private land.
Privileged people with large private land is a different story.
A good comparison/reliability test with sub 100.00 cameras or any other camera is multiple, maybe 3 of each camera stacked up, on the same target.
but really who would do that?

Frosty i look forward to the conclusion of your test.

[motorbreaker]

your comparison testing is a waste of time and is useless

 
Mark, Its not a waste of time imo.
 
Thank you much for shareing your resaults and pictures
with thoes of us that want a camera that does what its
supposed to do. Take pics of deer.  Jake