Moultrie provides a wide variety of game camera, feeders, and food plot sprayers, and has established itself as one of the most respected companies in the game and feed industry. For hunters and property owners, it is important to have eyes on the ground all of the time; Moultrie offers multiple options for game cameras to help keep a lookout when customers cannot. The company’s A5 Low Glow Game Camera upholds this reputation with high picture quality, exterior build, and wide variety of features at a reasonable price.
Product Specifications
This camera is ready for the outdoors with a waterproof case and day and nighttime modes. It can hold over 8,000 pictures on 4 C-cell batteries, which ensures you’ll get the photos you want. In addition, the game camera will take 10-second video clips. At only 1.4 lbs, the Moultrie A5 Low Glow Game Camera can easily be hung where you need it, and its low profile makes it an unobtrusive addition to your property. The casing has loops on the back to accommodate rope, bungee cords, or pull ties for mounting. The case locks securely to prevent leakage (or nosy raccoons), but those users who are concerned about tampering should purchase an additional lock to secure it.
Pros
With a price point under $70, this game camera packs quite a punch when compared to others in the same cost category. This easy to use camera requires no sophisticated additional equipment beyond batteries and an SD card: users can pull it out of the box and be using it in just a few moments. The A5 Low Glow camera is waterproof, so you can use it in any climate or weather conditions without worrying about your SD card.
A 5.0 megapixel camera is housed within the hard shell, and the camera can be set to go off at different time limits, the shortest being one minute intervals between photos and the longest being thirty minute intervals. The camera also has an auto rest feature, where it will conserve battery when it does not detect motion after 2 minutes.
Each photo is stamped with the moon phase, time, and date, which is helpful for gathering long-term data. During the daytime mode, the camera will take color pictures, but nighttime pictures are only offered in black and white. At night, a flash does go off when the camera takes a picture, but it is not bright enough to share any animals in tha area. It uses SanDisk 16 gigabyte SD cards, which are widely available at electronic, camera, and big box stores.
Even under heavy use, the camera’s batteries will hold up for several months before needing to be changed, and the memory is large enough that users will be able to gather thousands of pictures between disk clearings. If battery usage is a concern, the camera also has an external port for a 12 volt plug.
Cons
The camera’s shortest setting is one minute, so consumers looking to get rapid shots of their property will have to look elsewhere. The video mode does offset this issue some, but the quality of the video stills is not as clear as the still images. The range of the camera, particularly at night, is limited to only ten yards or so, which will frustrate hunters and property owners looking to get a wider view of the selected area.
While the camera is motion triggered, it can take several seconds to wake up after being idle for some time. This delay can cause owners to lose a clear picture of a passing animal or trespasser. Once the camera is active, though, some users have noted that it is highly sensitive and can be activated by the movement of trees or wind, which will result in a significant number of photos that do not contain wildlife. This issue can be offset by clearing the space directly in front of the camera of all brush and debris that could set it off.
The daytime photos are quite clear, but the nighttime photos are grainier. Other than the issues with the motion trigger, the biggest complaint with this camera is the nighttime picture quality. That being said, a 5.0 megapixel camera can only do so much, and, for the price, the camera quality is fairly good.
Who would want this?
A hunter or avid outdoorsman looking to learn more about the local game would be pleased with this compact, inexpensive outdoor camera. Because of its size and motion activation, homeowners who’d like an additional layer of home security will also find the Moultrie A5 Low Glow Camera a solid choice. While it doesn’t produce the highest quality images, this game camera offers plenty of features to help anyone keep an eye on who or what is nearby.