Primos 12MP Proof Cam 02 HD Trail Camera Review

The Primos 12MP Proof Cam 02 HD Trail Camera with low glow LED’s is a remote camera that is reliable and easy to use on the hunt, on the farm, or in your backyard. Equipped with 60 second videos including sound, full color day photos, and infrared night shots you’ll never miss a thing, whether it’s that trophy buck you’re looking for or raccoons digging through your garbage. It is simple to operate without any extra gizmos that might complicate its performance.

Details

The 12MP camera takes HD time lapse, HD videos, and stills with 48 low glow LED lights that reach out to one hundred feet at night so you’ll never miss a shot. They are arranged in a circular pattern to provide maximum illumination. The full color daytime images and infrared nighttime images have two resolution settings to assure you get the quality you’re looking for. An illuminated slide let’s you choose easily between settings.

It operates on eight AA batteries for a full nine months at normal usage. The battery compartment can be difficult to access because it is built for rugged outdoor use and to keep out water and the elements but you won’t have much call for changing them anyway. The front access panel is also tightly sealed but thoughtfully equipped with a padlock hole so it can be locked to prevent anyone from tampering with it.

While it has a 1.1″ character LCD screen for instant viewing, it also has a USB port and a slot for an SD or SDHC card up to 32 GB. The size of the card you need depends on the resolution and type of photos you are attempting to capture. Everything from 150 short 15 second videos to 80,000 lo resolution stills are possible and from 10 to 160 days worth of 60 second time lapse videos. The bigger the SD card the more data you will be able to collect.

The camera is also equipped with a delay switch which allows you to choose the amount of time that you want to elapse between photos or videos and to set the delay between video and stills in time lapse mode.

The 72″ tree mounting strap is more than adequate for most situations. It can also be attached to a tripod for use in mounting applications other than while hunting. Using a small flexible tripod allows it to be attached to the railing of a deck even.

On the front is a red light that is used for detecting motion of the prey. Once it detects movement it will snap pictures with a .4 second delay. This speed is what gives the Proof 02 the ability to never miss an animal.

Operating the Camera

Unlike cameras with more bells and whistles that are rarely needed or used by most hunters or backyard enthusiasts, operating this camera is as simple as it gets. It comes with an instruction manual, but most people who’ve used a digital camera or computer will be able to start using the camera without the manual. Just install the batteries and SD card, close the covers, turn it on, and it does the rest.

There are three modes of operation for this camera – on, off, and setup. They are relatively straightforward.

Make sure the camera is in the OFF position while installing batteries and the SD card as well as when you connect it to a computer via USB cable. Even when in the off position, the camera still uses a very small amount of battery power to maintain settings, so if you will be storing it for a long time, like between hunting seasons, removing the batteries is best.

In the ON position the camera will be set to capture photos and video. It has a 15 second lag to allow time to close the front of the camera and move away from the area. After that it will begin to record any movement.

The SETUP mode is for changing preferences between stills and videos. It also lights up the LCD screen and shows how many photos have been taken and what the remaining battery life is for ease of monitoring. You must move to the SETUP mode from the OFF position. Moving to this position from the ON setting can cause the camera to freeze up.

Pricing

The Primos Proof 02 is moderately priced. While it doesn’t have all the features of more expensive models, with it’s ease of use and long battery life as well as the high quality of images it produces, it is well worth every penny.

Brand

The Primos brand is a well-known icon for hunters and has long been recognized for quality and durability in the hunting industry.

Here is a video that someone captured using this camera and posted online: