Compatible Cameras
Some cameras work and some don't. We recommend the ones that work
We've been testing some of the most popular trail camera brands and models and how well they work with Sentinel.
We haven't been testing these for years, with so many camera models to go through it's difficult to test a single model for more than a week before we need to make a recommendation or not. So take the following with a grain of salt, and if you're able to do some testing of your own, we'd love to hear about it!
Reconyx HyperFire 2
Needs a firmware update the Reconyx team were very kind to develop with us to give the camera Loop Mode, which is normally only on the pro models of their cameras
Yes, as long as you update the camera's firmware to include Loop Mode, and don't forget to use the camera in Loop Mode
Reconyx HyperFire 2 Security
One of the pro versions from Reconyx. Put it in Loop Mode when you deploy
Yes, if you have the budget
Reconyx HyperFire 2 Professional
The other pro version from Reconyx. Also put it in Loop Mode when you deploy
Also yes, if you have the budget
Browning Dark Ops Extreme (BTC-6HDX)
SD card cable routing next to the latch is poor, latch has a tendency to break if not careful while closing the door and may damage the SD card cable over time.
Tricky to recommend, we had a couple latches break closing the door on the SD card cable but only when it had extra tape on it
Browning Dark Ops Full HD Extreme (BTC-6FHDX)
SD card retention is poor, card has a tendency to pull out of slot when closing the camera door
Browning Dark Ops Pro DCL (BTC-6DCL)
Appears to work well with Sentinel during lab testing and 1 day/night in the field
Yes! If you are on a not-Reconyx budget, please choose this to avoid a massive headache for yourself
Browning Dark Ops Pro X 1080 (BTC-6PX)
Works OK, but noticed some nighttime images were washed out by IR flash when tested 1 day/night in the field
Sure, if you don't mind some photos being blindingly bright at night
Browning Patriot (BTC-PATRIOT-FHD)
Camera stopped recording images when door was closed, but Sam's unit works OK (thanks Sam)
Difficult to say right now, this one has our team in a big debate
Browning Spec Ops Elite HP5 (BTC-8E-HP5)
Issues detecting camera trigger and poor SD card retention
Try to avoid
Bushnell Core DS-4k No Glow (119987C)
Poor SD card retention (pulls out easily when closing door)
Also try to avoid this one
Browning Strike Force Apex (BTC-5HD-APX)
Good camera
Yes!
Browning Strike Force Extreme (BTC-5HDX)
SD card position is not in an ideal space - might cause SD card to pull out or issues with the camera trap door hinge
There are other options that will be less annoying but it will probably do the job
Browning DarkOps Full HD Extreme (BTC-6FHDX)
SD card has been pulled out when closing the camera door many times in field tests
Be very very careful with this one when closing the camera trap door and run the LED test multiple times. Although we'd recommend avoiding this model if you can
Browning Command Ops Elite 22 (BTC-4E22)
Someone on the team marked it as green during field testing
Yes (I think)
Browning Recon Force Elite Model BTC-7E-HP4
Testing this right now for TNC
If you want to learn more about how we test each camera in the lab, this is our process:
Does Sentinel reliably detect a camera trigger event as it occurs?
Does Sentinel detect when there is an issue with the camera writing data to the card?
Does the camera allow changes to the SD card file system made by Sentinel?
Does the SD card cable get damaged when closing the camera door?
Some issues don't arise through initial lab tests and only present themselves after more extensive field testing. You may have different experiences than what we've seen above.
Also if you are from a camera manufacturer, we'd love to test your models with our Sentinel and add them to our glorious hall of fame above. Just send me an email - henrik@conservationxlabs.org
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