Moultrie Exo Trail Camera Review
Buying a trail camera in 2023 is a good decision for engaging yourself outdoors after passing the time with bad pandemic situations. Moultrie Exo trail camera is an easy recommendation for both beginner and pro users at a low budget. Because it has all the bells and whistles for easy operation and the best sweet part of this camera is its cellular connectivity. Whether you are a nature explorer or a hunter, this gadget will add another level to your exploration. And users can remotely control the system through its user-friendly app (both android and app store).
Moultrie Mobile has a very user-friendly data plan. So, you don't need to go through different confusing plans. Its plans are so much straight forward
This camera has a very beefy sensor which can serve you clear image quality and this is not only about the number, in our testing unit it gave us very pleasing photos and videos. And its thermal detection is impressive.
Picture Quality
Speaking of photo quality it is the clear winner in its price segment. Because in this price range we can't get this kind of picture quality from other available brands. Moultrie Exo produces stunning quality photos and videos both day and night time with its 18MP camera sensor. In the daytime, this camera can produce well-balanced photos. One of the major issues of a low-budget trail camera is the "White balance" processing. This camera handles this significantly. And its sharpness and contrast are also good.
For the nighttime photo, it has advanced No-glow (invisible) IR which is very important for the natural moment of any animal. Because whether it's white Flash or Low-glow IR it creates a visible light in the detection range. This may cause interruption to the natural moments. And sometimes it causes poor white balance. So, Moultrie Exo is a perfect trail camera for game and hunting plans or a secondary eye for your property. You can see some of the simple shoots. And one thing to remember It can’t take video. This is fully Image focused.
Detection and trigger
For capturing a sharp moment in a trail camera the thermal sensor, IR sensor, and trigger speed are so much important. Because trail camera doesn't always keep its eye on. It goes to sleep mood after taking photos and videos to save battery life. And wakes up automatically when needed.
This functionality automatically happens with some complex steps. When an animal or human (thermal object) comes in front of the camera its thermal sensor detects that. And the camera wakes up immediately.
Moultrie Exo trail camera has a 70-foot detection and IR flash range. So, you'll get a good amount of coverage in the nighttime. So, you’ll get a good amount of coverage for detecting any thermal object. Then if needed, the invisible IR sensors help the camera to take excellent photos. After that, the trigger speed starts working.
"Trigger speed is the amount of time between activating the image sensor and capturing the moment."
Moultrie Exo trail camera has a 0.75-second trigger speed which means it needs 0.75 seconds for preparing the camera sensor after taking a shot. Here you may feel a bit slow rather than other available devices from Bushnell, Spypoint, etc. But it can easily bits up them in Picture quality.
And It is very usual that a No-glow IR needs a few more fraction of a seconds (0. xx) than the white flash or Low-glow IR to action the Sutter. In a word, Its sensors and trigger speed is flawless for capturing the right moments.
Design and Build Quality
Alongside the image quality, the exterior of the Moultrie Exo trail camera is pretty cool. At the front, it has a robotic cut-out for its IR sensors. The image sensor is nicely centered by the IRs which is very practical. Below that, you'll find the PIR or thermal sensor. These three PIR sensor is capable of detecting any kind of thermal object at around 70-degree which are needed to prepare all the camera components for getting the right moment in the 42-degree field of view. In the bottom portion, there is a strong cable lock attachment point. On the right side, you'll meet a swiveling door latch that covers all the ports, buttons, and indicators
(you can see the light indicator chart), and also 12 AA battery slots. Its back is nicely designed for grip. Though these are polycarbonate, it is strong and rugged. The only thing I feel missing is the camouflage texture version. While we reviewing this unit but that's won't be big as it has a very monotonous dark grey color. And the most important thing is its weatherproof polycarbonate build which will help you to get longevity. And speaking of longevity, it has a 12 Volt DC power input, for any kind of external power supply. For strong cellular connectivity, it has a workable antenna at the top, which can swivel around.
Ports and Buttons
Under the swiveling door latch, you’ll get an SD card slot for storing your photos and videos. But remember, you can only use a maximum of 32GB class ten SDHC (full-size SD card).
"You can use a MicroSD card through an SD card adapter. But, we won’t recommend that because for a couple of periods of time it may stop working. So please try to use a full-size SD card."
You need to format the card through the camera itself (a hassle-free option). Luckily, this camera has a dedicated “format SD” button. By using this button, you can format your card easily.
It has also an on-off button and a connect/status button for establishing the connection and with these buttons, there are 3 multi-color LEDs that will easily guide you to understand the network SD card and battery status by green, yellow and Red color. You can see the light indicator chart.
Battery
Battery health is another sweet part of Moultrie Exo. It needs 12AA alkaline or lithium batteries which will provide a good amount of lifespan. In an installation, you can get 6-7 months of backup.
But it varies by the weather temperature and the cellular network strength. And the number of trigger time also impact the battery life. While you refilling, make sure you don’t mix the old used battery with the new battery.
It also supports 12.0V DC input. So you can hang a big battery or 12.0v solar panel to ramp up the battery life. It’s very convenient.