- The Solar trail camera ( for example: MOULTRIE PANORAMIC 180I ) has a built-in solar panel. This unique trail camera has unmatched battery life, trigger speed and recovery time. This is a very impressive trail camera. - TCP Staff
- Almost unlimited battery life
- Fastest trigger speed/recovery we have ever tested
- Bright, colorful pictures
- Internal picture viewer
- No built-in python bracket
- Blurry night photos
Ever seen a camera like the Spypoint Solar? Neither have we. Spypoint has always been known for innovative trail camera products, the Solar trail camera is the latest innovation.
The Spypoint Solar is a Force 11D with a solar panel permanently attached to the top of the camera
Photo resolution: 12 mpxl (interpolated)
Video Resolution: 1280 x 720 w/ audio
Flash Type: Red Glow Infrared (very faint)
As expected, the picture quality is identical to the Force 11D. Daytime pictures have been very impressive. Bright color, good clarity and plenty of depth whether the camera was placed in bright sunlight or heavy timber.
Night pictures have pros and cons. There is a decent amount of flash range, but the pictures do have a slight halo (more light in the center of the image - less on the edges of the photo). We also have a high number of blurry photos. The Solar has three modes in the settings that control night image quality:
- IR Boost - Max flash range but higher frequency of blurry images
- Blur Reduction - Less flash range, but better clarity on moving animals
- Optimal - This is a compromise of the two modes above.
Our sample images are a combination of all the modes the camera allows. Overall, the night photos are a mixed bag. We consider the Solar's night photos to be very average.
This solar panel doesn't need direct sunlight"
Better yet, on the internal menu, it shows a percentage that the camera is charging when you are positioning the Spypoint Solar. You can immediately see the benefits of angling the camera one way or another. The solar panel does not detach, it is fixed permanently on the camera. As this incredible technology is very new to us, we are continuing to test and evaluate this panel to learn more about how it works.
The Spypoint Solar is very small and would be easy to conceal in almost any environment. The camera has a detachable bracket for mounting or removing quickly from a tree. There is not a built-in python lock bracket, but there is a 1/4" x 20 threaded insert on the bottom of the camera for a tripod or Slate River Mount. It would have been nice to have a python bracket built into the case design.
On the back of the camera, there is a cover that unscrews to reveal the battery compartment (it requires 6 AA batteries). The batteries are easy to insert/remove and are held firmly in place. There is no chance they would become dislodged on their own. The battery cover feels a bit flimsy, but it attaches in a way that removes that as a concern. It is perfectly flush with the back of the camera and is not exposed to anything that would risk damaging it.
It hasn't been an issue, but it would have been nice for Spypoint to have a bigger, beefier latch. The internal viewer quickly scrolls through any pictures or videos the camera has taken. This is an underrated feature on the Solar trail camera, internal viewers make setup so much easier and ensure you walk away from a camera knowing it is monitoring the terrain exactly as you want it to.
Programming is incredibly easy and intuitive. Whether this is your first camera or 21st, you will enjoy the programming options and fluid navigation. All programming is done on the internal viewer, so for those of you that do not enjoy squinting at small LCD screens, you will appreciate the bigger font on the viewer.
The Solar trailcam has custom start/stop time, which is useful for anyone looking at this camera for security.
Durability has been outstanding. In the last 12 months, Spypoint has had one of our lowest warranty rates.
Overall, the case design could be beefed up to feel sturdier, however, we gave the Spypoint added points for having a solar panel that can charge without direct sunlight. That is pretty cool technology and could potentially save you a ton of money over the life cycle of owning this trail camera.
