****** - Verified Buyer
4.5
It took me several minutes to open the battery tray. It got stuck half way open and I couldn't open all the way or close. I didn't want to break the tray.Then it took a few minutes to get the tray back in after loading the batteries.Daylight pictures are average.Night pictures are just fair compared to Spypoint cameras, but much better than Creative cameras. The night pictures are grainy.Also, the night flash is at the center of the picture. Flash doesn't cover the whole picture.Attached night pic has 4 coons in it. One to the right isn't recognizable as a coon, the other can barely be seen.Strike Force app is just OK.The Strike Force app doesn't show me the cell signal level where the camera is, like other cameras do, I have 3 different brands of cameras on the same hog trap to see which camera I will eventually permanently use for hog trapping. The Spypoint camera in the same trap shows 3 of 5 bars on AT&T signal. Browning camera shows "N/A". So, I never know if the camera has a signal or not from looking at the app on my phone. The Creative app shows 2 of 5 bars.It takes a long time to make setting changes in the camera from the software, it's not instant like Spypoint.Upload picture time to Strike Force app is horrible. Sometimes it 1 to 2 hours, sometimes 2 to 5 minutes.. I use this camera to shut a cell operated gate on my hog trap. I am dropping the gate when I see pigs in the trap, but there are no pigs when I drive up to the trap. I have the settings set to send the thumbnail "Immediately". This isn't working correctly. For now, I am not using to shut the gate. I am using the Spypoint and Creative cameras. They send pictures to me faster and more reliably.I noticed the time the pic is taken and the time the software alerts me is sometimes can be up to 1 or 2 hours different. Sometimes I get 20 pictures alerts all at one time, hours after the pics were taken. Since the camera or app doesn't show the cell signal, I am not sure if it is the camera, the app or the signal, but the other brand of camera sitting 20 ft away shows a good signal.The camera is OK for looking at wildlife, but not for pig traps or security, if you want fast alerts when something comes in the trap or someone is in your yard when you are not home, this isn't the camera to do that.I have used Browning trail cameras, for years with very good luck. I thought these cell trail cameras would give me the same quality, but they do not.I may just use it for security at my shop, the monthly fee's are not that bad on this camera.There is no SIM card, you have to use their Strike Force app. This sends the pic to the app then alerts your phone. You log into the app and check the pics.There is no option to text pictures straight to your phone.Update: For some reason, the camera is sending me a lot of pictures at 5:20 am to 5:30 am. These pictures were taken at different times during the night, but all show up at the same time in the morning. I checked the settings, it shows to send pictures immediately. Not sure why the pictures are coming in so late.Update. Every time I look at app, it tells me there is no internet detected. So I close app and reopen and sometimes it works, sometimes I have to close and reopen again. See screenshot attached.Also some pics are 50 to 75 percent grayed out. Not sure why. See other attached screenshots.I cannot get an external battery to work on this camera. I am using the same external battery that I use on other brands with good luck. Not sure if it is the connector on the cable or the connector on the camera or it's the camera, but that same battery works on the other brands.Bought 2 defenders based on strike force experience. Both cameras not functional . After multiple failed efforts to fix one, Browning sent one replacement and on second one wanted me to pay shipping and would repair or send refurbished. These cameras were less than 2 weeks old . I told them I bought new cameras not damaged ones. Customer service was extremely nice when you could get through to them . They tried to fix by sending sd cards... would only work with 8 g cards... not what was advertised. Automated response ask customer to leave phone number for call back but tech support said their phones don’t allow that.. After 2 week of multiple calls...I gave up and sent both cameras back to Amazon. Waiting on refund.....this is the short version... I have other cell cameras (SPYPOINT ) and do not have issues and they are easier to use.. I was going to Browning bec of better cell price but what’s that worth when the Defender cameras would not work....Again short version but my time is worth more than to wait for lengthy times to get through to tech support and then the management saying warranty requires shipping camera back for "repair". And, there is no grace period where Browning should replace new cameras with new cameras. Note this experience started in July and lasted through mid August ....BEFORE... hunting season. Can only imagine what would have happened in hunting season. I really hoped that these cameras would match the strike force performance but they didn't. Finally, the cell reception on my Spy Points was extremely better than the Browning Defender.save a lot of walkingI like this camera, but cannot recommend it. What I like is that within one minute of an animal breaking the beam, I get a photo on my iphone and my laptop. However, I allowed myself to be mislead by the product description that the same would be true of videos, which is not the case. Videos taken by the camera can only be viewed by removing the SD card from the camera and using a viewer (purchased separately) or by inserting the SD card into a laptop. Otherwise, the video can be "requested" from the company. I requested a video 2 days ago and I am still waiting. This camera costs $300 and I can get the same functionality with a $100 trail camera and a $60 cellular adapter.I have had just about every cell phone camera on the market and this is turning out to be one of the best I have owned love the battery tray if it hanging on a tree it stops half way and won’t fall out in the mud slight jerk and it comes all the way out. And love when I turn it you can see the cell signal on the camera and the app. And it works on 3g and 4 g.Nice product- catching intruders on my property. Uses traditional AA batteries (16!) so not as nice as say a rechargeable Lithium battery. Hopefully a newer version will come with latest technologySubcription for browning is high but everything works greatI've had browning for years but this new defender on the same tree as years passed just keeps taking pictures of shadows and trees. I'm 1200 pics runs out quick, which is good for them because they assume you'll buy more pictures per month. I've adjusted them, talked to service but haven't done the wall test yet because it is hard to do a wall test and try to get inventory right before season at the same time. Poor quality!! Expensive!!Simple and works!! Love it
