Browning Trail Cameras Recon Force Edge Trail Camera, Camo

I like it

Search a little on YouTube for this camera model and you'll see the simply exceptional videos people are able to get with this model. A main downside is that if you more than one camera and you have other camera models, you'll quickly grow frustrated with the video quality from your other cams and find reasons to replace them with this model.A few thoughts after months using these models:-another reviewer is right about using external batteries, which I was doing with my other models. I built inexpensive battery enclosures out of ammo boxes (or similarly sized plastic boxes); you can insulate the battery a little inside and depending on camera height, you can attach a camera mount for a portable/handled unit for moving it around. I buy Lithium batteries though rather than Lead-acid...much better winter performance. A 4.5 ah or 6ah Li battery at 12v is a perfect combo-there is no 'hybrid mode' like some camera models (= takes both still pics and video). In my opinion the still photos aren't that much better in quality than some cheaper cams (e.g. apeman), so I always set mine to video. If I need still pics, I use free software to convert the video to a series of stills--works great.-the triggering is excellent; this is another area where a more expensive cam (e.g. compared to apemans and similar lower-priced models) really shows itself--far fewer 'false triggers.' You'll still need to experiment with location and perhaps even exclude certain times of day (e.g. 10am to 2pm) because of sun angle, shadowing, etc.-memory of 256GB is really great; some cams cap that at a lower level.-video length is limited to 20 sec at night and you can't alter that (during the day, you can change the length to extend it so long as there is movement). I realize the battery drain concern so make that the default, but why not let the user override that? But an initial mistake I made was not setting the 'Photo Delay' setting/time as low as possible (1 sec), so I had some great video of a mountain lion mother with kittens at night that capped at 20 seconds and cut the "action" short. If I had 'Photo Delay' set at 1 sec (rather than the default 5 min), their continued motion would have triggered/started another video. I had ignored that setting since I thought 'Photo Delay' only affected pics/photo mode, not video.-be careful of pixel burnout/malfunction at the top of the display. My oldest Edge is starting to show this, and a used one I bought here on Amazon was clearly returned because of this. So I suspect this may be a common defect.All and all an excellent camera, and from what I can see there's really nothing like it in its price range in terms of video quality.

previous negative review is invalid.

Browning is supposed to be the best camera for wildlife. We have had this productfor only a couple of months & it has malfunctioned. Is the seller selling second-hand products??? Not happy at all!!

I don't have another brand to compare it to but I am very happy with the picture quality for night and day pictures. We haven't used it very long or done much adjusting to it. We are really enjoying looking at the animals that are on our property. We have a picture of a squirrel starting to jump to a branch up above him, next shot shows him in the air and the last shot he is on the branch. I wasn't happy to see the picture of the coyote about 20 feet from my deck at night, but it is good information to know.

Love this trail cam!

The camera does exactly what Browning claims: takes great pictures and videos, triggers flawlessly, is waterproof and rich in programmable features..But the disappointing battery life made me second guess my purchase, and caused additional purchases:My first BTC-7e's batteries were drained after only a few days with what I consider minimal triggers (3-5 videos @ seconds each). I called Browning customer service, and was told not use regular Alkaline AA but only use "Energizer Ultimate Lithium". As an electronic engineer I was suspicious why this would radically reduce battery drain, but bought these @$15 for eight anyway. Same story. I sent the camera back, assuming a defect; once they sent me a new one: same story.What's particularly frustrating: the batteries drain substantially, even when the camera is switched off: after 4 months of storage and no use (Covid) another set of 8 new "Ultimate Lithiums" are now completely dead.I have just ordered what seems to be the dirty little secret when you want to use a trail camera for serious work rather than a onetime curiosity: an external lead-acid battery pack. I ordered the StealthCam Battery Kit. Because I can recharge it many times. the unit costs me only 3x as much as three sets of Browing's recommended AAs.