Moultrie M-80 Review

Quick Facts
-Price: $139.95
-Trigger Time: 1.581s
-Recovery Time: 30s
-Detection Range: 50 ft.
-Flash Range: 90 ft.
-Battery Life: 4-6 weeks
-Battery Type: 8 AA

Maybe this headline will grab your attention, "this is the best camera trap under $150." There is so much to like about this trail camera, let's get started.

The camera stands in at a tiny 5x4 inches with a black textured finish. The case design is well constructed, with no obvious flaws.

Programming the M-80 is intuitive, user-friendly and quick. The camera operates off of 8 AA batteries and is a prime example of a camera that works well with the Tenergy Nimh Rechargeable Batteries if you want to save money on batteries.

For a camera less than $150, the detection circuit is pretty stellar. The trigger speed is 1.5 seconds, the detection range is 50 feet, the detection zone is wide and covers plenty of square feet. The only negative is a 30 second recovery time.

The picture quality, as you can see in the sample above, is excellent. The camera shoots in a 16:9 ratio (which is different than the normal 4:3) and the day pictures are clear, bright and with good color. The M80 and the M100 produce the best night pictures of any trail camera on the market. The flash range is huge, even longer than the 60 foot advertised flash. However, if there is movement in the night pictures, you can expect some blurring.

If you prefer video to pictures, you will be pleasantly surprised to find out the M-80 has audio along with the video. Also, the M-80 comes with an option for time-lapse mode. Time-lapse is simply taking a picture at your desired time intervals. This enables the camera to cover a huge food plot with a single camera.

On each picture, you will see a time/date stamp, moon phase, temperature reading and a camera ID stamped on the bottom of the photo. The camera ID can be set to anything of your choice, which is a nice way of sorting through pictures if you have several cameras.

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Overall, you can see why we are so high on the Moultrie M-80. Not only does it have a solid detection circuit, excellent day and night photos, but it also comes with extras like the audio with video and the time-lapse feature. This is an excellent valued trail camera. If you want this camera with the added benefit of the 2" viewing screen, check out the Moultrie M-100.

Pros
-Tiny, compact camera
-Time lapse option
-Audio with video
-Solid detection circuit for price
-Bright night infrared flash

Cons
-Blurry night pictures
-Slow recovery time

Product review was provided by Trailcampro.com