Campark T180/TC08 4K 46MP Solar Trail Camera Review

Campark T180/TC08 4K 46MP Solar Trail Camera Review
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The T180/TC08 trailcam from Campark is a 4K 46MP camera is a battery operated camera designed to operate unattended outdoors and to automatically capture pictures or video of anything that triggers the built-in motion detector. Cameras of this sort are mainly used to monitor wildlife activity but could be used for security purposes also.

This IP66 water-resistant model is one of the new top of the range cameras from Campark arrived packed in an attractive mid-market product box inside of which was the camera itself, a tree mount strap, data cable, metal mount with fixing screw set, and a User Guide. Although the camera itself is made of plastic and is rather lightweight (which is perhaps no drawback) build quality seems excellent. The User Guide is a good size, well printed, and easy to read.

One of the several unusual features of this camera is the way it is powered, which is different to any other trail camera I have tried. The camera has a combined rechargeable lithium battery pack and solar panel built into the top of the camera. The rechargeable battery can be charged through the solar panel or using the USB-C port beneath the LCD panel inside the door. The camera can also be powered by 4 standard AA batteries accessed by removing the panel above the screen. The camera can be powered by the AA batteries alone when the 4400mAh low-temperature resistant battery is too low. From being fully depleted the camera will automatically begin working from solar charging when it has returned to a usable battery level. If used intensively the rechargeable battery will run down in just a few days but in normal use in good sunlight, it should last for months.

On the front of the device is the 120° field of view camera lens , a light sensor, Status LED (Setup only mode), front and side motion sensors, a 36LED 850nm night vision infrared panel and a microphone. On the side are clips to secure the front flap which opens out to give access to the colour 2.2" LCD monitor and control buttons. Inside the door flap is the micro-SD card slot (Class 10 U3 or better), with the USB-C port for computer connection port and battery recharging. Next to the LCD screen are an array of buttons for track navigation, menu, mode selection, camera selection, wifi on/off, replay, shot taking and OK. The buttons are rather small but reasonably easy to find and use outside at night. Above the screen is a turret switch to set the device to OFF/SETUP/On. On the rear of the camera is the metal screw hole for a tripod or supplied camera mount.

The camera is triggered by the front and side facing motion detection sensors (total angle of view 120°) has three sensitivity levels available and at 0.1 seconds the trigger delay is the fastest I have yet tried. Care must be taken also to avoid false motion sensor alerts – foliage, vehicles, etc – as this will soon flatten the battery. Although the trigger time is fast nevertheless when recording wildlife try and position the camera so the subject approaches the camera and not across it. To position the camera correctly put it in Setup mode and the red LED on the front of the camera will light up when you are detected, the LED will not light up in recording mode.

Although there are plenty of refinements and fine-tuning that can be made, the camera can be up and running very quickly with the default settings. After fully charging the batteries and removing the gels covering the lens, sensors and screen, insert the micro-SD card and set the turret slider to SETUP. You will be prompted to format the SD card and you can now set the image and video resolutions, video recording lengths and other parameters such as time stamping, schedule timer etc. One particularly useful feature is that you do not have to choose between Video or Stills as you can set it to record both at once.

Like some other high-end trail cameras I have tried this one offers a wifi connection to the camera. This uses Bluetooth to detect your phone automatically and when prompted by the 'Wildlife CAM' (according to the User Guide the 'Game Camera Pro2' app can also be used. Connecting automatically via Bluetooth app turns on a Wi-Fi hotspot inside the camera which your phone can then connect to. This is more useful than it might seem as it allows you to configure the camera settings remotely and without needing to handle the camera. You can also directly take stills and videos and access existing recordings. Take note that this is a hotspot only app and you cannot control the camera over the internet.

I was pleased and not a little surprised by the photo and video quality, too often trail cameras fall down here by using cheap hardware to save production costs, but not so here. Image quality is excellent for both Video and stills at up to 46MP with genuinely high quality 3840x2160@30 fps video. The camera will also take up to 10 shots in burst mode and time lapse scheduled multi image recordings. The camera supports loop recording which will overwrite old recordings when the SD card is full.

This camera can be great fun if you have a big garden and wonder what goes on there when you are away or at night. Both for features and image quality this is one of the best trail cams I have ever used. Priced at $159.99 before discounts this is one of the most expensive trail cam I have yet tried but the high-quality results and ease of use make it well worth the money

The Good
4K@ 30fps video quality
Fast 0.1-sec Trigger
Great image quality
Good build quality
Wifi App Control
Simultaneous stills and video option
Scheduling
Solar Panel/USB Rechargeable Battery
Audio recording option
IP66 Water/Dustproof
Loop Recording

The Bad
Heavy Battery Drain When Used Intensively

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