Firstly, I want to make clear that I'm not using this camera for its intended purpose; I'm using it to try and find my lost cat by locating the camera near where he's been sighted, and then placing food to attract cats.
That being said, the camera has worked perfectly for my needs. It is easy to set up; the quick start guide steps you through setting up the time, photo/video, photo resolution, number of shots per trigger, and period between triggers. It has a nice, long adjustable strap for placing around trees, fence posts, etc. The camera's heavy-duty case is also lockable, as long as the lock has a small bar. I used a small padlock which is locked to a cable bike lock and the camera. At one feeding station location, the camera was vandalized by kids who tried unsuccessfully to remove the camera; failing at that, they tried to smash the lens. They managed to scratch the plastic lens shield, but the camera still takes good photos despite the scratches. The plastic covering of the digital info display was cracked open as well, but the camera still functions perfectly.
The night-vision works very well. I have placed the camera at a maximum of 3 feet from the feeding station, and can easily tell on the night photos whether a cat is black, gray, white, or tabby. The camera also has an aim feature that allows you to determine where the lens is aimed for optimal placement.
I was also concerned at first, because I'd heard that some of the game cameras won't detect smaller animals like cats. This camera has captured 7 different cats at 3 feeding station locations (none of them was my cat, sadly), as well as people walking by, crows, dogs, and bushes waving in the wind. I imagine that, if I were a hunter, I would find this to be a very useful tool for spotting game. I also am favorably impressed by the battery life. This camera has been running more or less constantly for 2 weeks straight on 6 C-cells, and the battery life indicator is at 89%. At this rate, I don't anticipate needing to replace the batteries for a couple of months. If I were placing this out in the bush, I would be able to rely on it staying on for quite a long time without needing to be babysat; I think the SD card would fill up before the battery ran out.
I give it 4 stars because there is no on-board memory, and it requires an SD card in order to operate. Also, there's no onboard display, so if you were a hunter, you'd either need to take the SD card all the way home to review the photos, or take your laptop out to the bush with a card reader. Not ideal. I have no idea if the photos taken by the Moultrie would show on another digital camera's display or not; I know other game cameras have problems with this kind of cross-compatibility. The camera does have a USB out feature, but that apparently only works for PCs, and I'm a Mac user.
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