Browning Dark Ops HD Max Review

Model #BTC-6HD-Max / Browning Dark Ops HD Max Owners Manual

Dark Ops HD Max FAQ's

The Dark Ops HD Max is a really good no glow trail camera. It takes good pictures, is fast, and has good battery life. For the money, we believe the Browning Pro models offer more value for just a few bucks more. - TCP Staff

Browning Dark Ops HD Max Trail Camera Review

 Pros

• Solid picture quality
• Exceptionally quick detection speeds
• 9+ Months of battery life in picture mode
  

 Cons

• Below average video battery life (1.8 months)
• *Does not work with NiMH rechargeable batteries.

Picture Quality:  

Photo resolution: 18 mpxl (interpolated)

Video resolution:  1280 x 720

Flash Type:  No glow IR

Picture quality is identical to Browning no glow cameras from the past. The daytime pictures are good, but they lack great color shots. The color in the daytime images could really use a boost. Outside of that, the pictures are clear and well focused on this game trail camera.

Night images are very solid, especially for a no glow camera. These pictures work well for wildlife and security surveillance.

Video quality is fairly similar to picture quality.

Megapixel Ratings:

In the past, many people get confused with the megapixel rating trail camera manufacturers advertise.  Companies inflate the mpxl rating to attract eyes to their products.  They do this through interpolation, which digitally adds megapixels to a photo without actually improving the picture.

The best way to judge picture quality is to look at actual pictures.  You will notice this the most when you zoom in on a full-size image that a camera has taken.  The details of the photo will appear hazy or even digitized.  This is normal, and to be expected.

Battery Life:

Picture & Video Resting Power (on): 0.4 mW

Picture Daytime/Nighttime Power Consumption:   1.86 Ws  |  5.45 Ws

Video Daytime/Nighttime Power Consumption:  15.2 Ws  |  79.87 Ws

Picture Mode

If this camera were to take 35-day and 35-night pictures every 24 hours, the Dark Ops would last 9.7 months in the field on a set of 8 AA Lithium Batteries. For a no glow trail camera using 6 batteries, we consider this to be excellent.

Video Mode

If this camera were to take 15-day and 15-night videos (10-second videos) every 24 hours, it would last 1.8 months in the field on a set of lithium batteries. This is below average life for video mode.

*Does not work with nimh rechargeable batteries.

Detection Circuit:    

Picture Trigger & Recovery Speed:  0.11 s.  |  0.6 s.

Video Trigger & Recovery Speed:  0.47 s.  |  1.0 s.

Detection Range & Angle:  90 ft.  (37.6° field of view)

The Dark Ops HD Max has plenty of speed, whether in picture or video mode, and a  good detection range. The detecting circuit is without weakness, you should expect this camera to be a picture and video taking machine.

Quality of Design:    

Dimensions:  4.75" x 4" x 3"

Battery Type:  6 AA Batteries

External Battery Jack:  12-Volt

Case Design

This is one of the smaller game cameras on the market, making it easy to conceal in a variety of ways. The camera feels sturdy and stable. The latch remains a touch close to the camera, making it somewhat difficult to unlatch with cold fingers.

There is a python bracket on the back of the Dark Ops for a Python Cable Lock. It also has the standard 1/4" x 20 threaded insert on the bottom for a Slate River Angle Mount.

Temperature ratings the camera records have a tendency of being unreliable and off by a significant margin.

Camera Setup

The camera setup is familiar and easy to navigate. Click "Mode" to enter the menu, tap "Up" or "Down" to toggle settings, hit enter to highlight a setting, change the desired setting with the up or down arrow, and then hit enter to save that setting. Very simple.

The Dark Ops HD Max game trail camera accepts up to 512 Gig SD Cards. That allows for tons of memory storage and most useful if placing the camera in video mode for long periods of time.

Durability

We have no concerns over durability, if anything arises, we will immediately update this review. The only thing we see on a regular basis is incorrect temperature readings. We see this on all Browning cameras, so if this is a big concern for you, we would recommend a different brand as they all tend to be inaccurate.

Through our 2-year warranty program on the trail cameras we sell, we are able to track warranty rates on all trailcam manufacturers. We do not publish this data but Browning trail cameras have proven to be a durable camera for us.

The Dark Ops HD Max is a really good no glow trail camera. It takes good pictures, is fast, and has good battery life. For the money, we believe the Browning Pro models offer more value for just a few bucks more.

Enjoy our reviews?  Please consider purchasing your next trail camera from us.

FAQ's: Trail Camera

Q: How do I view the pictures?

A: There are a number of ways to do this. Pictures/videos are stored on the SD card you place in the camera.

• View pictures on your computer. Plug the SD card in a desktop computer or laptop via the built-in SD card reader or use a USB reader if your computer doesn't have one. This method works for most tablets as well. With this method, we recommend having two SD cards per camera so you can swap them in the field.
• View pictures on your smartphone. Choose between the iOS Reader for iPhones and the Android Reader. Phone readers require an app to access the photos, you can read more about these via the previous links.
• Trail Camera Viewers. While more expensive, handheld viewers are useful if you don't have a smartphone or run multiple trail cameras. 

Q: Will this trail camera trigger on small animals (birds, rodents, etc.)?

A: Trail cameras detect on a combination of heat and movement, so, yes, small mammals will trigger the camera. However, if you are going after smaller warm-blooded mammals, we recommend getting the camera closer to your target. For best performance, place the camera in an area that would enable picture detection from 3 - 20 ft.

Q: Can animals see the infrared flash on this camera?

A: This is somewhat controversial. Humans can't see the flash as the nanometer spectrum is above what the human eye can detect. It's also much harder for an animal to see, but that could depend on the species of animal as different species see in different light spectrums.

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