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Campark WiFi Trail Camera - T80 Review
The T80 is the first Campark WiFi trail camera in their catalogue of trail cameras.
I’ve had the camera on test for some time now, so naturally I decided to share my views on what I like and don’t like about the Campark T80 in this full review.
If you’re looking for a trail camera that you can connect to your smartphone via an app to download and view images, plus control all the key settings of the camera remotely, then the T80 is definitely worth considering.
The overall picture quality is very good, along with the adjustable wide angle 120 degree detection zone. These are just a couple of aspects of the Campark T80 trail camera that make it one of the best performing WiFi trail cameras in 2020.
Campark T80 Accessories
You have 2 options here in which to fix the camera to a tree. The nylon strap or mounting belt as they call it or the tripod mount that has several swivel joints to adjust the pitch and angle of the camera.
The USB cable is for connecting the camera directly to a computer, if you don’t have a dedicated SD card slot, which I’d say most do these days. It’s a nice addition though to have anyway just in case.
The remote control is used to switch the cameras WiFi connection On / Off. This is very useful as it means you can switch on the WiFi access when required from a distance.
For example the camera may be set high up in a tree. It also saves battery power, as WiFi connections do drain batteries a lot quicker than when the camera is in standby mode.
I’ll discuss all the WiFI settings shortly, and how they allow the cameras owner to benefit from a true Wireless trail camera.
- Trail camera
- USB Cable
- Treaded tripod mount
- User manual
- Remote control
- Mounting belt
- Screws and plugs
Design and Operating Features
As with most modern trail cameras the T80 is of a clam shell design. This means the housing is opened by releasing the 2 sturdy metal latches on the right hand side of the case.
The front of the case then swings open to reveal the operating panel, plus the LCD screen. I tend to prefer the LCD screen to be on the back of the case as it allows you to line up the camera lens in real time.
However in this instance, as the camera has WiFi connection you can view in real time what the camera lens is pointing at using your smartphone.
The operating panel is well laid out and the push buttons to access the menu screen are easy to press when navigating the settings in the menu.
Of course all this can also be done via the free app on your phone as well.
SD Memory Card Slot
The SD memory card slot is located at the bottom right of the picture (See above, number 10).
This was one of the minor gripes I had with the T80. It’s dam near impossible to get the SD card out with your fingers. It pops out the slot with around 10 mm of play, it’s so close to the housing you can’t get enough purchase with your fingers to pull the card from the memory card slot.
I had to use a small needle nose multitool to extract the card. Of course being a WiFi camera, removing the SD card is something you’ll rarely do, thankfully.
Standard size SD cards up to 32GB class 10 are recommended. I used a 32GB Sandisk class 10 Sd card with no problems at all. You must format the SD card inside the camera using the cameras format setting beforehand.
Batteries
The battery compartment has a thin plastic cover which is pulled out using the plastic strap, shown in the picture below.
Power is supplied by 8 x AA batteries. Campark mention using alkaline batteries, but in this test I used only lithium ion batteries as I do with all my trail cameras.
I’ve run the camera for just over a month now and the batteries are still on near full charge. Campark advertise an 8 month standby period for alkaline batteries so it’s fair to say the camera does have a good battery life.
This does depend on how much you use the WiFi though.
If your downloading 100s of images per day using the WiFi connection then you may be looking at far less battery operational life.
WiFi Trail Camera - Wireless Operation
Overall the T80 is very easy to set up and to use all of it’s wireless functions.
The first step is to download the free Hunting Camera Pro app onto your smartphone. The app is available for both Android [1] and iPhone [2].
The Hunting Pro app is a no frills app that has a basic graphical user interface. It does work well though, allowing you to download images to your phone, plus change the main settings and features within the camera menu.
NOTE: The Campark T80 is a wireless trail camera that operates as a WiFi (peer to peer or P2P) device. There is no additional requirement of a wireless router to connect the T80 to your phone. In essence; all that is required is the T80 trail cam, plus a smartphone with the Hunting Camera Pro app installed.
To switch the cameras WiFi On, either press the WiFi/Up button on the operating panel or press the On button using the supplied remote control.
With the camera now transmitting a peer to peer connection, its just a matter of selecting the Campark T80 in your smartphone wireless connections and entering the 8 digit password.
Hunting Camera Pro App
With the camera and phone connected. Open the Hunting Pro app and confirm the connection.
Now you have access to a live feed image from the camera lens. You can also navigate to the contents of the SD card, select images to download onto your phone to watch locally on the phones internal storage or change any of the cameras settings.
It’s as simple as that. I had no problem over the course of the month connecting between the camera and my smartphone.
In terms of connection range, I was able to keep a steady connection between the 2 devices up to 60 feet. This was when the both devices were in line of sight it has to be said.
Summary – Wireless Performance
Overall, I was very impressed with the performance of the WiFi connection. I had no issues with it at all. The set up was quick, easy and I found it fairly intuitive.
My only slight disappointment with the whole wireless set up and operation is that you can only view thumbnails of video and still pictures stored on the SD card remotely.
In order to watch back video clips and see still images in full resolution you will need to download them onto your phone using the app.
I suppose thats asking a bit too much as you’d need a much faster P2P connection to stream HD video.
T80 Camera and Detection Range Performance
Let’s now take a look at how the camera performs in terms of detection range and overall quality of the pictures and video.
Detection Range
The advertised detection range is 75 feet / 20 metres below 77 degrees F.
I’m always slightly sceptical about trail camera manufacturers detection range claims. You have to remember the figures they use in advertisements are taken under ideal conditions.
My experience of using the T80, is that its very close to those figures in terms of range. I’d say it’s nearer 70 feet at maximum range. My time with the camera was in late spring so was in temperatures around low 70s fahrenheit.
The trigger speed of 0.3 seconds is about as quick as any trail camera currently on the market. In practice it didn’t disappoint with few empty frames of fast moving wildlife.
Picture Quality
There are a number of image resolutions to choose from:
- Still image resolutions – 2, 3, 5, 8, 12, 16, 20 Megapixel.
- HD video recording – 720P, 1080P, 1296P
The still picture image quality both day and night is very good. Particularly the daytime pictures at 20 megapixel. The images are clear and sharp without being too oversaturated with color.
The camera has a function of setting the strength of the Infrared Illuminators, from economy, super fine and auto. This feature does lower the brightness in economy for close up detection zones. Meaning the night pictures don’t suffer from being over bright.
Video in the 1080P HD setting are excellent quality. Night time video less so, but thats the same with all trail cameras.
My only criticism about the video quality is that in low light before sunset and at dawn it does tend to have quite a lot of noise. Not excessive noise but it’s there none the less.
Final Thoughts
The T80 as a WiFi trail camera performs very well. The wireless connection is solid and has good range. It works seamlessly with the Hunting Pro app.
It’s a well specced camera with plenty of features and settings to cover most applications. From home security to scouting wildlife.
The picture quality is excellent overall, and you’d have to spend a alot more on a trail camera to see noticeable better quality still images and pictures, remember this camera is at a very reasonable price point.
The T80 is by no means perfect. However if your looking for a WiFi trail camera thats easy to set up and delivers decent picture quality it’s certainly worth considering.
Update: The T80 model has been ugraded to the T85 trail camera.
T80 Trail Camera
Last update on 2024-03-31 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
T85 Trail Camera
Last update on 2024-03-31 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
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Last update on 2024-03-31 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
