Now that we are a little over a month from the ATA show that was in Indianapolis last January, I have had time to reflect on the new items that were on display there this year. I have to say the one thing that created the most excitement for me this year was the new Trail Camera System from Leupold!
This system is like nothing you’ve ever seen before! The central part of the camera system is the exclusive hand held USB controller/viewer that plugs right into the trail camera! Yes this camera has its own GUI (General User Interface), trail cameras have gone hi-tech! You can now check your cameras without even touching them other than to plug in the USB cable to see what trophy animals you have on your SD card!
The controller offers more than a simple plug and download feature for your camera, it also gives you a real-time look at your camera’s field of view. How many times have you placed your camera only to get an obstructed view photo of an animal you would like to see more of? With the controller you can go into live mode to see that your camera is placed correctly through its 3″ LCD c0lor display screen. If your camera alignment is off, simply adjust it and re-secure it where it needs to be to give you those perfect photos.
With the controller you can also manipulate the camera’s settings to what works best for your situation in the field. It also allows you to view, download, and reset your SD card photos in your camera. Then take the controller home and download those photos onto your PC! With this controller you will no longer have to take your camera down to get your SD card out to swap it out with a fresh one only to have to realign the camera again! It makes your trips to the field to check your cameras quick, easy and hassle free!
Leupold has put as much thought into their cameras as they have the controller! They offer two models of cameras that will work with the controller, the RCX-1 and the RCX-2! The RCX-1 comes with basic features that will allow any outdoors man to obtain surveillance photos of the game that is in his hunting area! The RCX-1 offers an 8 mega-pixel camera with a 54° wide angle lens with a 45° sensor area that can be triggered up to 45 feet away! It offers 36 Infrared LEDs for catching those nocturnal bucks and a trigger speed of less than one second! The RCX-1 additionally has a video setting if you want moving pictures instead of stills! No more ears and rears, you can now catch more photos of racks to see what’s tearing up your area!
If your looking for a camera that has more adjust-ability built in, then the RCX-2 is for you! The RCX-2 has a 10 mega-pixel camera with dual trigger area adjustment on a 54° wide angle lens. Set it for 10° sensing area for those long narrow runways or 45° sensing area for those wide food plots! The maximum trigger range is from 45 feet on the wide angle to 90 feet on the narrow angle. The Infrared system has an additional 12 LEDs on the 10° setting for a total of 48 for those night shots! Wish you could have both the narrow trigger area and wide trigger area views available? Well the RCX-2 is the only camera that has a dual-trigger system that allows for both simultaneously! As for the video, do you wish you had audio to go with that clip of a huge buck tearing up a tree near your camera? Well this camera has the audio to go along with the video to complete the clip of that trophy animal! The RCX-2 is truly a customizable camera that you can adjust to fit your needs in the field!
Both cameras run on 8 AA Lithium batteries for months on end. An optional rechargeable battery kit is also
available. The RCX-2 comes with a Lock-Down Security Plate that allows for heavy gauge cable locks to be used for security and it is available for purchase for the RCX-1 models as well. Both camera models and the controller interface are made of ABS/polycarbonate outer shells that offers strength and protection against the weather elements.
By now you’re probably saying, “OK this is a great system, but a camera that offers that many options has to be expensive?” Wrong! This camera system is very affordable for anyone wanting a quality set up like this! The RCX-2 system with the Controller Interface is going to retail for $299.00. Every additional RCX-2 Camera that you want to add to the set up will be at a cost of $249.00 each. You say that you don’t need that much adjust-ability? Then the RCX-1 system with the Controller Interface is going to retail for $249.00 and every additional RCX-1 camera is going to be $199.00 each. With this system you can truly mix and match camera models to fit your price range and needs! Look for the RCX Trail Camera System to start showing up in your Leupold dealer sometime near June.
It is obvious that Leupold has taken the time to put the same quality and dependability into their trail camera system as they do their optics! I’m truly excited about putting these cameras into the field this year to see just what animals are running through my area! Thanks to Tim Lesser, Product Line Developer at Leupold for taking the time to show us another great product from Leupold!
