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Cellular trail cameras are an effective hunting tool and they’ve become a hobby of their own. But their main downside is that they eat batteries. You could rig up an external battery, but those are heavy and bulky. You could run a solar panel, but those don’t work under a forest canopy.
That’s why the new Tactacam Reveal 4.0 and Pro 4.0 trail cams have a redesigned battery system that will keep your cameras running longer, without a solar panel or external battery. I’ve been testing the Tactacam Reveal Pro 4.0 for about a month. Here’s what I’ve found out.
See It
- Warranty: 1 year from activation date
- Cellular Network: LTE
- Cellular Carrier: Major cellular networks
- Photo Definition: 4K (UHD), 2.5K (WQHD)
- Flash Range: Low glow – 96′; No glow – 80′
- Memory: 8GB internal storage with optional SD card slot
- Power: 12 AA Battery (not included); Optional external power source (5K and 10K external battery pack or solar panel — not included)
- External Power: DC 12V-2A input
- Price: $160 (Pro 4.0) and $130 (4.0)
What’s New
FlexPack Power System
The new FlexPack batteries are the key reason to upgrade to a 4.0. I’ve had cameras in the field running AA batteries and the new rechargeable lithium batteries on instant transmission and no photo delay. Those cameras haven’t dropped a single bar of battery life during a month of usage. Based on past experience, I’d guess you could run a single battery pack for an entire season without a recharge. If you’re already invested in Tactacam batteries, the new FlexPacks are different from the 3.0 and earlier batteries, and are not cross compatible. The new rechargeable batteries come in two sizes — an R5 ($60) and an R10 ($100).
Better Image
Tactacam says the new 4.0 has the company’s best image quality to date. If you’re a photo nerd, you might be able to tell the difference between a 3.0 and 4.0 image, but to me, they both look good.
Simultaneous Photo and Video
The Reveal 4.0 can shoot a photo and video at the exact same time. I have my cameras set to capture both photo and video and it’s a handy setting for when you want to see what a deer does after the initial trigger.
Monitor and Controls
The trail camera door is now located on the side of the camera — instead of directly in front of it. This allows you to aim the camera with the view finder without blocking the camera’s view.
Testing the Tactacam Reveal Pro 4.0
I performed our standard walk-through test on the Pro 4.0. This test evaluates trigger speed, night performance, and detection range. The test involves walking from right to left, and then left to right, at 10, 60, and 110 feet — day and night. The Pro 4.0 triggered with 100 percent reliability at 10 and 60 feet. It caught me as I entered the frame from both directions during the day and at night. It did not trigger at 110 feet, either during the day or at night, which isn’t uncommon. With the camera set to Low Glow, it puts out a nice, even IR flash that illuminates a wide area, out to about 100 feet. What I appreciate most about it is that it doesn’t blow out detail up close and still has plenty of brightness to clearly see animals at 60 feet. Like the 3.0, you can adjust from a No Glow to a Low Glow setting right in the app.
I wanted to see how the Tactacam Reveal 4.0 performed when animals walked directly at it and directly away from it. Starting at 110 feet I walked straight at the camera and it captured me at about 10 feet. Starting from behind the camera I walked straight past it and it captured me again at about 10 feet.
Connecting a new camera is a simple and intuitive process that takes a couple minutes. You just scan the QR code, name the camera, and adjust the settings. You can take an on-demand photo to confirm the camera is working properly and you’re off to the next spot. If you haven’t used the Reveal App before, it’s one of the best on the market. Your cameras can be organized by location, you can share feeds with friends, you can adjust camera settings, and you can even pause your subscription right in the app.
I have a couple Pro 4.0s out on my deer lease in Virginia and I have access to several 4.0s and Pro 4.0s on a property in Illinois. They’ve been reliable and the batteries have yet to lose a bar of power after a month in the field on the highest power-use settings. The photo quality is excellent, which is what I’ve come to expect from a Tactacam.
These new cameras have live view functionality, which you can turn on from the app. It takes about 30 seconds to get the live view going, and it’ll even transmit sound. While in the live feed you can record a video or take a photo.
Final Thoughts
To me, the biggest reason to add a couple 4.0s to your fleet of trail cameras is the improved battery life. We all have spots that are a pain to get to and ones we don’t want to disturb until it’s time to hunt. Those spots are perfect for a 4.0 or Pro 4.0 with an R10 battery. If you have a spot that’s easy to access, but gets a lot of action, a 4.0 with an R5 will save you from swapping batteries every month.
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