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Moultrie has a wide variety of cameras and is one of the leaders in the trail camera industry. One of their best sellers is the M-880 camera that they introduced to the market in 2014. This model is an enhanced and updated version of the Moultrie M-80XT camera. Some of the improvements include faster trigger speed, a longer detection zone, continuous shooting capability, high-resolution images, and video. With this trail camera, you get good quality and value for a relatively low price tag. One of the other things that make it so great is its compact size that makes it pretty easy to hide. Let’s take a closer look in this Moultrie M-880 review at its features, benefits, and downsides.
If you were looking for the Moultrie M-880i review, you are still in the right place and can continue reading this review. These two models are very similar. The main difference between them is the flash type.
Moultrie M-880
This model uses a low glow flash. It’s powerful infrared technology that has the ability to illuminate objects up to 100 feet away. The flash features 32 LEDs that with the used technology stay barely visible to the naked eye. So while strong, it does not tend to scarethe game.
Moultrie M-880i
The M-880i model is also equipped with a flash with 32 LEDs. But instead of Low Glow, it uses No Glow technology. So the flash stays essentially invisible, so it won’t bother the animals at all. However, the downside is that it can illuminate a lesser area. For this camera, it’s up to 70 feet in total darkness.
Detection Circuit
The camera is triggered by a passive infrared (PIR) motion sensor, which can detect heat and movement within 50 feet (for both M-880 and M-880i). For a trail camera in its price range, this is a pretty good detection zone. However, there are cameras that can offer higher detection range, though they also cost higher.
For night illumination the Moultrie M-880 camera features a Low Glow infrared flash (No Glow for M-880i). The 32 LEDs that power the flash operate at 850nm (940 for M-880i) wavelength and they are barely visible. The maximum distance of illumination at night is 100 feet (70 feet for M-880i).
There are two settings for the night operation of this game camera: motion freeze (reduced motion blur for sharper images) and extended flash (maximizes flash distance.
Trigger Speed and Recovery Time
The Moultrie M-880 has a speedy less than 1-second trigger. That is fast enough to catch nearly anything, so you can put it up over an active trail.
Recovery time will vary according to the chosen settings. The options include 5, 10 or 30-second delays. Also, you can choose 1, 5, 10 or 30-minute delays. If you have mounted the camera in a high traffic area, choosing a longer delay will limit the number of pictures recorded and will also extend the battery life.
The trail camera offers different modes. If you choose the Burst multi-shot mode, after a single motion triggers the camera, it will quickly take 3 photos without the delay.
Operational Modes
Motion detect mode. This is the standard motion trigger mode that will capture an image each time the PIR sensor will detect motion in its range. You can set for this mode the preferred delay time. Optionally, you can choose a multi-shot mode. It can be either a “triggered” multi-shot that will capture 3 photos, but after each motion trigger, or “burst” multi-shot that will capture 3 photos with just a single motion trigger.
Time-lapse mode. In this mode, the PIR sensor is disabled, while a countdown timer is enabled. In this mode, you can choose 1 or 2 different periods of recording per day. For example, you can choose several hours at dawn and another several at dusk. You can also adjust the interval (there are 13 different intervals) before each image capturing. Here you need to choose if you want more pictures or longer battery life.
Picture and Video Quality
Day or night, and in any weather condition, this camera provides really great quality images and videos. The camera features 8 megapixels. However, it offers multiple photo resolution settings. So you can select it to be as low as 0.9 MP. Choosing a lower resolution allows you to store more captured photos.
The day images have vivid colors and great focus. There are rarely any washed-out images of the game. The night pictures are captured with also great quality. The infrared light is more focused on the center of the picture and the pictures have no blurriness. The infrared flash also has a motion freeze settings to help reduce that blur even more.
The camera has a 50-degree horizontal field of view. Optionally, you can also choose to have an Info strip imprinted at the bottom of each image. The Info strip includes time, date, temperature, moon phase, and the location of the camera.
The Moultrie M-880 game camera also includes a video recording feature. It is also available in two resolutions: Low VGA and Medium.
Battery Life
This camera operates on 8 AA batteries. We recommend that you get lithium ones, as alkaline prove to be quite unreliable in trail cameras.
The battery life of the Moultrie M-880 is just impressive, with the daytime consumption being only 220 milliamps. So you can expect it to last a very long time in the woods. However, if you choose a setting like the multi-shot, the overall battery will decrease.
You can extend the field life of the camera by using external sources of power. The unit is compatible with 12V DC external power source.
Ease of Use
There have only minor changes to the design of the case. It still comes in a good, solid case with camo finish that makes it easy to hide in the woods. There are different mounting options for the M-880 camera. There are tripod mounts on back and bottom. Also, the cam includes a nylon mounting strap that you can use with the strap slots on the back of the unit. If you are worried about security, the case also has a python lock compatible hasp on its side.
In comparison to its predecessor, the M-880 camera programming has been revamped. It’s still easy to navigate. Though if you used a trail camera before, it might take some getting used to.
Pros
- Fast trigger speed.
- Options of recovery time.
- Availability of different modes.
- High-quality pictures with vivid colors and no blurring.
- Impressive battery life.
- Great time lapse software.
Cons
- Limited flash range.
- In some situations, the picture clarity could be better.
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The Bottom Line
Overall, the camera does not seem to have any major flaws. The focus of the pictures could be better and the flash range can be higher, but for its affordable price, it’s a good option. It’s solid and has proved to be quite durable. I hope this Moultrie M-880 review has been helpful. If you were looking for the Moultrie M-880i review, except the flash they offer the same features and quality. To learn about other models, you can visit our homepage.
