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Gear Reviews

Hunting Guide Reviews

Stealth Cam MC1 & MC1-D

April 05, 2004

Features:

Camera: 35mm fully automatic (auto focus/advance/flash/rewind). If anybody has the camera make and model number please contact us
Camera Independent Use: No.
Power Source: Uses 8 "C" alkaline batteries.
Battery Life: 21 days with 4 each C alkaline batteries. Field reports say this time is much shorter. Newer D model units use 8 each C batteries to increase life.
Low Battery Indicator: Yes, LCD onfront of unit.
Detection Method: Passive infrared motion detector which is designed to detect heat in motion within a conical area. Also has a separate motion detector.
Camera Delay Options: from 1 to 60 minutes between motion activations.
Operation Modes: 24 hour only.
Programming Modes of Operation: Programmable to shoot up to 9 pictures per motion detection,
Event Counter: Shows on front lcd, up to 99, no time or date data.
Camera Film: Uses standard 35mm film (from 100 to 800 ISO speed).
Film Date Stamp Options: Each photo is stamped with year/month/date or time.
Camera Focus Range: Unknown at this time, if anybody has this info please contact us
Camera Flash Range: 90 feet.
Camera Aiming: Has LED on front for walk test.
External Picture Count Observation Window: No.
On/off Switch: Yes, inside case.
Waterproof: Yes, case has gasket.
Temp Range: 14 F- 122 F.
Case: Molded plastic.
Mounting Setup: Includes tree screw mount & mounting strap (for states that prohibit tree screws).
Size: 7-1/2"Lx6"Wx3"D.
Weight: Unknown at this time, if anybody has this info please contact us
Sound Insulation: Yes, inside case.
Camo: Yes, Realtree Hardwoods Green® HD™ finish or black color finish.
Lock or Antitheft Capability: No.
Warranty: 1-year limited warranty on parts and labor from date of purchase.
Optional: Extend operation with a 12-volt solar panel and rechargeable batteries. Cabela's Price: $99.99

Other Information

This camera was introduced in February of 2002. This is one of the lower priced game camera units on the market. Early models had very short battery life and the new "D" models use 8 batteries to increase the life. Buying 8 batteries every few weeks can get very expensive. 90 foot camera flash range will help see better on night photos. The date stamp of time or date but not both will leave you guessing when the animal was there.

User Comments

I want to change my comments so that the users of your site are not drawninto this camera by my first observations, I guess time tells all. My first review was correct and was observed when I was buying a lot of cameras testing them. This was in a cooler time of the year. Once I finished going through 5 or 6 manufacturers over 3 months or so, I settled on this camera. I have used this camera extensively, in different situations and have decided I will not buy another one. Two other friends are sending theirs back too.

List of problems: 1) Date or time imprint does not show up on pictures, 2) detection is down to about 10 feet in 80 degree weather or sometimes will take a whole roll of nothing (cannot distinguish heat of air), 3) One unit went dead for no apparent reason and they do not make it a habit to repair these, they just replace them, 4) battery life is shorter than 21 days, so therefore you are replacing 8 c-cell batteries every two weeks or so, 5) self rewind never seemed to fully rewind on any of the four camera I had, so many pictures were exposed. This camera has potential because of 90' flash and excellent picture quality, but if they do not take care of their many downfalls, you can forget it, don't waste your time. Kenny in LA.

I've been using this camera for several months. It took about 6 rolls of film to figure out a few tricks like how high to mount the camera and how much to tilt in forward, and to not have it facing east or west where it can get hit by the sun, but since then it's been pretty dependable and taken some good quality pics.

I've heard a lot of complaints about short battery life, and the time/date stamp not showing up on photos. I replaced the lithium battery in the camera and now the time/date stamp shows up perfectly. I've been getting about 4 weeks of use out of the 8 C cells that power the unit. I've never had any problems with the unit, but I'm not convinced it's all that solid. There's too much plastic in important areas for my liking, such as in the film door, battery compartments, hinges, film compartment, etc. From more than 15 feet away I can't see the small green light that you use to test the detection area.

The low price was the biggest reason I bought this camera. I have friends with more expensive cameras with autofocus, and while autofocus is a nice feature, they have plenty of complaints about their cameras. I'm glad I didn't spend more money on any camera. I've been happy with the quality of my photos, especially when I use my scanner to clean them up. I won't give this camera a strong recommendation, but I would buy another one (and save my money for batteries, film, and developing) unless I moved up to a digital camera. - Dave in Northern Minnesota.

I have a Stealth Cam Model MC1-D and can describe it in one word. JUNK! I had really high expectations for this unit with it's date stamp and extended range flash. I shopped around and the price seemed very reasonable. Well the old saying "You get what you pay for" holds true in this case. The camera has taken several rolls of film with no animals. I have been very careful in setting up this camera as far as keeping it away from branches, brush, grass or any other objects that could heat up and false trigger the unit. I went so far as to put tape on the outside edges of the sensor to reduce the field of view and still had the same results. I was so convinced it was false tripping that I conducted a controlled experiment. I turned the unit on and put it in a looked cabinet. The cabinet was indoors in November in northern Minnesota so there were no bugs or any other critters that could trigger the unit. After 4 days I took the unit out and it had taken 9 pictures. My feeling on this unit is that it is a scam that should be reported to the better buisness bureau! Oh yeah, I forgot to mention I sent the unit back for repair over 3 weeks ago and still have heard nothing back. When I talked to them originally about sending the unit back they really pushed to have me send it back to them instead of Cabela's where I purchased it. I wonder why? Could it be they don't want Cable's catching wind of a bogus product and pulling it out of their catalog? I have 2 friends with these units and they have had poor results as well. The date stamp would not show on one of their units as
well - Sincerely, Pissed Off.

I sent mine back after two rolls of film. All pictures came out crisp and clear, problem was all 23 our of 24 on first roll were of nothing and the time stamp didn't show up either. One doe at night and it was a nice picture. Second roll of film I manually rewound after 14 exposures, 7 were of nothing, 2 cows and 5 deer pics. All picture quality was excellent, but some of the deer pics were way off, this cam is just to sensitive. A little
more improvement on the PIR and battery life and it will be a first rate deercam, if they can get there, till then I'm trying another brand. - Kevin in Oklahoma

Pricing Information

$111.00 at Sam's Club for black MC1 version. $149.99 for the black MC1-D version at Bass Pro Shops
Note: These prices are current as of 9/20/03. Please check for current price and availability.

Manufacturer Information

GSM Products.
http://www.stealthcam.net/