Browning Defender 850 Review

Browning Defender 850 Review

The Browning Defender 850 is super fast, takes great pictures, records top-notch videos, and can transmit images to a phone. However, the biggest limiting factor of the Defender 850 is the limited transmission range. -TCP Staff

Model #BTC-9D

Defender 850 FAQ's

Browning Defender 850 Owner's Manual

Pros

• High quality pictures and videos
• Outstanding detection circuit
• Easy setup

Cons

• Only 3+ months of battery life
• Requires CR123 batteries (included) which can be hard to find
• Wifi range is limited

Trailcampro Analysis

The Browning Defender 850 is a red glow wifi hotspot trail camera. It can transmit images to your phone when you are standing within 50-100 ft. of the camera.

Picture Quality:

Photo resolution: 20 mpxl (interpolated)

Video resolution: 1920 x 1080 w/ audio

Flash Type: Red Glow IR

Picture quality during the day is really good. The photos are bright, clear and have good depth. Night pictures are just as good with plenty of flash, good contrast, and well-illuminated photos. We love the picture quality.

[powr-image-slider id=604f24bd_1498582194]

Video quality is outstanding. Videos are shot in full 1080p resolution with audio. Whether by day or night, videos are a huge plus.

Megapixel Ratings:

In the past, many people get confused with the megapixel rating trail camera manufacturers advertise. Companies inflate the mpxl rating to attract eyes to their products. They do this through interpolation, which digitally adds megapixels to a photo without actually improving the picture.

The best way to judge picture quality is to look at actual pictures. You will notice this the most when you zoom in on a full-size image that a camera has taken. The details of the photo will appear hazy or even digitized. This is normal, and to be expected.

Battery Life:

Picture & Video Resting Power (on): 2.39 mW

Picture Daytime/Nighttime Power Consumption: 3.84 Ws | 4.5 Ws

Video Daytime/Nighttime Power Consumption: 22.62 Ws | 50.92 Ws

Picture Mode

If this camera were to take 35-day and 35-night pictures every 24 hours, the Defender 850 HD would last 3.6 months in the field on a set of 4 CR123 batteries.

Video Mode

If this camera were to take 15-day and 15-night videos (10-second videos) every 24 hours, it would last 2.8 months in the field on a set of CR123 batteries.

Detection Circuit:

Picture Trigger & Recovery Speed: 0.48 s. / 0.8 s.

Video Trigger & Recovery Speed: 0.6 s. / 0.7 s.

Detection Range & Angle: 80 ft | 43.8° (40.8° F.O.V.)

The Browning Defender 850 is smoking fast in every aspect. Trigger speeds and recovery times are top-notch. Detecting out to 80 ft. is a plus as well.

Overall, this is an excellent detection circuit with absolutely no weakness.

Quality of Design:

Dimensions: 4.25" x 4" x 3"

Battery Type: 4 CR123 Batteries

External Battery Jack: No external jack

The case design of the Defender 850 is unique but clunky. The camera itself sits inside a plastic case that opens from the top allowing the camera to be removed. We've never been a fan of designs like this.

The camera comes with 4 CR123 batteries and a micro SD card. In theory, micro SD cards are nice as they are smaller and require less space. In reality, they are hard enough to handle in a sterile setting like your work or home. Add in cold weather field operation and it is impossible. Don't drop the micro SD card in the leaves, you'll never find it!

The case design has a bracket for a python cable lock but does not have a threaded insert for a tripod mount. Temperature ratings the camera records have a tendency of being unreliable and off by a significant margin.

Connecting the camera to the Browning Defender app on your phone is easy. You can change the settings on the camera quickly and easily via the app. Keep in mind, all settings are accessed from the app on your phone, not the camera itself. The app is easy to navigate with the exception of arming the camera. To change settings you activate the wifi on the camera and connect to that wifi hotspot on your phone. However, to activate the camera and start taking photos, you need to disconnect from the wifi. This will arm the camera. A simple "Arm Camera" button would have been more intuitive.

Picture playback requires connecting to the camera's wifi hotspot again. The pictures are easy and quick to view.

For the most part, getting the camera setup and running isn't hard at all. Browning made this process relatively simple. The most disappointing part of the Defender 850 is the limited wifi range. In a clear parking lot, with nothing between the user and the camera, we were able to get 100 ft. of wifi range. When you add trees or other elements between the user and the camera, the range is limited to about 30-40 ft. In other words, we had to be relatively close to the camera to download the images it took.

Durability has not been an issue. We will update the review if anything arises.

Browning Defender 850 Review Conclusion:

The Browning Defender 850 in super fast, takes great pictures, records top-notch videos, and can transmit images to a phone. However, the biggest limiting factor of the Defender 850 is the limited transmission range. If you only need 30-40 ft. of range in a wooded environment, then this is an excellent choice. If you were wanting a wifi camera that can transmit over great distances, this camera won't work for you.

Enjoy our reviews? Please consider purchasing your next trail camera from us.

FAQ's: Browning Defender 850 Trail Camera

Q: How do I view the pictures?

A: There are a number of ways to do this. Pictures/videos are stored on the SD card you place in the camera.

• View pictures on your computer. Plug the SD card in a desktop computer or laptop via the built-in SD card reader or use a USB reader if your computer doesn't have one. This method works for most tablets as well. With this method, we recommend having two SD cards per camera so you can swap them in the field.
• View pictures on your smartphone. Choose between the iOS Reader for iPhones and the Android Reader. Phone readers require an app to access the photos, you can read more about these via the previous links.
• Trail Camera Viewers. While more expensive, handheld viewers are useful if you don't have a smartphone or run multiple trail cameras.

Q: Will this trail camera trigger on small animals (birds, rodents, etc.)?

A: Trail cameras detect on a combination of heat and movement, so, yes, small mammals will trigger the camera. However, if you are going after smaller warm-blooded mammals, we recommend getting the camera closer to your target. For best performance, place the camera in an area that would enable picture detection from 3 - 20 ft.

Q: Can animals see the infrared flash on this camera?

A: Yes. This is a red glow trail cameras, meaning it has a faint red glow when taking pictures or videos at night. Humans and animals can see this if looking at the camera. This does not "light up" the woods, though.

Q: Where can I purchase this camera?

A: From us! We hope to woo you with our incredible charm, two-year warranty, 90-day returns, free continental U.S. shipping, and technical expertise. If that isn't enough, we give you an 16 Gig SD card with this camera and you can call and talk our ear off anytime.

Seriously, though, we know you have plenty of options of where to spend your hard-earned money. The internet can be the wild, wild, west of too-good-to-be-true deals. If you choose to do business with us, we will go out of our way to make sure you are happy with the camera you select and the service we provide you.

We are passionate about testing and reviewing trail cameras, but most importantly, we are passionate about treating our customers the right way. We do things differently from what you have come to expect from other internet retailers and we hope you give us the opportunity to prove that to you.

Back to Top of Page

Read Reviews From All the Game and Trail Cameras