If you monitor the deer and other wildlife so you can understand their behavior patterns you can greatly increase your chance of having a successful hunting season. Using trail cameras is a great way to get this information without constantly disturbing the area you plan to hunt once the season arrives.
You never know the exact situation or location that you will want to use a trail camera in, so the key is to get a camera with the features you need at a price that is affordable.
One feature that can help a trail camera adapt to multiple situations is the ability to connect to it via WiFi. This will allow you to place the camera in some harder to access locations while still being able to connect to it from a distance to change the settings or to view the pictures and videos it has captured.
Luckily, the Toguard H85 has both WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity. With its long list of other customizable features, it checks the boxes most of us need when looking for an adaptable trail camera.
Table of Contents
Introducing the Toguard H85 Trail Camera
With a price just a bit higher than entry-level trail cameras, the WiFi and Bluetooth enabled Toguard H85 allows you to easily connect to it from a distance. In addition to its wireless capabilities, it has several higher-end and customizable features that help to make the H85 a great value.
Pros
- 20MP camera
- 1296p Super HD video resolution
- WiFi & Bluetooth connectivity
- Free smartphone app
- Fast trigger speed
- 2.4-inch color LCD screen
- Rated IP66 which makes it durable enough to withstand extreme weather
Cons
- The mobile application may be hard to use, especially with older Android versions.
- The batteries could drain faster than you want–especially if all the settings are maxed out and you aren’t using high-quality batteries
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Review of Key Features and Benefits of the Toguard H85 Camera
Camera
When getting a trail camera, you always want to pay attention to the quality of the images and videos it can capture. The camera on the H85 is one of the best of its class, with a picture resolution of 20 megapixels and 1296p Super HD video resolution, respectively. It also has an adjustable shutter speed of 1/15, 1/20, and 1/30.
In addition to the standard picture and video modes that come on every trail camera, the H85 also has a photo+video mode where it takes a picture and then records video.
Built-In Wi-Fi and App Control
The Toguard H85 has built-in WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity, which allows you to access your camera remotely through your smartphone using a free app, Hunting Camera Pro, which has versions for both IOS and Android devices. The app will enable you to view and download photos and videos directly from the camera itself, in addition to adjusting the camera’s settings.
To access the camera wirelessly, you first need to connect to the camera via Bluetooth using your smartphone. Once connected you can turn on the camera’s wifi signal. Then you will need to connect to the camera again, except this time you will connect via its wifi signal, which will allow you to view pictures and videos as well as to change the camera’s settings.
If left on continuously, the wifi would drain the battery rather quickly, which is why you need to go through the process of using Bluetooth to turn on the wifi. Having the Bluetooth always be on is much less taxing on the battery than having the wifi constantly be available.
Will the Camera Automatically Send Pictures to your Smartphone?
No. If you want that functionality you will need to buy a cellular trail camera. If you need this feature we have identified several good cellular trail camera options for you to consider.
If you like the idea of having pictures and videos sent directly to your phone, know that cellular trail cams not only cost more than a wireless trail camera, like the H85, but they also require a data plan in order to have cellular service, which is an additional expense.
Does the Camera Connect to Your Home’s WiFi Signal?
No. A lot of people share this misunderstanding about WiFi trail cameras. They don’t connect to other wireless networks or to the internet. Instead of connecting to your home WiFi, these cameras create their own WiFi signal that other devices can use to connect to it.
Motion Sensor
The motion sensor(s) is a vital part of all trail cameras. Since you rely on it to trigger the camera to roll when it detects any movement in its detection area, you usually want it to cover as large of an area as possible. With 3 motion sensors, one in the center and one on each side, the Toguard H85 has a very large detection area. Together, they provide the H85 with a detection angle of 120-degrees and a detection range of 65 feet to help ensure that no activity is uncaptured. The H85 also has adjustable PIR (motion sensor) sensitivity with high, medium, and low settings.
If you only want to monitor the area directly in front of the camera or if you are getting a lot of false triggers from branches or grass blowing in the wind on the sides of the detection area you have the option to turn off the side sensors.
Trigger Speed
When talking about the motion sensor, you have to also talk about the trigger speed. This trail camera has a trigger speed of 0.3 seconds, which is pretty fast for cameras of its class.
Flash
The Toguard H85 trail camera has 36piece 850nm infrared LEDs. This low glow flash has a 65-foot flash range. While the low glow flash shouldn’t cause a disturbance with deer or other game animals you might be monitoring, the LEDs glow red on the front of the camera when the flash is in use.
The H85 also comes with three adjustable LED settings, which are the auto, economy, and superfine. You can choose any of the three modes depending on the level of illumination you prefer and the energy used.
Time-Lapse Feature
Toguard H85 has a time-lapse feature, which you can use if you want to monitor the area that is beyond the range of the motion sensor. When you set the time-lapse mode, the motion sensor is turned off, and the camera will only be activated at the predetermined intervals you select.
The time-lapse feature can also be helpful If you have your camera set up in an area where it is getting a lot of false triggers (and turning off the side sensors doesn’t help) or if you want to watch for slow-moving animals like reptiles.
LCD Screen
The Toguard H85 has a 2.4-inch color LCD screen where you can view your photos and adjust the camera’s settings. However, with the Wi-Fi connectivity and the supporting app, you don’t have to use the LCD screen frequently.
Memory Card
As with all video cameras, you need external storage media to store your pictures and videos. The H85 uses SDHC memory cards with a storage capacity of up to 32GB. Class 10 cards are recommended. We suggest using the SanDisk 32GB Ultra SDHC memory card. Remember to format the memory card before using it for the first time.
Password Protection
You can restrict the use of the H85 by encrypting it using a password. To encrypt the camera, you go to the settings and click on the set password icon. You then provide digits you can easily remember to create your password. Then every time you want to use it, you have to key in the digits to gain access.
This security feature prevents strangers from walking up to the camera and viewing (or deleting) the pictures and/or videos it has captured. The feature also prevents someone from being able to use the camera if the camera gets stolen.
Batteries
To power this Toguard trail camera, you need 8 AA batteries. Depending on how often the camera is triggered and what settings you choose, the battery life can be very good.
That said, if you want to maximize the amount of time you can leave the H85 in the field without worrying about replacing the batteries, or plan on using the camera in frigid temps, we suggest using Energizer Ultimate Lithium batteries.
If you are interested in learning more about, which batteries are best for trail cameras, and why, you can read our article on the best batteries for trail cameras where we break it down for you.
Input for External Power Supply
If you want to leave the camera unattended in the outdoors for extended periods of time, you will be happy to know that the H85 has an input for an external power supply unit.
The Toguard H85 can accommodate a 6V power supply with at least 1.5A. The power supply unit needs to have a connector with a 3.5mm external and 1.35mm internal diameter.`
Image Stamp
The image stamp feature gives you details about when a picture was taken or a video was recorded. The image stamp makes it easier to look for activity patterns when you sort through your images and videos. Information on the H85’s image stamp includes time, date, temperature, moon phase, and the camera name.
Included Accessories
This Toguard camera comes with the following items to aid in its setup and installation.
- USB cable
- Threaded mounting tripod
- Three mounting screws (for the tripod)
- Mounting belt
- User manual
Areas of Use
With all of its customizable features, the Toguard H85 trail camera is very adaptable when you look at the various situations you can use it.
Aside from hunting, it is an excellent device for home surveillance and nature photography. However, you need to remember that the LEDs glow red on the front of the camera when the flash is in use, giving away the camera’s location at night. If you are planning to use the H85 extensively for property surveillance and security purposes, you may want to look at something with a no glow flash.
Price
The H85 is more of a midrange trail camera in terms of price. However, when you look at its cost and weigh that against its features you recognize that the H85 is a great bargain. Plus, it is competitively priced when compared to other similarly equipped trail cameras.
Other Options
Campark T85 Trail Camera
If you like the Toguard H85, but wish it had no glow flash you should check out the Campark T85. In addition to having no glow flash and a different camo exterior, the only other difference between these two cameras is the size of the color LCD screens. The Campark T85 has a 2.3-inch screen while the Toguard H85 has a slightly larger 2.4inch screen. Other than that, these cameras are pretty much twins. You can check the current price of the Campark T85 here.
Toguard H80 Trail Camera
The features and specifications on the Toguard H80 camera are almost identical to the H85 except for four things with some of them being very minor differences. These differences are:
- The H80 has 38 low glow LEDs while the H85 has 36.
- The H80 only has a 2-inch color LCD screen, which is significantly smaller than the 2.4 in screen on the H85.
- They have different camo patterns.
- The H85 has a slightly different exterior case with only the bottom portion that opens up to show the LCD screen and menu buttons whereas the entire front of the case on the H85 opens up.
You can check the current price of the H80 here.
Final Thoughts
With a 20MP camera and a 1296p Super HD video resolution, the Toguard H85 can capture some richly detailed photos and videos. With WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity to go along with its customizable PIR sensors and customizable flash, you have a trail camera that can adapt to a variety of settings.
You can check the current price of the H85 here.
Last update on 2024-04-30 at 05:04 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
