HAWKRAY M1 Mini Trail Camera Review

The HAWKRAY M1 mini trail camera is designed to go places and blend in where others can’t. This compact and lightweight mini trail camera easily fits in a pocket or a backpack and is loaded with features that will make the most of your hunting season. If you are a hunter, property owner, or just someone who likes to enjoy nature, this HAWKRAY mini trail camera is a great choice for you.

So let’s get into our review of the HAWKRAY M1 Mini Trail Camera and see if its unique set of features and benefits make it the right trail camera for your needs.

Introducing the HAWKRAY M1 Mini Trail Camera

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The HAWKRAY M1 mini trail camera is small, lightweight has good optics, and works well. Plus, it’s easy to use and has a lot of different options and features for you to choose from. The camera is also very inexpensive and will last you for many years if used properly.

Pros

• Compact size
• Fast trigger speed
• PIR sensor with wide detection angle and adjustable sensitivity settings
• Color LCD screen
• 16GB memory card included
• IP65 weatherproof
• Great price
• Batteries are included

Cons

• Low glow flash
• Uses micro SD cards

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Review of Key Features and Benefits of the HAWKRAY M1 Mini Trail Camera

Camera

The camera on the Hawkray M1 mini trail camera has a 4:3 aspect ratio camera. It has anti-blur technology which helps ensure you capture sharp 16MP photos, or 1080p full HD video with audio, even in low-light situations.

As you would expect with a modern trail camera the M1 has a number of modes: photo mode, video mode, and photo + video mode. Plus, its photo burst setting allows you to take from 1 to 3 pictures whenever the camera is triggered.

Motion (PIR) Sensor

This Hawkray trail cam has a 1 PIR sensor, which is pretty standard for mini trail cameras. With a 120° detection angle and a 65-foot detection range, which is about what you expect with most mini trail cams, it provides you with a pretty good detection area.

The motion sensor also has adjustable sensitivity settings, where you can set it to high, medium, or low. I usually prefer to have the sensitivity of the sensor should be set to high so I can maximize the detection area. Then after I get a feel for how the sensor reacts to the environment I can always turn down the sensitivity if I find that I am getting too many false triggers.

The term “false trigger” refers to when a trail camera takes a picture or video when by a non-biological interaction (there is no animal or person present). If you end up struggling with false triggers and can’t seem to stop them from occurring you might want to check out our 5 Tips to Prevent Trail Cameras From Having False Triggers.

Trigger Speed

With the trigger speed of many mini trail cameras still in the 0.5 to the 0.3-second range, the HAWKRAY M1’s 0.2-second trigger speed really gives it an advantage. This fast trigger speed, when combined with the M1’s wide detection angle, helps to ensure that nothing will pass by the camera without being captured.

Flash

The Hawkray M1 mini trail camera has a 22pc 850nm low glow flash that can provide illumination up to a 65-feet distance. This flash range is pretty much what you would expect from a trail camera that has such a small size. Mini trail cameras with longer flash ranges are not common and those that do have a longer range will cost you more.

The M1’s flash emits no visible light so you can be confident that the area you are photographing or recording is not illuminated as it would be with traditional flash photography. While the illumination from the low glow flash works well, you should keep in mind that the LEDs on cameras with low glow flash will glow red on the front of the camera whenever the flash is in use, which could make the location of the camera very noticeable in certain situations. As I alluded to earlier this is true for all low glow trail cameras.

This brings me to one of my complaints with the M1. I really wish that it had no glow flash so you could put it in places where being able to conceal the camera’s location at night is important. That said, mini trail cameras with no glow flash aren’t very common so this complaint is hardly limited to just the M1 mini trail camera.

Dimensions

One of the most attractive parts of this or any other mini trail camera is its compact size. Measuring 4.3 inches high x 3.6 inches wide x 1.8 inches deep the M1 is a compact trail camera that you can easily conceal in its environment or easily carry around if you operate multiple cameras.

Time-Lapse Feature

If you want the camera to take photos at selected time intervals without the PIR sensor being triggered you can enable the time-lapse feature. Using this feature can be a great choice if you need to monitor the area that is beyond the range of the PIR sensor or if you are dealing with a lot of false triggers that you can’t get rid of (although using the time-lapse feature wouldn’t be my first choice on how to prevent false triggers).

The only thing you need to keep in mind is that enabling the time-lapse feature will disable the PIR sensor, so the camera won’t be triggered when an object comes into the detection area. So the only images the camera will capture will be at the pre-determined time intervals that you select.

Hours of Operation Timer

The M1 comes equipped with a helpful hours of operation timer that allows you to specify the times when the camera will be active each day.

Conserving battery power and storage space on the memory card, this feature is useful for some people who don’t need the camera to monitor the area 24/7, but instead want to use it for a specific time period each day.

LCD Screen

The HawkRay M1 has a 2-inch color LCD screen that can be used to adjust the settings or view photos and videos in the field. The screen is small, making it hard to see details on pictures and videos. That said, it is great for a mini trail camera to have an LCD screen of any size because not all mini trail cams have them.

If you want to view the images or videos in the field, it may be easier to get an inexpensive SD reader or viewer instead.

Memory Card

The M1 can accommodate microSD/SDHC memory cards with a capacity of up to 32GB with class 6 or higher cards being recommended.

Due to their small size, microSD cards are not something that we are huge fans of. If you have larger fingers or are trying to swap out the memory card from a trail camera on a cold day it can be easy to drop and loose them in the leaves and grass. That said, I wouldn’t let this criticism stop me from buying the camera if it has the features and price I’m looking for.

The HawkRay M1 comes with a 16GB microSDHC memory card included. However, as we discussed in our article about how often you should check your trail camera, you want to have an extra memory card for your trail cameras. That way when you go to check your trail camera you can minimize the time that it takes to do so thereby reducing any disturbance your presence makes on wildlife.

We suggest using the SanDisk Ultra 332GB microSDHC memory card as it is a great performing card at a reasonable price. However, if you want to shop around for cards you may want to check out our article on how to choose the best SD card for trail cameras.

Password Protection

The Hawkray M1 offers a password feature that protects the camera from use by unwanted people. To use the password protection feature you need to go to the settings and create the password you want to use to secure the camera. Then when the password feature is turned on you will be asked to provide the password each time you want to use the camera.

Batteries

The Hawkray M1 uses 4 AA batteries. While a set of alkaline batteries is included with the camera, we recommend using lithium batteries for the longest battery life and best performance. Energizer Ultimate Lithium batteries are ideal, as they power your camera even in extreme weather conditions. If you are interested in learning more about why lithium batteries are better than alkaline or rechargeable batteries you can read our article on the Best Batteries For Trail Cameras.

Input for External Power Supply

This Hawkray trail cam has an input to accommodate an external power supply. As we discussed in our article about How Often Should You Check Your Trail Camera it is to your benefit if you aren’t constantly running out to check your trail camera because you are worried that the batteries might be getting low. If you really want to extend the amount of time you can leave this camera unattended in the woods, you can use an external power supply like HAWKRAY’s affordable trail camera solar panel.

Image Stamp

The image stamp on the M1 includes the date, time, temperature, moon phase, and camera name. You have the option to turn the image stamp on or off. The image stamp can be turned off as well if you prefer.

Included Accessories

To get you up and running quickly and to add to its ease of use, the HAWKRAY M1 comes with a variety of useful items included. These items are listed below.

• 4 – AA batteries
• 1 – 16GB memory card
• 1 – Threaded camera mount and screws
• 1 – USB Cable
• 1 – Mounting Strap
• User Manual

Areas of Use

Thanks to its small size the HAWKRAY M1 is easy to conceal, which makes it an ideal device for wildlife monitoring in your backyard on your hunting property. Its wide detection angle also makes it a popular choice for property surveillance.

While it is easy to conceal the M1’s location during the day it needs to be pointed out again that the LED’s on the front of the camera will glow at night when the flash is in use and could make the camera’s location very obvious in the dark if someone happens to be looking at the camera at just the right moment. That said, I use many of my trail cameras on public hunting land and have never had a problem with theft or vandalism with my cameras, probably since there aren’t hunters in the woods at night where I place my cameras. However, the M1 may not be a good fit if you plan on using it as a security camera in places where the flash could be seen by trespassers, thieves, or vandals.

Pricing

With its compact size, low price, and multiple features that make it easy to set up and use, the HAWKRAY M1 mini trail camera is a great value.

If you are in the market to buy more than one trail camera the HAWKRAY M1 allows you to buy multiple trail cameras without breaking your budget or sacrificing quality.

Other Options

HAWKRAY M2 Mini Trail Camera

The HAWKRAY M2 mini trail camera is an upgraded version of the M1. When we did a review of the M2 we found that other than having a slightly different exterior the only significant difference with the M2 is that it can take 20MP pictures instead of the 16MP images that the M1 can capture. Usually priced just a few dollars more than the M1 the HAWKRAY M2 is also a very good value. You can see the current price of the M2 here.

Campark T20 Mini Trail Camera

Other than having a slightly slower trigger speed the Campark T20 is very similar to the HAWKRAY M1. What the T20 lacks in trigger speed it makes up for with its 120° detection angle and its 120° wide-angle lens, making it exceedingly difficult for deer or other game animals to avoid being documented. The other difference worth pointing out is that the Campark T20 uses the standard size SD cards, which thanks to their larger size make them much easier to handle in the field especially on cold days.

If you want to learn more about this camera you can read our Campark T20 review. Otherwise, you can check the current sale price of the Campark T20 and buy it directly from Campark here. Note: Campark often has deals for first-time buyers or buyers who purchase multiple cameras.

Final Thoughts

In conclusion, the HAWKRAY M1 mini trail camera is a fantastic camera and a great choice for both beginners or those who want a high quality camera but don’t want to spend a lot of money. It’s a great camera for a great price.

You can check the current price of the HAWKRAY M1 here.

Last update on 2024-04-25 at 06:00 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API