Meidase P90 Trail Camera Review

Trail cameras with WiFi and Bluetooth have taken the hunting scene by storm. These trail cameras are easy-to-use, have plenty of features, and typically are pretty affordable. They are more versatile than other trail cameras because you can connect to them from a distance with your mobile device (phone or tablet). This allows you to put these cameras in hard-to-reach locations and still be able to easily and safely check on them and change their settings as long as you are within range of their WiFi or Bluetooth.

The most versatile of these cameras will also have no glow IR flash so they can ensure that their location remains concealed at night when whether they are trying to capture nighttime wildlife activity or being used as a security device. The Meidase P90 is one of these trail cameras.

Introducing the Meidase P90 Trail Camera

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The name of the game with the Meidase P90 trail camera is versatility. Not only does it have WiFi and Bluetooth to go along with the no glow flash that we already mentioned, but it also has a long list of other features that will help the camera adapt to pretty much any situation you might put it in. Plus it comes at a great price.

Pros

• High-resolution pictures and videos
• Bluetooth and WiFi connectivity
• No glow flash
• Fast trigger speed
• Competitively priced
• IP66 Weatherproof

Cons

• Detection angle is wider on some other models
• Records 1296p videos @ 20fps

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Review of Key Features and Benefits of the Meidase P90 Trail Camera

Camera

You can tell that Meidase spent a lot of time and energy on the details of the P90 many of which are evident in the camera. The camera has a high-quality lens with a 16:9 aspect ratio and a wide 120° field of view (FOV). Having a wide FOV helps to ensure that even fast-moving objects will be captured by the camera.

It can capture up to 32-megapixel pictures and can be set to capture anywhere from 1 to 5 photos each time the camera is triggered. The P90 can also shoot clear 1296p HD videos @ 20 frames per second (fps) or 1080p @ 30 fps if you anticipate trying to capture a lot of fast-moving action. If you want to understand why a higher frame rate is better for videos of faster-moving objects you can read our article where we discuss frame rates for trail cameras.

It has three capture settings, Photo, Video, and Photo+Video. My favorite is the Photo+Video mode where the camera takes a picture before capturing a video whenever the camera is triggered.

Built-In WiFi and App Control

One of the most appealing features of the P90 is its WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity. Using the free “Meidase Mobile” app, which has versions available for both iOS and Android devices (IOS 9.0 or later, or Android 7.0 or later), you will be able to use your smartphone or other compatible devices to connect to the P90 and control it wirelessly. The user-friendly app enables you to change the camera settings, download pictures and videos to your device, and you can even preview videos or pictures without having to download them first thanks to the seamless H.264 video compression technology.

Once the Meidase Mobile app is installed on your device connecting to the camera is quick and easy. First, you will search for the camera and connect to it via Bluetooth. After making the Bluetooth connection your will be able to turn on the camera’s WiFi. Then you will need to search for the P90’s WiFi signal and connect to the camera that way. After the WiFi connection is established with the camera you will have access to the full features and functionality of the app.

The option of being able to connect to the camera from a distance allows you to place the trail camera in elevated or other hard-to-reach places without having to worry about having to remember bringing a ladder or other equipment with you every time you want to check it.

Meidase states that you should expect the Bluetooth to have a range of approximately 33 feet. Meanwhile, its WiFi signal should have an expected range of up to 45-feet. These ranges are dependent on the environment the camera is in and where you are located as you try to connect to it. That said, some users of the P90 have been pleased and surprised to report that they have been able to connect to the camera from longer distances.

Motion (PIR) Sensor

Trigger Speed

While not the absolute fastest, the Meidase P90 has a trigger speed of 0.2 seconds, which is among the fastest available. When combined with the camera’s detection area and the lens’ wide field of view, it is exceedingly difficult for something to pass by the camera without being captured in pictures or videos, even if it is zooming through the detection area.

Recovery Time

Recovery time or recovery speed refers to the time a trail camera needs in order to be ready to take a second picture after a previously triggered picture is captured. Many trail camera manufacturers aren’t very forthcoming about this spec, which dates back to a time when trail camera manufacturers didn’t want to provide a clear idea of how long it takes for the camera to process the image because their camera’s recovery speeds weren’t as good as they are today. In reality, it is a measurement that should be provided by each manufacturer because it can really impact a camera’s performance. So it is nice to see that Meidase openly shares this information about their trail cameras.

The P90 has a recovery speed of less than 0.5 seconds which is a great compliment to its super-fast trigger speed.

Flash

The no glow flash on this trail camera is a great feature. It has 36pcs 940nm infrared LEDs with a 75-foot range, which provides good illumination, allowing you to take shots and record video at night while ensuring that the camera remains invisible in the darkness. If you are using it for property security or monitoring on public hunting land, this feature alone makes the P90 worth considering.

Dimensions

The dimensions of the Meidase P90 trail camera are 5.6 x 4.2 x 2.5 inches (height x width x depth), which is similar in size to a lot of its competitors.

Time-Lapse Feature

This camera has a great set of features, including a time-lapse option. With time-lapse you can set the camera to take photos or record videos at the selected time intervals you choose. It has a range of intervals from 1-second to 24-hours.

Using the time-lapse feature can be helpful if you want to monitor an area that is beyond the range of the motion sensor, or if you want to document a slow occurring event. Remember that turning on the time-lapse feature will disable the PIR sensor, but not the IR LEDs. In other words, you’ll need to choose between getting images at the time-lapse intervals you selected or capturing images when the motion sensor is triggered.

Hours of Operation Timer

The P90 has a helpful Operation Hours feature. This allows the user to specify the specific hours each day when the camera is operational. It can be a nice feature to use if you don’t need the camera to be monitoring the area around the clock. Plus, it helps save on battery use and storage space on the memory card.

LCD Screen

This Meidase model has a 2.4-inch color LCD screen. The screen, which is rather larger as trail camera screens go, makes it easy to get the camera set up and running, adjust the camera’s settings, or preview pictures and videos. However, after you get the camera set up you probably won’t have much use for the screen since you will be able to use your smartphone along with the Meidase Mobile app to connect to the camera via Bluetooth and WiFi to access all its features and view the pictures and videos.

Memory Card

As with all trail cameras, you will need a memory card to store your photos and videos. The P90 uses SD, SDHC, or SDXC memory cards with a maximum capacity of up to 512GB. Class 10 cards are recommended. If you are looking for a high-capacity memory card that will perform great in the Meidase P90 you can’t go wrong with the SanDisk Extreme Pro 512GB SDXC memory card.

I know that 512GB cards can be expensive, especially if you don’t find them on sale. So if you plan on checking your camera regularly or don’t anticipate using the camera in super busy locations you might want to consider purchasing a lower capacity memory card like the SanDisk Extreme Pro 128GB SDXC memory card or a 32GB version of the card.

The Meidase P90 also offers Loop Recording, which if selected will cause the oldest files to be overwritten with newly captured pictures and videos when the SD card becomes full.

If you want to spend some time looking at different memory cards for the P90 you might want to check out our article on the Best SD Cards for Trail Cameras. Whichever card you use remember to format it before using it in the camera.

Password Protection

Like many other trail cameras out there, the Meidase P90 has an easy-to-use password protection setting that lets you create a 4-digit password of your choosing. This helps prevent someone from using the camera without your permission. Setting the password is easy—just go to the Settings menu and follow the prompts. Whenever you need to use the camera in the future, you will be prompted for the password.

Batteries

As with all trail cameras, battery life can vary depending on where you post your camera, the settings you use, and the amount of activity in the area. However, you should expect pretty good battery life with the P90 as evidenced by its 8 month standby time.

The camera is powered by 8 AA batteries. You can use either alkaline or lithium batteries but we, and Meidase, recommend using high-quality lithium batteries like Energizer AA Ultimate Lithium batteries since they have the longest life, give the most consistent performance over a long period of time, and can operate in cold temperatures. You can read our article on the best batteries for trail cameras if you want to dig deeper into this subject.

Can you use rechargeable batteries in the Meidase P90?

While you could use rechargeable NiMH AA batteries, I would stay away from them. Meidase recommends that you don’t use them as the lower voltage they produce, usually 1.2V per battery, can cause operational issues. For example, once their combined voltage drops below 9V the flash will stop working and you will start getting black pictures at night.

Input for External Power Supply

The camera has an input for an external power supply. If you want to use an external power supply with this camera you will need a 12V power supply unit with at least 1A, with a connector that measures 5.5 x 2.1mm.

As we said in our article How Often Should You Check Your Trail Camera, you really don’t want to check your trail camera any more than necessary if you are using it for hunting purposes. So using the P90 with an external power supply such as a solar panel makes a lot of sense if you plan on letting the camera soak for extremely long periods of time or want to place the camera in an elevated position. Amazon sells several affordable solar panels for trail cameras.

Image Stamp

The image stamp on the P90 comes in handy when you want to more efficiently sort your images and recordings. The details included on the image stamp are the date, time, temperature, moon phase, and camera name (4-character name of your choosing). Using these details can really give you a leg up if you want to study animal behavior and look for patterns.

Included Accessories

The following are the items you will find in the packaging of the P90.

• 1-Mounting strap
• 1-Mini-USB cord
• 1-Instruction manual
• External antenna

The Meidase P90 does not come with a mounting bracket or trail camera holder. However, it does have a 1/4″ socket on the bottom of the camera. If you want to mount the camera using something other than the included strap, you can find a lot of low-cost tree camera mounts and holders on Amazon.

Areas of Use

The P90 is one of those cameras that almost seems to have been designed with multiple uses in mind. It can be used for hunting, property surveillance, home security, and even nature photography. The fact that it has a rugged and durable design as well as many advanced features like an adjustable sensitivity level, no glow flash, Bluetooth, WiFi, and others not only help the camera perform well, but allow it to be placed in a wide variety of hard to reach spots and helps to keep its location hidden.

Pricing

The Meidase P90 offers a lot of bang for the buck. Priced higher than entry-level trail cameras it offers more features, many of which you might expect on a top-of-the-line trail camera, and is much more versatile. The P90 will usually beat other Bluetooth and WiFi-equipped trail cameras on price, features, or both. It is a great choice for applications where you need a trail camera that is both high quality and reasonably priced.

Other Options

GardePro E8 Trail Camera

If you like the Meidase P90, but really wished that it had a wider detection area or would like it if it offered you more control over the detection area the GardePro E8 is a great option. Instead of one PIR sensor with a 70° detection angle, the GardePro E8 has 3 PIR sensors that give the E8 a huge 120° detection angle with the ability to turn the side sensors off if needed. The E8 also has a longer 100-foot no glow flash range and a slightly faster 0.1-second trigger speed. Other than that the GardePro E8 has pretty much the same features and specs as the Meidase P90.

The Meidase P90 does a great job in most situations. However, if you are willing to pay a bit more the GardePro E8 will offer you a few advantages. We did a full review of the GardePro E8 if you want to read some more details about it. Otherwise, you can see the current price of the GardePro E8 here.

Campark T85 Trail Camera

If you are looking for a Bluetooth and WiFi-enabled trail camera but would like it to have a wider detection range the Campark T85 trail camera could be the choice for you as it has 3 PIR sensors with adjustable settings, which gives it a large 120° detection angle. The T85 has an adjustable no glow flash that is listed as having a 65-foot range, which is shorter than the 75-foot range on the Meidase P80, but some users will report the T85 having a range of up to 75-feet. This Campark doesn’t have an external antenna, which could disappoint some users who want to connect from longer distances, but most people won’t notice a difference one way or the other.

The other difference between the Campark T85 and the Meidase P80 is the camera. The T85 only captures 20MP images compared to the 32MP pictures on the P80. However, the Campark T85 records 1296p video at 30fps, which is a higher frame rate than the 20fps the P80 captures 1296p video at. That said, both cameras capture 1080p video at 30fps. If you want to learn more about what this difference in frame rate means you can read our article where we discuss frame rates. Either way, most people are pretty pleased with the images they get from either camera.

We previously did a full review of the Campark T85. Unlike the GardePro E8, which we just discussed, the Campark T85 is often priced the same or less than the Meidase P90. You can check the current price of the Campark T85 here.

Final Thoughts

The Meidase P90 trail camera has a wide-angle lens that captures crisp pictures and videos. It is convenient and easy to use, thanks to its WiFi and Bluetooth. Its no glow flash gives it the ability to be stealthy and hide its location. With a long list of other great features, it can adapt to a multitude of situations. All of this at a surprisingly affordable and competitive price.

You can feel confident making the Meidase P90 your next, or first, trail camera purchase. You can see its current price here.

 

Last update on 2024-04-25 at 22:50 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API