Here's a Q& A straight from their site. They only recommend NOT using rechargeable. M-880 Camera February 19, 2014 FAQs Q: What type of flash does it have? A: The Moultrie M-880 Trail Camera features an 8.0 megapixel camera and a Low Glow infrared flash. The Illumi-Night sensor provides bright, clear nighttime images and Motion Freeze feature reduces nighttime blur. Q: Is there an external port for a 6 or 12-volt battery? A: Yes, the 880 has an external 12-volt battery port Q: What type of batteries does it use? A: The 880 takes 8 AA batteries. Moultrie recommends the use of new Duracell or Energizer batteries for the 880. Lithium batteries work well, but do not use rechargeable batteries. If your camera has s shorter battery life than expected it may be due to ENVIORNMENTAL FACTORS Moultrie M-880 Game Camera Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
If there are "experts" on the subject I guess these folks are in that group? Rechargeable Batteries for Game Cameras Lithium Batteries Lithium batteries offer some very interesting benefits. To start, lithium batteries produce 1.8 volts/cell, or as we like to say “They run hot”. Just as decreasing voltage produces weaker flash characteristics, increased voltage produces a stronger flash with brighter pictures. We are noticing about a 10% increase in flash range when using lithium bats. In addition, starting out with the higher 1.8 voltage is like installing an auxiliary gas tank in your vehicle. Lithium batteries will increase the amount of time your camera can stay in the field. Due to their chemical make up, lithiums are also not effected by cold weather. One aspect of lithium batteries that can be interpreted differently is they are currently only available in AA’s. For anyone who operates a “D cell” based camera, you’re out of luck. However, if your trail camera requires “C” cells you can benefit from the extra voltage lithiums offer. Fortunately, AA’s and C’s measure exactly the same from tip to tip. Inserting “AA” lithiums into aftermarket sleeves brings the overall diameter up to that of a “C” cell and makes for a perfect substitution. Another benefit of using the AA’s is they are substantially lighter, and take up far less space than the larger “C” cells. If you’re backpacking in to change out several cameras this is very advantageous. The downside is lithiums are quite a bit more expensive, and just like alkalines, they are also headed for the landfill after only 1 use.
"Perhaps you should look into another camera manufacturer then Mr. Miller as we obviously no longer can seem to reach an agreeable way of correcting what you feel is a malfunctioning camera" ....or something like that.
I was just kidding around but at least that was more sociable than the response I got on this thread this morning.
Bahaha....I'll admit after a little go around it was the best solution to the problem. I for one have hit Coverts and never been happier...is what it is.
I'm happy folks are happy with their coverts. I might be happy with some of the other models. My original point in my first post in this thread was that even mine achieve better performance with Lithiums in cold weather. The remark about crappy pics from them at night was a side note that I meant to address the OPer's question on newer cams. That point being that even big name brand cameras don't always please everyone with performance or expensive batteries...that newer cams aren't necessarily an instant solution for dissatisfaction. Sorry the topic got ran off topic.
I also just use plain rayovac AA and am very happy with the results especially with what they charge for them. If anyone has a Menards by them they have a hell of a deal on a 60 pack.
To the OP everyone that has a favorite camera is going to be biased towards that brand. They can show great pictures and have great things to say about them. While others that dont like a certain brand can show you horrible pics from a camera they dont like. There are a lot of great cameras out there right now and no brand is going to give you GREAT pics all the time. They are electronics out in the cold and bad weather. You also dont have to follow the old saying you get what you pay for. There are a lot of really good cameras for $100-$150. I would suggest getting one with AA for better battery life. Good luck finding one you are happy with.
I've ran Covert, Primos, Cudde, Stealth, and Moultrie. I would rank them in that order for battery life and function in the cold. This is my 1st season with Covert, and they do have flaws, but as far as battery life and dependability are concerned there are no issues.
From my experiences the best cold weather cams to me are Coverts and then my two older RC60 Reconyx cams when it comes to battery life and the camera working properly.
I had 2 Covert MpE5's out last year and then again this year... I'm from central MN and the wind chill got to -40 last winter and was just -25 wind chill the other morning. I have never had a problem with the Coverts - Just my experience (these were my 2nd and 3rd cams). I just received a Moultrie M880... We will see how that holds up soon.
We don't have any weather comparable to those -40 temps here. I think the coldest wind chill we had last winter was -25 with an actual temp of -10 to -15 or so. My cameras, the M-880's...performed fine though the cold weather did eat the normal alkaline batteries pretty fast. I had to replace batteries in the two busiest cameras on feeders within three weeks.
I have a couple of Moultrie M880's, and they did just fine in the deep cold of last winter here in Illinois. They have been good cameras, except I have one that the flash no longer works on, but it takes daytime pictures just fine. (it captures night movement too, but the pictures are just black.) If Moultrie would step up to the plate with their customer service, they would be onto something good. (Worst customer service experience I have ever had. The rep I talked to could have cared less.......and she had no problem if you knew that!)
