I've had a Stealth Cam G30 for a couple months now, so I wanted to share my initial thoughts and impressions with everyone. Right out of the gates I was happy to see the smaller size of the G30. Like many other manufacturers, they've managed to pack a better camera into a smaller, more easily carried and concealed package. The hinges, though plastic, seem robust and are easy to open one handed for those hard to reach placements. I'm also a big fan on the battery tray that ejects out the bottom of the camera. I'd love to order an extra tray for easy swapping, but that's not currently available. The SD card slot is also much easier to access and remove than previous Stealth Cams I've had.
The setup menu and navigation has also been vastly improved upon. It has 3 quick settings for those that want to get the camera out without custom settings, a fully custom mode that can be easily set, and a test mode to make sure you are lined up with the motion sensor. Again, this is a huge improvement over previous Stealth Cams that I've used.
My G30 first hit the woods at the end of February in the midst of one of the coldest winters we've had here in northern Minnesota. My first set up was atop a Stic-N-Pic stand along a well travelled doe trail through the deep snow. I'm happy I wasn't too far off our driveway, because this was the snow I was walking through. All set, I let the cam sit for a week to see how it would handle the cold temps. You can see the cam on the lower right side of the photo.
Right out of the gates I was pleased with the quality of the images and the crispness of the night time images. It also cranked out photo after photo in temps well into the -30's. Here's the very first photo I got and one of the coldest photos I've ever gotten.
While I will have to reserve my final thoughts until I've abused this camera for a year, I have to say that I'm very happy with the G30. I've had it out for 2 months in blistering cold temps and it hasn't missed a beat. So far the batteries still read at 67%, which again is a huge improvement over previous Stealth Cams that I've owned and used. Here are a few more pics I've gotten including some that I got from when I was able to help with State biologists trapping deer.
That removable battery tray is a winner in my book. I HATE changing out batteries in the cold weather. I just lose dexterity and often fumble with them.
I forgot to add that I got a little OCD last night and gave it a redneck camo job. Yay for brown and black sharpies
Good info Fitz!! I've never seen snowfall like that in Ky and hope I never do. Most I can remember was a 17" snow in March one year that the weatherman said would only be a dusting.
Well put Fitz. I too would like to see additional battery trays available. Being able to slide one out and another in would take 5 seconds and save a lot of trouble digging around in your pack for loose batteries. Hopefully they will answer our prayers before hunting season. Also, when you get a chance you should upgrade the firmware on your camera. They've made some improvements to the night time image quality. I recently upgraded one of mine and am waiting on the results when I check it next. Stealth Cam Drivers & Firmware Updates
It's nice to see Stealthcam finally putting out a product that is a huge improvement over their previous offerings. I have a Moultrie that has a battery tray and I must say it's a huge convenience, especially in the cold weather. Stealthcam has always taken pretty decent daytime pics but their trigger speed and recovery time has left a lot to be desired. Nice review. Blessings..........Pastorjim
Well... now I have a G42NG on the way I couldn't resist any longer. Can't have too many cameras anyways... right?
