Covert Red Viper Review

The value of the Red Viper comes down to whether detection speed is important to you. This camera is slow to trigger and sluggish in recovery time. If that doesn't concern you, the Covert Red Viper takes a really nice picture, has a great case design, and is extremely battery efficient. -TCP Staff

Model #5397

Pros

• Very nice picture quality both day and night
• Great battery life in picture and video mode
• Exceptional case design

Cons

• Very slow detection circuit

Trailcampro Analysis

Picture Quality:      

Photo resolution: 12 mpxl (interpolated)

Video resolution:  1280 x 720 w/ audio

Flash Type:  Red Glow IR

Day pictures stand out for being very clear with good depth to each photo. We find there appears to be a red tint to most pictures, but other than that, day pictures are very good.

Night pictures have excellent clarity and contrast. There is some white-out on close animals, but overall, the night pictures have left us very impressed.

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Video quality is average, both during the day and night. Audio seems a little muffled but audible. Night videos appear to have the IR flash concentrated on the center of the video, resulting in white-out and somewhat dark edges of the video. Overall, the video quality is middle of the road.

Battery Life: 

Picture & Video Resting Power (on):   1.1 mW

Picture Daytime/Nighttime Power Consumption:   2.66 Ws |  3.39 Ws

Video Daytime/Nighttime Power Consumption: 16.18 Ws | 59.7 Ws

Picture Mode

If this camera were to take 35-day and 35-night pictures every 24 hours, the Red Viper would last 11.7 months in the field on a set of 8 AA Lithium Batteries. This is absolutely outstanding.

Video Mode

If this camera were to take 15-day and 15-night videos (10-second videos) every 24 hours, it would last 2.9 months in the field on a set of lithium batteries.

Detection Circuit:    

Picture Trigger & Recovery Speed: 0.92 s.  / 4.7 s.

Video Trigger & Recovery Speed:  2.35 s.  / 5.3 s.

Detection Range:  60 ft

This detection circuit is well below average in almost every category. Slow trigger speed, and below average recovery times across the board.

Detection range is decent at 60 ft.

Quality of Design:    

Dimensions: 5" x 4" x 2.75"

Battery Type:  8 AA Batteries

External Battery Jack:  6-Volt

The case design is small, smooth, sturdy and minimalist. The latch is big, strong, and works perfectly. The battery compartment is particularly impressive as the batteries load, unload, and reliably stay in place.

The Red Viper has a bracket on the back for the Python cable lock and an insert on the bottom for a Slate River Angle Mount.

Overall, we LOVE the case design. If we were to be picky, the setup screen is a little small but that is really nothing to concern yourself with.

Programming the camera is quick and easy. It surprisingly has start/stop time, SD card overwrite, and PIR sensitivity.

We have had no reason to worry about durability, if something arises, we will update the Covert Red Viper review.

Covert Red Viper Review Conclusion: 

The value of the Red Viper comes down to whether detection speed is important to you. This camera is slow to trigger and sluggish in recovery time. If that doesn't concern you, the Covert Red Viper takes a really nice picture, has a great case design, and is extremely battery efficient.

Enjoy our reviews?  Please consider purchasing your next trail camera from us.

FAQ's: Covert Red Viper Scouting Camera

Q: How do I view the pictures?

A: There are a number of ways to do this. Pictures/videos are stored on the SD card you place in the camera.

• View pictures on your computer. Plug the SD card in a desktop computer or laptop via the built-in SD card reader or use a USB reader if your computer doesn't have one. This method works for most tablets as well. With this method, we recommend having two SD cards per camera so you can swap them in the field.
• View pictures on your smartphone. Choose between the iOS Reader for iPhones and the Android Reader. Phone readers require an app to access the photos, you can read more about these via the previous links.
• Trail Camera Viewers. While more expensive, handheld viewers are useful if you don't have a smartphone or run multiple trail cameras. 

Q: Will this trail camera trigger on small animals (birds, rodents, etc.)?

A: Trail cameras detect on a combination of heat and movement, so, yes, small mammals will trigger the camera. However, if you are going after smaller warm-blooded mammals, we recommend getting the camera closer to your target. For best performance, place the camera in an area that would enable picture detection from 3 - 20 ft.

Q: Can animals see the infrared flash on this camera?

A: Yes. This is a red glow trail cameras, meaning it has a faint red glow when taking pictures or videos at night. Humans and animals can see this if looking at the camera. This does not "light up" the woods, though. 

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