Moultrie A-40i Pro Review

Model #MCG-13272

The A40i Pro is not a true no glow camera like Moultrie claims, however, it still kills it in the picture quality category. They are seriously impressive for a $110 trailcam. The downfalls are the video quality, mismatched detection angle/field of view, and tricky setup. However, if you just need a cheap trailcam to take great pictures, this is the ticket.

Pros

• Good picture battery life
• Decent picture detection circuit

Cons

• Detection angle is much wider than field of view
• Setup is not intuitive

Trailcampro Analysis

Picture Quality:

Photo resolution: 14 mpxl (interpolated)

Video resolution:  1280 x 720

Flash Type: Low Glow IR  (Moultrie rates this as no glow but we can see a faint red glow from 10-15')

We couldn't tell much of a difference, if at all, between the day and night photo quality from the A-40i Pro to the higher priced M-50i. That is a huge compliment as we think they are some of the best photos on the market. Day pictures are exceptionally colorful, clears, and consistent.

Night pictures have great flash, impressive clarity, and are really good overall.

Videos aren't quite as good. 15 fps is choppy and the resolution is just ok. Audio seems to be pretty bad as well.

Battery Life:

Picture & Video Resting Power (on): 1.43mW    

Picture Daytime/Nighttime Power Consumption: 2.0 Ws | 9.6 Ws  

Video Daytime/Nighttime Power Consumption: 16.6 Ws | 201.5Ws 

Picture Mode

If this camera were to take 35-day and 35-night pictures every 24 hours, the A40i Pro would last 6.8 months in the field on a set of . 

Video Mode

If this camera were to take 15-day and 15-night videos (10-second videos) every 24 hours, it would last 1.1 months in the field on a set of lithium batteries. 

Detection Circuit

Picture Trigger & Recovery Speed: 0.70 s. /   1.3 s.

Video Trigger & Recovery Speed:  1.69 s. / 1.2 s.

Detection Range & Angle:   70 ft. | 55.9° (36.2° F.O.V.)

The picture detection is fast and well above average, the video trigger is a touch slow but video recovery is outstanding.

The detection range is average but the detection width is much larger than the field of view. Expect to have false triggers.

Quality of Design:     

Dimensions:  5.5" x 3.5" x 2.75"

Battery Type: 8 AA Batteries

External Battery Jack: 12-Volt

Case Design

The pure quality of the materials used for the case on the Moultrie A40i Pro is far superior to what you would expect on a game camera under $100. The case feels very solid and exceeded our expectations. The Moultrie A-Series of game cameras is similar in design to the higher-end M-Series, but there are a few small differences.

1. There are two brackets for using a Python Cable Lock, both are located on the back of the camera. You can choose to use the cable to lock the inside of the camera to protect the SD card, or, lock just the camera to the tree.
2. The A-Series cameras are slightly taller but thinner than the M-Series.
3. The setup interface has fewer buttons.

The latch has an unorthodox mechanism, but it is easy to manipulate, even with cold fingers. We think it is more practical and durable than it may appear at first glance. The battery tray ejects from the bottom of the camera and fortunately, the batteries are easy to load and unload. There is also a 1/4" x 20 threaded insert on the bottom for a Slate River Mount.

A-40i Pro Setup

The LCD screen on the A40i is very small and has limited space for text. We find the setup to be simple, but rudimentary. It is fairly easy to set up, but we did have to glance at the owner's manual a few times to make sure we understood what the highlighted setting indicated.

SD Card Storage Examples

With an 8 Gig SD Card and the camera taking 2 mpxl photos (this is our recommended setting as it is closest to the native resolution), the A-40i could store 40,000+ pictures on the SD card. Keep in mind, day pictures (color) have larger file sizes than night pictures (black and white), so this number could go up or down.

With an 8 Gig SD Card and the camera taking 1280x720 videos, the A40i could store 300+ 10-second videos.

From this data, you can extrapolate storage capacities for different sized SD card and different resolution settings. We give you a 16 Gig SD Card with the purchase of this game camera through us. If you need additional or larger SD cards, you can shop all SD card options here.

Durability

Moultrie game cameras have had some of our lowest warranty rates the last two years. However, our warranty rates on Moultrie cameras are based on their higher-end M-series and Gen2 cameras. If any durability/warranty concern pops up, we will update this review.

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

FAQ's: Trail 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.

Q: Where can I purchase this camera?

A: From us! We hope to woo you with our incredible charm, two-year warranty, 90-day returns, free continental U.S. shipping, and technical expertise. If that isn't enough, we give you an 8 Gig SD card with this camera and you can call and talk our ear off anytime. 

Seriously, though, we know you have plenty of options of where to spend your hard-earned money. The internet can be the wild, wild, west of too-good-to-be-true deals. If you choose to do business with us, we will go out of our way to make sure you are happy with the camera you select and the service we provide you.

We are passionate about testing and reviewing trail cameras, but most importantly, we are passionate about treating our customers the right way. We do things differently from what you have come to expect from other internet retailers and we hope you give us the opportunity to prove that to you.

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