We’re currently putting the 2019 Browning Dark Ops HD Pro X through its paces for our review – check back soon for more stats, photos and videos…
The 2019 Browning Dark Ops HD Pro X packs a lot of punch into a small package, and builds on the success of the 2017 version.
It uses the new kind of LEDs to give really strong no-glow IR flash range at night. This is the no-glow version of the popular Strike Force HD Pro X.
Trigger speeds are improved too – at around 0.2 seconds for photos, and 0.4 seconds for videos – to be this fast for both types of trigger is impressive, and few cameras come close to this – especially in this price range.
Video quality is also improved from 720p to 900p.
The build quality and overall design of the Dark Ops Pro X is very good, with a 1.5″ forward-facing colour screen to help with set up and so you can review images/videos without dismounting the camera in the field. It also has a great little steel bracket which the camera can pivot off for better positioning – if you’re used to fiddling around the get your camera trap positioned right, this makes things much easier!
Due to its 9V power system, night time videos are limited to 20 seconds per clip. However, if activity remains, the camera can recover in just under 2 seconds and record another 20 second clip. The warranty length in the UK through NatureSpy is 2 years.
Read more of our review below…
Not sure which is the right camera trap for you? Try our camera trap chooser…
Video quality
Max res: 900p (30fps day, 30fps night) Max length: 2mins day, 20 secs night Trigger speed: about 0.4 seconds Recovery time: about 1.1 seconds
We’ve been pleasantly surprised by the video quality on the Dark Ops HD Pro X – its not full HD (900p), but the night videos are especially strong and offer really good contrast, helped by the powerful LEDs. There is little to no overexposure too, which is fantastic.
Daytime quality is pretty good too, although the colour not as good as it could be. The video quality is very consistent though and performs really well in different situations and environments.
The video quality is just under 1080p at 900p. Lots of manufacturer’s would have artificially boosted this to 1080p to attract attention but we love the fact that Browning have a more ‘do what it says on the tin’ approach, so you know what you can expect rather than be disappointed.
Video examples coming soon…
Photo quality
Max res: 20MP (lowest 4MP) Max number per trigger: 8 photos Trigger speed: about 0.2 seconds Recovery time: about 0.6 seconds
This trail camera is a photo-taking machine and the photo quality, again especially at night, is really solid and consistent. It stops motion really well and delivers a punch of contrast which allows for good clarity – particularly useful if using the Dark Ops HD Pro X for security.
Photo examples coming soon…
Daytime imagery is ok, but it does lean towards night quality. The colour during the day is a little muted, although does change quite a lot depending on the light conditions. As with all trail cameras, the HD Pro X is using interpolation to boost the image size, which in turn degrades quality. We recommend using the photo mode on its lowest resolution setting for best results and detail.
However, the Dark Ops can fire off shots incredibly quickly and you’re never left wanting in terms of speed. The photo quality is always comfortably good enough to see what triggered the camera trap. The Rapid Fire photo mode is particularly fun to play with, taken up to 8 shots per trigger at 0.2 seconds apart – great for fast moving animals, and for security applications.
This detection circuit is absolutely fantastic, simply put. It’s extremely quick in photo mode and the video trigger is still one of the best available today. Detection range is great too and it rarely feels like you’re missing anything at all. Both photo and video modes don’t result in that ‘wish it had triggered earlier’ feeling.
Recovery speeds are right up there as well. This is the time the camera takes after finishing one capture to be ready to trigger again. The lowest ‘Delay’ setting is 1 seconds; however, that just tells the Browning Dark Ops HD Pro X to recover as fast as it possibly can. We have consistently found that the Browning will generally re-trigger in just over a second for video, and under a second for photos.
The detection angle roughly matches the camera’s field of view too on the HD Pro X, so that anything steps in frame will trigger the trail camera.
Build quality & batteries
Warranty: 2 years (through NatureSpy) Batteries: 6x AA (Lithium recommended)
We really like the design of this camera. Really strong build with some great little features. And smaller than the average camera trap.
One of our favourite things, and something that customer’s also feedback to us, is the metal bracket on the back of the camera. This allows you to strap it up – with the metal teeth gripping the tree/fencepost – and then tilt the camera down to whatever level required. It means an end to finding the perfect tree, or wrestling with sticks behind the camera. It’s quick, easy, and very well though out.
Battery life is insane on the Dark Ops HD Pro X, particularly if you use Lithium batteries. It requires 6x AA batteries at a time. Generally, you can expect a whopping 15+ months battery life for photos (taking around 60 pictures every 24 hours) and about 3-4 months for video (taking around 20 videos, 20 seconds in length every 24 hours). This will obviously vary depending on how active the camera is and how long each video is, if there are more night shots than day, and is based on using Lithium batteries. This is one of the most battery-efficient trail cameras available today, and up there with the best available.
Browning cameras have been also very reliable for us and are covered by a 2 year manufacturer’s warranty in the UK when bought through NatureSpy.
Ease of use
The Browning Dark Ops Pro X is designed to be easy to use. When turned on, you’re presented with an overview screen showing a view of what the camera can currently see and what it is set to take. It shows the files recorded and the space remaining at a glance. If you don’t press any button within 10 seconds (to access the menu etc) the camera arms itself and is ready to go.
This forward-facing colour screen is extremely useful – you can strap the camera up, then use the screen to perfect the positioning. Its also very handy when you want to review the images/videos captured without taking the SD card out and using a computer/tablet etc – just open the door and have a quick check – useful if out and about, or if you need to check on nefarious activity from the night before!
It is a small screen, at 1.5 inches, but actually still easy to use. You don’t find yourself squinting to read it and the text is nice and bold.
There are three main modes; Trail (photos only), Video, and Timelapse Plus. Most of the time, you’ll be using either photos or videos. The timelapse function works only during the day – and with timelapse plus, you can have photos taken at set intervals plus the camera will trigger day and night based on any detections.
There is also a ‘Motion Test’ feature, like most camera traps have, where a test light on the front will blink when it detects you. You can use this to find the right distances or angles and it can help with setting up the Darks Ops HD Pro X in the best place possible.
Overall a very straight-forward camera trap to use, but if you do require any help or have any questions you can just get in touch with us.
If you’ve found our review useful, please consider supporting our work and purchasing your next camera trap from us.
Product Description
Our favourite features…
Browning Dark Ops HD Pro X
Building on the highly successful Dark Ops HD Pro, the new Browning Dark Ops HD Pro X trail camera offers improved 20MP photos, 900p HD video, a very fast trigger speed and a host of other exciting features.
The previous Dark Ops HD Pro has always been one of Browning’s flagship cameras – and this new iteration suggests that will continue.
The Dark Ops HD Pro X has the things that made the previous version great, and builds on them well. Just from looking at it, it’s obvious this camera is tiny compared to others – it’s about half the size of your average trail camera. And within that small size there is also a 1.5″ colour screen.
Trigger speeds have also improved, down to 0.22 seconds for photos, and recovery speed is now at 0.6 seconds – in essence, this is an extremely quick trail camera.
The Pro X uses the new style of no-glow IR emitters, and have an impressive max. range of about 100ft. That’s a very big flash range for a no-glow camera. Looking at the camera, you’ll see just 4 LEDs. These have an insane range and this innovation from Browning has revolutionised how we think about IR LEDs on camera traps. They are also far more power efficient than the standard IR LEDs on other camera traps.
The camera has a setting which allows you to tweak the flash based on your requirements; Power Save or Long Range. The Browning Dark Ops HD Pro X can detect movement out to about 80ft.
Not sure which is the right camera trap for you? Try our camera trap chooser…
The forward-facing 1.5″ colour screen not only lets you view the images/videos captured, but is invaluable during set up as it shows exactly what the camera can see – so if you’ve set it too high, a look at the screen will tell you and you can then adjust.
The Browning Dark Ops HD Pro X also has the excellent; ‘Smart IR Video’ – this means that the camera will continue recording video footage for up to 2 minutes during the daytime and up to 20 seconds at night as long as the wildlife/people continue to move in front of the camera. So if you’re worried about video length vs. battery life, this feature takes that concern off your hands. It just records when there is something to record. This feature appears to work extremely well in many scenarios – if a fox trots passed and is gone after 4 seconds, it means you get 5-6 seconds of video rather than 20 seconds, saving SD Card space and battery power.
Another useful feature on the Browning Dark Ops HD Pro X is Rapid Fire mode for images, which can take up to 8 images at 0.3 seconds apart per trigger event, and multi-shot mode, which takes up to 8 images at 3 second intervals.
The Browning Dark Ops HD Pro X is powered by 6x AA batteries (not provided), and now has the ability to use an SD card up to 512GB – unprecedented in camera trapping. We’re not sure if you’ll ever need that amount, but it’s nice to have the option of using a 64GB card for long-term monitoring, or if you don’t want to keep deleting captures from your SD card.
In all, the feature list for a camera this price are pretty amazing. It’s suitable for almost any setup and delivers high quality results.
The Browning Dark Ops HDPro X is supplied with a 2 year warranty when bought through NatureSpy. Browning are an American company; but if anything goes wrong with your camera, we’ll deal with all warranty returns here in the UK. We’ll never ask you to send your Browning camera trap direct to the manufacturer.
Browning Dark Ops HD Pro X Features:
20MP high-quality full colour resolution
HD Video – 1600 x 900 pixels
1.5″ colour viewing screen
Smart IR video detection system
‘Zero-blur’ technology – ensuring crisp photos
Day/night autosensor
4 new no-glow infrared LEDs with 100′ range
0.2 second trigger speed (photos), with 0.6 second recovery
Programmable trigger interval: 1 sec. to 60 min.
Rapid Fire & Multi-shot image mode: 2-8 images per trigger
Video length: 1 second to 2 mins (night time video limited to 20 seconds)
Records audio with video
Highly programmable time-lapse periods
PIR sensor is motion activated out to 80′
Adjustable 6ft web belt and 1/4-20 socket, with in-built steel bracket for easy adjustment
SD card slot (512 GB max.)
SD cycle option – so when the SD card gets full, it rewrites over the oldest images/videos
Weather proof
2 year warranty when bought through NatureSpy
For full specs, click the tab above.
Browning Trail Cameras are an American-based camera trap manufacturer with a growing reputation. They’ve innovated fast and won loyal customers across the pond – and its easy to see why. We’re proud to be a main UK distributor.
The current range from Browning builds on their successes, pushing the boundaries and improving every time. The Recon Force Edge and Spec Ops Edge have some of the best video quality we’ve ever seen on a camera trap; comfortably beating the previous leaders, Bushnell.
Browning say that you can watch their 1080p footage back on a 60 inch TV and not lose clarity – and we can see what they mean. Add excellent video trigger times (which are always slower than photo triggers) of about 0.3 seconds, and you can start to see why we’re so excited about these trail cameras. You can see videos for the product you’re viewing on the ‘Example video’ tab or in the ‘Our Review’ section.
Photo quality is also generally good, though differs throughout the range. Trigger times again are strong. All models also have Multi-Shot and Rapid-Fire modes, which give you control and choice over what you want your camera to do when taking photos.
Many models also have built-in, forward facing colour screens and a host of smart features and simple set ups to make camera trapping that bit easier and convenient. Add this all together with the excellent price and it can be difficult to look beyond a Browning wildlife camera trap.
And as NatureSpy are an official UK distributor, you’re fully covered by our 2 year warranty and if in the unlikely event something goes wrong, we’ll deal with it entirely in the UK.
If you need to have a chat about Browning or any other camera trap, just get in touch and we’ll be happy to help.
Key Features:
Model: Browning Dark Ops HD Pro X (BTC-6HDPX)
20MP Camera
1.5” Color Viewing Screen
No-Glow Infrared LED Illumination at Night
Adjustable IR Flash (Power Save, Long Range, Fast Motion)
1600 x 900p Full HD videos with sound (Daytime Settings Range from 5 Seconds – 2 Minutes in Length; Nighttime Videos
are Limited to 20 Seconds)
Timelapse Plus Camera Mode with Infrared Triggered Pictures
Very small size
Supports up to a 512GB SDXC Card (SD Cards Not Included)
Distance & Speed Features:
80 ft. Flash Range
80 ft. Detection Range
0.2 Second Trigger Speeds
0.6 Second Recovery Time
Up to 8 Multi-Shot Images
Up to 8 Rapid Fire Images
Programmable Picture Delay (Delay Settings Range from 5 Seconds – 60 Minutes)
Additional Features:
SD Card “Memory Management” Option
“Smart IR” Video Detection System
Long Battery Life from 6x AA Batteries (Batteries Not Included)
12 Volt External Power Jack
Picture “Data Strip” Displays: Time, Date, Temperature, Moon Phase, & Camera ID
Camo Finish
Compatible with Browning “BuckWatch Timelapse Viewer” Software
Threaded Insert Size of 1/4” – 20 on Bottom of Camera for Mounting Purposes
What others are saying
There are no contributions yet.