The Browning Strike Force Apex wildlife trail camera offers 18MP photos, 900p HD video, a very fast trigger speed and a host of other exciting features.
Essentially, think this camera is very similar to the Browning Strike Force Pro X but without the colour screen, and with slightly lower image resolution.
The Strike Force series has always been one of Browning’s most popular ranges – and this new iteration suggests that will continue.
The Strike Force Apex 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. The camera doesn’t have a colour viewer, but does have a small LCD screen to programme the settings.
Trigger speeds are really quick; 0.22 seconds for photos, and recovery speed is now at 0.6 seconds – in essence, this is an extremely quick trail camera.
The Apex uses the new style of low-glow IR emitters, and have an impressive max. range of about 120ft. That’s a very big flash range. 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, Fast Motion or Long Range. The Browning Strike Force Apex can detect movement out to about 80ft.
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The Browning Strike Force Apex 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 Strike Force Apex 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 Strike Force Apex 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 decent. It’s suitable for almost any setup and delivers high quality results.
The Browning Strike Force Apex 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 Strike Force Apex Features:
18MP high-quality full colour resolution
HD Video – 1600 x 900 pixels
Smart IR video detection system
‘Zero-blur’ technology – ensuring crisp photos
Day/night autosensor
4 new low-glow infrared LEDs with 120′ 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 Strike Force Apex
Overview
The Browning Strike Force Apex packs a lot of punch into a small package. It is a similar camera to the Browning Strike Force HD Pro X, but without a colour screen and slightly lower image resolution.
It uses the new kind of LEDs to give really strong IR flash range at night.
Trigger speeds are fast, 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 sits just shy of full HD, at 900p.
The build quality and overall design of the camera is very good and 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…
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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
Video examples coming soon…
Photo quality
Max res: 18MP (lowest 4MP) Max number per trigger: 8 photos Trigger speed: about 0.2 seconds Recovery time: about 0.6 seconds
Warranty: 2 years (through NatureSpy) Batteries: 6x AA (Lithium recommended)
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
If you’ve found our review useful, please consider supporting our work and purchasing your next camera trap from us.
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 Strike Force Apex (BTC-5HD-APX)
18MP Camera
LCD settings screen
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:
120 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
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