Stealth Cam Deceptor Max 2.0 Review

Likes

When we placed Stealth Cam Deceptor MAX Dual in a difficult spot that would see a lot a feeding activity, we were blown away by how well it handled the action. It nabbed more than 5,000 photos of deer, turkey, and coyotes in just two weeks.

A big part of its success is its excellent detection and trigger system. During our side-by-side trigger testing in an open field, we were impressed by its ability to detect us, easily taking three well-spaced photos. Many modern cellular cameras now offer a dozen or more possible photo and video settings options, such as burst mode, but what caught our attention was the Deceptor's consistency.

We liked how consistently the Deceptor Max Dual detected us, then followed up with more photos during our open-field trigger testing.   Credit: Chris Maxcer

If you have a deer moving through an area, you can trust the Deceptor Max Dual to notice it and take multiple photos as it walks.   Credit: Chris Maxcer

In good lighting, the Deceptor took great photos, though it tends to increase the saturation a bit, similar to many cell phone cameras.   Credit: Chris Maxcer

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Out in the field, it even caught a running coyote early in the frame.

And the Deceptor's nighttime photos were some of the best we captured while testing multiple trail cameras.

We were particularly impressed by the nighttime photos. Many deer totally ignored the camera, so we believe the No-Glo illumination worked well.   Credit: Chris Maxcer

This little buck bedded down in front of the camera.   Credit: Chris Maxcer

The Deceptor Max Dual also did a nice job during just before dawn.   Credit: Chris Maxcer

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The build quality is solid throughout and the battery tray is easy to access.

The Stealth Cam Deceptor MAX Dual has 16 GB of built-in, internal storage, so you don't have to use an SD card. However, we used an SD card anyway, which made transferring 5,000 photos to our computer much easier and faster than trying to move every photo via the Command app.

We also appreciate the powerful Command app. It makes it easy to view photos and videos, see relevant weather data, keep tabs on battery life, and change settings on the camera. When we first placed the Deceptor in the field, it started taking too many photos of blowing weeds, but we were able to reduce its detection sensitivity level so that only animals triggered the most photos.

You can also use the app to live stream video to see real-time action. Stealth Cam gives you your first 60 minutes free then charges extra for additional time.

Dislikes

There's a lot of like about the Stealth Cam Deceptor MAX Dual, but it wasn't perfect.

While it caught some of our favorite nighttime photos of whitetail bucks, it seemed to have some trouble with color and lighting. Occasionally there was a bit more saturation than we liked or some odd coloring around lens flares. Bright sunlight seemed to invoke a purple hue now and again.

The Stealth Cam Deceptor Max Dual sometimes produced some odd coloring, particularly around shadowed areas.   Credit: Chris Maxcer

We're generally pleased with the photos, but often saw more lens flares and overly saturated, yellow greens when the lighting was less than perfect.   Credit: Chris Maxcer

Here the colors are great, but the contrast between bright sunlight and shadow was a struggle.   Credit: Chris Maxcer

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We also don't like the battery requirement, which is 16 AA batteries. Instead of using more expensive lithium AA batteries, we used more affordable rechargeable NiMH batteries, which did surprisingly well but may need to be changed out for a fresh set more frequently. In general, the premium cellular trail camera manufacturers usually offer rechargeable battery packs or cartridges, and Stealth Cam is no different. If you plan to use this camera heavily, the company's Fieldmax Lithium Rechargeable Cartridge might be worth the investment.

Should You Buy the Stealth Cam Deceptor MAX Dual?

If you want to monitor a feeding zone both day and night, the Deceptor MAX Dual is an outstanding choice. The daytime photo quality isn't the best, but the trigger speed and dual-processing system lets the camera take photos while uploading images and alerting you at the same time. The Command app is powerful and easy to use, and the connectivity pricing is fair and consistent with the rest of the industry. The biggest drawback is that the camera loses functionality if you cancel a service plan.

What Other Trail Cameras Should You Consider?

We think the cellular Tactacam Reveal X 3.0 is a better choice for most newbies, primarily due to its better image quality and ability to produce both images and video during a single trigger event. The app is remarkably easy and pleasant to use, but like the Deceptor Max, the camera requires an active service plan for full functionality. Pricing modes are similar, just know that it does not have a continuous live streaming option if that's a critical feature for you.