The first trail camera I ever bought was a cheapo standard SD card camera that I could afford on a college student budget. I placed it over a promising-looking wallow months before the archery elk opener. With a week before season, I was burning with excitement to hit the mountains and retrieve it.

　　Unfortunately, I didnt get to, thanks to someone with sticky fingers. That memory stuck with me, and Ive since been a bit reluctant to place trail cameras on public land. However, those days are over thanks to a new Tactacam model that offers one of the best anti-theft features the trail camera industry has ever seen.

　　In short: Many trail cameras have some form of anti-theft functionality, but they require a charged battery to work. The Tactacam Reveal Ultra ($200) is, to my knowledge, the only trail camera that provides theft notifications and updated GPS location, even with a dead battery. On top of this groundbreaking tech, its a dang impressive camera. If youre in the market and have the cash, its the one you need.

　　Tactacam Reveal Ultra Check Price at CabelasCheck Price at Sportsmans Warehouse

　　8.9 How we rate products Rating Details Image and video quality 8.7 Ease of setup 9.8 Battery life 7.5 App and subscription 8.9 Specifications Type of camera: Cell camera Image quality: 4K (UHD), 2.5K (WQHD) Detection range: 96 low-glow, 80 no-glow SD card required: No, but can be added Flash: No glow or low glow Pros LCD screen on camera makes setup a breeze Notifies you if camera moves more than ½ a mile, even if battery is dead Base subscription is cheap Multiple flash settings Easy to understand and adjust settings Very few false triggers Cons Battery life Price Have to pay extra to unlock all features App lacks as many features as Moultrie Morgan Nowels The Groundbreaking Tech

　　Anti-theft keeps you capturing pictures of bucks, instead of buying more cameras; (photo/Morgan Nowels) So, how does this fancy anti-theft technology work? Basically, a secondary internal battery that cant be removed keeps Active GPS turned on, even if the main battery is powered off or removed.

　　In the event the camera is moved more than half a mile, Active GPS sends you a notification that the camera has been moved, and a line will be drawn from its last location to its new location. The new location is updated every 6 hours.

　　Tactacam is a bit unclear about how long the internal, hidden battery will last. On one section of the site, the brand claims it will remain functional for weeks. In another location, it states it will work for 72 hours. I was not about to test a battery over many weeks because I had deer to pattern. Im operating under the 72-hour assumption. I did, however, test its overall functionality.

　　Does It Work? It undoubtedly works. After my camera died, I tested it and found it worked quite well. However, its not as cut and dry as you may think. There are a few things to note.

　　First, in the camera settings, you have to go in and toggle the Active GPS function to the on position. It doesnt come turned on out of the box. Thats because the anti-theft tech will shorten your standard batterys lifespan. So, while its an extra step, its nice to have the option to turn it off.

　　Second, if you want the notification when the camera is moved, you have to make sure thats turned on in your notifications settings. That added step to me is annoying and pointless, but its a minor inconvenience in the grand scheme of things. Despite those added steps, its an impressive feature that is an actual game changer, despite the overuse of that term.

　　Of course, problems related to trail camera security still persist. Your trail camera could still get smashed to smithereens. However, in my opinion, Tactacam has given hunters the most significant leap in trail camera technology in a decade with this latest feature. We can finally rest easy, placing trail cameras on public land (where legal).

　　Ease of Setup

　　The LCD screen makes setup a breeze; (photo/Morgan Nowels) Setting up cellular trail cameras can be a bit intimidating, especially if youre not particularly tech-savvy. Fortunately, Tactacam has made it as simple as possible.

　　Unboxing the Tactacam Reveal Ultra Out of the box, there are crystal clear instructions on how to get your camera up and running. You scan a QR code, and your phone will walk you through the entire process, from downloading the app, registering your camera, and getting set up on a data plan.

　　Its dummy-proof. Im the type of guy who will mess that type of thing up, but even I was successful.

　　Deploying the Tactacam Reveal Ultra Of all of the trail cameras I own, the Tactacam Reveal Ultra is the easiest to deploy in the field. Thats thanks to the LCD screen located behind the cameras door.

　　Most trail cameras require you to connect the camera to your phone via Bluetooth to view what the camera is looking at. However, to me, that extra step is annoying and often doesnt function as advertised.

　　The LCD screen on this camera shows you exactly where the camera is pointed without unnecessary extra steps. I absolutely love the screen. Camera placement, leveling, and deployment are an absolute breeze.

　　Excellent Image and Video Quality of the Reveal Ultra The Tactacam Ultra Reveal captures fantastic-quality photos and videos. Without nerding out too much on specific specs, it shoots in 4K. Its honestly more than sufficient for what you need. Ive never once looked at one of the hundreds of photos Ive captured on mine and not been able to make out details Id like to.

　　Both daytime and nighttime photos are great, even with the standard definition that is automatically uploaded to the app to conserve battery life. If you need more clarity, you can request higher definition. Every photo and video Ive uploaded here is in standard definition, and as you can tell, its all a hunter really needs, and then some.

　　Multiple Flash Modes

　　(Photo/Morgan Nowels) Every trail camera I own, including others from Tactacam, has one flash mode — either no glow or low glow. The Ultra has both.

　　Low-glow flash extends the range the camera is capable of capturing images, but has a higher chance of alerting game. No glow is much stealthier, but cant capture images as far away.

　　To me, the ability to switch between the two is huge. If I have a camera in a tight quarters, stealthy spot, I can roll no glow. It will capture photos out to 80 feet. If I have the camera overlooking a wide open field, I turn on the low glow, which extends the range to 96 feet.

　　Its controlled entirely from the app, and you can switch it remotely. Love it. Every other brand needs to hop on board.

　　Subscriptions for Tactacam Subscriptions for cellular trail cameras are impossible to compare among brands. No one runs subscriptions the same, so apples-to-apples comparisons are tough. Honestly, I could write an entire article on subscriptions themselves.

　　Heres the skinny on the Tactacam subscriptions. Across the board, its subscriptions are among the cheapest on the market.

　　So, even though this camera is more expensive than others, the money youll save in the long term on subscription costs will make up for the extra few bucks on the initial purchase. Now, Tactacam makes its subscription options as confusing as possible, which I have a love-hate relationship with.

　　There are the standard three-tier plans, which offer varying quantities of photos per month. Prices vary based on yearly or monthly subscriptions and the number of cameras you enroll. None include video or HD photo requests, but those are available for an additional charge if you choose to request them.

　　However, the brand then adds an extra add-on per camera. What is that exactly? Thats beyond the scope of this article. However, it suffices to say that you cannot use all of the Tactacam apps features or all of this cameras features without it. It also gives you unlimited video and HD photo requests, regardless of the tiered plan youre on.

　　Why I Hate It If you read what I just wrote, youre probably confused. Hell, Im confused.

　　Its very time-consuming to figure out exactly what you need and what you dont. Additionally, it turns your bank statement into a jumbled mess. All of these charges come in separately. Good luck figuring out if youre being overcharged.

　　Why I Love It It lets you customize your plan once you have it all sorted out. Pay for what you want, and nothing else.

　　And, even with all the add-ons, Tactacam still comes out cheaper per month than most, if not all, other subscriptions. So, you can do what I did and just buy all the extra add-ons, knowing youre not getting fleeced, and forget about it.

　　So Which Plan Should You Buy? It depends on you. But for $5 a month on a month-to-month contract, you can be up and running with this trail camera. It gives you 250 photos, which is more than enough for most people.

　　Throw in the extra add-on, and you have access to all of the features this camera is capable of. If you want to decide if all the extra stuff is worth it, enjoy sorting it out at the Tactacam site.

　　Live Stream

　　(Photo/Morgan Nowels) In the current Tactacam lineup, the Ultra is the only camera capable of live view. This new technology lets you remotely tap into your camera and watch whats happening in front of it in real-time. Why would you use that, you may ask? Well, if youre walking into a stand in the dark and want to see if theres a deer in front of it before you walk in, you can.

　　However, for me, that crosses an ethical hunting boundary. As such, I havent tested it. For it to work, you have to pay for the highest tiered plan (not the extra add-on), and since I dont want to use it, I dont want to pay for it. If you do, I dont judge you, and more power to you.

　　Now, for the purpose of this article, I did some research on what others have said. It looks like it works, but it may take a few tries to connect successfully. So there you have it.

　　Is the Tactacam Reveal Ultra Lacking in Any Way?

　　(Photo/Morgan Nowels) I absolutely love this camera. If I were in the market for another trail camera, the Tactacam Reveal Ultra would be high on my list. However, these are complicated, multifaceted pieces of equipment. There is, of course, room for improvement.

　　Battery Life First off, the battery life isnt the best when compared to other trail cameras I own. When I used a Tactacam rechargeable battery pack, the life was a little disappointing.

　　I switched to standard AAs and found the battery life drastically improved. So it could be that I had a bad battery pack, although even with standard batteries, the Ultra doesnt last as long as my Moultrie trail cameras.

　　Now, before someone from Tactacam or some brand loyalist comes at me, yes, I checked the camera settings. I had them optimized for battery life. When set as close to my Moultrie settings as possible, the Ultra dies faster.

　　That isnt me saying it has bad battery life. Its completely serviceable. Its just not as good as others. If battery life is important to you because you plan on placing the camera way back in the sticks, cave for the battery belt and/or solar panel from Tactacam. Ive used both, and the cameras that are set up with them have yet to die.

　　App Is Solid, But Not the Best I love the Tactacam app. Its easy, intuitive, and gives me complete control over my cameras. If I viewed it in a silo, Id say its perfect. Theres nothing to complain about.

　　Unfortunately for Tactacam, I do not view things in a silo. I own other trail cameras. Just like battery life, Moultrie takes the lead in the app department. Its equally as easy to use, but also has some sweet AI filtering technology. That technology allows me to identify and recognize patterns faster than ever.

　　Tactacam needs to jump on that AI train. Thats something I never thought Id say as a writer.

　　Final Thoughts on the Tactacam Reveal Ultra

　　(Photo/Morgan Nowels) I just listed two areas where I think Moultrie cameras are better than the Tactacam Ultra, and I went on a bit of a tirade about overly complicated subscription plans. Yet the Tactacam Reveal Ultra stands as the best overall award winner in my upcoming Best Trail Cameras of 2026 buyers guide. Why?

　　Camera theft is a problem. An awful problem that really sucks to deal with, and every hunter worries about it. The Ultra solves that problem. Its groundbreaking and monumental in my eyes. Yes, AI technology is cool, but Id rather be able to recover a stolen camera I spent good money on than have a cool app.

　　There isnt an easier camera to set up, both initially and in the field. Toss in the unique ability to change flash modes, amazing quality photos and video, an intuitive app thats powerful in its own right, and the cheapest month-to-month subscriptions in the game, and you have a winner.

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