“Previously had a Browning from NatureSpy, but it turned upside down on its ball mount, and water got in (my fault). I replaced that about two years ago with an Ursus. This was about half the price, and the stills are not quite as good. But it sits at a sweet spot in the price/quality tradeoff. It reacts quickly, has a good range of still/vid programs, takes good quality stills and vids, is easy to set up, is more compact than our previous cam, and shows no signs of deterioration or water ingress after almost two years. I should add that I usually put it out inside a crude wooden box, sprayed black inside, that I've built to help hide it (it's usually at our allotment, so vulnerable to theft), so it has had a relatively protected life so far.
Many reviewers have mentioned that it's difficult to remove the SD card, and that's true. Even when the card is released from the spring lock, there is no way of grasping it. I use tweezers. That's a minor gripe. The other criticism I agree with is that you cannot see field of view when you set it up - you have to learn from experiment/experience.
So far, we've recorded all the usual suspects at the allotments, except badgers and deer.
What we didn't realise was there is a polecat up there. We are hoping for even more exotic creatures - maybe wildebeest.
What has astounded me is that I am only now having to change the batteries. It has taken thousands of stills, and hundreds of vids on one set of Logik alkaline batteries from Currys. I'm not sure whether the batteries are especially good, or the camera is especially miserly in its use of power - I suspect both.
After almost two years use, I would recommend this camera, but buy some tweezers.”
Thanks Dave! So glad you're enjoying the camera and it's been doing the business since your purchased it.
We actually have changed the SD slot since you purchased - there is now more room to grab the card :)
“A super bit of kit that we've got to grips with quite quickly!.Arrived swiftly and is set up in our garden right now - sadly mostly capturing the neighbourhood cats!”
“Really happy with this little camera. I've used quite a lot of cameras over the years but this one is simple, straightforward and easy to use. The video quality is great and I like how tough the case is - it feels like it will last. Its obviously not as good as the high-end, more expensive Brownings - but for the price its a really solid wildlife camera, and I'm already planning on getting another!”
“Nature Spy's own brand camera is definitely good value for money, Lovely sharp images, good audio, and they run on rechargable batteries. With the price of lithium batteries ever increasing this is a great develoment. Couple that with a friendly ethical company, and you can't go wrong.”
“Appears to be solid and well made. Buttons and switches are easy to read and use. Easy to set up.
Only niggle I have is that when I have a quick release plate attached, for using with a tripod, the unit can be difficult to open and close.”
“Following the excellent information on website, I am very pleased with the choice I have made for my (simple) needs. Straightforward to use, great results of the hedgehogs in my garden.
I like that purchases contribute to wider wildlife schemes.”
“The camera is working very nicely in the garden both during the day, and at night, and also in rain. Our only issue is that it's hard to take out the SD card (I can do it after a couple of attempts, but my husband cannot). The rechargable batteries and charger that we bought with it also do their job well.”
“I bought this camera to replace a troublesome Browning Reconforce HP5 Elite. For my use i.e 'Camera Mode' garden photographs, the Ursus is fine. For battery economy it is set up on the lowest resolution (M5) and results of animals such as hedghogs, foxes and birds are acceptable. Recent very heavy rain has confirmed that the Ursus is effectively waterproofed.
The manual accompanying the camera is straight-forward although an explaination of the ticking sound during setup would be a useful inclusion.
The only downside when conpared with my previous Browning is that the Ursus cannot be aimed via the display screen.
In conclusion, the Ursus is a worthwhile investment, capable of good results at reasonable cost.”
