2017 Moultrie M-40i Review

- This newly redesigned Moultrie M40i impressed us from the start with fast detection, great image quality and 9-month picture battery life. Video battery life is below average, but other than that, this is a great low glow trail camera. -TCP Staff

 Moultrie M-40i Model # MCG-13182

Pros

• Great picture & video quality
• 9-Month battery life in picture mode
• 0.29 second trigger speed (picture mode)
• Outstanding case design

Cons

• 1.4-Month battery life in video mode
• Slow video trigger speed

Trailcampro Analysis

The M40i game camera is a low glow IR trailcam that could work for both wildlife and security surveillance. This is a completely redesigned Moultrie game camera for 2017 and there are multiple improvements to this camera.

Picture Quality:  

Photo resolution: 16, 8, 4, 2 mpxl

Video resolution:  1920x1080 w/ audio

Flash Type:  Low Glow Infrared

We are extremely pleased with the picture quality displayed by the M-40i. Day pictures display realistic color, good clarity, and great depth. The M40i seems to stop motion well during the day.

Night pictures have extraordinary range and really excel in contrast. Night images are exceptional whether in open fields or dense forests. It does blur easily on running animals and minor whiteout on close objects. This can be controlled by utilizing the "Motion Freeze" setting (which quickens the shutter speed). Overall, the M40i takes great pictures.

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Video quality mimics picture quality. The M40i can take high resolution (1920x1080) videos. Some of our examples are in 1280x720, but even they look great. Night videos have insanely good contrast. Big thumbs up here.

Megapixel Ratings:

In the past, many people get confused with the megapixel rating trail camera manufacturers advertise.  Companies inflate the mpxl rating to attract eyes to their products.  They do this through interpolation, which digitally adds megapixels to a photo without actually improving the picture.

The best way to judge picture quality is to look at actual pictures.  You will notice this the most when you zoom in on a full-size image that a camera has taken.  The details of the photo will appear hazy or even digitized.  This is normal, and to be expected.

Battery Life: 

Picture & Video Resting Power (on):   1.22 mW

Picture Daytime/Nighttime Power Consumption:   1.99 Ws |  6.49 Ws

Video Daytime/Nighttime Power Consumption: 21.64 Ws | 137.48 Ws

The battery efficiency depends on whether you plan on using the camera in picture or video mode. In picture mode, the camera is rather efficient on power consumption. In video mode, the M40i uses a large amount of power per video clip. Here are some examples.

Picture Mode

If this camera were to take 35-day and 35-night pictures every 24 hours, the 2017 M-40i would last 9 months in the field on a set of 8 AA Lithium Batteries. This is a very efficient camera in picture mode.

Video Mode

If this camera were to take 15-day and 15-night videos (10-second videos) every 24 hours, it would last 1.4 months in the field on a set of lithium batteries. This is an inefficient video camera.

Our rating accounts for the average of both ratings. If you only use your trailcams in picture mode, the M40i gets good battery life. If you use your cameras in video mode, this is not an efficient camera.

Detection Circuit:    

Picture Trigger & Recovery Speed: 0.29 s.  / 1.1 s.

Video Trigger & Recovery Speed:  1.8 s.  / 2.7 s.

Detection Range:  90 ft.

Picture detection and recovery are outstanding. The M-40i takes the first picture quickly and recovers in just over one second. Video trigger speed is average, but the recovery speed is very good.

This camera detected out to 90 ft. consistently. In our testing to date, the M-40i's detection width closely matches the field of view. This is an excellent detection range.

Quality of Design:   

Dimensions: 5" x 3.25" x 3"

Battery Type:  8 AA Batteries

External Battery Jack:  12-Volt

Case Design

The Moultrie M40i is a very well-made game camera.The plastic case is thick and sturdy. Along with that, this new M-40i is very small - much smaller than the Gen2 series of Moultrie game cameras from the last several years. This may seem like a small tweak (no pun intended), but it is a huge improvement. The smaller the game camera, the easier it is to haul into the woods, the harder it is to be spotted by a trespasser, and the easier it is to mount on a tree.

The latch to open and close the camera has an unorthodox mechanism, but it is easy to manipulate, even with cold fingers. We think it is much more practical and durable than it may appear at first glance. The battery tray ejects from the bottom of the camera and fortunately, the batteries are easy to load and unload.

The M-40i has two python lock brackets. You can choose to use the traditional back bracket, or, slide the cable lock through the front brackets, which locks the inside of the camera as well. This was a smart upgrade from Moultrie. The 1/4" x 20 threaded insert for Slate River Mounts is on the bottom of the camera.

M-40i Game Camera Setup

We've struggled the last several years with Moultrie's setup process. To us, it isn't intuitive and feels clunky. You shouldn't need the owner's manual to set the camera up, but it does take some getting used to. This shouldn't deter you from purchasing the camera, though, after spending some time with the M40i it starts to feel more natural.

SD Card Storage Examples

 With a 16 Gig SD Card and the camera taking 4 mpxl photos (this is our recommended setting as it is closest to the native resolution), the M-40i could store 19,998 pictures on the SD card. Keep in mind, day pictures (color) have larger file sizes than night pictures (black and white), so this number could go up or down.

With a 16 Gig SD Card and the camera taking 1920x1080 videos, the M40i could store 774 10-second videos.

From this data, you can extrapolate storage capacities for different sized SD card and different resolution settings. We give you a 16 Gig SD Card with the purchase of this game camera through us. If you need additional or larger SD cards, you can shop all SD card options here.

Durability

Through our 2-year warranty program on the trail cameras we sell, we are able to track warranty rates on all trailcam manufacturers. We do not publish this data but Moultrie game cameras were one of our most durable cameras the last two years. This is a new model, so we will continue to keep an eye on this going forward. If an issue arises, we will update this Moultrie M-40i Review immediately.

Enjoy our reviews?  Please consider purchasing your next trail camera from us.

FAQ's: Moultrie M-40i Game Camera

Q: How do I view the pictures?

A: There are a number of ways to do this. Pictures/videos are stored on the SD card you place in the camera.

• View pictures on your computer. Plug the SD card in a desktop computer or laptop via the built-in SD card reader or use a USB reader if your computer doesn't have one. This method works for most tablets as well. With this method, we recommend having two SD cards per camera so you can swap them in the field.
• View pictures on your smartphone. Choose between the iOS Reader for iPhones and the Android Reader. Phone readers require an app to access the photos, you can read more about these via the previous links.
• Trail Camera Viewers. While more expensive, handheld viewers are useful if you don't have a smartphone or run multiple trail cameras. 

Q: Will this trail camera trigger on small animals (birds, rodents, etc.)?

A: The Moultrie M-40i game camera detects on a combination of heat and movement, so, yes, small mammals will trigger the camera. However, if you are going after smaller warm-blooded mammals, we recommend getting the camera closer to your target. For best performance, place the camera in an area that would enable picture detection from 3 - 20 ft.

Q: Can animals see the infrared flash on the M-40i?

A: This is somewhat controversial. Humans can't see the flash as the nanometer spectrum is above what the human eye can detect. It's also much harder for an animal to see, but that could depend on the species of animal as different species see in different light spectrums.

Q: Where can I purchase this camera?

A: From us! We hope to woo you with our incredible charm, two-year warranty, 90-day returns, free continental U.S. shipping, and technical expertise. If that isn't enough, we give you an 16 Gig SD card with this camera and you can call and talk our ear off anytime. 

Seriously, though, we know you have plenty of options of where to spend your hard-earned money. The internet can be the wild, wild, west of too-good-to-be-true deals. If you choose to do business with us, we will go out of our way to make sure you are happy with the camera you select and the service we provide you.

We are passionate about testing and reviewing trail cameras, but most importantly, we are passionate about treating our customers the right way. We do things differently from what you have come to expect from other internet retailers and we hope you give us the opportunity to prove that to you.

Back to Top of Page

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