Reveal by Tactacam has taken over the cellular trail camera market by providing a quality camera at a great price. The Reveal series have cameras have created more buzz throughout the hunting industry than any other product that I can remember in recent years. For anyone familiar with economics, particularly supply and demand, there was a lesson to be learned with the way Reveal became such a sought-after product.
Tactacam introduced the Original Reveal by Tactacam (now referred to as Gen1) in 2020 at a great price. Bass Pro Shops sold the camera for $99.99 while other retailers were about $20 more. The popular Gen1 camera was flying off the shelves and by midyear, it was very difficult to find one. This was due in part because of the feature-rich price tag of around 100 bucks. This price tag enabled many of the budget limited hunters to experience the advantages of a cellular trail camera.
As demand increased for the Gen1 cell cam, supply wasn’t able to catch up and the third party market (reseller market) really took off. I saw people tripling their money on eBay because so many people just had to have one and the FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) caused people to pay extraordinary amounts of money for the Gen1. The following year, we saw the Reveal X by Tactacam released with great success, and the production of the camera was able to curve the demand with the increased supply but consumers wanted more. This year, Tactacam released the Reveal XB and Reveal SK and they both continued on the success of previous models. I purchased each camera for myself and here’s my review of the Reveal XB by Tactacam.
Tactacam Reveal XB Cellular Trail Camera
The Tactacam Reveal XB operates on both the Verizon and AT&T networks with the simple switch of the SIM card. There’s no need to buy cameras programmed to each individual network as these cameras can be changed in the field in seconds! Data plans are purchased through Reveal by Tactacam, starting as low as $4 per month. This cellular trail camera is powered by 12 AA batteries and capable of taking 24 MP images and now VIDEO!
Retail: $149.99
- AT&T and Verizion Network compatible
- 24MP / 12MP / 8MP Photos
- HD Video requests in app
- Sub 1/2s Trigger Speeds
- Adjustable Night Illumination at 80+ft
- Detect animals at 80+ft
- One year warranty
What’s the Difference between the Reveal XB, Reveal X, and Reveal SK by Tactacam?
The following chart will illustrate the differences between the Reveal X, Reveal XB, and Reveal SK cellular trail cameras. One of the biggest features that you will notice right out of the box is that the Reveal XB (and Reveal SK) comes with both AT&T and Verizon SIM Cards. This allows the cell cam to be switched between networks in the field quickly and easily. You don’t have to buy a different camera nor do you need to have a separate data plan. Reveal by Tactacam does all of that for you, all you have to do is figure out which network works best in your area.
Another notable difference between the current Reveal cellular trail camera line-up is that the Reveal SK comes with an external solar panel and the Reveal XB has the capabilities of installing an external 12v solar panel or external 12v battery. The detection range on the Reveal X is 16 feet longer than the Revel XB and Reveal SK because the latter is considered “low glow” cameras and is designed to have a lower flash.
If image quality is a priority, then the Reveal XB or Reveal SK is where you’ll want to invest your money. The Reveal X takes up to 16 MP images whereas the Reveal XB and SK will take up to 24 MP images. Videos are not an option on the Reveal X but you can request videos through the mobile app with the Reveal XB and SK.
Another feature that makes the Reveal XB or Reveal SK more intriguing is the built-in GPS that will help you locate your trail camera in case it is stolen or misplaced. (Yes, I have forgotten where I put a trail camera or two in the past). The Reveal SK has a couple of features that the other two trail cameras don’t offer, such as a dual antenna, lithium battery pack, and solar panel.
How to Set Up the Reveal XB by Tactacam
Setting up the Reveal XB by Tactacam was quick and easy. However, this isn’t my first time setting up a cellular trail camera, so I had a little bit of a head start than most. Honestly, it is simple once you get the hang of it.
First, download the Reveal mobile app on your phone. Next, you will need to install the antenna and batteries inside of the camera. Once you’ve done this, install a Class 10, U3 SH Card (either 16 GB or 32 GB). Choosing quality SD cards is a must and they will impact the performance of your trail camera. Quality SD Cards are an investment that should not be overlooked.
Once you have the antenna, batteries, and SD card installed, you’ll be ready to install one of the SIM cards that came with the camera. Do not switch the SIM cards around as they are supposed to stay with the camera and are part of your registered cellular plan through Reveal by Tactacam. Now you’re ready to register the camera for service, which is quickly accomplished by opening the Reveal app on your phone and then scanning the barcode on the interior door. You should receive a message within a couple of minutes verifying the registration.
Notice how the Reveal XB does not have a fancy digital screen so you will utilize the Reveal App and wifi feature of your phone for setup. Start by moving the switch on the Reveal XB from off to the setup selection. Open the wifi connection on your phone to find the corresponding Reveal SSID and connect using the password. To verify connection the wifi LED will change from blinking to solid. Open your account on the app and now you will see the Reveal XB camera.
The next step was well thought out, an industry first, and helps you determine the detection zone of your camera. Open the camera connection on your phone to display the detection zone preview live on your camera. There is a red line running through the middle indicating the optimal detection area where the camera is pointing. Adjust the image to your satisfaction by centering the red line. To review what a picture will look like when transmitted to the App push the Test button and a photo will immediately be sent to your phone. Continue to adjust the settings on the camera or move the switch to the On position and the camera is operational.
Features of the Reveal XB by Tactacam
Pictures are color during the day and black and white at night. For a camera, with a 120-dollar retail price tag, the pictures are superb and rival some cameras I own costing two to three times as much. Photos are stamped with the battery level, moon phase, temperature in F and C, the date, and time. When accessing through the app on your phone pictures also include an easy-to-read overview in white lettering showing the date and time, property location as well as camera name. For night pictures there are two settings that help in capturing better pictures. Night mode utilizes three settings, Max range compensates for the darkness and offers better night vision IR flash range, Balance is the amount of flash with the range of the animal, and Min Blur cuts down on blur of the nighttime picture through exposure. Flash power can also be set to High or Low. If your camera is further away from a trail or where deer most often show up then the high setting is best. If the camera is set up closer to a trail a low setting will aid in eliminating wash out.
When a picture is captured if you have alerts set up on your phone it’s like being a kid on Christmas morning with each picture. The picture being received is not a full HD picture but only a detailed thumbnail image. HD Photos can be sent, but are only supported in limited locations. If the camera is set to video, like the photo, only a thumbnail photo is sent. It will require a trip to the camera location to retrieve the video via the SD Card.
Image Resolution:
The Reveal X allows for photo or video selection. Photo image sizes are 8, 12, and 16 megapixels with a default of 8. In comparison, the original Reveal supported 8, 12, and 24 megapixels. Interesting as to why the downgrade is the highest picture size? After running both cameras for a couple of months, I see no advantage in the quality of thumbnail pictures I received on my phone. Both cameras do an adequate job. Speaking of pictures there is an additional feature on the Reveal X, called Check-In Picture. The camera always will check in once a day to indicate it is working. With this feature activated, when the camera checks in it will verify it is working by sending a picture.
Video Quality:
For video, the Reveal X allows for FHD-1080P, HD720, or WVGA. The higher the resolution the less video an SD Card can capture. The video length can be set from 5 to 59 seconds. Photos as noted earlier can be captured in 8, 12, and 16 megapixels. Up to three images can be captured per detection and the interval between multi-shot can be set from 0, 1, or 2 seconds.
How is the Battery Life on the Reveal XB by Tactacam?
The Reveal XB requires 12 batteries, just like the Reveal X but also has the ability to utilize an external solar panel. The battery compartment is separate and ejects out the bottom of the camera for easier access and changeability, which will prevent you from having to remove the cell cam from the tree when swapping batteries or SD cards. I’m on month number three with each of my Reveal XB by Tactacam cell cameras and each is showing 100% battery life, with the highest image count around 1600 photos at this time. The Reveal XB’s have a better battery life than any other cellular trail camera that I’ve owned and I have zero complaints about battery life.
Invest in some Energizer Lithium AA batteries and you should be able to make it all season on one set of batteries unless you’re using it over a high traffic area like a feeder. The Reveal XB does have the option of being powered from an external power source, such as a 12v solar panel. The 12V input can be from an external battery source or solar panel. In very remote areas I prefer to use a solar panel with an integrated 12-volt power source then I do not have to worry about changing batteries. You could probably get away with leaving this camera up all year long with a well-placed solar panel.
Other Notable Features:
Viewing photos:
You’ll need to remove the SD card from the Reveal XB to review photos. In order to save cost and provide a better product for the money, they removed the large LCD screen from the original Reveal. I think this was a smart move and it’s a feature that isn’t as practical as many trail camera companies would have you believe. You can utilize the mobile app on your phone to see images transmitted through the app at any time.
Multi-Shot:
Multi-Shot can capture up to 3 photos when the sensor is tripped, but only the second picture is sent to your phone. The others are captured and stored on the SD Card. You can also adjust the delay between photos from 0 to 2 seconds.
Delay Timer:
The delay is the actual time between photographs when the sensor detects motion. The setting can be as little as five seconds up to 23 hours 59 minutes and 59 seconds. I have my Delay Timer disabled as I want all of the photos that I can get.
Work Timer:
When the work timer is activated the camera will only take pictures between a start and end time. For example, if you use the Reveal XB on a feeder and only want the camera operational during shooting light, then it will save you a lot of battery life.
Motion Sensitivity:
The sensitivity detection is adjustable from 1 to 9 with a default of 7. The manual states a range of 80 plus feet and I haven’t measured the detection range of most of my photos but I don’t feel that I’m reaching that distance with the Reveal XB. That’s ok though because I’m still getting plenty of photos due to how I set the camera up. I try to have a strategy when placing trail cameras in areas but if I’m not getting photos of deer where I think I should be, I simply adjust the sensitivity level up to 9. I did have to do this on one camera because it wouldn’t pick up deer at my feeder and the sensitivity change on the camera took only a few seconds to change.
Trigger Speed:
The trigger speed is ½ second and is more than adequate on most of my pictures. It captures the subject near the center of the frame in most circumstances. Running animals seem to be an issue for this trail camera but that’s to be expected by the speed that deer and other big game animals can produce at any given time. Walking animals seem to be in focus and high enough quality that I can identify which buck is walking by in most cases. I will stress that there are a lot of variables that contribute to the equation, but for the most part, 90 plus percent of pictures are captured within the viewing frame. The trigger speed is the same as the Reveal X and there is no significant difference in capture times.
Phone Interface:
The easy-to-use iPhone interface on my phone allows me to make changes to the camera at a moment’s notice. With a few clicks on the menu, I can instantly review each of the camera’s specific details such as battery level, cellular signal strength, SD card status, and even temperature. Any changes that are made to the settings on the camera are delivered within a 24-hour timeframe. The reason for this is the camera will check-in for updates once in a 24-hour period if no motion or pictures are captured.
Cameras are set up individually and the pictures can be placed in their own folders. For example, I have three cameras, each identified by name with their own folder. When accessed from my phone I can look at the picture of each camera individually via their folder or view all pictures at one time, scrolling through the sequence they were taken.
The great feature of the interface is that you will receive a notification on your phone when a picture is captured and delivered. Any setting that I can set on the camera manually can be set from the phone interface as well. I can also email or text individual pictures to family or friends.
Mounting can be accomplished by utilizing the included cinch strap or by the two tripod mounting options located on the bottom or back of the unit. It was nice to see the multiple tripod mounting options as I use a small screw in tripod mount for locating high in trees.
PROS:
CONS:
Which Cellular Providers Work w/ the Reveal by Tactacam?
Verizon and AT&T are the two providers that the Reveal XB supports. You don’t have to choose one or the other until you get to the field and figure out which network provider has better coverage in your area. The Reveal XB has dual network capabilities which means all you need to do is swap the supplied SIM cards out in the field to switch between AT&T and Verizon.
The cellular plan is billed through Tactacam and is dependent on the number of pictures per month per camera. There are three plans available and the billing cycle can either be yearling or monthly. The yearly plans are billed upfront, and depending on the plan chosen can save you from approximately 8 to 12 percent. Here is a breakdown of each plan and the cost.
- Pro Plan: Unlimited pictures per month, $120 yearly, or $13 billed monthly for the initial camera. If you add additional cameras each camera is $96 dollars yearly or $12 dollars monthly.
- Intermediate plan: 500 photos per camera per month. $85 yearly or $8 monthly. Each additional camera is $75 yearly or $7.50 dollar monthly.
- Starter Plan: 250 photos per camera per month. $55 yearly or $5 monthly. There is no discount for additional cameras.
- Monthly plans can be stopped/paused at any time.
- Which is the plan that I utilize because I don’t need cellular trail camera data all year long.
Tactacam Reveal Cellular Trail Camera Summary
In conclusion, I really like the Reveal XB by Tactacam. The Reveal XB exceeded my expectations. From the ease of set-up to the longer-than-expected battery life, this trail camera is well worth the money. I love the fact that this trail camera can be switched from AT&T to Verizon so easily in the field and I don’t have to worry about buying additional cameras or overpaying for data plans. Also, the ability to request HD images or videos through the mobile application is easily done. Currently, I’ve had three Reveal XB cell cams out for nearly three months and they’re each showing 100% battery life. This cell camera is saving me money when you compare it to other cell cams that I have that seem to eat batteries. I fully recommend the Reveal XB cell cam and I honestly don’t know why you would consider anything else that’s currently on the market right now.
Check out our review of the Tactacam Reveal SK Cellular Trail Camera as well.
Ready to buy? Click here to find the Tactacam Reveal XB Cellular Trail Camera in stock at the best price.
Hi, I’m Camron is the owner of Hunting Gear Deals. I’m an avid bowhunter with a knack for finding smoking deals on hunting gear. Currently, I work in the oil & gas industry as an Environmental, Health, and Safety professional but my goal is to continue to grow Hunting Gear Deals and turn it into a full-time job.
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