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Camtrakker Digital RangerThe Camtrakker Digital Ranger uses a Sony DSC-W30 Cyber-shot digital camera, which is a 6.0 megapixel camera. So far the pictures look real nice. You can see pictures and read what we have to say about it's picture quality at the Camtrakker Digital Ranger picture quality page. The power up test surprised me with the Camtrakker Digital Ranger either tying or triggering just after the EagleEye. This is a good trigger speed when compared to the rest of the crop. The Camtrakker Digital Ranger operates on four C batteries and the Sony camera uses a special rechargeable battery pack. I’m curious how long the C batteries will last. As of mid-October they have continued to operate the camera for over six months now. I wasn't real crazy about the special battery pack, but it has made a believer out of me. It has lasted for hundreds of pictures and I've sometimes not even had to recharge it after taking a couple hundred or more pictures in a weeks time. It also doesn't take long to charge the battery when it needs charged. Similar to the Sony S600 this camera does not imprint the date and time on the pictures. This is a feature that I really miss. Set up is done with dip switch controls and is relatively easy although the switches are deep in the case. I had to use a ball point pen to change them. Switch settings are shown in the case but I’ll have to admit that I didn’t completely understand them without the directions. Now that I’ve read the directions I think I’ll be OK. One knock I have against this trail camera is that it is like a jigsaw puzzle to put together. There are seven different compontents to put the whole unit together and they all have to be taken apart to get to the control switches in the bottom of the case. You also have to put it together just right for the extended lens on the camera to operate correctly. If the camera isn't setting just right in the case the lens will hit and the camera will not take pictures. One other problem that I've noticed is that if you push the camera forward too hard you can turn all of the switches off in the bottom of the camera and it will not take pictures. You have to make sure the camera will take a picture before you leave it. There is no off/on button or switch. As long as the C batteries are in the unit it is on and is either in test mode or live mode. You have to make sure you change it from test to live when you leave it or it will not take pictures. The Sony camera settings are similar to the other Sony cameras that I have in trail cameras. You’ll probably need to read the manual if you haven’t previously used a similar Sony camera. Once you get the hang of it, it’s not too hard to change camera settings. There isn’t anything provided to attach or lock the Camtrakker Digital Ranger to a tree but the bracket is provided. I’m using a Python Locking cable to attach it to the tree through the provided bracket and it is working well. The Sony W-30 has 32 MB of internal memory and also uses Memory Stick Duo memory sticks to store pictures. The Sony W-30 also has an LCD screen to view the pictures and it is a nice large screen. As my eyes grow older I like these wide screens more and more. A USB cable also comes with the camera to download pictures to your computer. There are six time delays ranging form 20 seconds to 45 minutes. Six delays are plenty but I would have liked to have seen a shorter delay than 20 seconds. I like the 10 second delay that some trail cameras have when I put them at food plots or along trails. The Sony camera can be removed from the unit and used as a personal camera. There isn't anything in the directions about using the video function so I gave it a try and it did not work. There is no switch for video mode so this trail camera must not be capable of traking videos. I have given the Camtrakker Digital Ranger an A for its overall grade. Although it is like a jigsaw puzzle to put together and there are shadows in the lower corners of the nighttime pictures the overall picture quality is good, battery life is excellent and the camera is very dependable. It has become one of our main workhorses. 
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