# J&K Sport VU Bow Cam Review



## vince71969 (Apr 17, 2004)

This is a from a thread that I posted on the J&K Sport VU Bow Cam and a review I said I would do on it on a different forum. Instead of referencing the original thread, I’ll just start a new one here. I'm very pleased with this unit and thought other may be interested as well.


****** This thread isn’t meant to bash one product or put another over. It’s intention is to show that there are choices out there and you certainly do get what you pay for in this industry. With that being said, on with my review........



After a few seasons recording my hunts with my Roscby Risercam (which performed well) I decided it was time for an upgrade. I’ve been looking at some different units when a forum member (sorry, the name escapes me, chime in if you read this) sent me a PM asking me what I thought of the Sport VU and how it compared to what I was using. I had some questions I needed answered. After searching online for approx. one month I didn’t come up with much so I contact J&K Outdoors and spoke to Jerry for almost 45 minutes.
Jerry was very patient in answering any and all questions I had regarding his product. He explained the quality they put into this camera that others just don’t have. The Sport VU uses a Sony CCD imager. Others use a less expensive c-moss type. His unit is auto-stabilized while others (like mine) use a rubber coupler between the the camera and the bow. The unit uses a color screen where mine has none, built in microphone instead of a plug-in unit, etc. I was impressed with him for taking the time not only to answer all of my questions, but to explain his product in ways that I could understand (I'm a hunter, not a techie). I ordered the unit on the spot.
My only regret was not ordering a few weeks sooner. By the time the Sport VU arrived deer movement had died in my hunting area. Up until then we were rocking and I hoped to have some video footage for this review as well. Anyway, here’s what i think of this unit:
Opening the box, I was amazed at how campact this unit is. I enclosed a pic compared to the Risercam so you can see the difference. It weighs 9oz. with the rechargeable battery pack and mounting bracket included. The camera itself weighs practically nothing! Also included in the box were a 2GB micro SD card with adapter, (2) lithium-ion battery paks with charger, USB cable, bow mounting bracket, tree mounting bracket, atv/bike mounting bracket & straps and an owners manual. I quickly read up on how to charge the batteries and attach the bracket and camera to my bow and the next day I was off into the woods with my new camera ready to rock.
The control buttons are easily identifiable and very intuitive. Just a firm, positive press will bring the unit from standby into recored mode (This is much nicer than the 5 seconds of constant pressure that I needed to get my previous unit to switch to record mode. I would often find myself missing opportunities that presented themselves because of this) They are spaced far enough apart so you can operate them with gloves on which is a nice touch. As you depress them, the color screen comes alive to show you the first minute of hat you’re recording or to guide you through your chosen task.
The color viewfinder is great. It has a time/day stamp which is nice since I hate wearing a watch in the field and anything I record is automatically noted with that info if I desire. The screen would’ve come in handy earlier in the season on an 8 pointer that I shot low on. I could’ve seen exactly where my arrow snaked under the thick leaves and brush and maybe recovered it. The ability to see exactly where I hit an animal before tracking and even to share moments in the field with friends and family while still out there is very nice. I did take advantage of that feature this season and everyone has a great time with it.
The rechargeable battery pak is an excellent idea and I’ll save a ton of money with it. With my old unit, I have to use (2) AA lithium ion batteries (at a cost of approx.4-$5.00) and they last 1 day. As a result, I was spending anywhere from 75-100.00 every season on batteries depending on how cold it was out and how many days I hunted. with the Sport VU, one battery pak will last one day with some juice to spare. I take it home and recharge it and I’m good to go for the next day. The unit comes with a 2 GB Mini SD card and that is good for 90 minutes of recording. If you use all 90 minutes or switch to a larger card you’ll need to bring both battery paks along. Switching paks takes seconds.
Now for my favorite feature of this unit. LOW LIGHT RECORDING CAPABILITY! The unit is .5 lux rated (near darkness). To explain the difference between this unit and my old I’ll just use actual recording scenarios. When I would record during first or last light with my old camera, I would play it back and see black. With the Sport VU, I can see the picture that me eyes see. Instead of seeing animals but waiting for full light, now if i can see it i can record it.
The tree mounting accessory is a nice feature that they include. You use the color screen to set it up exactly how you want it and then the entire camera swivels so you can move it where the game is. It’s a great set-up that I plan on using next year during shotgun season.
The 2010 buy price for the Sport VU was 369.00 For 2011 the purchase price will be 299.00. The difference will be the package will include 1 battery pak instead of 2 and will not include a mini SD card. The Company’s reasoning for this is nobody seems to be using the second battery pak anyway (I didn’t) and most people already have mini SD cards from cell phones, etc. so it was an easy way to bring the price down for people. Everything else in the package will remain the same.

The website for more information is www.jkoutdoorproducts.com

You can also purchase the unit as Cabelas and Bass Pro.


If you have any other questions on the unit, feel free to PM me.



Vince


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## ACCMan (Aug 7, 2010)

Good review, I would love to see some low light video, as that is what kills most inexpensive systems.


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## Savage Daddy (Oct 25, 2010)

Any one else with experience or use this camera? Seems worth the price instead of buying twice...


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