Marcum Recon 5+ Review

[Rags777]

alright guys haven't seen one go up yet, and finally got out to use mine so here it goes:

Bought into this one after looking very seriously into the Vexilar FS 2000DT, but found that this one had all the features that I wanted for about $200.00 less! Was a little on the fence being as it was new this year with little to nothing out there on the net for reviews, but rolled the dice anyways. Glad I did.

Case:
very slim and easily packed, didn't work quite as well as I had hoped for deploying the camera from the body mount position. Much easier to take unit out of case to deploy to desired depth and then reinsert back in to case. I might add that I also removed the "wrist mount" Velcro strap off of the back of the unit, it realty just gets in the way. Other than this small issue, I found it to be very compact and user friendly.

Battery:
Charged from however it came from the factory to full in about 3hrs. Had it one the ice from about 9am this morning to 3pm running straight and only used one bar of the three bar indicator. I did take along a jump pack just in case, but ended up not needing it. we will have to see how the battery last, as it is internal, and will need to be sent to Marcum to replace more than likely.

Color/ Clarity,
Fished 20' of water all day on a snow covered lake and the color kill never turned on, color picture all day long. The clarity is very good for as small as this little guy is, and did not need to use the LED or IR lights at any point. I will mention that both of these have three intensity settings, so that is nice to not just have it either on or off. however, can't report on either of these just yet.  I did find that the optimal distance from the hole to set up was around 2 to 2-1/2', anything beyond that and I couldn't locate my jig.

Calibration and Control:
Camera was super Delete repeated word easy to calibrate for all of the one screen displays, depth, temp, and direction. took only a minute, literally. I used just a very simple 5gal bucket and foam ball for a paneer today and had zero issues, I have ordered that wireless Marcum pan camera, however it hasn't showed up yet. I will post something on that once I receive it. I will say that the diameter of the cord is very small, about the size of headphone cable. camera seemed to do very well steadying itself promptly. I like that you can basically position it 4 ways quickly, and that the weight on the bottom of the camera is removable if you wish.

screen shots/ recording:
32MB upgradable, standard picture taking/ recording. worked very well, and if someone can tell me how to post videos I have a great one I'd like to share! push the button once to take a picture, and hold it in to record. on screen display lets you know what's going on. camera also has a video output jack on the back if you wish to play back on TV or is you want to hook up to TV for view in shanty. all pictures and video are stored separately in libraries which you can access from the device for instant play back. only down side I can find is there is no forward or rewind, only pause. so if you want to see it again you have to watch the whole D*** thing over! 



Wrap Up:
all in all I am very pleased with the purchase, was a little nervous at first about the size of the camera, that it might possibly become a good sized fishes' lunch! however didn't seem to be a issue today and had several pike take a look at it. found it very easy to use, as well as navigate. I hope to post some videos taken with it as soon as I can get that part figured out. Just thought that I would throw my two cents out there since I haven't been able to dig much up. Product get 5*s from me at this point. only thing I would fix is that the cut out in the back of the case could be a little large to allow for you to unwind the camera without taking it out, as well as forward/rewind on the DVR function (hear that Marcum?). other than that, great product, and right price point in my opinion.

[RussC]

Thanks good review, lots of very useful information. I am just waiting for mine to come (should be next week) from my local fishing store. Can't wait to try it out.

[prosty41]

Got one today. Looking forward to seeing your vid

[joemx1825]

Great Review! youtube should be able to load the video files stored on the SD card, just copy them over to your computer and upload.

Questions I have for you:

1) can you let us know what the default video & image file format is when saved to the SD card? (.mov? .mp4? / .jpg?, .gif?)
2) curious how the IR settings work since other Marcum cameras only use LED's, why offer IR on this unit then?
3) Are you still seeing that battery life because 5-6 hours is what Marcum claims to be the max and you claim 6 hours only used 33% of the battery (according to the 1 of 3 display bars)
4) is the display viewable in the daytime or must you cover the screen up to see it?
5) Any unwanted movement of the camera when used in deep water?  I would think that thin camera line would sag & sway the longer it is...
6) I'm finding there's about $100 difference between the 5 and 5+ is it worth that in your opinion?

[Rags777]

Great Review! youtube should be able to load the video files stored on the SD card, just copy them over to your computer and upload.

Questions I have for you:

1) can you let us know what the default video & image file format is when saved to the SD card? (.mov? .mp4? / .jpg?, .gif?)
2) curious how the IR settings work since other Marcum cameras only use LED's, why offer IR on this unit then?
3) Are you still seeing that battery life because 5-6 hours is what Marcum claims to be the max and you claim 6 hours only used 33% of the battery (according to the 1 of 3 display bars)
4) is the display viewable in the daytime or must you cover the screen up to see it?
5) Any unwanted movement of the camera when used in deep water?  I would think that thin camera line would sag & sway the longer it is...
6) I'm finding there's about $100 difference between the 5 and 5+ is it worth that in your opinion?

1. I would have to check as I have not unmounted the SD card yet to plug into computer. I will have to get back to you on this one.
2. the IR settings work just like the LED settings on the camera, each has it's own button to turn on, push once to turn on and then continue to push to cycle through intensities. 3 intensity settings for both the IR and the LED. I have not run into a situation where I have needed either one just yet.
3. still seeing good battery life and have had it out probably a dozen times. I do carry a pocket juice pack just in case to recharge if necessary. I was concerned about the battery being internal, however, got over it once I figured that I could easily get another 6 hours out of it needed by adding the external battery for $20.00. plus this way I have a way to recharge the phone if need be as well
4. display is very hard to see in the daylight. In all honesty I think that just goes for any type of screen, phones, TVs, etc. would be nice if it was a little better, but I just don't see how it can be accomplished.
5. I have used the camera in up to 25FOW and have seen no sway. It seems to level itself out very well. I did have a pretty good size pike on the line with my hole being about 3' away from the camera and that caused quite a ruckus, however, the camera was leveled back out and just need some repositioning by the time he was unhooked and back down the hole. I have bee using just a real down and dirty panner (bucket lid w/a foam ball as a stopper) as the Marcum paner I ordered got lost in all of the holiday shipping. it just showed up yesterday so I will get it some action this weekend and comment on it as well. in all honesty I'm really wondering why I spent the $80 on it as the bucket lid did the trick, just a lot of bending over if you want to look around.
6. I looked a the difference in price like this:
I have a ten year old that loves to go with me so my FL-18 is usually spoken for once I get all my tip ups set, the 5+ had the temp reading, direction, and the depth, so I could basically use it for another finder. I really like the temp reading as I have noticed anywhere from 3-4* spikes when hoping around, very good information to have in my opinion. also like the fact that it had the DVR something I had not previously had. do you need all the bells and whistles, I don't know. was it worth the 100$ to me, yes, as it fit the needs I had. I looked really hard and heavy at the Vex-FS2000 price at right around $600.00, then I found this one with all the same features, much much smaller, and only a 2" screen difference. it was a no brainer to pull the trigger on it for me, and I am very glad I did!

all in all very happy with the purchase. first Marcum product I have ever owned and I am pleased with their performance. I use it all day in the shack and have no problems with eye strain or anything else. good solid little unit in my opinion.

FYI- it took a whole lot of pondering to get me to come off the Vex, as I am very happy with the flashers and will probably never use anything else. just so everyone doesn't think I'm some kind of Marcum spokes person. just a very satisfied customer!

[joemx1825]

thanks for answering my questions, I have a few more

1) Does the on screen camera direction use an arrow that moves around the edge of the screen (like the Marcum SD camera series) or an arrow in the corner of the screen that points in the camera direction (like the LX-9) or does it simply state North,South,East,West?
2) Does the camera cord slide when used with the panner? I know you use the small plastic tubing in the panner cable turner, but does the cable still slide at all?

I have the Marcum LX-9, just wondering if the Recon would be a good addition for fast hole checking?

[prosty41]

1. I would have to check as I have not unmounted the SD card yet to plug into computer. I will have to get back to you on this one.
2. the IR settings work just like the LED settings on the camera, each has it's own button to turn on, push once to turn on and then continue to push to cycle through intensities. 3 intensity settings for both the IR and the LED. I have not run into a situation where I have needed either one just yet.
3. still seeing good battery life and have had it out probably a dozen times. I do carry a pocket juice pack just in case to recharge if necessary. I was concerned about the battery being internal, however, got over it once I figured that I could easily get another 6 hours out of it needed by adding the external battery for $20.00. plus this way I have a way to recharge the phone if need be as well
4. display is very hard to see in the daylight. In all honesty I think that just goes for any type of screen, phones, TVs, etc. would be nice if it was a little better, but I just don't see how it can be accomplished.
5. I have used the camera in up to 25FOW and have seen no sway. It seems to level itself out very well. I did have a pretty good size pike on the line with my hole being about 3' away from the camera and that caused quite a ruckus, however, the camera was leveled back out and just need some repositioning by the time he was unhooked and back down the hole. I have bee using just a real down and dirty panner (bucket lid w/a foam ball as a stopper) as the Marcum paner I ordered got lost in all of the holiday shipping. it just showed up yesterday so I will get it some action this weekend and comment on it as well. in all honesty I'm really wondering why I spent the $80 on it as the bucket lid did the trick, just a lot of bending over if you want to look around.
6. I looked a the difference in price like this:
I have a ten year old that loves to go with me so my FL-18 is usually spoken for once I get all my tip ups set, the 5+ had the temp reading, direction, and the depth, so I could basically use it for another finder. I really like the temp reading as I have noticed anywhere from 3-4* spikes when hoping around, very good information to have in my opinion. also like the fact that it had the DVR something I had not previously had. do you need all the bells and whistles, I don't know. was it worth the 100$ to me, yes, as it fit the needs I had. I looked really hard and heavy at the Vex-FS2000 price at right around $600.00, then I found this one with all the same features, much much smaller, and only a 2" screen difference. it was a no brainer to pull the trigger on it for me, and I am very glad I did!

all in all very happy with the purchase. first Marcum product I have ever owned and I am pleased with their performance. I use it all day in the shack and have no problems with eye strain or anything else. good solid little unit in my opinion.

FYI- it took a whole lot of pondering to get me to come off the Vex, as I am very happy with the flashers and will probably never use anything else. just so everyone doesn't think I'm some kind of Marcum spokes person. just a very satisfied customer!

Can you post some photos of the set up you made with the bucket lid? I got the plus for christmas and had it out one time. I mostly wanted it for scouting structure and had so/so results but id like to set it up for fishing in select situations

[Jim_MI]

screen shots/ recording:
32MB upgradable, standard picture taking/ recording. worked very well, and if someone can tell me how to post videos I have a great one I'd like to share! push the button once to take a picture, and hold it in to record. on screen display lets you know what's going on. camera also has a video output jack on the back if you wish to play back on TV or is you want to hook up to TV for view in shanty. all pictures and video are stored separately in libraries which you can access from the device for instant play back. only down side I can find is there is no forward or rewind, only pause. so if you want to see it again you have to watch the whole D*** thing over! 

I ended up returning my Recon 5+ and downgrading to the Recon 5 because it was too difficult to work with the recorded video files.

1) Video looks fine when played on the device itself, but the "Library" functions are primitive and make it difficult to pull up a particular video for viewing or deletion.  You cannot fast forward or backward. 

2) The files are saved in .AVI format.  They appear to be interleaved, because if you pop the memory chip from the camera and put it in your computer the resolution is only 720 x 240 pixels, instead of the advertised 720 x 480 HD.  The worst part of this is that by eliminating half the vertical pixels and none of the horizontal ones, all your jpg images and AVI video looks way stretched out, as if in a fun-house mirror.  Basically, this defect makes it pointless to try to watch video on anything but the camera itself.  Works this way on either Mac or PC machines. 

3) Not sure why Marcum chose the AVI file format, but doing so forces all the PC users in the world to download 3rd party software to view the video.  And even when you use the recommended software (VNC), the software reports corrupted files with no index, forcing you to manually build an index to each file if you want to fast forward or move backward.  Mending the distorted aspect ratio and doing simple editing is a challenge, which is probably why everyone is having such a hard time finding videos from the Recon 5+ posted online. 

No complaints whatsoever about the live video - it is extremely good.  But paying $100+ more for this level of DVR functionality and inability to export files for editing is not worth it to me, leading to my "downgrade".  Hopefully Marcum can address these issues in their next version of this otherwise good camera.