I've been shopping these cameras a bit and thought I'd share a couple of observations. On a side note, I had a Vex Fish Scout and sold it. I now own the Marcum.
1. Monitor: Both use a 7 inch monitor however the Marcum is listed at 800 x 480 resolution while the Vex is at 480 x 234 (per each company's website).
2. Camera: Both use a Sony camera. Vex lists theirs as a Sony HAD CCD camera while Marcum lists theirs as a Sony HAD II CCD camera. Both toggle between color and black and white depending on light conditions and both have a 90 degree viewing angle.
3. Cord: The Marcum is a 50 foot cord and the Vex is a 60 foot cord.
4. Case: Both use a nylon case which is placed over a hard plastic skeleton. Vex includes a digital battery status indicator Marcum does not. The Vex indicator is mounted on the back side of the case inside a zipper access area.
5. Cord management: Both use a plastic "winding" type spool to manage the cord. The Vex has an external pocket for the spool. The Marcum has a cavity below the monitor inside the case where you put the spool.
6. Charger: Both use a "plug" style charger which allows you to simply plug the charger to the unit vs. having to find the battery posts with alligator clips. Both appear to be "smart" chargers but the Vex charger appears to be a better quality charger in my opinion.
7. Price: The Marcum retail price is $349 and the Vex is $299
8. Warranty: Marcum is a 12 month warranty, Vex is a 2 year warranty
Review:
As mentioned above, I have owned both of these camera systems. I sold the Vex system primarily because I grew more and more frustrated with the case. The "roll up" cover seemed to always be in the way and never really rolled up all the way. I seemed to always be pushing it out of the way when I used the camera. Also, the Vex monitor basically sits at floor level. You open up the front access panel and roll it up on top of the monitor. The monitor is in the case and sits about 1 inch off the floor. I much prefer the design of the Marcum case. You fold back the protective cover and the monitor then rotates up from the top of the case. The protective cover then lays down out of the way behind the monitor. There are two advantages; first the Marcum case is "fitted" to the case. There is really no extra fabric you are trying to maneuver. The Vex case seemed loose to me and I was always pushing material out of the way to get at the unit. Also, the Marcum case is about 4 or 5 inches high and the monitor sits on top of that. When you pivot the monitor up, the screen is much higher off the ice than is the Vex. It also has a much greater range of motion for the monitor than the Vex does. The Vex uses a "gimbal" mount in the center of each side of the monitor which allows you to rotate it about 1 inch either up towards you or down away from you. The Marcum is mounted at the bottom of the screen and you have a much larger range of travel with that design. The monitor goes from laying flat on the case to straight up from the case. You can "lock" it in any position in between. Just seems like a much better design to me with the Marcum.
As I mentioned above, the Marcum basically consists of a hard plastic box that is about 12x12x5. The monitor mounts on the front top of that box and the back portion of the box is a cavity that holds the battery (mounted in the box so it doesn't move around) and an empty space for your cord and camera head. That cavity is sealed up by the nylon cover that fits very nicely around the box. The Marcum has a handle on the side of the case that you use to carry it and the Vex has a handle on the top. The Vex has a battery status indicator which is nice, but it is at the back of the unit and only accessible by opening another zipper. I didn't use the indicator much. If your battery was dying you knew because the picture started to get grainy. When you charged it, you knew it was done because the charger indicator light would turn green (red while charging, green when done). I do think Vex provides a better quality charger, but both seem to function similarly. The Marcum charger has an indicator light on it that changes colors and uses the same sort of "plug in" format as Vex.
The Marcum also comes with a "sun shield" that velcros onto the monitor. The Vex didn't have a sun shield but I never really used it outside so it was fine inside a shack. The Marcum does have 10 less feet of camera cord (50 feet vs. 60 feet). I never used anywhere near 60 feet of cord with the camera and will appreciate having less cord to "manage" with the Marcum but if you need the extra feet, you may want to consider the Vex. As I mentioned above, the monitor resolution for the Marcum appears to be much higher than the Vex. I'm not sure how much difference that will make under the ice, but it is a pretty noticeable difference in resolution specs.
In terms of price, I was able to get the Marcum on sale for $279 at Dicks so you should be able to find both of these units for under $300 if you watch. So far I have to say that the Marcum was a much better choice for me. With the price basically being equal between the two units, you get a much better case design with the Marcum and better screen resolution. Both cameras provide a fantastic picture and have good lighting options. Both are great quality units but I definitely would recommend the Marcum if you are in the market. I use Vexilar flashers but I do think Marcum has Vex beat in the camera department right now. They have been at it longer and seem like they have a better design at this point in my opinion. Hope this helps if you are considering a camera this year.
