Magic Eagle EagleCam 5: in review
A cellular, solar-powered trail cam to keep an eye on things
Back over the summer, we brought you word of a brand-new cellular (and solar-powered) camera that was hitting the market. Why cellular? Because WiFi isn’t always available, so having the cell network connection ensures you can keep an eye on things no matter where you are. As of late, we’ve been spending some time with the Magic Eagle EagleCam 5, and have some thoughts.
Setting up the Magic Eagle EagleCam 5
When everything is all-in-one, things are really pretty easy to setup. I put the included microSD card in and charged the device up in the house first, and then took it outside. Outside, I connected the cellular antenna, plugged in the solar panel, and got things hooked into place. While you could hard-mount these in place, they come with included straps that make it easy to put up anywhere.
For these photos, I first had it up on the trampoline poles, but I ended up moving things over to some 4x4 cedar posts I had in the ground by the garden, as it gave me a better vantage for what I was wanting to keep an eye on.
Once things are setup, you’ll also want to configure the app. This is something you’ll likely want to do outside, so you’ve got a clear shot for the cell signal to come through. This will also register the device, and set you up on an introductory plan (plan costs are down below). Then it’s a matter of sitting back and seeing what the camera captures.
Putting it to the test
If you’re used to a wifi-enabled security camera, the Magic Eagle EagleCam 5 is going to feel a little bit different. Why is that? Well, when motion is detected, rather than getting a full clip of whatever is going on, you instead get some still photos (from 1-3) and then a video clip that’s (I’m guessing) a frame every second, for however long you’ve set it to record. Why is it like that? I’m guessing it’s preserve how much data is being sent over the cellular network. That said, if you want to see live video, you can do that on-demand, and that video is not clipped like the recordings are.
One thing that I particularly liked when I checked the camera in the app was how clearly it showed me the charge level on the camera, and whether or not the solar panel was supplying power (never know when you need to clean snow off). Along with that, it’s handy that it tells you the temperature that it’s sensing. Of note there, we have had some sub-zero days, and the camera has been fine.
Depending on the weather, you might have some condensation or snow building up where the lens is slightly obscured, so that’s something to keep an eye out for if it’s just in your yard. If you’re truly putting it way out in the woods, you might want to see if you can shelter it a little bit to help keep it clear (the solar panel cord is long enough that you should still be able to get the panel where it’ll pick up some rays).
For what I was trying to keep an eye on in the yard, it definitely did the job. I captured me out there doing things, and for awhile was even picking up our cats running around. Fortunately, you can adjust the settings to tell it what kind of animal you do (or do not) want it to keep an eye on, so you can keep the false positives down. If you want to know when that big buck is on the trail, or the raccoons are getting into the trash (and not when the kids rip by on their quad) that sort of granular control is quite appreciated.
Additionally, as you can tell from the photos, everything here is done up in a camo pattern, from the camera body to the straps that you’re mounting things on. This should help keep it from animals noticing that there’s something there, and even help hide it away from prying eyes a bit more than your standard bright-white security camera would do. Around the house, the camo might stand out, but if it’s out in the woods or the greenery, it’ll fit right in.
Wrapping things up
Personally, I can think of a lot of uses for devices like this. Your wifi might not right all through your property, or you could even take this along on your camping trips to keep an eye on the campsite while you’re away. Or even past that - maybe you’ve got a house you need to keep an eye on that simply doesn’t have internet service. This camera will easily handle all of those situations. And with the solar panel, you’re not worrying about having to trek out to the back forty every few days to charge the thing up.
Back when Magic Eagle EagleCam 5 launched, it was only available directly from the brand. More recently, they’ve gotten it carried over at Amazon (product page), which makes it all that much easier to get ordered and delivered to where it needs to be. Ad of this time, you can get it at Amazon for $79.99 (an almost 40% discount), or direct from Magic Eagle for $99.99. magiceagle.com
Magic Eagle EagleCam 5 Details
SignalSync 4G Connectivity – No SIM card needed. The camera auto-connects to the strongest local signal, no matter how remote.
AI Species Recognition – Filters out branches and squirrels. Tags the animals you actually care about.
Smart Anti-Theft System – GPS tracking, motion detection, and geofence alerts—even if powered off.
Real-Time Streaming – Watch live from the field through the app, without delay.
0.3-Second Trigger Time – Miss nothing. Catch everything.
Power That Lasts – A 13,000mAh battery and solar panel compatibility give you months of hands-free operation.
Image resolution: 5MP
GPS: AGPS
IR Sensors: 6
