Mike M.

Mike M. is the hands-on owner behind Iron Mako Media and runs Cam & Canopy. He builds the rankings from manufacturers' published specs, verified plan pricing and the independent shootouts he cites on every page, and says plainly when a claim can't be verified.

How Mike ranks trail cameras

Every page on Cam & Canopy is labeled “spec-checked, not field-tested.” That means Mike reads the maker's published trigger speed, flash type and range, battery configuration and detection figures; reads each brand's own plan page and computes the real monthly cost at one and four cameras; cites the independent shootouts (Trailcampro and others) as their measurements; and scores each pick on the public rubric at How We Rank. It does not mean he has hung, run or measured the unit, and no page on this site says otherwise.

If a page ever describes something Mike has done with a specific camera in the field, it will say exactly what was done and for how long. Until then, “spec-checked” is the honest label, and the trade for it is that every figure on the site links to where it came from.

What you won't find here

• Credentials, titles or years-in-the-woods claims he hasn't provided.
• Claims that he owns or has tested a camera he hasn't.
• Amazon prices, star ratings or review counts.
• Rankings paid for by a brand. Commissions never set a score or decide a pick.

Contact

Questions, corrections and plan-price changes go to mike@blackironathletics.com or the contact form. Mike reads every message. More about the publisher is at Iron Mako Media.