BMC (Boly Media Company ) Scout Guard are the people that designed the 550 in China.
Power is 3/3.
Unit functions excellently . maybe the pics are washed out from say 6 oclock til dark when the IR doesn't know if it should be on or off.

Ive learned that it is possibility. I have seen different manufactures models do that dawn dusk confusion. As long as it isnt bothersome it seems ok. Beyond that all your other functions are good?

Might have to adjust the sensitivaty level Running on high . Should drop it back down to normal.

my I40 does that aswell. during the transition times between light and dark, especially under a heavy canopy of trees, it will take IR pic's when it could probally be better off taking regular pic's.

I don't know for certain why the IR seems dimmer on the second shot, but I think it may be due to it taking a pic before the ir is fully powered.... Not certain though. You know how some point and shot flash cams have to charge before flashing, maybe these work the same way.

Great answer !!! Do they all do it?? My Night time videos are Ok . What I did notice was that most 3 pics with IR was between pics 1 and 2 time was 1 sec and between 2 and 3 time was 2 secs. That is twice as long to power the IR . But the 3 rabbits pics show the time as 2 sec between the 1st and 2nd pic and 1 sec for pic #3 . Pic #3 is lite ok.

yeah, I've noticed the same thing. I can live with the darker pics by getting them within 1 or 2 seconds.

For those of you who had worries about the weather proof issue, here is a video of one during a rain storm. Not a drop was found in this unit. Check it out

http://s184.photobucket.com/albums/x...t=IM000014.flv

does this camera accept an external battery?

Yes. You buy the optional cable that lets you hook up a 6V battery. You could even use a solar device of the correct voltage. There is a port on the bottom to plug the cable in. I have had mine out 3 different times over two weeks and still had 3/4 battery power on the original Duracells. Not sure why you would need the external battery.