Recony Hyperfire 2 License Plate Capture (Non-Cellular) Review
Reconyx HL2X (License Plate Capture) - TCP Staff
Model # HL2X | HL2X Owner's Manual
Trailcampro Comprehensive Score:
88/100
Review
Pros
- Good day pictures and takes legible license plate photos at night
- An astounding 2 years of battery life!
- Extremely fast detection circuit
Cons
- Slightly wider detection angle from field of view
- Night photos of anything other than license plates are not illuminated
Be Wary Of Megapixel Ratings
Megapixel ratings for trail cameras seem to increase more & more every year. In reality, the native resolution of 99% of all trail cameras is 5 megapixels or less. Manufacturers artificially inflate megapixel ratings for advertising purposes through a process called interpolation. Interpolated photos are enhanced by software to mimic the file size of a higher megapixel photo, but seldom offer additional clarity or resolution. The result is an exponentially larger file size photo which takes longer to load and slows down the speed of your camera. We always program our cameras to capture photos at the image sensor's native resolution. This allows our cameras to operate as efficiently as possible and store more photos to memory. With shorter load times, this also allows us to review photos at a much quicker pace. To put things in perspective, the trail camera widely considered to be the "Gold Standard" and used by more professional researchers than any other unit is just 3 megapixels.
Photo resolution: 3 mpxl
Video resolution: 720p
Flash Type: Low Glow IR
The Reconyx HL2X daytime pictures are excellent. As you can see from the sample photos, they have great color and clarity. Please note, the photos will all be stretched but we believe this was done to give you the highest chance of catching the vehicle license plate.
Night pictures of license plates vary and can be hard to make out at ranges beyond 50 ft. Setup is crucial and the closer you can place the camera to the vehicle the better. PLEASE NOTE, this is a License Plate security camera, night pictures will be almost completely black outside of headlight/tail lights and license plates. You should not expect to get a make or model of vehicle at night.
Picture & Video Resting Power (on): 0.66 mW
Picture Daytime/Nighttime Power Consumption: 0.79 Ws | 4.26 Ws
Video Daytime/Nighttime Power Consumption: 25.25 Ws | 101.05 Ws
Here are your best battery options:
Trailcampro Choice: AmpTORRENT Rechargeable AA Lithium
If the Reconyx Hyperfire 2 License Plate were to take 35-day and 35-night pictures every 24 hours, this camera would last 16 months in the field - per charge - on a set of AmpTorrent Rechargeable AA Lithium batteries.
There are a number of benefits to these batteries:
- Up to 1,200 charges
- Consistent 1.5 volt operation
- Charges with the included USB cable
- Eco-friendly (less batteries in a landfill)
- Batteries pay for themselves after 2-3 charges
Longest Lasting Choice: Energizer Ultimate Lithium
If the Hyperfire 2 License Plate were to take 35-day and 35-night pictures every 24 hours, it would last 24 months in the field on a set of Energizer Ultimate Lithium batteries.
Video Mode
If this camera were to take 15 day and 15 night videos every 24 hours, it would last 2.8 months in the field on a set of Energizer Ultimate Lithium batteries.
Ultimate Lithium batteries are the longest-lasting battery choice due to their incredible consistency and capacity. We've loved these batteries for a long time. However, in recent years they have become cost prohibitive and forced us to seek out a more affordable, eco-friendly option.
Picture Trigger & Recovery Speed: 0.07 s. | 0.9 s.
Video Trigger & Recovery Speed: 0.29 s. | 5.6 s.
Detection Range: 80 ft
Dimensions: 5.25" x 4.5" x 3"
Battery Type: 12 AA
External Battery Jack: Special Order
SD Card Size: Up to 512GB
Case Design
The Hyperfire 2 has a fairly standard case design. It is solid and well-built, the most durable in the industry. The latch is oversized and easy to manipulate. The batteries slide in much easier than on the Reconyx Ultrafire cameras and the SD card is easy to insert as well. The python lock bracket is on the front of the camera thereby not only locking the camera to the tree but also preventing access to the internal controls and memory card.
The Hyperfire 2 only has one threaded insert (on the bottom) instead of having two like previous models. This limits the versatility of a tripod or Slate River Mount. Also, the camera has a simple LCD screen for settings but lacks the internal viewer many cameras include.
This unit has a working temperature rated down to -20 degrees which is substantially lower than imported units.
Camera Setup
It's easy, simple, and arms in seconds. It does offer programmable start/stop times during specific hours of the day, and the ability to use SD cards up to 512 Gigs.
SD Card Storage Examples
With a 16 Gig SD card and the camera taking 1.4 mpxl photos, the Hyperfire HL2X could store 45,000+ pictures on the SD card.
With a 16 Gig SD card and the camera taking 1280x720 videos, the Hyperfire HL2X could store 747 10-second videos. These numbers can vary slightly but this gives you a good idea of storage ideas.
From this data, you can extrapolate out storage capacities of different sized SD cards and different resolution settings. Shop all SD card options here.
Durability
The vast majority of consumer-grade trail cameras are inexpensive, imported devices exposed to harsh conditions 24/7/365. Most manufacturers only offer a one-year warranty. Through our 2-year warranty program we've tracked the warranty rate for all manufacturers. We do not publish this data but durability on Reconyx trail cameras is unmatched. These cameras are engineered and produced in Holmen Wisconsin by some of the brightest minds in the business. You won't need it, but Reconyx has recently started issuing a 5-year warranty on the Hyperfire 2.
All test results are achieved through the use of proprietary equipment used exclusively by Trailcampro. Any re-publication of this data without prior written consent is strictly prohibited by law. COPYRIGHT TRAILCAMPRO, L.L.C. 2023, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
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