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Description
Reconyx UltraFire XR6 Review
- Initially, this camera jumps off the page from its price and slow trigger speeds. However, it will win you over if you like videos. The processor in this camera takes unbelievable video quality. You have to see it to believe it. - TCP Staff
Model # XR6 | Reconyx XR6 Owner's Manual
Trailcampro Comprehensive Score:
85/100
Reconxy Ultrafire XR6 Trail Camera Review
Pros
- Excellent video quality
- Excellent daytime pictures
- Incredible resting current draw (battery life)
Cons
- Slow trigger speed
- Batteries can be tricky to load
Trailcampro Analysis
Reconyx trail cameras have been the gold standard for the trail camera industry for more than 10 years now. Reconyx manufactures their cameras on American soil and produce the quickest and most reliable cameras on the market.
How durable have Reconyx cameras been? We still have an old Reconyx RM45 on a farm in Northern Missouri that has been there over 10 years. It is still as fast and reliable as the day we unwrapped it.
Through the years, Reconyx has produced the Rapidfire Series, the Hyperfire Series and now, the long awaited Ultrafire Series. In the past, the only features Reconyx has lacked are the abilities to take videos and/or have an internal viewer. The new Reconyx Ultrafire XR6 can check both those items off the list. The XR6 is designed to hang its hat on the video quality. Billed as the best in the business, you can bet we were eager to find out if the Reconyx Ultrafire camera was going to live up to the hype.
Photo resolution: 8, 5, 3 mpxl | Video Resolution: 1080 p HD w/ audio | Flash Type: Low Glow Infrared
Daytime pictures offer robust color, excellent clarity, and beautiful depth. We did have a few daytime pictures that had slight blur, but nothing out of the ordinary.
The XR6 game trail camera is a low glow trail camera and this usually means a sacrifice in nighttime photos. We can't really say that is the case here. The pictures are clear, offer good contrast and lack the "white noise" that you find in many other low glow trail cameras.
The Reconyx Ultrafire XR6 camera's flash range is pretty shallow and hovers around 50 ft., depending on ambient lighting (moon phase, street lights, etc.).
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Daytime videos are without a doubt the best we have seen. Crystal clear, incredible color, good audio - these are the best trail camera videos we have ever had. Click play below and enjoy the XR6 trail camera videos.
Night videos are great at close range but you can see the flash range is a little shorter when the Reconyx Ultrafire camera is in video mode. Overall, these are very good, clear night videos. The XR6 does have stereo quality sound, so make sure you turn up your speakers when playing the videos.
Resting Power (on): 0.18 mW | Daytime Power Consumption: 4.31 Ws | Nighttime Power Consumption: 8.22 Ws
The resting current draw is ridiculous. 0.18 mW is almost nothing at all. At the time of this writing, 0.18 mW is 4X better than the next closest camera. The day and night draws are both high, but the resting power makes the battery life incredible.
Our star rating in this category is misleading. We judge the cameras on resting power, daytime power consumption, and nighttime power consumption. This camera is an anomaly because the resting power is so incredibly low, that it overcomes the other two categories. In fact, the resting power is so low that if this camera were to take 35-day pictures and 35-night pictures every 24 hours, this camera could last 11.9 months in the field (with lithiums).
The camera operates on 12 AA batteries and it is recommended you use either NiMH rechargeable or lithium batteries only. No alkaline batteries.
The battery compartment stacks the batteries in there pretty tight and they can be tough to load. Be sure to look at which battery post is positive and which is negative before loading as they are easy to confuse.
Picture Trigger & Recovery Speed: 1.08 s. / 3.40 s. | Video Trigger & Recovery Speed: 1.18 s. / 4.46 s. | Detection Range: 70 ft.
The 1.08-second picture trigger speed was not what we expected when we started the Reconyx XR6 Reviews. The camera recovers after taking a photo in 3.4 seconds, and while that is usually fast enough for most animals, that is not what we would call "Reconyx fast."
Video trigger time is 1.18 s., which is actually quite fast compared to other trail cameras.
The detection zone is very typical from what we have seen in past Reconyx models. Detection range is 60 ft. but matches the field of view very well.
Overall, the detection circuit is hampered by the slow trigger time which brings down the overall rating.
Dimensions: 4.5" x 3.5" x 3.25" | Battery Type: 12 AA Batteries | External Battery Jack: None
Case design on the XR6 is what you would expect from a Reconyx camera. The latch is flawless and easy to open with cold hands. The front face of the XR6 is actually smaller than previous Reconyx models by one-inch in both height and width. The depth of the case is a bit thicker.
There is a 1/4 x 20 threaded insert on the back of the camera for a Slate River Mount. Most cameras have a bracket for a Python Cable Lock, however, Reconyx takes it a step further and has two mounts. One of the holes locks the camera to the tree but the inside of the camera can still be opened without taking the lock off. The second hole locks both the camera to the tree and the case shut. This is a pretty handy feature that is unique to Reconyx.
After years of complaining about the on/off switch that Primos cameras use, it is only fair to point out the XR6 is using the identical system. Instead of a simple on/off toggle switch like previous Reconyx models utilize, the XR6 has an on/off button. After the camera has been running for a while, you have to turn the power button on, wait for the screen to light up, and then turn it off again.
Programming the camera is exactly what we want. The programming is as simple or complex as you like. The large, ample viewing screen makes both programming and picture review very easy. You can view both pictures and videos the camera has taken on the screen, including the audio from the videos.
In the past, our warranty rate on Reconyx cameras hovers around 0.1%, which is an insanely low number. We believe the biggest selling point for Reconyx cameras is their long-term durability. With that being said, we have encountered a few bugs with a few of the new XR6 cameras. The first encounter was a time/date glitch that Reconyx quickly fixed with a firmware update (all our firmware updates can be found here). We have also had a few compatibility issues with our standard Maxflash SD cards, which is why we are ordering Sandisk SD cards (this is the card type Reconyx recommends) to attempt to fix this issue. The memory card issue wasn't on all the cameras we tested, but it was on a few. We have also noticed when the camera is in time lapse mode, it operates continuously for 24 hours. The camera should be able to accept time parameters for time lapse (i.e. daytime only or dawn/dusk hours).
Reconyx XR6 Reviews Conclusion: 85/100
If Reconyx set out to build the best video trail camera on the market, they easily accomplished that. The daytime video quality is outstanding and will blow you away. However, in the process of building the ultimate video game trail camera, it seems several other features were sacrificed. Previous Reconyx cameras have spoiled us with their lightning fast speed and the XR6 simply isn't that quick. The night pictures are good, but we think it is fair to expect more flash range from a camera this expensive (that can change with the expected new firmware).
Enjoy our reviews? Please consider purchasing your next trail camera from us.
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Trailcampro's 2 Year Warranty | 90 day Return Policy
Trailcampro 90 Day Return | 2 Year Exclusive Warranty Details
If you purchased your trail camera from us (Trailcampro.com), here are the following warranty stipulations. If you purchased from another retailer, we recommend contacting that retailer or the manufacturer of that product for their warranty details.
If You Purchase From Trailcampro.com
We attempted to make our return policy and 2-year exclusive warranty as simple as possible. However, there are a few stipulations.
90 Day Returns
You may return or exchange anything purchased from Trailcampro for a full 90 days from the date of purchase. Please use the items as you normally would and much as you like subject to the rules below.
Our return policy lets you field test products, at no risk to you!
- Buyer's remorse? Return the camera to us for a full refund (minus shipping).
- Purchased the wrong camera? We will ship you the right camera.
- Something wrong with the camera you received? We will replace it at no cost to you.
90 Day Return Policy Rules:
- 90 days from date of purchase.
- In order to receive a full refund, items must be returned with their original packaging (including UPC code) and all contents
- Cameras or products must be returned in their original condition. You cannot write on the cameras, paint them or deface them in any way. This completely voids the warranty with both us and the specific manufacturer.
- If you purchased one of our "Package Deals" and only return part of the package, we will refund the items full price minus the package discount.
- Orders with quantities of 5 or more are not eligible for a refund or exchange. They are still eligible for warranty replacement.
- There are no returns on used cameras or cameras that clearly state "No Returns"
- If you are returning for a refund, you are responsible for return shipping. Your refund amount will be minus the cost of the initial shipping to you.
2 Year Warranty
We strive to make our customer experience superior to anything available. Traditional warranties only last a year and must be processed directly through the manufacturer. This process usually involves frustrating minutes on hold with call centers and oftentimes weeks, if not months of down time waiting for your replacement product. We process our warranties in-house and expedite the replacement process. When you call Trailcampro you'll speak directly with an expert who will immediately identify the problem and offer a solution.
2 Year Exclusive Warranty Details:
- Warranty starts from the time of purchase and continues for a full 2 years.
- Replacement cameras receive the remainder of the 2-year warranty leftover from the original purchase.
- Warranty is only valid for full retail priced orders (quantity discounts void our 2-year warranty). Discounted items still receive the manufacturer warranty. Price matches void the 2-year warranty as well.
- If your defective camera has been discontinued, we will exchange it for a similarly priced item to your liking.
- If you have a 3G cellular trail camera, it is not considered manufacturer defect if you lose 3G reception in your area.
- Used cameras do not apply for our 2-year warranty
- Cameras cannot be marked on, damaged, or defaced in any way. Warranty is for manufacturer defect only. Defect does not include damage, whether intentional or not.
If you have any questions that were not answered here please feel free to contact us.
To warranty a camera please use the form below. Upon receipt of an RMA number, you will need to ship the camera back to us. You will be responsible for the shipping charges of the defective camera back to us. We will ship the replacement back to you for free.
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