Reconyx HL2X Review
The Reconyx HL2X is the only security camera optimized to capture license plates on moving vehicles at night. It detects extremely fast, takes bright day photos and has a battery life of 2+ years. - TCP Staff
Model # HL2X | HL2X Owner's Manual
Trailcampro Comprehensive Score:
88/100
Reconyx HL2X Hyperfire 2 License Plate Trail Camera 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
Photo resolution: 1.4 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 | 101.05 Ws
Picture Mode
If this camera were to take 35-day and 35-night pictures every 24 hours, the Hyperfire HL2X would last 24 months in the field on a set of 12 AA Lithium Batteries.
Video Mode
If this camera were to take 15-day and 15-night videos (10-second videos) every 24 hours, it would last 2.8 months in the field on a set of lithium batteries.
Picture Trigger & Recovery Speed: 0.07 s. | 0.9 s.
Video Trigger & Recovery Speed: 0.29 s. | 5.6 s.
Detection Range & Angle: 80 ft. @ 44.5° Detection Angle (38.1° Field of View)
Detecting vehicles shouldn't be an issue for the Hyperfire HL2X. Trigger speed in both modes is excellent and recovery times are very good as well.
The Hyperfire 2 license plate trail camera detected out to 80 ft., making it an above average detection range. The detection angle is slightly wider than the field of view, which could produce a minimal amount of false triggers, however, this could also help with detection fast moving vehicles.Overall, the detection circuit is outstanding.
Dimensions: 5.25" x 4.5" 3"
Battery Type: 12 AA Batteries
External Battery Jack: N/A
SD Card Size: Up to 512GB
Case Design
The Hyperfire 2 has a fairly standard case design. It is solid and well-built. 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.
The Reconyx HL2X camera is the only license plate camera currently on the market. It detects extremely fast, takes bright day photos, license plate photos at night, and the batteries could last 2+ years.
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.
Read Reviews From All the Game and Trail Cameras