20 Best License Plate Reader Camera (2023 Updated)

Car Toys is definitely a great, reputable company. If I was rating my experience this would be a 5 star rating; however, this review is about the backup camera. It works (hence 3 stars), but the guidelines are very off from the actual parameter of the car which kind of defeats the purpose.

It’s great for checking all surroundings and having an idea of what’s behind you, but since the proximity is very skewed, it doesn’t provide any assistance in parallel parking or backing into spaces.

Kind of pointless. Tammy seems to think an adjustment can be made. At this time, I haven’t had the opportunity to take my car back for an adjustment.

My main concern with my corvette was the aesthetics of installation, the license plate mount was not an option for me as I had purchased a carbon fiber frame previously. The installer David aka Smitty offered up a solution to drill a hole in the rear Facia, I was not too excited about drilling holes into any part of my Corvette but I was reassured that it would professional.

Post installation it was more than professional it looked like it was an OEM option, and installed and centered perfectly. Camera works great has saved me and my Corvette several times in the last few post installation.

I have had problems with this upgraded camera, really I just think they call it that because it’s much easier to install. I’ve gone back once and I will have to go back again soon, when I have time because this one stop working.

install was done in a getto way wires ran under truck with non weather resistant butt connection and in fuse panel a wire just wrapped around a fuse amp has one screw holding it down zip ties not cut I ran the USB code drilled hole and put grommet for apple car play because they just left it in glove box and I paid over 3G’s for this but what can I say they got me only going back because it’s paid for won’t do any more work there.

It’s a decent camera for the price. When I bought it in mid 2019, I was looking for something decent but not crazy expensive. I wasn’t expecting full 4K like an expensive TV, but another review mentions the fact it’s a little difficult to read license plate when in motion.

So it would be nice if it was a little clearer in that regard. The overall video quality is decent, you can see basically everything with the wide angle lens. I like that it can install close to the headliner and behind/in front of the rear view mirror, that way it’s not in my line of sight.

It also doesn’t have an external screen for viewing, which is nice as it doesn’t distract from the driving. However, sometimes it would be nice to make sure of what you’re seeing, but I’d rather not have a small screen in my face.

There was an issue with the app connecting to the device a few months ago, but I had to reset/update the device in order for it to work properly. A nuisance and super frustrating, but nothing terrible.

Like having to unplug your wifi router once in a while to get it to work properly. One thing that i wish was quicker is the file transfer from continuous recording to saved video from the app. Not that it takes minutes, but it’s all stored on the same micro SD card, and would be nice if it was as simple as a file transfer on a computer.

Someone else mentioned a feedback noise/audio thumping on the files that are saved on your phone, and it happens to mine also. Not sure what that’s about. As said in the title, it’s an average camera for an average price, nothing spectacular, but better than nothing.

This camera is one of the best investments I’ve made for the car. Even though my vehicle is a 2019 model and has most of the latest features this camera just adds to the features. While driving the camera alerts me when I’m approaching a speed camera and lets me know the speed limit.

It alerts me when a car moves in front of me when we’re stopped at a signal. It alerts me when I’m driving too close to another vehicle and also alerts me when I’m too close to the white lines. Now, for the recording features, it records in 2K with excellent night recording.

The license plates appear clear due to the good resolution of the camera. What good is a dashcam if it can’t record the license plate of a person who is either brake checking you or just backs into you by mistake or while parking.

The dashcam hides behind my rearview mirror and with good size wiring, I’m able to tuck it into the headliner and bring it around to the charging port. It’s got smart recording features so 32gb is more than enough.

I highly recommend this dash cam to everyone who wants good and legible quality and some safety features. Speeding cameras are now almost everywhere in the GTA and you might visually miss the sign but this dashcam alerts you every time in advance and I find that really helpful.

After reading online reviews and asking around for recommendations, I decided on BlackBoxMyCar for a dash cam purchase and install. I went in with a vague idea of what I wanted and what my budget was, and the staff were friendly and helpful in guiding me towards the choice of the Thinkware Q800PRO.

There was no pressure to get something that was more than I needed, which I really appreciated. All my questions were thoroughly answered, and BBMC made it clear that they’d be happy to help post-install if I had any follow-up questions or concerns.

The install was quick and professional (they got it done even faster than predicted). I can’t see the camera at all as they placed it in the best location behind my mirror. All wires are cleanly hidden and no damage to my car which is great as it is brand new.

I’m really happy with the video quality from the camera. I found the wifi setup a little challenging but now that I have it working it’s easy to pull the videos and the picture is crisp and clear, with a bonus of good audio as well.

Overall I’m very happy with my choice to get this Thinkware dual dash cam from BlackBoxMyCar, and would recommend them!.

Beware that the cable that comes with this rear cam is only 24 feet long, and is male micro usb on both ends and it’s not standard at all. This cable is just not long enough for most Suv’s, wagons, or longer sedans if your doing a clean install tucking and routing cables.

They do not sell an extension, and normal type micro extension do not work. Forcing you to purchase their long cable 31 feet from their store, and in the process having to tear apart the entire vehicle to pull another cable.

This really stinks, I’ve purchased the main cam, the hard wire kit, the extra battery, and the rear cam and this experience has just been a major pain considering the cost, it feels like they know they create problems and sell solutions.

And yes I’ve contacted support and they told me this, it’s a shame as the cams and systems are very good, but I can’t recommend this product unless you have a really small car with a short install route or just know the hidden costs and limitations to this cam system.

Live view isn’t stable. Connection to smartphone is tedious and frequently drops. Manual recording only lasts one minute. The CPL filter seems to reduce image quality about 10-15%. Proper hardwiring to my 2017 Ford Escape was impractical due to absence of hot with ACC On fuse to tap into at the passenger side fuse panel (although there were two fuses hot with Ignition in Run or Start, but this eliminates parking mode feature).

Rear camera is good. The OBDII harness works perfectly fine, but small technical problem getting it installed permanently. The only way to get a nice smooth quality playback seems to require downloading the one-minute files and merging them together.

Downloading files is very slow. Everything else seems OK and as described in manual and online reviews.

Quality, reliability is quite good comparing to other one on the market. But radar module should be included for the price you are paying. also you have to buy fuse taps when you buy hardwiring kit. will see how it will work in extreme temperatures here in Mongolia when its hardwired with battery (-20C on average).

Seems like it should work, when I finally get a chance to install the thing. Only writing this review because Best Buy promised me some points. That is why the scores are completely average—because I don’t know.

Haven’t installed the thing yet.

It’s a nice edition to an older spare car but it is very large and not aesthetically pleasing at all. Objects appear closer than they are making it difficult to confidently use the cameras.

Vodeo is nice and clear but the 4 light on the back do not work i did have best buy install it. Wish it was easy just to change the camera I would do that. Anyway not a big deal. I have back up lights but would like it to work right at the same time.

Installed this on a 2008 Tundra. The device requires tapping into the rear reverse tail-light for power (I used t-taps), which then includes a wire to connect to the +12v “Reverse” wire on the head unit so that the camera is activated only on reverse along with an RCA video cable for the head unit.

Those are the only connections/wires to be made on the head-unit side. The opposite side of the RCA connects to the camera. There was just enough wire to route under my truck and into the cab, and I maybe had about 6″ of slack left.

Overall the install was relatively simple and straight-foward. I also added a black license plate frame so that the camera blends in better, but I had to get the thinnest frame possible as the camera “hook” doesn’t have a large gap to fit over a thick license plate frame, and the more that gap is taken up, the less room there is to adjust the camera tilt.

Ine solution might be to mount the camera in front of the license plate frame, but that defeats the purpose of this particular design. The camera instantly activates when reverse is engaged, as it should.

The video is clear overall, and the night-vision works well enough. However, the video has randomly flickered for me a handful of times in the 3 weeks I’ve had it. It isn’t excessive and hasn’t caused any problems as I don’t completely rely on the camera when I go in reverse.

My truck is lifted so it’s helpful for me to initially check what’s behind me before I turn my head to reverse. I’ve checked the connections and made sure everything was good, so I don’t know if it’s my head unit, a pinch in the wire somewhere, or the camera itself.

But for less than $100, I’m happy enough to be able to add a modern feature to my truck.

I was hoping this would be awesome but the camera being connected to the license plate on a car seems to be a bad spot. The camera is almost pointing straight back so it can be hard to see the ground which kind of defeats the purpose of it.

The lines that move when you turn your wheels also have a noticeable lag when you straighten the tires back out. It takes the lines a few seconds to straighten even though the tires are not turned anymore.

Needs to be be re-worked to fit cars better.

Four very small but bright LED lights, great vision at night time as well as day time. Has active parking lines built in the camera which help when backing into a space. The camera can be turned different directions fairly easily for adjustments which can be a good thing or bad thing.

Installation took roughly an hour at Best Buy. The person who installed the camera removed something I placed in my vehicle with gorilla tape and stuck it in a different location and failed to mention it.

It would have to be pried off in order to be removed. Overall good camera.

Bought this as part of a stereo kit – I am pretty experienced with vehicle installations/modifications so install time was fairly quick – the bulk of the time was removing trim panels to fish wires from the back of the stereo to the camera at rear of vehicle.

The instructions don’t mention the little orange wire that is attached to the RCA wire, so I didn’t know what it was and left it unhooked. Later I figured out that it should be attached to the power (12v +) on the reverse lights and the opposite end attached to the stereo so I had to go back and do that.

Pros: Simple to install – hook up to power source for reverse lights on car, attach RCA plug. Camera is pretty clear most of the time. Angle adjusts up and down (but not side to side) to help accommodate different height installs.

Has the “distance” lines in the display to help guide you. Cons: Installation instructions poor at best – if you aren’t familiar with installing things in a car you will need help. Some conditions (rain, darkness) the camera isn’t good enough view to be useful.

The size of the bracket that attaches to the license plate is pretty big and covers part of the license plate such that in some states you might get a ticket. Overall I’d say bang for the buck this is a great deal.

If you are looking for a rear view “backup” camera for your car and already have a stereo that will accept this (or have another option for viewing) I think this is a good option.

Excellent! Use it when towing travel trailer as a rear view mirror. Nice angle for lane changes. Would recommend.

After going thru 2 other brands of backup cameras I really like this one. Color is very good, picture is sharp, and is all metal instead of plastic. Hopefully it won’t get moisture behind the lens like plastic ones.

Easy to adjust the vertical angle which is very important to see closer lower objects. These all install the same, just watch a u tube video. Not the quality of factory cameras but works well. Only downside I’ve seen is headlights even in cloudy daylight make cars behind you appear as one big dot of white light.

This is a very decent “Above License Plate camera”, I installed this camera on my Dodge truck, works well, with or without the backup lines. Connected to my Kenwood stereo unit. Considering using the units back-up lines.

Very clear view! I would recommend the purchase of this camera.

Wasted my money on this back up camera. I wanted to view on the monitor part of my rear bumper so I can see how far I am from subject, so this camera does NOT have that capability.

Great product and service. Camera works better than the original stock one. Thanks

I installed this bad boy on a 2014 Subaru crosstrek premium trim (no navigation). I had just replaced the stock radio with a pioneer DMH-2660NEX. The instructions seemed simple enough- plug the yellow AV pin into the back of the radio and wire the power and ground into the reverse light wiring.

The problem is that after I did just that I could power the camera but the HU did not recognize that it needed to turn the camera on when the car was in reverse! There are 2 red wires on extending from each side of the video cable that the instructions completely overlook.

I could find nothing on the ECHOMASTER website regarding these wires. Maybe an experienced installer would have quickly discovered the solution to this problem but the lack of instruction was extremely frustrating.

To those trying this install on their own just know this- one red wire plugs into the Head Units reverse signal wire and the opposing wire plugs into “power”. I wired Mine into the same reverse light power as the other wire.

The instructions do say that “a relay may be required for some vehicles”, but have no vehicle specific instructions on how to do so. I also needed about 12ft of extra wire for this install for my mid sized crossover not provided in the kit.

The camera is speeded and performs well in low lighting so now it is installed I appreciate it. Perhaps it is simply not designed for installation by a layman but for a “Best Buy” consumer product I would have expected better.

I had a $50 American Express offer for BestBuy so I ordered this camera to put on our 2004 super-crew F150. We have a leveling lift and oversized tires, plus have a pickup shell top on it so my point being- backing up can be challenging in urban environments where there are many people and objects.

This was easy to mount. Literally screws into license plate area. My complaint is I could have used about one additional foot of video cable. When you account for the twits and turns of cleanly hiding a wire, it can fall short pretty quickly on a big vehicle.

Secondly, the included instruction card is frankly awful. Some quick YouTube videos will help more than anything that comes with the camera. Lastly, the power supply cable is really short. Maybe not an issue for a Camry but again, on a big truck/vehicle, it’s really too short to go from reverse light power to the camera/license plate area.

You’ll also be better served using those wire tapping things, instead of splicing into important brake light wires. In the end, its and affordable camera that will definitely help provide better viewing and safety when backing out.

Image quality is amazing, for a backup camera. Replaces an aftermarket camera, that the dealer installed, images from that camera starting getting cloudy roughly one year later. Old one was nothing fancy, lense must have been made with cheap plastic.

This camera, picture has more detail, and shows the lane you are traveling backwards on. The lines showing your lane, do adjust if you turn the wheel. Not needed but, definitely helpful. The fact that it was a “Deal of The Day”, which means it was cheaper, made me wish I’d have bought a couple of them.

Don’t be afraid to buy this camera! The price would say it might not provide a very good image High Definition-wise, but I actually place it right up there with my factory-installed 2018 Impala camera.

It features a superimposed “guide bracket” on your viewing screen with a green, yellow and red zone so you don’t back into an object (or another vehicle!) The only doiference is that it is a static presentation, not re-aimed as is the Impala’s dynamic steering position which also shows WHERE you are heading as you back up.

Installation is a breeze as it attaches to the top of your license plate. It can handle either a wired install or a wireless install as well. Buy this! You’ll like it!.

Pretty nice quality. both the style and construction, and the picture quality. adjustable, so you have to get the camera at the right angle to match the red lines to the rear of vehicle, but pretty easy to do.

Only complaints. could have added a rubber back to camera bar and cord from camera with plug could have been a little longer, but worked. Installed on 2004 Camry LE with Dual touch screen double DIN radio.

I bought this for a big rig freightliner and mounted it on the back of the cab instead of the license plate. The camera rotates up or down for your best position. I drop and hook to multiple trailers day and night and it has come in VERY handy.

I bought a BOSS DVD radio from Walmart as well which I use with the camera. I just hooked up the reverse wire remote switch to my utility light switch. Now, I just flip a switch at any time and I can see what’s going on behind me in what would normally be a blind spot.

I can even see my air lines and electric cord.

The camera works as advertised, however, I think the monitor is not as clear as it should be. I have ring cameras that are cheaper with better clarity. In addition, there is no warning sound when you back up to let you know you are getting too close.

If you don’t stare at the screen the whole time (I like to use this plus mirrors when backing up) then it’s very easy to back into something Bought this in 2021 but the guy that could install this on my 1960 Ford f100 (needed wired due to steel body of truck) and then truck broke down.

Finally got it installed March 2022… the installer was phenomenal and did a fabulous job hiding wired etc.

I can’t say anything good because it was not installed as it was I was told I had to stay outside because company policy said because of virus & the store did not open until 11 A M. They told me I was to have a ride.

which I was not aware of. I also told them I am a stage 4 nonhodgkins lymphoma cancer patient & I was not going to stand out in the cold for any one. plus I am unable to walk down to Pet Smart or Home Depot.

& I’m still suffering a bit from the gout. I had to reschedule. I am not happy w/you people a tall.

This is the second product I ordered from Best Buy. The first failed 3 times before moving to this unit. The display is much better (bigger, great clarity). The most significant factor is the Geek Squad.

They replaced the first system 3 times with no complaints. After the 3rd failure they helped me select a better replacement with a very modest extra cost.

This particular camera was suggested by the Best Buy installation team when I came in at the installation appointment for the originally back-up camera I had purchased, which would have them install the camera outside the license plate frame.

They told me that the camera I had purchased would require the drilling of two extra holes and that it may cause the water to filtrate inside the trunk, etc, Long story short, they convinced me to change my mind and buy/install this plate frame camera, which now I regret purchasing because you can’t really adjust the angle of view, which is too high; therefore, it does not allow you to see the bumper of the car, which makes it difficult to tell how far you are from the curb when parking.

I have tried every possible way to change the angle of this camera, but it’s of no use — you can’t really adjust it. If I had to do it again, I would not purchase this camera for the issue mentioned above, it almost defeats the purpose of a back-up camera (and depending on the stereo you have, you’re not able to make changes through there either).

This is a much better back-up camera then I was expecting. It’s not the best out there, but for <$100, it actually looks pretty good. It's a little tough at night when there's lights aimed at the camera.

Even at night in general, it’s more fuzzy than in the day, but still usable at night. Installing this (nature of the beast) is quite difficult, not this camera in particular however. Making sure you line up a wire from the rear outside of the car to the (relatively) insulated inside of the car, with drilling minimal holes and ensuring the wires remain out of site was a difficult task.

If you spend the time to do it right, you’ll be happier with the final result in the long run. Plus it’ll add to the longevity.

Installation isn’t too bad however what threw me off is that the wiring has your black and red wires, then it has another red wire by the RGA plug. So for a little bit, I was not able to get the camera working.

I called Metra tech support and they explained to me that the red wire by the RCA plug is to attach to the reverse light’s wire. I still don’t understand why they wired two positive wires when you can take the original one and hook it up to the back up light’s positive wire.

So I hooked both positive wires to the back up light’s positive, and negative to the negative, and the camera works great. I really love the design where the frame goes behind the license tag. Now the state name is not covered up since Georgia puts their state name on the top of the license plates.

I used this camera in the front bumper of my Ram 2500 and utilized the camera that came with the truck with a Pioneer Nex W-4500. The camera doesn’t appear to be of great quality and right now, I have it mounted, but it sticks out.

This back up viewer works very well. I can mount my trlr by myself. I have not had any issues with moisture in the part as others have stated. Mounts easily. I made mine a wireless connection to the front seat of my f350 quad cab with good reception and picture clarity.

Cost was good and quality is there. I do recommend.

The trajectory lines were very confusing and also distorted some of the actual environment. We took it back and asked that Car Toys remove the lines. They did but it inverted the screen. When you were backing up to the left, the screen would show you going to the right.

We eventually had to go back yet another time to get another camera. one without lines.

Accidentally damaged my old unit and was looking for just the replacement camera. Found this one and it plugged right in to my existing wiring. Cant beat the price and the shipping was great.

I installed this on my travel trailer so that I can see while backing it up. It produces a clear image and the adjustable angle of the camera means I can compensate for the somewhat wonky angle of my license plate.

It is important to note that many trailers do not have reverse lights, and, therefore, no means of powering the device when the vehicle is in reverse only. I wired mine to the tail lights. Hence, I can turn on the camera just by turning the lights on in my truck.

The camera will come on whenever I drive with the trailer at night, but if I decide I don’t like that I can put a switch on the power wire under the dashboard of the truck. This unit makes a great second camera.

I already have a back-up camera on the truck, but the display has two inputs. I wired the trailer camera to the primary input, so whenever the trailer is hooked up, that camera is displayed. I used a hard wire to connect the truck camera to the display and a wireless transmitter for the trailer camera.

This product comes with a power wire only. You will have to decide how you are going to connect it to your display, and obtain appropriate hardware.

Easier to replace that I thought itd be. Hooks up to my old cords but seeing this came with new cords I thought I best replace it all. I just followed the old cord as I replaced with the new one. My old camera looked like it was stuck in a fog, lense was ruined from winter road salt.

Now with new camera I see everything so clear, it’s so amazing what a difference. I’ll never wait to replace one again. I did not need to get any technical support at all, that’s always a huge plus in my book.

Oh and I’m not a technical person at all, lol. The camera is adjustable for the proper view that you need. Dont forget to remove the clear film from the lense.

Reviewed in the United States on November 8, 2018 I’m very pleased with this backup camera/monitor. Easy to install; amazingly inexpensive (under $30); very good picture relative to sharpness and clarity, including bright infrared image in complete darkness.

Only minor complaint is the image color in daytime use: trees look purple, no matter how the tint and saturation controls are adjusted. I would have bought it at this price even if it were only black.

We purchased two of these for Christmas gifts – neither is waterproof. One was returned for a replacement, which doesn’t work either. The second one worked at first, but six months later collects water, ruining the usefulness of the backup camera.

The second unit is now out of the return period of three months, and I can’t find information to return it to the manufacturer as defective. Do not recommend!.

This thing is great. If your car dont comes with a backup camera I recommend you buy the barcam. Its easy to install and you dont have to worry about damaging your car.

Very nice camera with easy installation and interface with my Pioneer Double Din. Everybody needs one of these. Theres a whole nother world back there. (-:

This camera is a stapler if you are looking for a high quality backup footage . This camera even has a built in light to help things become more visible at night. I see no flaws!

Good quality, good functionality,easy to install with minimal experience. Would buy another.

For the price I paid sis a good cmara and my stereo synchronized to the cmara and when I put it in reverse the image quality is really good

I reached out to TDS and chose the Viofo A129 Pro Duo kit for my GTI, as it seems to deliver the most value at the price point. The communication with the team has been great overall at all stages. The installation was smooth, took less time than advertised and the hardwiring is almost invisible within the vehicle.

Unfortunately, the team initially used a non-standard power cable for the installation, which caused issues with the device detecting power states and therefore switching to different modes. However, once i identified the issue after a few days, the TDS team called the vehicle in and rewired it, which fixed the issues.

Since then the device has worked fully automatically without issue. The picture quality is good, though exposure adjustment might be necessary depending on your specific environment, especially to make sure you have enough visibility in low-light environments.

A surprise was that because Viofo is a Chinese company, their smartphone app did trigger some security measures on my phone. A situation like this always raises some eyebrows, but the app is not required for anything other than specific applications when you really want to quickly review or copy footage from the cam to your phone.

It’s also worth mentioning that the team included the hardwire kit and a basic memory card with the device for free, which is a nice touch.

I wanted a 4K camera for a good price point and this one fit the bill. I usually buy Korean and this one is a deviation from that but research indicated it was a solid brand. Installation was somewhat tedious due to the cable diameter but all cables hidden and I like how the rear camera has a 90 at the main unit and with GPS you can route both wires straight up into head liner.

Setup is easy but the app has trouble connecting and requires several tries before it connects at times. Lame. Screen allows for setup though and once set, it runs at startup and works as advertised.

Video quality is excellent and for the money, you can’t beat this little unit. FYI I used a high quality Sandisk sd card and have had no problems with capture.

Great Camera so far. installation was not bad with the online videos. It was great to deal with the dashcam store. They were able to answer all my questions on multiple dash cams while I was comparing them before I made my decision.

Would definitely buy from them again.

The product worked fine, but after having it installed we were unable to operate the button that operated the rear hatch on our 2011 Honda Crosstour. We ended up having to take the vehicle back to Car Toys, have it uninstalled and reinstall a different model so we could open the rear hatch.

I like the license plate back up camara except for the price. Many just like it for far less. The picture quality is ok but at this price it should be exceptional considering it a carrot product.

I really like the backup camera that Car Toys installed on my vehicle. The problem I have is that I do not know how to operate it. I did not get operating instructions or written instructions when I picked up my vehicle.

I went online for instructions but those are not detailed enough for me to do the most basic adjustments – like setting the date/time. I will return to the store for instructions / demonstration on how to operate the system.

Turn off vpv, install dash cam link, push wifi button on camera, start dash cam link, enter password, should connect. Make sure internet connection to camera is on and connects automatically, also yoir wifi internet connection to NOT connect automaticall.

If still does not work, unistall dash cam link and reinstall. Make sure wifi button is presse before you start application. I spent hours and days installing this lousy software on my Samsung S20 ultimate.

Dont give up, it will work. If you dont buy your camera from an authorized dealer, whoever that is, thinkers will NOT stand behind there warranty. Good luck. Thinkware FA200 hardwired with rear camera.

The F200 is incredibly easy to set up and use. One major fall back is the event feature and its arbitrary threshold holds videos forever. Its helpful that the file is compressed to half the original size (88.

3MB to 44MB) however if you don’t watch the folder it will collect footage from hard bumps and such taking up space. To explain: with an empty event folder and max memory card (128GB) you can hold roughly 26 hrs of footage on loop.

After a few months of use I collected 5GB or one hour of record space. After having my truck ransacked one night this was the difference between seeing the perps face or not; I could not. If this product is in your price range don’t let this discourage you from purchasing.

Simply, know the limits and fallbacks of your equipment and PLAN for them; encompass them into your security plan.

I bit the bullet and bought four Reconyx Hyperfire cams in ‘19. I had tried most every other cam for a decade. Several of those (Moultree, Wildgame, Cabelas, Browning, Cuddeback, Stealth, Covert) of them performed like new after a year in the field and lots didn’t.

-Figured I’d spend the extra money and hope for the best. The Reconyx are still working as well as they did year one -and there is no “season” on axis so the cameras are up and working all year. This year (‘22), one of those four was rubbed to the ground by an axis, then was whooped by some wild pigs.

So, they aren’t pig proof, but they seem ageless so long as they don’t go to the ground. I won’t buy anything else. They are just so much better than the rest. I hunt in extreme heat in southwest Texas.

The batteries (lithium) last about eighteen months on feeders (~3,000 pics per month).

I have three Reconyx cameras and by far they are the best camera’s I have ever owned. Previous to the Reconyx purchases, I had other manufacturers cameras, that I was never happy with, and after purchasing the Reconyx brand I will never change.

The images are crystal clear and the speed of the trigger, is possibly the fastest on the market. Doesn’t matter what comes into view, but you will get continued pictures in non-blurred fashion from the moment the animal enters the motion detection area to when it exits, if you have the setting set to food plot, which is how I have my cameras always set to.

I contacted Reconyx, as I noticed that pictures taken during the dark hours were only picking up eyes and no images past more than three feet after owning them for more than seven years, whereas they used to produce fabulous nighttime pictures out to around 60 feet or better.

The Reconyx representative told me to mail the cameras to them and they would test them to see what was wrong, and would let me know once all three were tested and diagnosed. Within a few days of me mailing them, they contacted me via phone and told me with the latest technology they could replace the day/night exchanger and update the Illumination portion, which was not available and designed for the model years I purchased, for a small amount for each camera.

I agreed to the changes and when my cameras were mailed back to me after around a week, I was amazed. The work order included other items changed, such as battery terminals, battery harnesses, gaskets, and firmware as well, at no additional charge.

The also included a Reconyx baseball hat in the box. Not only are my Reconyx camera’s the best I have ever owned, I am not sure ever in my life, have I been treated so professionally and courteously as I was with the representative I spoke to twice.

Customer service alone more than justifies the costs of their cameras. Trust me,,,, as you will never go wrong by purchasing a Reconyx Camera. BTW, this is the first review I have EVER written for anything or anyone on the internet.

I have 3 of these. They work flawlessly, set up is very easy. Picture quality is superb. Definitely worth the money. American made. Product construction is well engineered and rugged. ALL OTHER BRANDS that I have purchased in the last 3 years have failed miserably.

These work.