2016 Browning Recon Force Platinum Review

Model # BTC-7FHD-P  |  Browning Recon Force Owner's Manual

Pros

• Outstanding Video Quality
• 2" Internal viewing screen
• Fast video detection capabilities
• Excellent case design

Cons

• Max of 20-second night videos
• Slow picture trigger speed

Trailcampro Analysis

The Browning Recon Force Platinum is a red glow IR trail camera that has a 2" internal picture viewer.  This viewer allows you to see the pictures and videos the camera has taken.  The other benefit to the Recon Force is 1920 x 1080 Full HD video resolution (with sound).

Picture Quality

Photo resolution: 10 mpxl  |  Video Resolution: 1920 x 1080 w/ audio  |  Flash Type:  Red Glow Infrared

Picture quality, during the day, is very pixelated.  This is nearly identical to what we saw in the 2015 Recon Force trail cameras.  Outside of that, the pictures have bright, vivid color, but the pixelation is very distracting.

Night pictures have a good amount of flash range and brightness, but they also have a lot of "white noise" and graininess.  It does stop motion really well, though.  Overall, picture quality is below average.

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Video quality is what carries the Recon Force Platinum. Day videos are spectacularly clear, especially when given plenty of sunlight.  The clarity and color are outstanding.  Night videos have great flash range, clarity and record smoothly.  We love the videos this camera has taken.

Megapixel Ratings:

In the past, many people get confused with the megapixel rating trail camera manufacturers advertise.  Companies inflate the mpxl rating to attract eyes to their products.  They do this through interpolation, which digitally adds megapixels to a photo without actually improving the picture.

The best way to judge picture quality is to look at actual pictures.  You will notice this the most when you zoom in on a full-size image that a camera has taken.  The details of the photo will appear hazy or even digitized.  This is normal, and to be expected.

Battery Life

Resting Power (on):  1.12 mW  |  Daytime Power Consumption:  7.08 Ws |  Nighttime Power Consumption:  8.93 Ws

The Recon Force Platinum uses 8 AA batteries.  Do yourself a favor and use lithium batteries for long life.

The day and night power consumption is higher than we would like to see.  It is even higher than the Dark Ops and Strike Force cameras, which is mildly surprising.

If this camera were to take 35-day pictures and 35-night pictures every 24 hour period, this camera would last 5.5 months in the field on a set of lithium batteries.

Detection Circuit

Picture Trigger & Recovery Speed: 1.11 s. / 1.4 s.  |  Video Trigger & Recovery Speed:  1.00 s. / 1.6 s.  |  Detection Range:  80 ft.

This is the first time we have seen a cameras video trigger speed faster than the picture speed.  1.1 seconds on picture trigger speed is far too slow for a modern trail camera.  The video speed is outstanding.

Detection zone, so far, has been better than all the other 2016 Browning trail cameras.  This camera detected 80 ft. in our Detection Shootout. 

Quality of Design

Dimensions: 5.5" x 4.25" x 3"  |  Battery Type:  8 AA Batteries  |  External Battery Jack:  12 Volt

You will find that case design is outstanding in the Recon Force Platinum.  We love the internal viewer, which doubles as a "Live Preview" when setting the camera up in the field.  This camera feels well-made, buttons are crisp, batteries are easy to remove and replace - overall, this is one of the best case designs on the market.

This camera is incredibly easy to program, you won't need the owner's manual.  Another benefit to the internal viewer, is it allows for bigger text in the setup screen - so no squinting or glasses needed.

The Recon Force Platinum has all the basic setup options, but is missing some of the popular options, like password protection and start/stop time.  If there is a weakness in this category, it would be the lack of programming options.

We have not had any warranty issues arise with the Recon Force.  If something does come up, we will update our review to reflect those findings. 

Enjoy our reviews?  Please consider purchasing your next trail camera from us.

Additional Resources:

Browning Trail Cameras

Browning Strike Force