I've also done some testing on the IPconfigure with the Axis Q1765 camera. It seems to be fairly basic (spits out onto an Excel spreadsheet) but you can do white/black lists which will highlight specific plates. Also, take note that in my testing, it disabled the video output of the camera (so, it no longer functions as a video camera to a VMS, it's now purely an LPR device). The setup was a bit picky and I had to try 2 different SD cards to get it working (their tech support was pretty good though). You mentioned 'plus vehicle picture'. The IP configure setup is going to give you a very low resolution snapshot of the car's plate.... not a lot to go on. You might have to set up a secondary camera slightly off axis to get any sort of context.
The IP configure license isn't cheap, but if you're looking at a stand alone, single camera system, the total cost of ownership is less than say, Plate Smart.