If I needed a thermal camera to measure high temperatures, say up to 750C or even 1000C, I would look for a used Ex fire service thermal camera. Such cameras often came with multiple temperature ranges that were automatically selected as the target temperature increased. In a fire fighting scenario it is no uncommon to find very high temperature targets so these came rare ‘made fir the job’. You would want a camera that directly reads temperature from the sensor array, rather than one that uses a separate IR thermometer module. That means you are looking for a Microbolometer based camera rather than a BST type.
Things to note:
1. If viewing shiny targets, such as metal, the Emissivity of the target needs to be carefully considered. Shiny steel at room temperature may have a different emissivity when glowing cherry red. Most fire fighting cameras have a fixed emissivity so will not automatically correct for different emissivity especially… you would have to estimate from the provided readings and maybe some real world testing using contact and non contact measurement methods.
2. Fire fighting cameras are calibrated t give a decent indication of target temperature but the designer is unlikely to have expected laboratory use so the temperature measurement accuracy may be a little less than a high end scientific thermal imaging system. Gain the accuracy may be tested in real world scenarios.
3. Surplus fire fighting cameras appear on eBay regularly, especially in the USA. Some are surplus after an equipment refresh and others are retired from service due to performance degradation or faults. It is not uncommon to see dozens of fire fighting cameras sold by the palette load at US government auctions ! These get bought in bulk, tested and resold by surplus dealers. Some work, some are untested and some are faulty. Buy wisely ! I recommend buying a camera that is stated as working and is shown with its display lit and providing a thermal image with reasonable temperature measurement for ambient conditions.
4. A fire fighting thermal camera is a specialist piece of kit and it’s embodiemnt may seem less than ergonomic for hobby use but it is built fir tough conditions and ruggedness so forgive the ‘clunky’ appearance and focus on what it can offer in practical terms.
5. Do not over pay ! I am ever surprised at how inexpensive surplus fire fighting cameras are on eBay. I have seen some real bargains but sadly shipping and VAT to the UK ruins the deal fir me
I have seen working MSA 5000 series cameras for less than $200 and bought one a few years ago for only $100 and it works fine. As a case in point, the MSA 5000 series camera that I bought from the USA for $100 contained an excellent Indigo/FLIR Omega/M10 160 x 120 pixel VOx camera core that is easily deployed on its own and may be configured using FLIR configuration software. The Omega cores lens may be manually focussed and do not let the 160 x 120 pixel resolution put you off…… do you want ultra sharp pretty pictures or temperature measurement ? Sadly I do not think the Omega core can measure very high temperatures without a suitable filter/diaphragm but this gives you an idea of why I think Ex fire fighting thermal cameras can be absolute bargains. They are waterproof so the interior is often like new even if the exterior is tatty.
6. Know that if you buy surplus kit it comes without a warrantee and can fail at any time. You may have to put some effort into restoration, such as a replacement screen protector and new cells in the battery and possibly make your own charging dock. All relatively simple and when these inexpensive cameras are involved, well worth the effort.
7. Fire fighting thermal cameras range in price and many that are now surplus cost their original owners $10K to $20K so you are getting professional kit for a bargain price
8. A fire fighting camera from the late 1990’s and 2000’s will not produce the pretty colourised images or offer the functionality of an Ex series camera…..but it is more affordable, offers greater temperature measurement range and may be considered an excellent entry into thermal imaging fir many users who do not wish to spend a lot of money on a thermal camera.
Fraser
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