Newbie looking for a versatile thermal camera

[AbsoluteDrift]

Hello everyone!

I am new to this forum. Hopefully I'm not breaking a rule by posting here as my first post...if so, sorry in advance mods!

I found my way here by searching for some info on thermal imaging cameras, and stumbled across the FLIR E4 modifications that greatly expand the capabilities of that unit.

I am looking for recommendations for a good, versatile thermal camera. I am not a professional that would rely on the camera or anything, it would be just for my tinkering with things and doing some DIY home efficiency improvements and other uses. I like tools, I admit I don't need a camera but I WANT one haha...I'm sure I'll end up using it on all sorts of projects and situations.

I found some "new" and slightly used E4s in eBay for an OK price. There is also pre-modded E4s that are upgraded to E8 spec on eBay and those go for ~$1200. My question is, would the FLIR E4 be a great option for me with the mods, or is there a better or cheaper option with good resolution out there? I know a lot of time has passed since the E4 was in its heyday, and usually over time tech evolves pretty quick and prices come down and capabilities go up. One thing to consider is I'm not a tech wiz by any means, and I'm not 100% confident I can perform the upgrades to an E4 without asking a lot of redundant or annoying questions from the good people here at this forum.

I don't need extreme accuracy (at least I don't think I do at the moment). One thing I did notice is the limited temperature range of the E4, is there mods for the E5xt to unlock the better capabilities similar to the E4? The temperature range of that unit (up to 400C) seems much more versatile to me than the 250C of the E4.

Hopefully I didn't break any rules posting this here, and I appreciate any advice y'all have to offer. Also if anyone here has a camera they no longer have a need for, I'd also appreciate a referral if that's OK.

Thanks,
Dustin

[Fraser]

In case it is of some help, look at my comments on the E4 at the end of this thread…..

https://www.eevblog.com/forum/thermal-imaging/im-buying-a-infrared-camera-please-help/

[Bill W]

I know a lot of time has passed since the E4 was in its heyday, and usually over time tech evolves pretty quick and prices come down and capabilities go up.


One thing to consider is I'm not a tech wiz by any means, and I'm not 100% confident I can perform the upgrades to an E4 without asking a lot of redundant or annoying questions from the good people here at this forum.

Thanks,
Dustin

In the thermal arena things do not move so fast.  Generally while cameras are getting cheaper the overall performance is pretty constant.  The technical advances (lower pixel pitch) are mainly expended on cost reduction, at least for those entering the commercial side.

Even quite old tech is still very usable, unlike many other technical products


Bill

[AbsoluteDrift]

In case it is of some help, look at my comments on the E4 at the end of this thread…..

https://www.eevblog.com/forum/thermal-imaging/im-buying-a-infrared-camera-please-help/

Thanks for that. Yes it seems that the E4 is a great all-around option due to the upgrades available.

Reading through the 2 threads(of course I didn't read them all), it seems that FLIR at some point either disabled the ability to upgrade the camera or at least tried to prevent it.

Here's my questions:
1. Are there cameras that are simply not able to be upgraded? I am looking to avoid buying a model that cannot have the resolution upgraded.
2. I saw some people bricked their cameras...yikes. The issues that cause this, have they been worked out over time, or at least is the camera recoverable after this happens?
3. On eBay I see what seems to be a "new" E4 wifi for $700. Does that price seem shady?
4. I also see a seeming fully upgraded E4 that has the bells and whistles for $1250. Really for my use that's too expensive, but I'm not saying it's worth it. My question is for someone who hasn't done this type of stuff before, how tough is the upgrade process?
5. Since I only plan on buying one thermal camera I think the extended temp range of the E5xt or similar would be worth the extra cash(they are about $1000 USD it seems) in exchange for the larger temperature range. Would this camera be more tough to upgrade than the E4 wifi?

I have a hard time justifying $1250 for one that's already upgraded but $700 seems like a good price for an E4, and $1000 for an E5xt. For me this will essentially be a useful toy oops I mean tool haha

I really appreciate all the info on this topic in the threads. For me it seems pretty intimidating considering the possibility of bricking a pretty expensive tool. I have a feeling the process is easier and simpler than I'm imagining now that there is more established methods compared to when these upgrades were new to the community and y'all experts were putting in the effort to figure everything out.

Thanks,
Dustin