Help me choose a new camera?

[cvanc]

Hi all-

I'm shopping for a thermal camera but have not kept up with all these new companies.  This is for a friend who will use it for electronic repair, looking at PC boards and such.

The budget is USD$1000 or under.  Any comments on specific models (good or bad) are most welcome - especially if the software stinks and it's hard to use. 

Here's what I need:
Handheld 'radar gun' format - no phone dongles
Minimum resolution 320 x 240
Must have adjustable focus and a lens focal length that is suitable to the close work
As for connectivity, wireless (WiFi) would be great.  Don't need Bluetooth

What do we think we think?  Really appreciate any suggestions you've got.   Thanks!

[markb1980]

There are only three options:

Uni-T UTi320E (https://de.banggood.com/UNI-T-UTi320E-320x240-Infrared-Thermal-Imager-40~400-Industrial-Thermal-Imager-Handheld-USB-Infrared-Thermometer-p-1909319.html?cur_warehouse=CN)
HTI HT-H8 (https://hti-instrument.com/products/ht-h8-thermal-imager)
OWON TI332 (https://www.owon.com.hk/products_ti332_handheld_thermal_imaging_camera)

The Uni-T / OWON would need a ZnSe Lensholder Addon to allow you closeups, the HTI allow you to focus manually.

Downside: Uni-T and HTI have no useful software and you can basically forget any kind of reporting or analysis on the PC!
(About the OWON I don't know anything - so reporting yould be OK-ish or a total dissaster)

If you can get alon with a 256x192 resolution (ca. 30% less pixels) you could have a look at a Hikmicro B20 + ZnSe Lensholder. This would allow you some closeups. I attach some samples from my Pocket2 which have basically the same sensor. The benefir would be that you get a Reporting and Analysis-Tool that is quite close Flir Tools.

If reporting is not needed and you would be OK with a little less resoluion you can go as low as 400 USD.

If you need at least 320x240 and good reporting-options you need to look at the M30 from Hikmicro (aprox. 2500 USD) or Fotric 325M (aprox. 2000 USD).

What do you plan to do and whatfor do you need the resolution? If the used market would be OK you maybe get a older Flir camera with 320x240 which is since a while used in prof. thermal cameras. e.g. Flir T335 / B4 (not sure if it had WIFI)

[cvanc]

Thank you MarkB for that detailed response, it is much appreciated.

As I said, this is for a friend who will use it in his shop for electronic repairs.  He does not need analytics or FLIR Tools or anything - he just needs to easily 'get the pictures out' and into a PC.  And I feel he needs adjustable focus for this kind of work.

Does this simplified requirement open up any other models to consideration?  And thank you again for writing that up.

[ledtester]

There's a lot of discussion here about the Infiray offerings which connect to your phone or tablet.

https://www.eevblog.com/forum/search2/?search=infiray

This one has a video review of the P2 Pro:

https://www.eevblog.com/forum/thermal-imaging/which-thermal-camera-for-monitoring-my-raynauds-my-body-heat-p2pro-t2s-t3s/msg4659622/#msg4659622

At 11:45 in the video there is a demo of using it on a PCB.

[Night_Gryphon]

Unfortunately i've got HTI HT-H8 and it feels dramatically ugly.
The resolution is OK BUT... about no control over measurement
- The _displayed_ temperature range is dynamic and can't be locked so if i move camera a bit the same color value can change dramatically so it is hard to observe anything which not fit in single frame. You move camera just a bit and if any hotspot happens and the whole picture changes dramatically. Also as dicplayed range is dynamic the thermal resolution of image is also change every time.
- The metrics overlay over picture can not be disabled
- Captured image files does not contain any metadata regarding measured values, gauge range and such. Only overlay which distort image

- WiFi enabled option is not stored so i must turn it on every time manually
- with WiFi turned on the framerate is twice lower and picture just freeze
- There are WiFi BUT no web API to get single frame and current measurement values

I thought this can be fixed with firmware update but none is provided by HTI or anyone

[tankslapper]

Thank you MarkB for that detailed response, it is much appreciated.

As I said, this is for a friend who will use it in his shop for electronic repairs.  He does not need analytics or FLIR Tools or anything - he just needs to easily 'get the pictures out' and into a PC.  And I feel he needs adjustable focus for this kind of work.

Does this simplified requirement open up any other models to consideration?  And thank you again for writing that up.

For that specific purpose something like the DytSpectrumowl CA-10/CA-20 might be suitable.

Here is a review of it on this forum: https://www.eevblog.com/forum/thermal-imaging/review-dianyang-technology-ca10-circuit-board-thermal-analyzer-repair-rd/

A youtube review:

I think they do make higher resolution versions as well, but obviously at higher cost.