Infiray C210 Thermal Camera review

[littleboot]

Hi All,

Yesterday I received my C210 thermal camera and I'm very happy with my purchase so I would like to share my findings.
I just got my C210 and have played with it for 2 days, so this is not an extensive review.

In short I bought a Thermal camera from China and it's very good given the price:
Temperature range: -20~550C
Infrared pixels: 256x192 (Nice )
USB video feature
16GB SD card included
And more just read the aliexpress page.

I payed €245,87 (including shipping to The Netherlands)
I had to pay import tax but I was lucky).
I was lucky because the taxable value of this "INFRARED THERMAL IMAGER" was determined to be €17,32.
Vat 21% of this was just €3,64, in addition I had to pay administrative charges of  €4,00. So the additional cost were €7,64
Total: €245,87 + €7,64 = €253,51

I Bought it from Aliexpress:
C210 Infiray Thermal camera.
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005001599665046.html?spm=a2g0s.9042311.0.0.27424c4d5bxi8W
€253,51

Update: it looks like the UNI-T aliexpress store does not sell the C210 anymore but C200 (I'm not sure if they are the same now, as far as I know the only difference is that the C210 supports USB video recording)

In addition I bought a lens for better closeup picture. (I did not think of this myself, but read somewhere on this forum someone used this lens type, thank you unknown guy!)

CO2 ZnSe Focus Lens Dia.20mm FL350.8
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32241074105.html?spm=a2g0s.9042311.0.0.27424c4dbHaBMz
€ 8,26

In addition I bought (NOTE do not buy this):
"Cloudray C Series CO2 Lens Tube Outer Diameter 24mm for Lens Dia.20mm FL50.8/63.5/101.6MM for CO2 Laser Cutting Machine " (€ 8,41 X1)
"Cloudray Lens Mirror Removal and Insertion Tool for C&E Series Lens Tube Nut-removal" (€ 6,30 X1)
My thinking was I would use these to fix the lens to the thermal camera someway, I went with a more high tech solution of black electrical tape instead, I might 3D print something better in the future.

I have attached some photo's to this post, so you can get an impression of the results.

You have to ask the supplier for the PC software tool, it is not available for download on the infiray official website I asked them why it is not on the website and they told me it is because of bandwidth constraints. (wierd but oke, I will share it here).
I have received the software from infiray and the uni-T aliexpress store, one is an installer the other is portable version. Currently the version I poses is V1.1.4 (Please if you have a newer version share it)
The software and some thermal images and one thermal video (so you can try out the software yourself) can be found on my file server:
https://tomklijn.stackstorage.nl/s/YqG0kCyvNlqUDk3K
To select the folder containing the thermal images you have to click on the text "Preview" in the left side of the window.

Note, Most of the closeup PCB pictures are taken through the ZnSe lens, (you can verify by enabling fusion mode in the software, if the thermal and photo images are not aligned I have taken the image through the ZnSe lens).

The only things I do not like about this camera (so far):
-sometimes the tigger button to capture an image is not detected. (seems to work after the first image has been taken, some kind of software bug).
-no firmware updates

I would love to disassemble this camera to check out what makes it tick, however it is quite expensive and I do not see how to get inside without breaking it. (I would like to know how to replace the battery in the future). Maybe a new video idea for Dave 

[Berni]

Now that is a pretty sweet price for what is seemingly a perfectly good "high resolution" thermal camera.

How good is the noise on the image when measuring things that only slightly warm? Like trying the old trick of leaving a warm hand print on a table.

[littleboot]

For my it's a new trick . I just tested it. (the thermal images are also added to shared file drive for PC analysis).
Seems oke to me but I know next to nothing about thermal camera's (This will change  ).
Please let me know what you think.

[Berni]

That looks nice and clean to me. By the way does it support exporting any lossless image formats like PNG or BMP?

I am not much of a thermal camera expert myself, mostly use a ThermalExpert Q1 at work. The images looks pretty similar to that (apart from the Q1 having double as many pixels). But i am sure the usual eevblog resident experts on thermal cameras will swing by here anytime for some more in depth comments.

[littleboot]

Thanks for your feedback. I have not found any setting to change the format of what is saved on the SD-card (jpg and irg by default), I'm pretty sure it can not be changed.
However when I connect the camera to my PC in usb camera mode and take a capture it is stored as bmp inside "IRPT_TAS_V114\CaptureBmp\20210801" folder (I have attached the bmp to this post).
 

[Ultrapurple]

This sample image you posted is very very good for a budget-price camera. Remarkably good clarity and, particularly, depth of focus.



The ZnSe lens was an excellent investment and is clearly working well. A word of caution - the lens material is very soft and easily scratched so it's worth keeping in a protective cover when nor in use, rather than having it skidding around the bench like you can get away with for a glass lens. Also, clean it with care.

[Fraser]

Infiray (IRay) are producing some really excellent thermal imaging cores and cameras. They also offer the higher frame rate which is a bonus. FLIR and Seek Thermal have some serious competition in the marketplace from the latest Chinese imaging cores 

[Ultrapurple]

And it's amusing to think that it's probably a serious Federal offense for a US Citizen to buy (perfectly legally) but then export an IRay thermal camera...

[ArsenioDev]

Not if it's to a STA country and you report export to DDTC! No license required at all, just a signed end user agreement and a report of export.
I've spent the last month or so getting that all clarified and verified with the agencies, it's pretty simple.

[andrewusher]

Does it save the radioemetrics to the jpg?

Cheers,

Andy

[edubz]

can you take it out side and see how it looks?


I had a monocular and it use to make me blind in one eye after using it.

Im just wondering how trees and other animals would look in that thing

I was thinking of getting one of these as a toy for a young boy, its something different and I dont want them to damage their eyes using a monocular so I am looking at hand helds

does it have zoom? Can it focus?

[Ultrapurple]

I've spent the last month or so getting that all clarified and verified with the agencies, it's pretty simple.

<whinge>
Playing Devil's advocate, I can't help thinking that if it takes a clever person a month (=$$$) to navigate the system then that's a pretty strong disincentive for other people to even try. Hence perhaps why Infiray et al are about to clean up in the 'Rest of the World' market.
</whinge>
Having ramped up supply for Covid (irrespective of whether the resulting products are any use), I suspect (or hope) there will soon be a relative glut of sensors, resulting in a wide range of keenly-priced thermal toys. For instance, I can imagine thermal becoming a standard fitting on upmarket but affordable drones. Having just bought one myself with 3-axis stabilised camera, downward-looking position-hold camera and funky, swivelling, laser-shooting obstacle avoidance camera and paid about the same as two fuel fill-ups of the car, adding a cheap thermal sensor seems a likely next move.

[BrotherEstapol]

Great write up! How is the focus without the extra lens?
I'm curious at what distance it loses focus! (though you have proven that just buying another lens solves that anyway)

I'm tossing up between this and the InfiRay TL2; I'm after something to check thermal leaks/spots that need insulating in my house, and also checking the heat bed on my 3d printer. The TL2 has the manual focus, but the C210 seems to have better all round features. (I'm not wedded to having it attached to my smartphone)

This really seems like it might fit the bill, especially at that price!

[ArsenioDev]

I've spent the last month or so getting that all clarified and verified with the agencies, it's pretty simple.

<whinge>
Playing Devil's advocate, I can't help thinking that if it takes a clever person a month (=$$$) to navigate the system then that's a pretty strong disincentive for other people to even try. Hence perhaps why Infiray et al are about to clean up in the 'Rest of the World' market.
</whinge>

(the month was mostly low intensity searching while I was primarily focused on silicon shortage sh*tshow with design work)
Actually the real work took me all of an afternoon WFH lunch break while eating sandwiches, Called up the State Dept, they bounced me to DDTC, then to BIS and got all the answers I needed in one call in addition to the reporting specifics, process etc. Didn't even have to do my fall back plan of hopping on the metro into the city and knocking on their door to get answers in person 
Specifically they told me to reference § 743.3 THERMAL IMAGING CAMERA REPORTING of this BIS doc https://bis.doc.gov/index.php/documents/regulations-docs/2256-part-743-special-reporting-requirements-2/file for STA-group 1 countries(really the only ones you want to deal with, they're low headache and don't need anything but a really trivial bit of paperwork (NO LICENSES!), which most of the stuff you'd already have for shipping the unit.

[IwuzBornanerd]

I seem to be missing something here...  That linked document is nothing but instructions for how to make BIS happy AFTER you ship something.  I searched the document for the word "ship" and "carrier" & neither turned up anything about how to get DHL, FedX, or any of the others to actually accept the thing, get it past Customs & take it to the "STA country".  Where is the documentation that spells out the content & form of that "signed end user agreement" & explains how the carrier & customs will accept just that as sufficient paperwork?  No AES account needed to file an EEI like @Dark Volter had to get??  OR are you talking about how simple it is for someone who already has an EIN & an AES account? 

https://www.eevblog.com/forum/thermal-imaging/$300-reward-therm-app-simple-(i-assume)-repair/msg3504528/#msg3504528

I notice that the last thing on his list of actions is that report to BIS.

[tigerbengal2009]

Hi, thank you for posting this, I have been looking around for a thermal camera, this one in particular was of my interest as well, I have been searching and searching in Aliexpress and youtube for more information about this camera, you said is the C210 but in  your link it goes to a C200? it is the same camera? I am still debating between this one and the Seek thermal compactPro.
InfiRay seems to have some impressive phone adapters camera as well, but the lack of reviews and info and no iphone connection, made me not consider them. some adapters are close to $1000!
I need it for motherboard electronic repairs, how do you attach the macro lens that you put the link in your review? the 20mm fl 50.8?

[tigerbengal2009]

sorry I saw it  in the pictures gallery, you are using electric tape, try instead gaffer tape, does not leave residue. if you are good with 3d printers design, I am not, maybe you can do something similar to this

url=1007.13339.169870.0&pvid=1fdfd9c4-0894-41ba-97c7-15716eb0ab8c&_t=gps-id:pcDetailBottomMoreThisSeller,scm-url:1007.13339.169870.0,pvid:1fdfd9c4-0894-41ba-97c7-15716eb0ab8c,tpp_buckets:668%230%23131923%2343_668%230%23131923%2343_668%23888%233325%2316_668%23888%233325%2316_668%232846%238115%232000_668%235811%2327181%2349_668%237206%2334822%2310_668%236421%2330827%23674_668%232717%237567%23923_668%231000022185%231000066058%230_668%236808%2332770%23109_668%233468%2315618%23921_668%232846%238115%232000_668%235811%2327181%2349_668%237206%2334822%2310_668%236421%2330827%23674_668%232717%237567%23923_668%233164%239976%23231_668%236808%2332770%23109_668%233468%2315618%23921&&pdp_ext_f=%7B%22sceneId%22:%223339%22,%22sku_id%22:%2212000021582050991%22%7D

different camera I know, the idea is pretty good

[BrotherEstapol]

Hi, thank you for posting this, I have been looking around for a thermal camera, this one in particular was of my interest as well, I have been searching and searching in Aliexpress and youtube for more information about this camera, you said is the C210 but in  your link it goes to a C200? it is the same camera? I am still debating between this one and the Seek thermal compactPro.

I was in the same boat, but after seeing this thread I ordered a C210, and it arrived on Friday.(only 10 days from China to Australia)
Aside from the battery issues I posted about in a another thread, I really like the images this camera is putting out!

It has a regular camera built in, and has a few mixed modes, but I haven't had to use them, as the thermal image clear enough that I know what I'm looking at!

I think that the C210 is a new model, and Infiray have not updated their website yet which is why you can only really find it for sale on Aliexpress, and that's it.
Quite frustrating, as all the documentation that came with the device is in Mandarin, and there's supporting documents or software on their English website.

sorry I saw it  in the pictures gallery, you are using electric tape, try instead gaffer tape, does not leave residue. if you are good with 3d printers design, I am not, maybe you can do something similar to this

url=1007.13339.169870.0&pvid=1fdfd9c4-0894-41ba-97c7-15716eb0ab8c&_t=gps-id:pcDetailBottomMoreThisSeller,scm-url:1007.13339.169870.0,pvid:1fdfd9c4-0894-41ba-97c7-15716eb0ab8c,tpp_buckets:668%230%23131923%2343_668%230%23131923%2343_668%23888%233325%2316_668%23888%233325%2316_668%232846%238115%232000_668%235811%2327181%2349_668%237206%2334822%2310_668%236421%2330827%23674_668%232717%237567%23923_668%231000022185%231000066058%230_668%236808%2332770%23109_668%233468%2315618%23921_668%232846%238115%232000_668%235811%2327181%2349_668%237206%2334822%2310_668%236421%2330827%23674_668%232717%237567%23923_668%233164%239976%23231_668%236808%2332770%23109_668%233468%2315618%23921&&pdp_ext_f=%7B%22sceneId%22:%223339%22,%22sku_id%22:%2212000021582050991%22%7D

different camera I know, the idea is pretty good

The link you posted doesn't work sorry! Can you try again please?

I also got the lens littleboot suggested(though hasn't arrived yet) and I have a 3d printer, so I intend to design and print a lens holder like you're suggesting! (not keen on using tape!!)

[BrotherEstapol]

Also, I contacted Infiray about the software(forgot about the link in this post!) and the English manual. They send me this link, which looks to be a slightly newer version of the software:(v115)
http://yunpan.raytrontek.com/l/dFlBRO

...and the attached PDF manual.

[tigerbengal2009]

Thank you BrotherStapol for your input and  the software link,  the pdf manual, this is very helpful to take a look at the functions of this camera, reading your comments  , more and more I am thinking to hit the bullet and buy the camera , sorry , didn't realize the link was bad, that is the one that only the lens gave me, but here is another one, this is for the camera Hikvision H10, there you can buy only the camera or the camera plus the macro lens, if you go down a little bit, after AM INSTRUMENT STORE. You can click to see only the lens and the mount it is $59
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005001422640955.html?spm=a2g0s.8937460.0.0.5c732e0esBln8y
The shape and holes are for the h10, maybe you can design one for the c210?.
decisions, decisions.....c210 looks good and $135 cheaper than the seek compact Pro
Does the c210 allows you to see a short on let's say laptop motherboard ? 25 hz and the resolution is enough to see a short creating heat in real time?

[BrotherEstapol]

Do you mean this item?
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005002656448420.html

I'm not sure if that sort of design could work with the c210, but I'll figure something out! There's always a fix!

Does the c210 allows you to see a short on let's say laptop motherboard ? 25 hz and the resolution is enough to see a short creating heat in real time?

I am not sure, I haven't had a chance to look at any circuit boards with this yet unfortunately! I think if you're buying it to check for shorts, you probably would want a macro lens.

[jairbj]

Hi @littleboot, thank you for the review.

I bought one and it has arrived 3 days ago. It's my first thermal camera.

To my surprise, it is a heavy bulky device. I wasn't expecting it. 

Until now the only thing I miss is the ability for recording videos direct on camera.

Also, I bought the macro lens (it hasn't arrived yet).

Attached a picture for size comparison between a Fluke 62Max Infrared Thermometer and the Infiray C210

[jairbj]

My macro lens has arrived.

Lens: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32241074105.html
Diameter: 20mm
Focal Length: 50.8mm

I attached some images.

Also posted the build of my lens holder here:
https://www.thingiverse.com/make:968854

[jazzyjayzee]

Hello! Also just recently got the C210 and it is pretty impressive. Had an odd startup that only indicated 0 degrees, though the thermal image was intact. Only happened once.

Question - seller provided the PC analysis software but is there a trick to configuring this to run on Win 10? I tried a couple times on different machines, seems to install some run-time bits, installer seems to behave, but running the program gives me an instant alert in Chinese that Google translate tells me is "not supported" and will not proceed.

Thank you in advance! great thread!

[littleboot]

My macro lens has arrived.

Lens: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32241074105.html
Diameter: 20mm
Focal Length: 50.8mm

I attached some images.

Also posted the build of my lens holder here:
https://www.thingiverse.com/make:968854

Thank you for creating the lens holder!, I will 3D print one for myself. Very nice design using the rubber bands