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The story of a Canon G5 digital camera and a FOTRIC 200 series thermal camera :)
Posted by Fraser on 18 Sep, 2022 20:02 -
I was going to write a piece on the FOTRIC 226b thermal camera that is currently on its way to me but have decided to broaden the piece to discuss the case format of thermal cameras, and lack of conventional camera formats in thermal imaging instead
I hope it makes an interesting read and stimulates discussion
Some years ago I bought a canon G5 digital camera. It is a solid lump of a camera that feels like it could survive some pretty rough treatment. Its shape is that of a brick and it is quite utilitarian in its design. I love its solid feel in the hand and the lack of frivililous additions to its brick like design. It just gets the job done and is not built to impress with its looks alone. Substance over looks rather than what can often be the reverse scenario with flashy casings and pretty average contents within. So what has a Canon G5 got to do with thermal imaging cameras you may ask. Well ask yourself this, when was the last time you saw a thermal imaging camera that resembled a conventional digital compact camera or DSLR ?
The photography industry has, for many years, refined its camera designs both in terms of performance and casing design. There have been some disasters along the way but the "Compact" camera and SLR camera case designs have remained common and well liked. Sure the contents of the casings have changed greatly over the years, but the users still want something comfortable and solid to hold whilst composing their pictures. My G5 is about as basic a casing format as a digital compact can be ..... a block with a lens pointing out of one side and a LCD panel on the other side. Nothing too fancy.
So why, I ask, do we not see thermal imaging cameras appearing in a similar format ? Sure in the early days of thermal cameras, the electronics and optical package was just too large to fit into a standard "Compact" cameras case proportions. The Infrared Systems "IR SnapShot" sort of tried and the result was a bit of a monstrosity ..... like an oversized disposable 35mm camera ! It would win no beauty contests and its electronics package was an early attempt at creating a thermal still image camera that mimicked a 35mm film camera.... except the exposure took several seconds per image ! There is no getting away from that cameras ugliness and it was huge ! And yes, I own an example of that camera in my collection
So since the Infrared Solutions attempt at a "compact" thermal camera design, which other manufacturers have attempted to mimic the format of a conventional visible light photographic camera ? Well NEC-Avio had a go and it was a partial success. I say partial because it was still a bit ugly in appearance !The NEC-AVIO F30 was intended to be a "Compact" style thermal camera for the pocket. It was designed for the trades and surveyors who wanted a decent thermal imaging camera that they could carry in a (large) pocket whilst out on a job. Once again the ball was dropped however ! Whilst the cameras electronics package was more than capable, the casing around it looking like some sort of kids toy ! It was all plastic and had a rinky-dink lens barrel. The whole thing looked a bit odd. Performance wise, the camera had a 160 x 120 pixel microbolometer mated to a half decent Germanium lens that offered both close focus (Macro) and conventional manual focus capabilities. It may have looked kind of "cheap" but it most definitely was not a cheap camera to purchase. For its release date, it was actually a very compact and capable thermal camera. And yes I own several examples of this camera in my collection
At this point I say "Next" and consider other cameras that have attempted to mimic conventional photographic camera formats. Only one other comes to mind from the past. It was the Mikron Midas that was similar in format to a large digital compact camera, but it was larger and heavier. A decent attempt though. I do NOT have one of these in my collection as the last one that I saw on the used market was offered at a Bullish price considering its age and capabilities. There is little I can say about that camera as it does not appear to have been that well known in the market.
OK, so now we get to what I consider the interesting bit..... FOTRIC and their 200 series cameras..........
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And so to the FOTRIC 200 series thermal cameras
Readers may ask "who are FOTRIC ?"
FOTRIC are a Chinese thermal imaging equipment brand that dates back to around 2012. They were not well known outside of ASIA and only gained a European representative in 2019. Being relatively unknown in the West is not a sign of poor products or other negative connotations, it just means the company chose to remain in the Asian market. NEC-AVIO is similar in that it is a major player in thermal imaging equipment in Asia, yet is little known in the West. I own NEC-Avio thermal imaging kit and it is equal to FLIR in build and performance.
OK, now that we have got the "who are FOTRIC" question out of the way, let us discuss the 200 series cameras that they offer
The 200 series have the general appearance of a conventional photographic "compact camera" not that dissimilar to the Canon G5 that I mentioned earlier. This fact immediately attracted me to the FOTRIC camera. OK, I know the similarity is only passing and slight, but it was enough for me OK ?
The 200 series were first introduced to the market Circa 2016 and new models have been released over the years to meet market need. The 200 series remain a current product. The basic design is, as I have said, similar in format to a conventional compact camera but with a significant deviation in the form of a mobile phone attached to its rear panel ! The 200 series do not have a built in LCD display and the manufacturer decided to create a camera that was more of a USB thermal camera dongle on steroids married to either a Samsung J7 or other mobile phone of the users choice. The 200 series Camera section provides the casing in which to mount the microbolometer, a decent lens, a large capacity battery and ancillary items. The mobile phone connects to the camera via USB and is held in place by an integrated mobile phone clamp. The mobile phone provides the image processing, display, storage, communications and a visible light camera for dual image type collection (Thermal + Visible light).
The end result of combining a compact camera style thermal imaging head with a mobile phone is unusual to say the least. It does not displease me however as there are options open to the user for different configurations if desired. A smaller mobile phone may be used and the overhang removed if a visible light image is not required. The 200 series cameras may be connected to a mobile phone or even a PC via a standard USB cable if desired. Both Android and PC software is available for image collection and analysis. Of note is the fact that FOTRIC provide the Android software and the PC analysis software free of charge. There was an opportunity to charge extra for PC image analysis software but FOTRIC decided against it
The 200 series employ a good quality lens in front of the microbolometer. It is of unknown brand but is demountable so other lens options may be installed if desired. FOTRIC offer a range of lenses for use on the 200 series and the range includes a Macro lens for close-up inspection of PCB's. Sadly the lenses are quite expensive and range in price from ~$700 to $2000+. The lens mount thread is currently not known, but it may be the common M34x0.5mm format. The ability to change lenses is welcomed as it opens the door to lens experimentation
The identity of the microbolometer behind the lens is an interesting topic as some FOTRIC cameras appear to have used FLIR components. The "AnalyzIR" image analysis software has FLIR related elements within its file list. The latest 200 series cameras use a modern high performance Lynred (was ULIS) microbolometer and this is confirmed in FOTRIC sales documentation.
As previously stated, the 200 series has developed since its introduction in 2017. The 225 model offered 320 x 240 pixel resolution at 30fps and this is an excellent choice for general work, including PCB analysis. A bench mount was introduced to permit mounting a 200 series camera above a PCB for thermal analysis work. A newer model was added to the 200 series titled the "226". This model contains a Lynred Pico 384 x 288 pixel microbolometer. The NeTD of these modern Lynred microbolometers is truly excellent The frame rate is 50fps so these cameras are export controlled. A higher resolution model called the "228" has been released and this offers a Lynred Pico 640 x 480 pixel microbolometer. All of the 200 series cameras have the same outward appearance with only labelling and lens model differences between them. I will include pictures of different models to show the case design etc but from a distance the models all look the same.
It is at this point that I should mention that OMEGA also sell these cameras under their brand and model numbering. They are sold as the Omega Ti120 series and they are basically rebadged Fotric 200 series cameras. Expect to pay a premium for OMEGA branded versions.
As previously mentioned, FOTRIC responded to market need with the 200 series as it developed over the years. When the SARS and Corona Virus pandemics struck FOTRIC wanted to offer a solution to thermal screening large numbers of people in a very efficient manner. I will not go into the pros & cons of fever screening using thermal camera technology here but it is fair to say that there are some issues with that approach, especially when done "at speed". Fotric decided to use their well specified 226 camera as the basis of a fever detection and screening system. The combination of a QVGA+ microboolmeter and 30fps refresh rate made that particular camera a good choice. It was decided that the camera would feed its data to a PC host as that would offer the processing power needed for what FOTRIC had planned in the way of Fever screening software. They were creating a software that could screen multiple persons simultaneously using face detection and AI to analyze the readings being captured. The HAWK software is taught the characteristics of human "targets" using a configuration stage that involves different people walking into its field of view to set the baseline for healthy human targets. I am sure it is much more sophisticated than my simple description but the system is supposed to be very capable and less prone to false positives. The PC needs the processing power to cope with the AI elements of the screening process and a laptop computer is supplied with the complete kit for fever screening. Measurement accuracy is claimed to be +/-0.5 Celsius in stand-alone configuration and +/-0.3C when used with a Blackbody temperature reference within the thermal scene. Now with the use of a PC rather than a mobile phone host, the visible light imagery was lost. FOTRIC addressed this loss by adding a Logitech webcam to the kit. They were then faced with the challenge of how to mount the webcam close to the thermal camera lens to reduce parallax error effects when aligning the visible and thermal images during image analysis and display. The Fever detection software has various modes of operation and these include visible light facial recognition, thermal facial recognition, visible image with thermal measurement overlay and saving of the visible light image when a fever temperature is detected in order to positively identify the person later. FOTRIC created a webcam mounting assembly that slips over the thermal lens mount and this bracket positions the webcam just above the thermal lens. A neat solution to the problem and it is easily removed if desired
OK, so why I have I gone into so much detail on the 226b fever screening camera model ? Well I have one on its way to me this week
I had to do some investigation of the model before deciding to purchase it (surplus stock disposal). Thankfully I found FOTRIC to be a very friendly and helpful company who know their product well. They confirmed that the Fever Detection 226b model will still operate with their AnalyzIR (PC) and LinkIR (Android) software that is used with their general use 200 series cameras They did warn that the temperature measurement range would be limited by the 226b firmware as it needed to be far more accurate than the standard 226 model. I do not know what the designers did to improve the measurement accuracy in the 226b but it required constraints on the measure to range. I found the same with the Hikvision TP-31B fever detection cameras. For me, this is not an issue as I intend to use the 226b for general thermal photography and not for demanding temperature measurement applications. I have plenty of other, very capable, thermal cameras for those tasks
So I will be receiving a camera that is close to a standard "compact" camera in appearance and versatile enough to be adapted to my personal preferences I have several small smart phones that will sit nicely on the rear of the 226b casing without ruining its lines
Happy Days.
I attach lots of pictures of the FOTRIC 200 series
So what do others think about the format of thermal imaging cameras ? There are the dongle type that dangle off of a mobile phone using nothing more than the connector friction (!), the dongle cameras that attach to the mobile phone using bracketry and short USB cables (similar in principle to the FOTRIC 200 series), the mini tablet thermal cameras such as the Seek Shot and FLIR Cx series, the compact handheld that is the Seek Reveal, the pistol grip large display handheld, the eye level scopes and viewers like the FLIR HS, PM and TK scopes. Then we have the more industrial formats that either look like weird camcorders or "box cameras" designed for static installations. Finally we have the "thing" that FLIR introduced that appears to mimic the Sony DSC-F707 or Nikon Coolpix 900 cameras. The main viewing screen "tablet" is attached to the lens assembly via a single axis rotating joint. An unusual design and not one of my favourites.
What are the readers views ?
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The optional lenses and desk stand......
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The 226b Fever detection system (camera available in white or black casing)
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I just found another thermal camera that is trying to mimic a photographic compact camera case format ......
It is the Cordex TP3rEX Toughpix (explosive environment rated model) and the standard TPr3 Toughpix for less hazardous environs.
What can I say.... yet again it looks like a camera that was designed to be a childs toy Have the designers never seen a decent quality compact camera ? Added to the laughable appearance, these cameras cost £1794 for the EX version and £1440 for the standard version. For that you get 80 x 60 pixels @ 9fps ! I think we can guess about the identity of the imaging core can't we....a FLIR Lepton 2.5 ! I am somewhat underwhelmed by the whole package.
https://www.pass-thermal.co.uk/cordex-tp3rex-toughpix-digitherm-intrinsically-safe-digital-and-thermal-camera-9hz
https://www.pass-thermal.co.uk/cordex-tp3r-toughpix-digitherm-digital-and-thermal-imaging-camera-9hz
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The Fotric 226b has just arrived. Brand new in the box Currently on charge to prepare it for testing later today.
The lens is not marked with any identification to indicate who makes it. Lens thread is 32mm diameter rather than the more common 34mm which is a pity. Have yet to test my 34mm mount lenses in front of the mount but doubt their back focus will be long enough for a 34mm to 32mm adapter ring.
More later
Fraser -
FOTRIC 226b Camera charged..... connected to my laptop, running FOTRIC AnalyzIR. Easy installation, no problems at all.
The camera appears to be temperature stabilised as the FOTRIC WLIR-IR Fever Detection software has a 10 minute countdown before calibrated readings are available. AnalyzIR has no such countdown or warm-up warning.
This is going to be quick and dirty and is really just to show the camera and some pictures that it produced in a brief and very crude initial test. This is not review quality stuff ! The camera does provide measurements beyond its stated measurement range but accuracy has not been checked. I wanted this camera for artistic photography and not radiometric imaging. The QVGA+ resolution appealed and the cameras format will not look too out of place in public to the untrained eye. I have yet to try it with one of my mobile phones but expect no issues as FOTRIC told ne that the camera will work just like the standard 226 model except that its measurement range is more limited.
I must say that I am very happy with this FOTRIC 226b and the images it is producing. The software offers some image processing options that I have yet to explore and these include noise reduction that does work well. I also tested the camera against a low delta T scene (a dry lined wall with plaster dabs clearly visible).
The camera is equipped with a 28 Degree HFOV lens and the focus is very easy and not too course. The 226b contains a Lynred microbolometer, believed to be from the PICO series, and it uses an FFC flag that I think I can disable for video recording I will be experimenting with different lens options for this camera and some supplemental lenses as well. It will become the equivalent of my compact digital cameras, but in the thermal domain.
This camera is surplus from the thermal camera Fever Screening rollout and cost me £300 brand new in its box. These originally cost around $4.5K each.
Fraser
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IR images begin - Unprocessed, as provided by the camera and AnalyzIR software without post production editing or enhancement by me.
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Continued.....
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Continued......
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Continued....
Note change of focus to focus on glasses and then on my beard. Depth of field in action.
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Continued.....
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Why are there two of each image with different image settings ? Quick answer... I do not know yet ! I will have to study the user manual There may be some automatic image optimisation going on in the AnalyzIR software. It could also be a function of the Fever Detection firmware within the 226b camera to highlight temperature differences on peoples faces.
Note that the temperature max and min markers are optional and may be removed before image capture or in AnalyzIR post processing. The AnalyzIR software offers the usual range of measurement tools, post processing tools and the ability to batch convert FOTRIC proprietary IR file types into JPG files.
I do not intend to add to this thread unless I discover something that the forum readers may find interesting. This FOTRIC 226b camera is exactly what I was looking for and will serve me well.
Fraser -
I have been eyeing this one on eBay for a while as well, very nice to see it wound up at the pro reviewer here.
p.s. I am a big fan of your thorough core and camera reviews, and have very little interest in the smartphone addons, so hope to see more. Biggest problem I have is procuring the goodies.
My finds in researching this camera where that it doesn't run stand alone and needs a PC with the fotric software to function, unlike the non b other 22x models.
Was I wrong here?
This and eBay's crazy 50% markup for us eu-buyers made me leave it for you
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Hi,
Yes I looked at it for a long time as well.
Some background for you…… according to the sellers feedback he has sold three of these before I bought one. Prices were as follows…
1. July 2022 Accepted offer of less than £200
2. July 2022 Accepted offer of less than £200
3. July 2022 Auction sale that ended at £92 !!
4. September 2022 My unit sold to me at £300. Seller would not lower the price at all and stated that these are being sold on behalf of another party. My camera may have been the last one so they wanted greatest return on it, especially as one sold for only £92.
OK to the 200 series and required host……
All of the 200 series cameras use either an Android mobile phone, an Android tablet or a Windows PC (tablet/laptop or desktop). There is no option to use a product that runs iOS.
The 200 series are normally shown with an Android mobile phone mounted to the rear in the integrated phone clamping bracket. All of the cameras, including the 226b will work as a stand alone thermal imaging solution in this configuration. If the user desires a different host to process the image data coming out of the camera via USB, a tablet or laptop may be connected to the camera via a long USB cable. This tethered option was chosen for the standard 226b fever screening kit as it made sense in that scenario. The kit included a 226b, tripod and a laptop that had the software pre-installed for fever screening. It was a simple plug & play solution for non technical users. A Blackbody temperature reference may also be used to increase accuracy to +/-0.3C when used with the fever screening software.
I contacted FOTRIC and asked them if a 226b would play nicely with the mobile phone and PC software that is used with the other cameras in the 200 series. I half expected them to say “no” and that the 226b was a dedicated solution that would only work with the fever screening software…. Well FOTRIC were very friendly and they confirmed that a 226b will happily interface with a mobile phone it PC that runs the 200 series software It was at that point that I decided to buy the camera FOTRIC did warn me that the 226b temperature measurement range was 20C to 60C and this would limit measurements within the standard 200 series software. That did not bother me as it relates only to measurements and not the image temperature range that could be displayed.
Upon checking the 226b camera with the AnalyzIR PC software I saw that the camera information page was updated when the camera connected. The correct 20C to 60C measurement range was shown and the lens was correctly identified. I suspect the camera sends a “Camera details” data packet to the AnalyzIR software when the initial connection is made. I also suspect that there is a calibration table within the 226b camera that has been carefully created to provide the stated +/-0.5C measurement accuracy provided by this special version of the 226. The limits of that calibration table are possibly what appears in the AnalyzIR software. I checked a hot cup of water, as seen in my sample pictures, and the camera happily measured over 70C with no warnings or complaints. I am thinking that the calibration table might be named “20C to 60C” and may only contain calibration points within that range, but the Radiance to Temperature conversion curve is a constant that is positioned by a 2 point calibration in many thermal cameras… so the 226b may actually hold good calibration well outside the 20C to 60C stated capability….. just not with +/-0.5C enhanced accuracy. I need to test this theory though. I will also still be missing the low sensitivity (High Temperature) Range 2 but that is of no concern to me with my intended use if the camera. The Range 2 calibration table may be missing or disabled. I may do some delving into the cameras software if I feel the need but I am actually happy with the 226b “as supplied”.
Hope that makes the situation with the 226b model a little clearer. It certainly produces nice images
Fraser -
I have been in conversation with Fotric recently regarding their cameras. They have offered to let me test their latest models.
I had told them of my adventures with the 200 series and was interested to hear that the 200 series is now discontinued in Europe. They had rolled out the 226b to Europe only in response to the Pandemic situation. It would appear that remaining stocks of the 226b in the UK are just the left overs from that Pandemic response and no new stock will be coming. This is likely why I managed to buy my 226b at a knockdown price.
Fotric are now targeting the FLIR Ex and Exx market segments with their new similarly shaped and specified camera models.
Fraser
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Fraser, thanks for the detailed writeup. I've been looking for a review for Fotric cameras for ages, but couldn't find one that seemed unbiased.
By the way, any update from Fotric with regards to their latest cameras? -
LOL. FWIW, Fraser, my DIY tCam is in the compact camera format. If my 3D design skills were better, I'd put the sensor in a part that could swivel so you wouldn't always have to hold the camera in front of your face.
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Regarding FOTRIC reviews... I am currently deployed overseas so cannot do any reviews at the moment.
FOTRIC have offered to loan me cameras but I have not pursued the matter to date.
Fraser -
Kicking up an old topic, but I think it would be nice to keep the information together:
I managed to pick up a "defective" 226B.
Apparently it was dropped; the green light would still turn on but the image was bad.
Thankfully only the case was cracked and the shutter was stuck.
Here is a quick tear-down.
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So according to Fraser's excellent write up above this model contains a Lynred Pico 384 x 288 pixel microbolometer.
I can't find any description inside to either confirm or deny this, hopefully some more knowledgable forum member can confirm from my pictures?
https://www.lynred.com/sites/default/files/2019-10/Pico-384Gen2-datasheet.pdf
Itshouldcould be the same or very similar as the Northpoint Akir then but I have trouble spotting the similarities.
https://www.eevblog.com/forum/thermal-imaging/northpoint-akir-01/
Obviously different OEM / Module
Wondering if the double row of header pins in the bottom are some break out interface I could work with.
As there is no monitor I have some trouble figuring out what would be power and what could be an video composite signal.
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Dear RO,
Thank you for adding this teardown to the thread. Very interesting.
Fraser